Latest news with #governors
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
There Is Hope for Democrats. Look to Kansas.
David Leonhardt, an editorial director for Opinion, talks to the Opinion correspondent Michelle Cottle about her recent reporting trip to Kansas. Cottle argues that Democrats should look to moderate governors like Laura Kelly of Kansas for a playbook. Below is a transcript of an episode of 'The Opinions.' We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity. David Leonhardt: Democrats are spending a lot of time these days agonizing about what the future of their party should look like. Today we're going to talk about one potential answer. The party's current crop of governors: politicians who have a proven ability to win elections, including some really tough elections, and to govern as well. My colleague Michelle Cottle recently traveled to Kansas to talk with one of the country's most impressive governors. Laura Kelly is a moderate Democrat in her second term. Kansas is so Republican that it hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1932. It's so Republican that there is a famous book, 'What's the Matter With Kansas?' lamenting the failure of Democrats there. Yet Governor Kelly is now in her second term. Michelle and I are going to talk about what lessons she offers for her party. Thanks for being here. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
School praised for 'nurturing, safe, and inclusive environment' in Estyn report
A school has been praised for its "nurturing, safe, and inclusive environment" in a recent Estyn inspection. Caerleon Comprehensive School, located on Cold Bath Road, was given the positive feedback following the inspection in February 2025. The secondary school has 1,468 pupils on roll, including 256 in the sixth form. Inspectors found that "most pupils make at least suitable progress" and "some achieve strong progress due to high challenge and skilled teaching." (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) The school was also praised for its "supportive, respectful, and well-managed" classrooms, and the "strong progress" made by pupils with additional learning needs. The inspection report highlighted the wide range of academic and vocational subjects offered by the school, particularly in Key Stage 4 and the sixth form. (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) The school was commended for its collaboration with other schools to broaden sixth form provision, and for promoting diversity and Welsh culture through initiatives such as Cynefin days and Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen. The report also praised the school's "strong safeguarding culture" and "effective pastoral care," as well as the "high engagement and maturity" shown by sixth formers, as well as spotlighting the contribution made by the school governors. (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) The headteacher, appointed in November 2022, was described as "strategic, compassionate, and impactful," with inspectors noting that her leadership has boosted staff morale and improved teaching quality. However, the report did identify some areas for improvement, such as persistent absenteeism, limited numeracy development, and a lack in the use of Welsh outside lessons. (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) There was also calls for improvement on the quality of feedback and number of pupils making writing errors due to lack of "expectation to self-correct" and "inconsistencies in marking". The school has been asked to improve the attendance of pupils eligible for free school meals, refine self-evaluation and improvement planning, and expand opportunities to develop numeracy and Welsh language skills across the curriculum. (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) Headteacher Lucy Purcell said: "I am very proud of all the students and staff at our school in relation to our very positive Estyn inspection report. "I am particularly proud of the lessons the Estyn team watched where they observed students making 'strong and brisk progress' and of the 'strong culture of safeguarding' they recognised at our school." (Image: Caerleon Comprehensive School) She continued: "Our dedicated and skilled governing body are also recognised through a 'spotlight' in the report and I am very grateful to those volunteers for all their hard work in supporting our school. "We know there is still more work to be done on our priorities to ensure we are the very best we can be and we will continue to work towards these priorities in order to maximise the potential of all young people in our care."
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Governors, Use Your Clemency Powers
President Trump is making shameless use of his constitutional clemency power, rewarding insurrectionists, cronies, campaign contributors and sundry others. But this is not the only problem. Mr. Trump's acts of commission are paralleled by American governors' acts of omission. Even though they control the bulk of the country's prison population and typically have the power to grant clemency, many governors have consistently failed to exercise the power of forgiveness, to all of our detriment. Clemency, specifically the power to commute a person's sentence, is a readily available mechanism to rectify the hyper-punitive sentences regularly meted out in state courts during the past several decades that contributed to the crisis of mass incarceration. The power in many state constitutions to grant clemency is one way to address the vast racial disparities that exist in state prisons — disparities that increase among people serving the longest sentences, which have their roots in the racist trope of the so-called super predator. Close to 90 percent of the two million people behind bars in the nation are held in state facilities, making the collective inaction by governors around clemency inexcusable. In New York, where there are almost 33,000 people in state prisons, a backlog of almost 1,100 pending clemency applications sits awaiting action. A state government website focused on clemency states that applicants must 'demonstrate that they have made exceptional strides in self-development and improvement.' Surely there are many people among the 1,100 who meet, and even surpass, that threshold — people who have acknowledged responsibility for the harm they caused, have done all they can to atone and have amassed vast evidence of transformation. In the past year, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, granted a sentence commutation to just one person. Across the Hudson in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, created a clemency advisory board last year — and later granted several commutations — after failing to grant even a single clemency application in his first seven years in office. Clemency, the power to grant a pardon and essentially erase a person's conviction, or to grant a commutation and reduce his or her sentence, has deep roots in the American legal system. The term 'clemency' shares its origins with the name Clementia, the Roman goddess of mercy, forgiveness and leniency. The king of Wessex (in what is now southern England) had similar powers to those now held by the American president and state governors as far back as the seventh century, when those powers were referred to as the 'prerogative of mercy.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health trust seeks new governors to help shape future of care
People across the county are being asked to put themselves forward to help shape the future of healthcare. This is because the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is looking for new public and staff governors to join its Governors' Council. NCIC is responsible for both acute and community services, including maternity, stroke, and A&E services at the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital. It also runs community hospitals and services throughout the county. There are 11 vacancies in the public constituency and five in the staff constituency. The vacancies in the public constituency are in: Allerdale, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden, Furness and South Lakeland, and North East England and Yorkshire. The vacancies for the staff constituency are in Allerdale and Copeland, Carlisle and Eden, and Furness and South Lakeland. Successful candidates will be able to attend regular council meetings with members of the board of directors and committee meetings on the appointment of non-executive directors. Carlisle Governor, Tracy Ward recently attended the NHS Providers Governor Focus Conference. She said: "I felt that this was a highly valuable experience. "I learned a lot about the direction forward for the NHS and the 10-Year Plan. "As a governor, I felt valued and part of a national body of volunteers giving their time and expertise to hold those responsible for our health and well-being accountable. "Governors were seen as part of the solution to issues that trusts faced." Steven Morgan, chairman at NCIC, said: "Governors have an important role to play in helping to shape and monitor the Trust's services. "They are information conduits informing their constituents about what is happening in the Trust and informing Trust management about what the public thinks about our service and our plans and initiatives. "They are appointed to represent the interests and views of our members and of the public. "Governors bring valuable insights and experiences to our services and ensure that the NHS is accountable to its local population." Two online Governor Awareness sessions, including presentations from the returning officer (CES) and the Trust, will take place on July 23 and 30 from 2pm to 3.30pm. The informative sessions will cover the Governor Election Process and the overall role and responsibilities of a Governor. Deadline for the submission of completed nomination forms is 5pm on Friday, August 6. For more information visit:
Wall Street Journal
05-07-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Generations of Campers Mourn a Texas Institution Devastated by Floods
Each summer, the daughters of senators, governors, oil barons and other Texas royalty would pass through the gates of Camp Mystic on the banks of the Guadalupe River in the state's Hill Country. Once on the other side, they would leave behind their prominent last names and become Mystic girls, devoted to kindness, self-improvement and fair play while living in a realm with its own traditions and rituals conjured by generations of the same family.
