Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that’s a critical counterweight to climate change. A warming climate fed drought that in turn fed the worst year for fires since 2005. And those fires contributed to deforestation, with authorities suspecting some fires were set to more easily clear land to run cattle. The Amazon is twice the size of India and sprawls across eight countries and one territory, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet. It has about 20% of the world’s fresh water and astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples, and experts say exploitation by individuals and organized crime is rising at alarming rates. “The fires and drought experienced in 2024 across the Amazon rainforest could be ominous indicators that we are reaching the long-feared ecological tipping point,” said Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest. “Humanity’s window of opportunity to reverse this trend is shrinking, but still open.” There were some bright spots. The level of Amazonian forest loss fell in both Brazil and Colombia. And nations gathered for the annual United Nations conference on biodiversity agreed to give Indigenous peoples more say in nature conservation decisions. “If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor," Miller said. Forest loss in Brazil’s Amazon — home to the largest swath of this rainforest — dropped 30.6% compared to the previous year, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. The improvement under leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva contrasted with deforestation that hit a 15-year high under Lula's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. In July, Colombia reported historic lows in deforestation in 2023, driven by a drop in environmental destruction. The country's environment minister Susana Muhamad warned that 2024's figures may not be as promising as a significant rise in deforestation had already been recorded by July due to dry weather caused by El Nino, a weather phenomenon that warms the central Pacific. Illegal economies continue to drive deforestation in the Andean nation. “It’s impossible to overlook the threat posed by organized crime and the economies they control to Amazon conservation,” said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America. “Illegal gold mining is expanding rapidly, driven by soaring global prices, and the revenues of illicit economies often surpass state budgets allocated to combat them.” In Brazil, large swaths of the rainforest were draped in smoke in August from fires raging across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland and the state of Sao Paulo. Fires are traditionally used for deforestation and for managing pastures, and those man-made blazes were largely responsible for igniting the wildfires. For a second year, the Amazon River fell to desperate lows , leading some countries to declare a state of emergency and distribute food and water to struggling residents. The situation was most critical in Brazil, where one of the Amazon River's main tributaries dropped to its lowest level ever recorded. Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who lives in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, said he believes people are becoming increasingly aware of the Amazon's fundamental role “for the survival of society as a whole." But, like Miller, he worries about a “point of no return of Amazon destruction.” It was the worst year for Amazon fires since 2005, according to nonprofit Rainforest Foundation US. Between January and October, an area larger than the state of Iowa — 37.42 million acres, or about 15.1 million hectares of Brazil’s Amazon — burned. Bolivia had a record number of fires in the first ten months of the year. “Forest fires have become a constant, especially in the summer months and require particular attention from the authorities who don't how to deal with or respond to them,” Ipenza said. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw a surge in fires this year. The United Nations conference on biodiversity — this year known as COP16 — was hosted by Colombia. The meetings put the Amazon in the spotlight and a historic agreement was made to give Indigenous groups more of a voice on nature conservation decisions , a development that builds on a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people's role in protecting land and combating climate change. Both Ebus and Miller saw promise in the appointment of Martin von Hildebrand as the new secretary general for the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization, announced during COP16. “As an expert on Amazon communities, he will need to align governments for joint conservation efforts. If the political will is there, international backers will step forward to finance new strategies to protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest,” Ebus said. Ebus said Amazon countries need to cooperate more, whether in law enforcement, deploying joint emergency teams to combat forest fires, or providing health care in remote Amazon borderlands. But they need help from the wider world, he said. “The well-being of the Amazon is a shared global responsibility, as consumer demand worldwide fuels the trade in commodities that finance violence and environmental destruction,” he said. Next year marks a critical moment for the Amazon, as Belém do Pará in northern Brazil hosts the first United Nations COP in the region that will focus on climate. “Leaders from Amazon countries have a chance to showcase strategies and demand tangible support," Ebus said.fred done betfred net worth 。

