K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For October 24th, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - SEN. BOB CORKER, THE FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAIRMAN, SAYS WORLD LEADERS ARE "VERY AWARE" THAT MUCH OF WHAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS "IS UNTRUE." HE SAYS THE PRESIDENT IS "DEBASING OUR NATION." SPEAKING TO CNN ON TUESDAY OUTSIDE A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ROOM, CORKER SAID, "THE PRESIDENT HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY WITH THE TRUTH ON MANY ISSUES."

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S FOUR-MONTH BAN ON REFUGEES ENTERING THE UNITED STATES IS ENDING, AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS PREPARING TO UNVEIL NEW SCREENING PROCEDURES. A STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAYS THE SUSPENSION OF PROCESSING FOR REFUGEES ENDED TUESDAY, THE DATE SET IN TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER.

NEW YORK (AP) - AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP PREPARES TO VISIT VIETNAM DURING HIS FIRST PRESIDENTIAL TOUR OF ASIA, HE'S DEALING WITH A RENEWED FOCUS ON HIS OWN LACK OF MILITARY SERVICE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. REPUBLICAN SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, A POW DURING THAT WAR, CLEARLY HAD TRUMP IN MIND AS HE CRITICIZED THE DRAFT SYSTEM THAT FORCED LOW-INCOME AMERICANS TO SERVE WHILE THE WEALTHY COULD AVOID WAR WITH A DOCTOR'S NOTE. ONE OF TRUMP'S OWN DEFERMENTS WAS BASED ON SUCH A NOTE THAT CITED BONE SPURS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WASHINGTON RESIDENTS AND POLITICIANS ARE UP IN ARMS ABOUT AN ONLY-IN-D.C. PHENOMENON: A STRING OF FORMER EMBASSIES AND DIPLOMATIC BUILDINGS WHOSE GOVERNMENTS HAVE ESSENTIALLY ABANDONED THEM. THE CITY GOVERNMENT CAN'T TOUCH THEM UNLESS THE STATE DEPARTMENT REVOKES THEIR DIPLOMATIC STATUS. AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS LARGER CONCERNS IN MIND AND IS RELUCTANT TO PROMPT A DIPLOMATIC CRISIS. FOR NOW THE MAIN OPTION APPEARS TO BE NAGGING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON IS EXPECTED TO GET A RECOMMENDATION AS SOON AS THIS WEEK THAT MYANMAR IS ENGAGING IN "ETHNIC CLEANSING" AGAINST ROHINGYA MUSLIMS. THAT ASSESSMENT FROM U.S. OFFICIALS WOULD RAISE PRESSURE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND U.S. LAWMAKERS TO CONSIDER NEW SANCTIONS ON A COUNTRY THAT HAD BEEN LAUDED FOR ITS DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION. MYANMAR'S MILITARY IS BLAMED FOR A BRUTAL CRACKDOWN ON MUSLIMS IN RAKHINE STATE THAT HAS CAUSED MORE THAN 600,000 REFUGEES TO FLEE.
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THE NATRONA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON MONDAY VOTED TO CLOSE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS -- MOUNTAIN VIEW, WILLARD AND UNIVERSITY PARK -- AND FRONTIER MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

TRUSTEE RAYMOND CATELLIER SAID THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE THE WORST BOARD MEETING THEY WILL EVER HAVE AFTER THE EIGHT-TO-ONE VOTE THAT FOLLOWED A NEARLY TWO-AND-A-HALF HOUR MEETING AT KELLY WALSH HIGH SCHOOL.

MORE THAN A HUNDRED PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS FILLED THE SCHOOL'S COMMONS AREA.

SOME OF THEM PLEADED WITH THE BOARD TO NOT CLOSE THE SCHOOLS.

BOARD MEMBERS SAID THEY COULD EMPATHIZE, BUT THEIR HAND WAS FORCED BY DECLINING ENROLLMENT LEAVING ABOUT AN EXCESS CAPACITY OF A THOUSAND SEATS AND THE NEED TO CUT $4 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET.

BOARD CHAIRMAN KEVIN CHRISTOPHERSON SAID AFTER THE MEETING THE CLOSURES WILL SAVE THE DISTRICT ABOUT $2.5 MILLION, AND ELIMINATE ABOUT 700 SEATS, BUT THEY POSSIBLY DON'T END THE PROBLEMS IF ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO DECLINE.

LAST MONTH, A COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THE CLOSURES BECAUSE OF THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND EXCESS SEAT CAPACITY.

ENROLLMENT DIRECTLY AFFECTS HOW MUCH MONEY THE DISTRICT RECEIVES FROM THE STATE.

TRUSTEE ANGELA COLEMAN CAST THE SOLE DISSENTING VOTE AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL AMENDMENT TO EXEMPT MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY, THE ONLY SCHOOL IN MILLS.

BUT OTHER TRUSTEES SAID THE DECISION TO NOT EXEMPT MOUNTAIN VIEW WAS HARD, BUT NECESSARY.

DEBBIE MCCULLAR, WHO WAS A TEACHER FOR 37 YEARS, SAID IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO SET ASIDE ONE SCHOOL, AND THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT MOUNTAIN VIEW WOULD BE SPARED IF THE BOARD FACED A SIMILAR DECISION NEXT YEAR.
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A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING A CHANGE IN WYOMING LAW TO ALLOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE COMPUTER SCIENCE IN PLACE OF ONE OF THE THREE SCIENCE CLASSES CURRENTLY REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION.

REPUBLICAN REP. ALBERT SOMMERS, OF PINEDALE, SAYS STUDENTS ALSO COULD CHOOSE TO TAKE COMPUTER SCIENCE IN PLACE OF A HIGHER MATH REQUIREMENT FOR THE HATHAWAY SUCCESS CURRICULUM.

SOMMERS SAYS THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL FINANCE RECALIBRATION ALSO IS RECOMMENDING THE ADDITION OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING TO REPLACE KEYBOARDING IN THE STATE'S COMMON CORE OF SKILLS.

HE SAYS THE RECOMMENDATION IS EXPECTED TO BE PROPOSED TO THE FULL LEGISLATURE WHEN IT MEETS NEXT YEAR.