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The choice is clear: Democrats must make student loan forgiveness a priority ahead of minimum wage while they hold legislative capital. The path forward comes as a result of a recent decision to not include a $15 minimum wage increase in the multi-trillion dollar COVID-19 relief package currently making its way through Congress . President Joe Biden said he was "disappointed" but "respects" the ruling. At a recent CNN town hall , Biden expressed hesitation regarding bumping the minimum wage to $15—even though wages would increase incrementally until reaching $15 in 2025. After acknowledging he would be open to some kind of legislative negotiation that includes a gradual increase, he added, "It's totally legitimate for small business owners to be concerned." In Biden's political defense, the bill looked dead in the Senate anyway. Two Democrats— Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona—publicly expressed wariness regarding wage hikes as part … [Read more...] about Democrats Must Go All-in on Student Loan Forgiveness | Opinion

Young Wellington conservationists are among the recipients of a scholarship aimed at supporting a new generation of biodiversity champions. The Department of Conservation (DOC) has awarded one-year postgraduate research scholarships of $15,000 each to 10 masters students in the natural and social sciences. Four of this year’s Te Papa Atawhai postgraduate scholarship programme scholarships went to students from Victoria University of Wellington. Conservation Minister Kiri Allan said DOC received 82 eligible applications – “a great response, considering this is the scholarship’s inaugural year”. READ MORE: Enough talk - time for action on tourism's environmental impact, says commissioner Tourism report: add $6-155 tax to long-haul flights to pay for climate fixes Five ways tourism in New Zealand could become more sustainable “I’m told the selection panel was impressed by the high quality of the applications, and found it challenging to choose just 10 recipients,” … [Read more...] about Wellington students awarded new $15,000 DOC scholarships for conservation research

Coronavirus has helped close New Zealand’s digital divide for school students , with thousands of children given devices over lockdown. According to data from the Ministry of Education, 33,000 extra houses were connected to the internet, which will be free until December, and more than 25,000 students now have access to a device who did not before. More than 90,000 devices were requested by schools, with students sitting NCEA in decile 1-3 schools prioritised. Nearly all now had access to a device, with half of all students in year nine to 10 across all decile levels also having access. RNZ Lockdown saw young Māori students battle with unequal access to digital technology, stymying their efforts as learning went online. READ MORE: Strategies for parents facing 'BYOD' school device spend-up Hundreds of Christchurch students to receive free internet access at their homes More than 70 schools now challenging the Government's NCEA review process … [Read more...] about Digital divide: Thousands of students now able to access internet from home

The Government’s latest blueprint for slashing New Zealand’s carbon emissions may seem to some like an impossible feat right now. Coming to the aid of those industries under the crunch to change, however, is a new technology platform that, if successful, will create greener factories. With a $12.5 million backing from the Government, academics from University of Waikato, the University of Auckland and Massey University hope to enable industries to use, convert, supply and store renewable energy for industrial process heating. Named Ahuora, the platform will be accessible to researchers, service providers, industrial manufacturers and other large-scale energy users. READ MORE: New Zealand exporters told to prepare for 'significant changes' from post-Brexit deal Fonterra's first wood pellet-fuelled plant will fire up in September Heating without fossil fuels: Shovelling coal out the door From industry alone, only 30 per cent of the energy used is renewable or green … [Read more...] about Universities team up in mission to make industry energy green

When the Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March 2020, Pomare School principal Cilla Scott​ swept through every classroom collecting Chromebooks and iPads. Getting digital devices into whānau's homes was a "biggie" for the decile 1 school, and she wanted to make sure all 70-odd students had access to digital devices at home to ensure they could continue with their learning and stay connected with their teachers and peers. She and her husband packaged up the school's devices and sent them to families. But nearly a year later, with the computers and tablets coming to the "end of their lives", the school, located in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taitā, is having to replace them. “We’re actually going to be doing some part leases. It’s a real push for us [financially], but we’ve budgeted for that”, Scott said. So the donation of five HP laptops to the school by Recycling for Charity on Monday was much welcomed. READ MORE: The Detail: Kiwis are suffering from 'Digital … [Read more...] about Huge demand for donated devices outstrips supply for Hutt recycling organisation