The title compound, [RuCl2(C33H43N3O)], is an example of a new generation of N,N-dialkyl ruthenium catalysts with an N—Ru coordination bond as part of a six-membered chelate ring. The Ru atom has an Addison τ parameter of 0.244, which indicates a geometry inter­mediate between square-based pyramidal and trigonal–bipyramidal. The complex shows the usual trans arrangement of the two chlorides, with Ru—Cl bond lengths of 2.3515 (8) and 2.379 (7) Å, and a Cl—Ru—Cl angle of 158.02 (3)°. One of the chlorine atoms and the atoms of the 2-meth­oxy-N-methyl-N-[(2-methyl­phen­yl)meth­yl]ethane-1-amine group of the title complex display disorder over two positions in a 0.889 (2): 0.111 (2) ratio.

The synthetic availability of mol­ecular water oxidation catalysts containing high-valent ions of 3d metals in the active site is a prerequisite to enabling photo- and electrochemical water splitting on a large scale. Herein, the synthesis and crystal structure of di­ammonium {μ-1,3,4,7,8,10,12,13,16,17,19,22-dodeca­aza­tetra­cyclo­[8.8.4.13,17.18,12]tetra­cosane-5,6,14,15,20,21-hexa­onato}ferrate(IV) acetic acid tris­olvate, (NH4)2[FeIV(C12H12N12O6)]·3CH3COOH or (NH4)2[FeIV(L–6H)]·3CH3COOH is reported. The FeIV ion is encapsulated by the macropolycyclic ligand, which can be described as a dodeca-aza-quadricyclic cage with two capping tri­aza­cyclo­hexane fragments making three five- and six six-membered alternating chelate rings with the central FeIV ion. The local coord­ination environment of FeIV is formed by six deprotonated hydrazide nitro­gen atoms, which stabilize the unusual oxidation state. The FeIV ion lies on a twofold rotation axis (multiplicity 4, Wyckoff letter e) of the space group C2/c. Its coordination geometry is inter­mediate between a trigonal prism (distortion angle φ = 0°) and an anti­prism (φ = 60°) with φ = 31.1°. The Fe—N bond lengths lie in the range 1.9376 (13)–1.9617 (13) Å, as expected for tetra­valent iron. Structure analysis revealed that three acetic acid mol­ecules additionally co-crystallize per one iron(IV) complex, and one of them is positionally disordered over four positions. In the crystal structure, the ammonium cations, complex dianions and acetic acid mol­ecules are inter­connected by an intricate system of hydrogen bonds, mainly via the oxamide oxygen atoms acting as acceptors.

The title complex, [Au(NCO)(C27H36N2)], was synthesized by ligand metathesis from [1,3-bis­(2,6-diiso­propyl­phen­yl)imidazol-2-yl­idene]gold(I) chloride and sodium cyanate in anhydrous tetra­hydro­furan and crystallized from toluene at 233 K in the ortho­rhom­bic space group P212121, as a neutral complex with the central Au atom di-coordinated by an N-heterocyclic carbene [Au—C = 1.963 (2) Å] and an iso­cyanate [Au—N 1.999 (2) Å] ligands, with a linear CAuNCO moiety. The crystal packing is consolidated by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

The crystal structure of the tetra­ethyl­ammonium salt of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide (polymorph II) (systematic name: tetra­ethyl­ammonium N-methane­sulfonyl-4-nitro-2-phen­oxy­anilinide), C8H20N+·C13H11N2O5S−, was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with one tetra­ethyl­ammonium cation and one nimesulide anion in the asymmetric unit. In the crystal, the ions are linked by C—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions. There are differences in the geometry of both the nimesulide anion and the tetra­ethyl­ammonium cation in polymorphs I [Rybczyńska & Sikorski (2023). Sci. Rep. 13, 17268] and II of the title compound.

The complex, tri­chlorido­(1,4,11-tri­aza-8-azonia­tetra­cyclo­[6.6.2.04,16.011,15]hexa­decane 1-oxide-κO)zinc(II) monohydrate, [ZnCl3(C12H23N4O)]·H2O, (I), has monoclinic symmetry (space group P21/n) at 120 K. The zinc(II) center adopts a slightly distorted tetra­hedral coordination geometry and is coordinated by three chlorine atoms and the oxygen atom of the oxidized tertiary amine of the tetra­cycle. The amine nitro­gen atom, inside the ligand cleft, is protonated and forms a hydrogen bond to the oxygen of the amine oxide. Additional hydrogen-bonding inter­actions involve the protonated amine, the water solvate oxygen atom, and one of the chloro ligands.