After a week of rumours and misinformation, Kelowna RCMP have set the record straight about a video that's recently gone viral. A video has been circulating various social media sites showing a woman yelling in a local convenience store and along with her dog, who aggressively barked at the store attendants. Someone in the store who was "trying to buy a sandwich" filmed the whole incident. According to RCMP, the incident took place over a year ago, on Sept. 19, 2023 at the Canco gas station in the 1100-block of Ethel Street. "Officers attended where it was determined an unknown female attacked two store employees and attempted to coerce her dog into biting them," said Kelowna RCMP in a press release. The incident was captured on cell phone video which was provided to police at the time. The next day, the woman was found and arrested for assault. She was released with an undertaking scheduled for court at a later date. Just over a month later, RCMP concluded their investigation at the request of the victims affected because the woman had never returned to the store and one of the victims no longer lives in the province. “For reasons unknown, this video only recently surfaced on social media over a year after the incident was reported and investigated by police,” RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Michael Gauthier. “In this particular case, when the victims of the offence(s) are no longer interested in pursuing charges, we are obligated to cancel the Undertaking and conclude the matter as is.” The video can be found here.After starting 2-0 in its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, SMU looks to make the month even more special on Sunday, hosting Longwood in Dallas, Texas. The Mustangs seek a seven-game win streak in their final nonconference test before welcoming No. 4 Duke to Dallas on Jan. 4. In recent victories over Alabama State, Virginia, LSU, and Boston College, SMU (10-2) averaged 85.3 points per game, allowed just 66.0 ppg, and climbed to No. 30 in the NET rankings. "We're a different team right now than we were earlier in the season," SMU head coach Andy Enfield said at the beginning of December, his words ringing even truer as the season progresses. "They'd never been under pressure together until recently, so they're starting to learn and figure things out." Longwood (11-3) enters its third consecutive road game, having won five of its last six overall. That includes a major 82-67 win at North Carolina Central on Dec. 20. It was only the sixth nonconference home loss for NCC since 2016, and Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich saw it as a result of his team's growing cohesiveness. "We got great contributions from so many players," Aldrich said. "We have been working to play more and more connected, and this team has really taken positive steps this week." The Mustangs' Matt Cross is among the biggest threats to Longwood's defense, which allows just 66.6 points per game. A 6-foot-7 forward, Cross had 36 points over SMU's last two wins, including a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double against LSU. What Cross does with the ball in his hands is impressive -- he is averaging 13.5 ppg in December -- but it is also what he does off the ball that increases his value. "He's extremely tough," Enfield said after Cross' performance against LSU. "His wall up in transition, where (Corey) Chest came down, was going to dunk the ball, and he stood there and took the contact. ...That's a big-time basketball play." Longwood is paced by Michael Christmas, a veteran forward in his fourth year in the program. A hard-nosed wing who can score at all three levels, Christmas is Longwood's only returner who started at least 30 games on last year's NCAA Tournament team. He is averaging a team-high 11.9 points per game. "(He) loves this university, loves this town and community," Aldrich said of Christmas. "He opted to come back here to really invest in the program." --Field Level MediaThe number of second homes in Devon has continued to rise, with the county remaining one of the most popular places for people to own an extra house. There are a total of 13,158 second homes across our county according to the latest government figures. That’s an increase of 855 compared to 2023 and means that one in every 35 Devon dwellings is a second home. Second homes are properties that are unlived in, but are fully furnished. They can include holiday lets like AirBnBs, as well as “buy-to-leave” properties, which are purchased as investments that are left unoccupied in the expectation that their value will rise. Second homes take up a larger share of the housing stock in some areas far more than in others though. South Hams now has an extra 123 second homes compared to last year, with the total in the area now standing at 4,145. One in every 11 dwellings in the local authority is a second home, which is the fourth highest ratio in the country after the City of London (one in every four), North Norfolk (one in every 10) and the Isles of Scilly (also one in every 10). Three other council areas are in the top 15 in the country when it comes to the proportion of housing being made up of second homes. North Devon has a total of 2,190 second homes, up by 19.4% compared to last year. One in every 22 dwellings there is now a second home. Torridge has a total of 1,395 second homes, up 15.0%, which works out as one in every 25 dwellings. East Devon has 2,816 second homes, up by just 2.0%, with one in every 27 dwellings now a second home. The national average is one in every 92 houses. In West Devon, one in every 39 dwellings is a second home. In Plymouth it’s one in every 109, in Exeter it’s one in every 111, and in Mid Devon it’s one in every 166. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We understand the frustration in areas where large numbers of properties are used as second homes and we are determined to tackle this issue. That’s why we are taking decisive action to protect communities by giving councils powers to charge a council tax premium on second homes and increasing Stamp Duty for those buying additional properties.” The Government has provided councils with the discretionary power to charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on second homes from next April. The premium is not a mandatory requirement, it is for councils to decide whether to charge the premium and at what rate. The government has also announced an increase to the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings in the Autumn Budget. This is designed to give an advantage to people buying a home to live in an advantage over those purchasing additional property.Shoppers bemused as Easter eggs hit shop shelves before New Year’s Eve

