Be careful: Counterterrorism officials have issued security bulletins to police around the nation about terrorists’ desire to attack stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels—the latest in a flurry of such internal warnings as investigators chase a possible bomb plot in Denver and New York. In the two bulletins—sent to police departments Monday and obtained by The Associated Press—officials said they know of no specific plots against such sites, but urged law enforcement and private companies to be vigilant. These two bulletins followed on the heels of a similar warning about the vulnerabilities of mass transit systems.
Hurricane help: The Louisiana Recovery Authority has backed plans to spend $112 million in hurricane recovery aid on first responder radios, business loans and grants, fisheries equipment, and local infrastructure. The money comes from $1.1 billion in flexible federal block grant aid given to the state after hurricanes Gustav and Ike struck last year. More than half the money has been set aside to go to individual parishes, to largely decide how to spend on housing and infrastructure rebuilding. The latest plans approved today by the LRA board also require approval from federal officials and state lawmakers before the money can be spent.
A leg up? New York students who won lotteries to enroll in charter schools scored higher on standardized tests than children who didn’t get spots and ended up in traditional public schools, according to a Stanford University researcher. Caroline Hoxby, an economics professor, found that charter school students in New York, who tend to come from poor and disadvantaged families, scored almost as well in English and math as students from affluent suburbs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Hoxby’s study aimed to address the argument that charter school students tended to do well because only the most motivated parents put their children in the schools.