A lutetium(III) complex based on the anion of the ligand dimethyl (2,2,2-tri­chloro­acet­yl)phospho­ramidate (HL) and tetra­phenylphosphonium, of composition PPh4[LuL4] (L = CAPh = carbacyl­amido­phosphate), or (C24H20)[Lu(C4H6Cl3NO4P)4], has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The X-ray diffraction study of the compound revealed that the lutetium ion is surrounded by four bis-chelating CAPh ligands, forming the complex anion [LuL4]− with a coordination number of 8[O] for LuIII, while PPh4+ serves as a counter-ion. The coordination geometry around the Lu3+ ion was determined to be a nearly perfect triangular dodeca­hedron. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, space group P21/c, with four mol­ecules in the unit cell. Weak hydrogen bonds O⋯HC(Ph), Cl⋯HC(Ph) and N⋯HC(Ph) are formed between the cations and anions. For a comparative study, HL-based structures were retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and their geometries and conformations are discussed. A Hirshfeld surface analysis was also performed.

In the title mol­ecule, C21H23N3O3, the imidazolidine ring slightly deviates from planarity and the morpholine ring exhibits the chair conformation. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form helical chains of mol­ecules extending parallel to the c axis that are connected by C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (55.2%), H⋯C/C⋯H (22.6%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (20.5%) inter­actions. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 236.78 Å3 and 12.71%, respectively. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicates that the stabilization is dominated by the nearly equal electrostatic and dispersion energy contributions. The DFT-optimized mol­ecular structure at the B3LYP/6-311 G(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state. Moreover, the HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

The title copper(II) complex, [Cu(C18H19N3O3)(C3H4N2)], consists of a tridentate ligand synthesized from l-leucine and azo­benzene-salicyl­aldehyde. One imidazole mol­ecule is additionally coordinated to the copper(II) ion in the equatorial plane. The crystal structure features N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. A Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the packing are from H⋯H (52.0%) and C⋯H/H⋯C (17.9%) contacts.

Reaction of Co(NCS)2 with 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide in a 1:3 ratio in n-butanol leads to the formation of crystals of tris­(2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide-κO)bis­(thio­cyanato-κN)cobalt(II), [Co(NCS)2(C6H7NO)3]. The asymmetric unit of the title compound consists of one CoII cation two thio­cyanate anions and three crystallographically independent 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands in general positions. The CoII cations are trigonal–bipyramidally coordinated by two terminal N-bonding thio­cyanate anions in the trans-positions and three 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands into discrete complexes. These complexes are linked by inter­molecular C–H⋯S inter­actions into double chains that elongate in the c-axis direction. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements prove that all batches are always contaminated with an additional and unknown crystalline phase. Thermogravimetry and differential analysis of crystals selected by hand reveal that the title compound decomposes at about 229°C in an exothermic reaction. At about 113°C a small endothermic signal is observed that, according to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, is irreversible. PXRD measurements of the residue prove that a poorly crystalline and unknown phase has formed and thermomicroscopy indicates that some phase transition occurs that is accompanied with a color change of the title compound.

The title compound, [Co(C3H4N2)(C30H30N10)](BF4)2, is a five-coordinate CoII complex based on the neutral ligands tris­[(1-benzyl­triazol-4-yl)meth­yl]amine (tbta) and imidazole. It exhibits a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry in which the equatorial positions are occupied by the three N-atom donors from the triazole rings of the tripodal tbta ligand. The apical amine N-atom donor of tbta and the N-atom donor of the imidazole ligand occupy the axial positions of the coordination sphere. Two tetra­fluoro­borate anions provide charge balance in the crystal.

In the title mol­ecule, C21H17N3O2, the five-membered ring is slightly ruffled and dihedral angles between the pendant six-membered rings and the central, five-membered ring vary between 50.78 (4) and 86.78 (10)°. The exocyclic nitro­gen lone pair is involved in conjugated π bonding to the five-membered ring. In the crystal, a layered structure is generated by O—H⋯N and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds plus C—H⋯π(ring) and weak π-stacking inter­actions.