THE Home office is spending £15 million on satellites which will be able to track migrants attempting to cross the Channel from space. Government contracts reveal that the department has forked out the huge sum for a deal with a global company which specialises in space operations. The Luton -based branch of Telespazio UK will provide enhanced surveillance for the Joint Maritime Security Centre which ensures the country can respond to “threats to security, law and order, and the marine environment”. It will improve the Home Office’ s ability to detect “dark targets” - which do not emit tracking data - such as ships used by criminals to smuggle goods, and tiny dinghies used by Channel migrants . Radar, hi-tech cameras and sensors have already been hired to provide 24/7 surveillance of those trying to cross the Channel in small boats. Figures show that so far this year 36,204 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats, with more than 150,000 crossing from France since records began in 2018. read more on uk news A heavily redacted contract, published by the Government in December, shows that the contractor has to comply with the Officials Secret Act. The contract started in November and is due to run until next September, with a total value of £15 million. An order form reveals: “Maritime security is a key enabler to Homeland Security, surveillance of the Maritime domain for UK security requires a multi-layered approach. “Satellite surveillance products provide longer range coverage but lack persistence, whereas terrestrial sensors such as RADAR provide persistence at shorter ranges.” Most read in The Sun The aims of the new surveillance are listed as: “To identify vessels of interest (VOI) (especially dark targets), determine patterns of life (POL) and to enable cueing of other sensor capabilities and patrolling assets, to direct other capability/assets to the target VOI in order to undertake further surveillance or to intercept, therefore delivery of agreed products/analysis should be as near to real-time as is possible.” The contract includes a requirement for a bi-annual review of the technology to ensure that “innovation is at the leading edge of space sensing”. A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun: “The Joint Maritime Security Centre is harnessing cutting edge technology and capabilities to provide 24/7 monitoring of UK waters and ensure our borders are secure. “Effective use of satellites ensure we can play a key role in detecting ‘dark vessels’ at sea, such as those involved in illegal immigration, illegal fishing activities, drug smuggling, ship-to-ship transfers of goods and evading sanctions. “And in the channel, the UK is taking steps to tackle small boat crossings through our Border Security Command, recruiting more investigative officers and working more closely with our European partners to ensure the vile people smugglers are brought to justice.” Shadow Home Secretary and former Tory Technology Minister Chris Philp told The Sun: “Tracking the passage of illegal immigrants coming across the channel will make no difference if they are simply ushered to the UK shore and then put up in plush hotels at taxpayer expense. “This money would be better spent deporting illegal immigrants who make it to the UK. “The Labour Government is soft on illegal immigration - Channel crossings are up over 20 per cent since the election compared to the same time last year. “Labour was wrong to scrap the Rwanda deterrent before it even started. “I am committed to re-introducing a Rwanda-style removals deterrent.” He added: “The Labour Government should urgently adopt this plan to end the escalating numbers of illegal immigrants. “1,500 illegal immigrants have crossed the channel in the last four days. READ MORE SUN STORIES “This has to end.” The Sun contacted Telespazio UK for comment.Uttar Pradesh bypolls: BJP wins three assembly seats, SP bags two

A man at his best

BIG TEN ROUNDUPScience rules ! Just ask Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics player expressed clear delight after meeting Bill Nye, aka “The Science Guy,” on Friday night. Earlier this month, Brown had tweeted about the iconic TV personality, writing: “How can I meet Bill Nye the science guy.” The tweet ended with a goat emoji to signify Nye’s status as the GOAT (greatest of all time). How can I meet Bill Nye the science guy 🐐 The three-time NBA All-Star got his wish when Nye attended the Celtics’ Friday game in D.C. against the Washington Wizards, which Boston won 108-96. Brown posted a photo on social media of the pair, with Brown grinning and pointing at Nye, who’s making a goofy pose of his own. The shooting guard wrote: “You made learning fun thank you for taking a picture with me.” Plus another goat emoji. “Big night for you, you got to meet Bill Nye,” a reporter later told Brown, who couldn’t argue. Brown said he couldn’t remember exactly what prompted his original tweet about wanting to meet the TV host, but he’d been thinking about “the educational experience” when a thought crossed his mind: “Man, I gotta meet this guy.” He added that “it was pretty cool tonight” to “shake [Nye’s] hand for helping me in my educational journey.” "I gotta meet this guy... to shake his hand for helping me in my educational journey, it was pretty cool tonight." Jaylen Brown was geeked to meet Bill Nye 👨🔬🧪 pic.twitter.com/ugPNuaKGoF Nye, a former engineer whose smash-hit 1990s children’s educational show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” cemented his place in pop culture, posted his own selfie with Brown on Instagram. Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. The caption painted a picture of the pair going back and forth, each exclaiming how honored they were to meet the other. A post shared by Bill Nye (@billnye) Related From Our Partner

