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Live updates New effort to launch Artemis I is encountering problems loading the fuel

The Artemis program is NASA’s flagship deep-space human exploration program, meant to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the last of the Apollo missions, in 1972. Saturday’s flight, known as Artemis I, is the first in a series of test missions. It would send the Orion crew capsule in orbit around the moon for about six weeks without any astronauts on board. The next flight, Artemis II, scheduled for some time in 2024, would send astronauts into lunar orbit but not to the surface of the moon. A lunar landing, Artemis III, could come in 2025 or 2026, if all goes according to plan.

washingtonpost.com

UTRGV’s new scholarship program tackles ‘brain drain’

For starters, Bailey said the program will help address the Valley’s “brain drain,” educated young people headed north in search for more opportunities in higher education. Scholarship recipients will be required to sign a pledge to work in the Valley for every year behind their undergraduate education funded through the program. According to data on the university’s website, the program will pay for a $75,000 education for participating graduate students and a $137,000 education for medical school students. “What’s distinct about it, when you go onto graduate school or to medical school, no tuition, no mandatory fees,” Bailey said. “Imagine starting at UTRGV, graduating from medical school debt free.

myrgv.com

UTRGV’s new scholarship program tackles ‘brain drain’

For starters, Bailey said the program will help address the Valley’s “brain drain,” educated young people headed north in search for more opportunities in higher education. Scholarship recipients will be required to sign a pledge to work in the Valley for every year behind their undergraduate education funded through the program. According to data on the university’s website, the program will pay for a $75,000 education for participating graduate students and a $137,000 education for medical school students. “What’s distinct about it, when you go onto graduate school or to medical school, no tuition, no mandatory fees,” Bailey said. “Imagine starting at UTRGV, graduating from medical school debt free.

myrgv.com

Have a one-day doggy date with 'Shelter Paws' at San Antonio Animal Care Services

2 1 of 2 Robin Jerstad/Photo Correspondent, Photo Correspondent / San Antonio Express News Show More Show Less 2 of 2 San Antonio ACS Show More Show LessWhy go on a real date when you can go on a doggy-date? San Antonio Animal Care services announced an exciting new, low-commitment volunteer opportunity for dog lovers this past Tuesday. The organization is launching the "Shelter Paws" program, which allows volunteers to have a one-day experience with one of their adoptable dogs. The program, which doesn't require long term commitments like fostering or adoption, aims to socialize dogs and let them have a break from shelter life.

mysanantonio.com

Mother, son create after-school Rock and Roll music program for San Antonio students

SAN ANTONIO – IDEA South Flores High School went from having no music program to having an after-school rock and roll music program thanks to a passionate mother and her son. Bell Solloa is the founder and program manager of the High Voltage Music program. Sentimentally, the program was inspired by her son when he started going to school at IDEA South Flores High. “He was a little rocker when he was young,” Solloa said. “We have seen them grow, not only as students and kids and young adults but as musicians,” Solloa said.

San Antonio organizations partner together, create programs to end youth homelessness

SAN ANTONIO – Several organizations across Bexar County are teaming up in hopes of ending youth homelessness. “Although youth homelessness may not be as visible, it’s still a huge issue in our community,” said Katie Vela, executive director of the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless, also known as SARAH. “The funding is to create a local system that prevents and ends homelessness,” Vela said. SARAH has teamed up with five local community partners to launch the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program with the grant money it received. “Many of the programs are permanent housing programs, where there’s a case manager assigned to help youth and young adults stabilize in their housing, connects them to employment and education opportunities,” Vela said.

Trump officials see surge in signs ups for free CVS, Walgreens Covid vaccine program for seniors

The Trump administration said Wednesday that it is seeing "tremendous uptake" of a program that will allow CVS Health and Walgreens to administer coronavirus vaccines to seniors in long-term care facilities. The Trump administration first announced the program with CVS and Walgreens in October. There are about 15,000 long-term care facilities as well as an additional 35,000 assisted living facilities in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated. Between 9,000 and 10,000 facilities had already opted into the program by late October, according to U.S. health officials. The program is optional, and the facilities can opt-in to the program through the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network.

cnbc.com

San Antonio Healthy Start seeks new parenting program participants

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Healthy Start program, which offers services and resources to families for healthy pregnancies and births, continues to help families during the COVID-19 pandemic but not without some challenges. “It has been very difficult recently to enroll or to find pregnant women to enroll into the program,” said Amanda Ponton, senior management coordinator for San Antonio Healthy Start. The program focuses on families living in 12 specific ZIP codes, which were identified based on the infant mortality rate. “ZIP code 78242, which is in the South Side, District 4, that zip code has an infant mortality rate of 10.5. So that’s to prevent or reduce SIDS so that the child is sleeping safe and not co-sleeping with a parent,” said Rita Pacheco, a health programs specialist for San Antonio Healthy Start.

UK announces new plan to help workers hit by pandemic

(Victoria Jones/PA via AP)LONDON – Britain’s treasury chief announced a new income support program Thursday for workers hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, as the government races to prevent widespread layoffs when earlier employer subsidies end next month. Businesses and labor unions had pressed the government to step in with more direct support for people in precarious work situations. Under a furloughed worker program that expires next month, the government pays 80% of the wages of workers placed on leave. To underscore that his proposals have wide support, Sunak appeared outside his office before delivering his speech, holding a copy of the plan and flanked by representatives of the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress. We’ve already lost 700,000 jobs.”In addition to the wage support program, Sunak said the government will help businesses by extending loan repayment deadlines and loan guarantees provided earlier this year.

VIA extends Workforce Assistance Pass Program until end of 2020

SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit is extending its Workforce Assistance Pass Program as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The program allows VIA customers who receive unemployment to get a complimentary pass for 31 days. It was first introduced in June to help customers looking for work during the pandemic. VIA bus operator shares experience behind the wheel amid coronavirus pandemicThe program was originally set to end Aug. 31, but now it's extended until the end of the year. Anyone who has been receiving benefits from May 15 on can continue to use the program.

Catfish are regularly stocked for fishing in these Texas lakes, ponds

SAN ANTONIO – Thousands of catfish are expected to be stocked in neighborhood lakes across Texas through Nov. 1 as part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Neighborhood Fishin’ program. TPWD has been stocking catfish regularly at San Antonio’s Southside Lions Park and Miller’s Pond since early May. During the 2019 catfish season, Southside Lions Park was stocked with more catfish than any other lake in the program. Anglers no longer need to carry their paper fishing license. A legible digital photo, emailed receipt, online purchase record or digital copy of your fishing license is also acceptable.

U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of DACA recipients, says Trump administration’s move to overturn it was arbitrary

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, declaring in a 5-to-4 opinion that the 2012 initiative was inappropriately terminated by the Trump administration. The court's decision comes nearly three years after Trump announced he was terminating the policy, known as DACA, that has protected more than 130,000 Texans from deportation, the second-highest total after California. Trump's reason for ending the program echoed what many Republicans, including some in Texas, said when it was enacted: immigration law is under the purview of the U.S. Congress and not the executive branch alone. The program gave them a renewable, two-year work permit and a reprieve from deportation. This is a developing story and will be updated