The structure of polymeric catena-poly[2-amino­benzimidazolium [[dioxidovanadium(V)]-μ-oxido]], {(C7H8N3)2[V2O6]}n, has monoclinic symmetry. The title compound is of inter­est with respect to anti­cancer activity. In the crystal structure, infinite linear zigzag vanadate (V2O6)2− chains, constructed from corner-sharing VO4 tetra­hedra and that run parallel to the a axis, are present. Two different protonated 2-amino­benzimidazole mol­ecules are located between the (V2O6)2– chains and form classical N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the vanadate oxygen atoms, which contribute to the cohesion of the structure.

The title compound, [Re(C17H22N3O2S)(CO)3] is a net neutral fac-Re(I)(CO)3 complex of the 4-methyl­biphenyl sulfonamide derivatized di­ethyl­enetri­amine ligand. The NNN-donor monoanionic ligand coordinates with the Re core in tridentate fashion, establishing an inner coordination sphere resulting in a net neutral complex. The complex possesses pseudo-octa­hedral geometry where one face of the octa­hedron is occupied by three carbonyl ligands and the other faces are occupied by one sp2 nitro­gen atom of the sulfonamide group and two sp3 nitro­gen atoms of the dien backbone. The Re—Nsp2 bond distance, 2.173 (4) Å, is shorter than the Re—Nsp3 bond distances, 2.217 (5) and 2.228 (6) Å, and is similar to the range reported for typical Re—Nsp2 bond lengths (2.14 to 2.18 Å).

The di­hydro­imidazole ring in the title mol­ecule, C20H20N2O3S, is slightly distorted and the lone pair on the tri-coordinate nitro­gen atom is involved in intra-ring π bonding. The methyl­sulfanyl substituent lies nearly in the plane of the five-membered ring while the ester substituent is rotated well out of that plane. In the crystal, C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form inversion dimers, which are connected along the a- and c-axis directions by additional C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the ac plane. The major contributors to the Hirshfeld surface are C⋯H/H⋯C, O⋯H/H⋯O and S⋯H/H⋯S contacts at 20.5%, 14.7% and 4.9%, respectively.

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, C7H8N3+·C7H5O6S−, comprises two 1,3-di­hydro-2H-benzimidazol-2-iminium cations and two 2-hy­droxy-5-sulfobenzoate anions (Z' = 2). In the crystal, the mol­ecules inter­act through N—H⋯O, O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—O⋯π contacts. The hydrogen-bonding inter­actions lead to the formation of layers parallel to (overline{1}01). Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that H⋯H contacts contribute to most of the crystal packing with 38.9%, followed by H⋯O contacts with 36.2%.

The benzimidazole moiety in the title mol­ecule, C19H25N5O, is almost planar and oriented nearly perpendicular to the triazole ring. In the crystal, C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a network structure. There are no π–π inter­actions present but two weak C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions are observed. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (62.0%), H⋯C/C⋯H (16.1%), H⋯N/N⋯H (13.7%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (7.5%) inter­actions. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicate that the stabilization is dominated via the dispersion energy contributions in the title compound.

The synthesis of the title compound, [Zn(C4H6N2)6](NO3)2, is described. This complex consists of a central zinc metal ion surrounded by six 1-methyl­imidazole ligands, charge balanced by two nitrate anions. The complex crystallizes in the space group Poverline{3}. In the crystal, the nitrate ions are situated within the cavities created by the [Zn(N-Melm)6]2+ cations, serving as counter-ions. The three oxygen atoms of the nitrate ion engage in weak C—H⋯O inter­actions. In addition to single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, the complex was characterized using elemental analysis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy.

The mol­ecule of the title compound, [Ni(C5H7O2)2(C8H9N3)(H2O)]·C2H5OH, has triclinic (Poverline{1}) symmetry. This compound is of inter­est for its anti­microbial properties. The asymmetric unit comprises two independent complex mol­ecules, which are linked by N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds along [111]. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that 71.7% of inter­mol­ecular inter­actions come from H⋯H contacts, 17.7% from C⋯H/H⋯C contacts and 7.6% from O⋯H/H⋯O contacts, with the remaining contribution coming from N⋯H/H⋯N, C⋯N/N⋯C, C⋯C and O⋯O contacts.