Qatar Automobiles Company announces special ‘End of Year’ offer on a range of Mitsubishi carsLove Island star Tasha Ghouri topped the leaderboard once more last week on Strictly Come Dancing - and shows no signs of backing down. The 26-year-old earned a near perfect 39 points for her Paso Doble with Aljaz Skorjanec to Nathan Lanier's Torn, which judge Motsi Mabuse branded the "dance of the night". The reality TV contestant faces stiff competition if she wants to lift the Glitterball Trophy - Miranda star Sarah Hadland joined her on top of the leader board thanks to her couple's choice routine to Kylie Minogue's banger Padam Padam. Comedian Chris McCausland is also consistently good, earning 37 points for his dreamy American Smooth this week. But you wouldn't bet against Tasha as the determined star has overcome serious adversity to achieve success and has been forced to hit back at the cruel online trolls for targeting her due to her disability. Tasha responded in the best possible way, telling the Sun : "I'm in my slay era. This era is payback, proving everyone wrong. "A lot of people doubted me and a lot of people didn't think I'd get far at all. This is the moment I can show I never stopped believing in myself, it's got me to where I am now." Tasha's time on the dance contestant comes three years after Rose Ayling-Ellis became Strictly's deaf contestant, going onto lift the Glitterball Trophy. The reality star from Yorkshire was born deaf too and uses a cochlear implant, prompting mean social media users to make videos about the way she speaks. "When I came off Love Island , I had to deal with a lot of people saying stuff about my voice, people tweeting about ripping out my cochlear implant and throwing it in the pool," said Tasha. "Being brutally honest, there were two girls on TikTok and I still remember to this day, they took the mickey out of my voice and that went viral. It's still not been taken down." After her stint on Love Island as the first deaf contestant, Tasha vowed not to let the trolls win and today, she has 2.2 million followers across her social media platforms. "For the younger Tashas out there that struggle with self confidence, self love or just trying to accept their disability, I want to be that voice to show them it doesn’t define who you are," she said. Offscreen, Tasha is loved up with Love Island's Andrew Le Page , 29. The couple live together, have matching tattoos and own a dog together, with marriage on the cards in the future. "Andrew's the man I'm going to marry at some point," the star told the Sunday Times .

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus has granted asylum to a former Polish judge who faced espionage charges at home following his defection in May to the Kremlin-allied country. A decree published Friday by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ autocratic president, described Tomasz Szmydt as being “prosecuted for political reasons” in Poland. The country is an EU and NATO member that has lent vocal support to Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression . Szmydt’s defection to Belarus in May trained the focus on Poland as a key target for Russian intelligence activity and ignited a bitter political row over the circumstances of his rapid ascent through the ranks of the Polish justice system. Poland’s prosecutors and special services launched an investigation the same month after Belarus media reported that Szmydt arrived in the country and asked for protection. Warsaw responded days later by putting Szmydt on a wanted list , a step toward an international arrest warrant on spying allegations that would restrict his ability to travel internationally. Polish officials have been working to determine how harmful Szmydt’s knowledge of any classified information might be to the interests of Warsaw and its Western allies. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has publicly called him a traitor. Szmydt fled to Belarus after resigning from his post as a judge at the Warsaw Administrative Court, saying in a public statement that he was doing so in protest against Poland’s “harmful and unjust” policy toward Belarus and Russia. A short time later, he appeared at a press conference in Belarus, praising Lukashenko’s regime and presenting himself as a victim of repression. A Polish court later that month lifted Szmydt’s immunity, allowing him to be tried in absentia for spying allegations that he has denied. Szmydt was notorious in Poland for having engaged in a 2019 online smear campaign against other judges that was sponsored by the Justice Ministry under the previous right-wing government . Three years later, he appeared to switch sides, appearing in a TV documentary to expose what he said was unethical behavior by judges close to the ruling party. Szmydt’s defection came as a shock in Poland, which has a history of distrust of Russia. Belarus has been one of the Kremlin’s few close allies since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Lukashenko has relied on Moscow's subsidies and support. In return, he has allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops and weapons into the neighboring state, and to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. Authorities in Minsk have been ratcheting up repressive measures ahead of a presidential election in January in which the strongman leader is seeking a seventh term, including by arresting hundreds of people who have shown solidarity with Kyiv. Authorities responded to massive protests following the widely disputed 2020 election of Lukashenko with a wide-ranging crackdown in which about 65,000 people were arrested. Major opposition figures were either imprisoned or fled the country, and human rights activists say Belarus is holding about 1,300 political prisoners.

Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy CarterIreland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show

Former President Jimmy Carter dies at age 100Next Quarter’s Crypto Must-Haves: 5 Picks You Can’t Ignore, Including a Hot Solana Token

Love Island's Chyna Mills reveals she's living on a BOAT with Strictly Come Dancing fiancé Neil Jones and their daughterquarterback has stirred speculation about his NFL future, particularly regarding a potential connection to the , after a curious move on social media. Sanders, who is expected to enter the NFL Draft after his final college season, has been linked to several teams, including the and the Giants. Rumors about his preferences gained momentum after the made a significant roster change this week, releasing quarterback . , who had been benched earlier, reportedly requested the release himself, as confirmed by team owner John Mara. "Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,'' Mara said. "We mutually agreed that would be best for him and the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. "His handling of the situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.'' Sanders' gesture on social media The shared the news on their social media platforms, and fans quickly noticed Sanders liking the announcement on Instagram. His gesture fueled excitement, especially in light of ' recent lack of comments about the Giants. During a podcast interview, when asked if he'd like to join the team, laughed and offered a coy "no comment," leaving fans guessing about his intentions. With his skill set and on-field charisma, has been seen as a potential franchise-changing quarterback. The prospect of him joining forces with a talent such as Malik Nabers, should their paths cross in the NFL, has sparked buzz among fans.

Digital e-readers have transformed the reading landscape in three significant ways: mobility, sustainability, and abundance. However, as many have predicted, has this medium truly changed the future of reading? Bibliophiles remain loyal to printed materials. They often use digital e-readers primarily as a backup. According to Google statistics, around 83% of readers are more likely to purchase a printed version of a new, popular, or classic book. At the same time, they use their e-readers to hold free or mediocre books they plan to read at a leisurely pace. Printed books have been a cornerstone of education and entertainment for centuries. “Paper” and “writing sources” have documented history and facilitated communication throughout the ages. Without writing, much of our past would remain unknown. Historians feel a responsibility to honor our history by preserving the art of writing on paper, and I believe this will never change. Books offer an immersive experience that many readers find comforting and nostalgic. The rustle of pages, the smell of paper, the need for beautiful bookmarks, and the tangible weight of a book provide a sensory experience that digital devices cannot replicate. Even with the rise of digital media, traditional books continue to thrive. As the population ages, will this change? Does the younger generation appreciate printed materials in the same way? Or will sustainability concerns outweigh the need for paper? Will books become mere fuel for future generations? Imagine a post-catapultic world where burning books is the new form of heating and electricity. Older people may cringe at this thought, while younger people might hold their e-readers high and say, we stored those books in here. What does it matter if we burn books when we need to save the world? Perspective and time are everything. There are notable advantages to printed books. They require no batteries or electricity, making them reliable in any setting, such as a cabin in the woods or a campsite where fire is the only light source. Books add an aesthetic value to a space, serving as decor and conversation starters. As e-readers become more prevalent, the value of printed books will increase. Like many other antiquated objects, they may become a symbol of wealth and prosperity. I suggest keeping your books in sealed plastic, which may become valuable. E-readers have revolutionized how we access and consume written content. Devices like the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo offer readers a portable library at their fingertips. With the ability to store thousands of books in a single device, e-readers cater to the modern reader’s mobility, convenience, and variety needs. However, they do not provide the exact immersive experience. E-ink technology simulates a paper-like feel, and with its lightweight and compact design, e-readers are perfect for on-the-go reading. And their long battery life makes them suitable for quick trips to the cabin. Features like adjustable font sizes, backlighting, and text-to-speech enhance accessibility for a broader audience, allowing all readers to access a vast array of books and publications. The rise of digital reading has also significantly impacted writing. It has changed how authors create and distribute their work. Independent authors can now self-publish and reach global audiences, allowing diverse voices to be heard. They can maintain creative control and receive a larger share of royalties. Writers can engage directly with their audience through social media and digital platforms, fostering a more interactive marketing strategy. For now, the coexistence of traditional books and e-readers reflects a broader trend in the media landscape, where digital and analog formats complement rather than replace one another. However, this ongoing battle will likely grow and change as the world gains more access to digital services and the need for sustainability rises to the forefront of global discussion. Global warming will take a back seat in the next few years, so it is unlikely that there will be an enormous shift in the reading world. Whether one prefers the classic charm of a hardcover or the sleek efficiency of an e-reader, the battle rages on, and no one knows for sure. Regardless, the love for reading and writing continues to thrive. Books and e-readers do not win readers’ hearts; the stories within them do. Image by from Writing has always been her passion and a voice for those who cannot speak. She considers herself fortunate to write every day and says her mantra is, "I drink coffee, write, and I know about people and technology." Her writing is diverse and can be found online on websites like LifeHack, You Have a Calling, Medium, TechCrunch and, She Knows.

