National / International News

Investigators say there was a widespread effort to change test scores in order to make the school system look better. The 35 educators who have been indicted include the former superintendent, who has denied any wrongdoing.

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A mother and daughter die from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning on a boat on Windermere in Cumbria, police say.

After the December school shooting in Connecticut, the National Rifle Association said there should be good guys with guns to guard every school in the country.

Today the NRA says it will have details on how to put that plan in place, and what it could cost taxpayers. For the most part, the dollar figure depends on whether school guards are sworn law enforcement officers.

“It’s not just simply about being able to defend, but about being able to address and respond quickly in the whole security scenario that law enforcement officers are trained to do,” says Francisco Negron, general counsel with the National School Boards Association.  

Depending on the district, one officer could cost $50,000 to $80,000, according to the National Association of School Resource Officers. There are about 100,000 public schools in the country, putting the total in the billions each year. 

The NRA has said it is sensitive to the cost issue, so it plans to offer free training for volunteers.

“Who is going to actually assure that these individuals really know what they’re doing?” says Daniel Webster, who heads the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun and Policy Research.

Webster says volunteer armed guards could add to schools’ liability insurance premiums, because of the risk of accidents.

The draft report on the death of Savita Halappanavar has found an overemphasis by medical staff on the welfare of the foetus, which was unviable, a solicitor for her widower Praveen has said.

Want a sign that business is hiring? For the first time since 2008, federal officials expect the 85,000 visas for foreign skilled workers will be snapped up in just a few days. The run on visas has reignited the debate over the number of available slots and whether businesses are treating their foreign workers fairly.

For some, demand for these visas is a very nice sign.

"This is encouraging for the economy. It’s also encouraging for young workers," says Tom Kochan, a management professor at MIT. 

According to Kochan, recruiters have come back to campus, on the lookout for students studying science, technology, engineering and math.

A recent paper from the Brookings Institution found that those industries -- nicknamed STEM -- make up about two thirds of all H-1B visa applications. Brookings' Neil Ruiz says the visa cap can be a real problem.

"[In the] heartland, there's a huge demand for STEM workers in particular. And they really can’t find local workers to fill those job needs," he says. 

MIT’s Tom Kochan understands some businesses truly can’t find who they’re looking for. But he also points out that a number of employers wind up paying foreign workers below what the company pays U.S. workers.

"I worry that it’s a cheap alternative, sometimes a revolving door where companies hire temporary workers at a lower wage," says Kochan, who adds that as Congress tackles immigration reform, lawmakers will take a close look at how to improve the foreign visa program.

Specialist divers join the search for a man missing after he fell through ice on a loch in Perth and Kinross.

A site which allowed users to sell on their unwanted digital music was in breach of copyright, a US judge rules.

Scientists are looking forward to a "new realm of physics" as they start work on doubling the power of the Large Hadron Collider.

It's international quiz time on the Marketplace Morning Report. Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of the online international affairs magazine, The Globalist, brings us the question below. 

If the Obama administration's fuel efficiency standards, which are set for 2025, were enforced today, how much less money would each American driver spend per year on gasoline?

a. 55% less
b. 48% less
c. 16% less
d. 1.5% less

Scroll down to see the answer and click on the audio player above to hear more about the impact of fuel economy standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: a. 55% less, assuming fuel prices stay around $3.50 per gallon.

A police and crime commissioner urges an officer to drop her compensation claim for tripping over a kerb.

One of the leading voices on the science of global warming is to retire from Nasa to become more active in the fight against fossil fuels.

Teachers are warning that young people are being damaged by an over-sexualised culture.

Sheryl Sandberg's new book on women and ambition has some critics wondering what a top tech industry executive can really tell the average American woman. Commentator Tania Lombrozo argues that not all books by women and for women need to be for all women.

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Sheryl Sandberg's new book on women and ambition has some critics wondering what a top tech industry executive can really tell the average American women. Commentator Tania Lombrozo argues that not all books by women and for women need to be for all women.

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Former England captain David Beckham says he has not given up hope of playing for the national side again.

At least seven people are killed as dozens of heavily-armed militants attack an electricity plant in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say.

Google's first privacy director, Alma Whitten, is to step down after three years in a role created after the firm made serious mistakes on privacy in 2010.

Potential witnesses to the stabbing of a Kidderminster Harriers football fan travelling home from a match against Luton Town are asked to contact police.

The Connecticut Huskies are going to a record sixth-straight Final Four. California is in the Final Four for the first time. Tuesday night, the other two slots will be filled.

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A French doctor who worked on adventure reality TV show Koh Lanta kills himself in Cambodia a week after one of the contestants died.