The title mol­ecule, C25H23BrN2O2, adopts a cup shaped conformation with the distinctly ruffled imidazolidine ring as the base. In the crystal, weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions form helical chains of mol­ecules extending along the b-axis direction that are linked by additional weak C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions across inversion centres. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (51.0%), C⋯H/H⋯C (21.3%), Br⋯H/H⋯Br (12.8%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (12.4%) inter­actions. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 251.24 Å3 and 11.71%, respectively, showing that there is no large cavity in the crystal packing. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicate that the stabilization is dominated by the dispersion energy.

The crystal structure of the title organic–inorganic hybrid salt, (C13H12N3)2[CdCl4], (I), has been reported with four mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit in a monoclinic cell [Vassilyeva et al. (2021). RSC Advances, 11, 7713–7722]. While using two different aldehydes in the oxidative cyclization–condensation involving CH3NH2·HCl to prepare a new monovalent cation with the imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium skeleton, a new polymorph was obtained for (I) in space group P1 and a unit cell with approximately half the volume of the monoclinic form. The structural configurations of the two crystallographically non-equivalent organic cations as well as the geometry of the moderately distorted tetra­hedral CdCl42– dianion show minor changes. In the crystal, identically stacked cations and tetra­chloro­cadmate anions form separate columns parallel to the a axis. The loose packing of the anions leads to a minimal separation of approximately 9.53 Å between the metal atoms in the triclinic form versus 7.51 Å in the monoclinic one, indicating that the latter is packed slightly more densely. The two forms also differ by aromatic stacking motifs. Similar to the monoclinic polymorph, the triclinic one excited at 364 nm shows an intense unsymmetrical photoluminescent band with maximum at 403 nm and a full width at half maximum of 51 nm in the solid state.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Co(C8Br4O4)(C3H4N2)2(H2O)2]n or [Co(Br4bdc)(im)2(H2O)2]n, comprises half of CoII ion, tetra­bromo­benzene­dicarboxylate (Br4bdc2−), imidazole (im) and a water mol­ecule. The CoII ion exhibits a six-coordinated octa­hedral geometry with two oxygen atoms of the Br4bdc2− ligand, two oxygen atoms of the water mol­ecules, and two nitro­gen atoms of the im ligands. The carboxyl­ate group is nearly perpendicular to the benzene ring and shows monodentate coordination to the CoII ion. The CoII ions are bridged by the Br4bdc2− ligand, forming a one-dimensional chain. The carboxyl­ate group acts as an inter­molecular hydrogen-bond acceptor toward the im ligand and a coordinated water mol­ecule. The chains are connected by inter­chain N—H⋯O(carboxyl­ate) and O—H(water)⋯O(carboxyl­ate) hydrogen-bonding inter­actions and are not arranged in parallel but cross each other via inter­chain hydrogen bonding and π–π inter­actions, yielding a three-dimensional network.

In the title mol­ecule, C20H18ClN3O2, the 2-chloro­phenyl group is disordered to a small extent [occupancies 0.875 (2)/0.125 (2)]. The phenyl­acetamide moiety is nearly planar due to a weak, intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π-stacking inter­actions between pyridazine and phenyl rings form helical chains of mol­ecules in the b-axis direction, which are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed, which showed that H⋯H, C⋯H/H⋯C and O⋯H/H⋯O inter­actions to dominate the inter­molecular contacts in the crystal.

In crystallographic texture analysis, ensuring that sample directions are preserved from experiment to the resulting orientation distribution is crucial to obtain physical meaning from diffraction data. This work details a procedure to ensure instrument and sample coordinates are consistent when analyzing diffraction data with a Rietveld refinement using the texture analysis software MAUD. A quartz crystal is measured on the HIPPO diffractometer at Los Alamos National Laboratory for this purpose. The methods described here can be applied to any diffraction instrument measuring orientation distributions in polycrystalline materials.

October 2024 issue of the Idaho Hydrologic Update from the USGS Idaho Water Science Center.

Hercules Metals Corp. (BADEF:OTCMKTS; BIG:TSXV) has announced advancements in its exploration efforts at the western Idaho Leviathan porphyry copper system. Read more about the significant shallow mineralization discoveries and new target areas that could indicate further resource potential.

SURFSIDE, Fla. — Crews used explosives late Sunday night to demolish the remaining structure at Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla.