A Queens public high-school teacher created a creepy “escape room” where he allegedly sexually abused a female student, according to a troubling new report. Scott Biski, a music teacher at Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences High School, also invited the girl to his home — calling it “the bat cave” — for sex when his wife and two kids were not home, investigators allege. Biski, 50, began “grooming” the student when she was 14, a sophomore, and it culminated when she was a senior into “a sexual relationship,” charges a report by the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools. “I now understand that these weird hugs, embraces were actually just groping,” the now 25-year-old ex-student told investigators in 2022. “He was touching me for sexual pleasure without my consent.” Biski arranged “makeshift dividers and old desks” in his music classroom and office, inviting students to hang out in his “escape room.” There, Biski touched the student’s breasts and tried to kiss her, prompting the girl to pull away and “promptly” leave, the report says. Biski would also invite the girl to his home to play board games with other kids. Once, she arrived to find she was the only student there, the report says. Biski also gave the girl lavish gifts, such as a flute that was only supposed to be lent to students, his favorite childhood book, new clothes and cash, including $200 for Ugg boots, it says. The SCI found that he messaged the teen nearly 700 times, 82 times during school. Biski told the girl to save his number under a fake name – “Arthur Dent” — “so as to not arouse suspicion,” she told investigators. Another student told SCI he believed the alias was “Harvey Dent,” a Batman villain whose alter ego was “Two-Face.” Biski forcibly kissed and groped the student in his school office and forced her to touch his erection, telling her, “That’s how you make me feel,” according to court documents and the SCI report. Biski assigned the student to play lead flute in the school band, gave her coveted solos and wrote “outstanding” college recommendation letters for her, she said. “These were things he did as a part of his grooming process,” she said. Once she graduated, she told investigators, Biski would allegedly “pester” her into coming to his house when his wife and two kids were gone to engage in sex acts. And the perverted texts continued. “No Halloween party? No slut outfit?” he texted her during her first year in college. “No ‘I’m little red riding hood the whore.'” On another occasion, he wrote, “I have risked everything for you. My job. My home. My kids. Everything.” The student told investigators she was “disgusted” by his behavior because she saw Biski as a “father figure.” The NYPD closed a criminal case against Biski because the student said the sexual contact was consensual and occurred after she turned 17, but the teacher’s behavior was “egregious, manipulative, and predatory,” the SCI charged. After the student came forward in June 2022, the city Department of Education removed Biski from Gateway, but he remained on the city payroll until last year, collecting $99,578 in fiscal year 2024, records show. He has “irrevocably resigned,” a DOE spokeswoman said. Besides recommending Biski’s termination, SCI called on the DOE to amend its guidelines on teachers using private phone numbers to text kids. The SCI has repeatedly urged the DOE to ban employees from contacting students’ cell phones and social media accounts. In the past five years, it has found at least 89 cases of DOE employees having inappropriate conversations with students via text and online. Last year, the 25-year-old former student filed a lawsuit, charging Biski with harassment and sexual assault. In June, Biski sued the DOE for denying him legal representation. Lawyers for Biski did not respond to inquiries.