CRT tip line didn't quite go as planned

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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A governor set up a tip line to crack down on critical race theory, but the reports that came in were basically about everything but that. How a predatory loan turned into a disaster. And it's been a year since 10 people were killed at Astroworld. Are crowded concerts any safer?

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's time for Thursday's news.

💰 But first, no winner, no winner, no chicken dinner! Maybe on Saturday. The Powerball jackpot grew once again after no tickets matched the winning numbers.

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Critical race theory tip line draws rants from parents

Complaints about special education violations. Praise for teachers. Concerns about academic rigor and options. These are the main themes in a sampling of the emails sent to a tip line set up by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this year for parents to report, as he put it, "any instances where they feel that their fundamental rights are being violated" and schools engaging in "inherently divisive practices." The email tip line was part of a larger campaign to root out the teaching of critical race theory. These records became public this week. And based on a USA TODAY analysis of a 350 email sample, most of the tips may not have been what Youngkin was looking for. Here's what actually came in.

Ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu set to return to power in Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu will return to power, thanks to the rise of Israel's far right, which won a majority of parliament seats in Tuesday's election, results showed Thursday. The rise of religious parties ousted the establishment left-wing party for the first time since 1992. The triumph clears the way for Netanyahu to form one of the most right-wing governments in the history of Israel, which was formed as a socialist democratic state. The government could have vast implications for the LGBTQ community, secular citizens and Palestinians. Final results, which will be certified in the coming days, show Netanyahu's bloc will pick up 64 out of 120 seats in the Israeli Parliament.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to his supporters at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to his supporters at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem.

What everyone's talking about

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Hundreds of sheriffs are up for election. What are their political views?

When considering criminal justice issues, we need to pay attention to sheriffs. Most sheriffs are elected, and hundreds are on the ballot this month. They lobby state legislatures and Congress. They decide how to investigate and arrest people on matters ranging from guns to elections to immigration. And they may shape how new abortion laws play out at the local level. Among the takeaways in a survey by The Marshall Project of more than 500 sheriffs – roughly 1 in 6 nationwide – found that sheriffs are also far more conservative than Americans as a whole, and largely approve of Donald Trump’s performance as president. Take a closer look at the survey.

🔎 Does your sheriff think he’s more powerful than the president?

Are crowded concerts any safer a year after Astroworld?

It was Nov. 5, 2021, and an overflow crowd descended on Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival. Fences were overrun, security was overwhelmed. As Scott began his set, some fans had already been crushed to death. Shouted pleas to stop the show went unheard or ignored. Ten concertgoers lost their lives. But the question looms: Has anything fundamentally changed since that horrific night? The most obvious behavioral shift in the wake of Astroworld is that artists are quick to pause their performances at the first sign of trouble. That's the good news. But what's the reality?

Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld music festival at NRG Park in Houston on Nov. 5, 2021.
Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld music festival at NRG Park in Houston on Nov. 5, 2021.

Real quick

🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

👉 Intense Russian shelling forces nuclear power plant off the grid, renewing safety concerns; IAEA finds no signs of dirty bombs. Thursday's Ukraine updates.

Broadway's first theater named after a Black woman honors Lena Horne

The legacy of trailblazing actress Lena Horne is being honored in a historic first: a Broadway theater was renamed after Horne, a Black woman. The Lena Horne Theatre was officially unveiled on 47th Street in New York City this week at what was previously called the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (and the Mansfield Theatre when it was built in 1926). It now displays the name of the actress and activist on a sparkling marquee. Horne, a renowned dancer and singer, was a veteran of five Broadway shows. She also won multiple Grammys, among other awards, and had a lengthy career in film and television. Horne died in 2010 at 92 years old.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Powerball jackpot, Astroworld tragedy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lena Horne Theatre. Thursday's news.