The heavily damaged condo building was knocked down at about 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The targeted blast caused the tower to fold and crumble, sending a large plume of dust and debris over a section of the beachside community. A crowd watching from a distance prayed as the building came down.

Before the structure was leveled, Miami-Dade County police urged residents who live nearby to remain indoors and shelter in place.

Miami-Dade County officials said removing the tower was an essential step so search and rescue teams could resume scouring the rubble pile for victims of the disaster.

Officials suspended recovery efforts on Saturday because of concerns about the danger posed by the unstable building.

"It will be safe to resume the search activities very shortly after the blast and that's when we'll resume it," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at a press conference Sunday evening.

Demolition of the tower was also accelerated because of Tropical Storm Elsa, which could hit South Florida with high winds and heavy rains as early as Monday.

Search efforts had been ongoing since the morning of June 24, when much of the 12-story condo complex suffered a "progressive collapse" and dozens of apartments were reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds.

The number of confirmed dead from the disaster remains at 24, with the number of people unaccounted for at 121.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., told reporters Sunday the demolition of the remaining tower added to the sorrow for families who lived in the complex, destroying homes and possessions.

"So often demolitions of buildings are a spectacle, it's almost like a show," Schultz said. "This demolition is a tragic situation."

Local officials assured former residents and the public that everything possible had been done to rescue pets left behind in the structure.

"Folks can be comfortable we're not leaving anyone behind, including our beloved pets," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told reporters.

Multiple investigations are already underway into the cause of the collapse.

Documents acquired by NPR from an anonymous source show the condo association's board received warnings from an engineering firm beginning in 2018 that the structure needed extensive repairs.

A memo sent by the association to Champlain Towers South residents ahead of a May 2021 board meeting acknowledged the "desperate needs of the building."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A tropical storm with 65-mile-an-hour winds is drenching Cuba, and is expected to reach Key West and the west coast of Florida within the next 48 hours.

The National Hurricane Center expects Tropical Storm Elsa to drop between 5 and 10 inches of rain on central and western Cuba, leading to significant flooding and mudslides. The storm probably will weaken somewhat as it crosses the island, but could strengthen again as it approaches Florida.

According to the Associated Press, Cuban officials evacuated 180,000 people as a precaution against the possibility of heavy flooding.

Most of those evacuated stayed at relatives' homes, others went to government shelters, and hundreds living in mountainous areas took refuge in caves prepared for emergencies. The storm had killed at least three people on other Caribbean islands before it reached Cuba

The National Weather Service says that the western coast of Florida, including Tampa Bay, can expect a storm surge that would lift water levels between two and four feet. Much of Florida could see heavy rainfall that could reach six inches in some places. The storm will then bring heavy rains to Georgia and the Carolinas later in the week.

Florida officials were worried that the storm could destabilize what was left of the condominium building that partially collapsed over a week ago. In order to avoid an uncontrolled collapse, they approved the demolition of the remaining portion of the building, which took place on Sunday night.

"The hurricane was coming, the potential for that building to fall on the pile with the victims in it was a tragic thought," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told NPR on Monday.

It's early in the hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a busier-than-average Atlantic hurricane season, but it would be hard to top last year's, which set an all-time record with 30 named storms.

Tropical storms are fueled by warm water in the upper layers of the ocean, and ocean temperatures have been rising as heat is trapped by greenhouse gases.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Crews searching the building collapse site in Surfside, Fla., have discovered four more victims since Monday, bringing the death toll to 32. Authorities have identified 26 of the bodies.

Another 113 people were unaccounted for, though local officials said they had only been able to confirm that about 70 of those people were in the building at the time of the collapse nearly two weeks ago.

Detectives are continuing to follow up on reports submitted about possible victims in the partial collapse, but in some cases they have been unable to reach those who submitted the tips in the first place.

"People call anonymously. People call and don't leave return phone numbers. People call with partial information, not enough to really secure whether that person may or may not have been in the building," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters on Tuesday.

Some of the reports of possible victims are also incomplete, she said, including a name but no apartment number or no date of birth.

Levine Cava urged people who are missing loved ones to communicate with local authorities. She said there may also be victims of the collapse who have not been reported missing.

The rescue effort stopped briefly overnight due to lightning from a passing storm. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said high winds were hampering the cranes moving heavy debris from the collapse site.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez said Florida has declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa, which is expected to reach hurricane strength before making landfall Wednesday morning on the state's west coast.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Some institutions have scrapped Columbus Day or switched to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day. One New Jersey school district came up with a new solution: eliminate all holiday names.; Credit: Olesya Semenov/EyeEm via Getty Images

Memorial Day. Thanksgiving. Labor Day.

You may be used to seeing your calendar punctuated by the various holidays that occur throughout the year.

But on one New Jersey school district's calendar, each one of these days will be listed, simply, as "day off."

It all started when the school board in Randolph Township voted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Some residents were outraged, so the board said that instead it would wipe holiday names from the school calendar altogether while still observing the days off.

"The overwhelming majority of the township population feels that they've [Randolph Township school board members] grossly overstepped their bounds, that they're completely pushing their own personal, political ideologies," Randolph resident Tom Tatem told Fox News. He started a petition calling on school officials to resign.

Institutions across the country are wrestling with the question of what to do with Columbus Day.

Critics have derided the idea of celebrating the Italian explorer, who perpetrated violence on Native Americans when he arrived in the United States. Boosters say it is critical to recognize the contributions of Christopher Columbus, and that Italian-Americans have historically faced discrimination.

Some places have switched to marking Indigenous Peoples' Day in recognition of the Native Americans who occupied the United States long before European explorers like Columbus arrived.

Randolph Township arrived at a novel solution to this problem: eliminate every holiday name to avoid taking a side.

The goal appears to have been to sidestep the debate over Columbus Day, but the Randolph Township school system instead found itself squarely in it, and opponents of the move have called on school officials to resign.

The Randolph Board of Education is now scheduled to convene Monday for a special meeting to reconsider its plan to remove holiday names from the school calendar.

What's happening in New Jersey

In May, the Randolph school board voted unanimously to replace Christopher Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Some parents grew angry with the decision, but instead of reverting back to the old calendar, the board moved in early June to scrap all holiday names from the school calendar, not giving preference to either one of the October celebrations.

"If we don't have anything on this calendar, then we don't have to have anyone [with] hurt feelings," Randolph school board member Dorene Roche said during a June 10 public meeting, according to NJ.com.

The backlash has only grown.

A petition calling on Randolph Township Schools superintendent Jennifer Fano and members of the board of education to resign has topped 4,000 signatures. "They represent everything that is wrong in education today and are completely incompetent in every aspect of their role," the petition says.

For its part, the school board acknowledged the public outcry but said its decision was misconstrued by some people.

A press release issued by the Randolph board of education on Sunday clarified that the holidays will still be observed as days off and that their decision was not meant to dishonor "the great veterans and the heroes" after which several of those holidays are named.

"These State, Federal and other holidays have not been cancelled or taken away by this Board of Education as some are falsely claiming," the board said. "Everyone is still encouraged to celebrate them in whatever way they deem appropriate."

Matthew Pfouts, director of communications and digital media for the Randolph Township Schools, told NPR the board has no further comment.

Changing views on holidays

On the national level, Columbus Day remains a federal holiday.

But a number of states, including Alaska and Virginia, as well as some cities either observe Indigenous Peoples' Day as a holiday or celebrate it in some way.

The movement away from Columbus Day has not come without controversy.

The New York City Department of Education tried to rename Columbus Day over objections and eventually settled on marking a holiday called "Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People's Day," which drew its own set of critiques. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was wrong to make the two groups share one holiday.

There are also other efforts to recognize the role people of color played in American history.

This week, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to make Juneteenth — the day marking the end of slavery in the U.S. — a public holiday.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Insufficient evidence exists to support claims that taking megadoses of dietary antioxidants, such as selenium and vitamins C and E, or carotenoids, including beta-carotene, can prevent chronic diseases, says the latest report on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Despite the importance of eyesight, millions of people grapple with undiagnosed or untreated vision impairments — ranging from mild conditions to total blindness — and eye and vision health remain relatively absent from national health priority lists, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers detailed recommendations to guide federal statistical agencies in creating a new entity that would enable them to combine data from multiple sources in order to provide more relevant, timely, and detailed statistics – for example, on the unemployment rate or the rate of violent crime.

Monitoring the quality and impact of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education will require the collection of new national data on changing student demographics, instructors’ use of evidence-based teaching approaches, student transfer patterns, and other dimensions of STEM education, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A single breakthrough discovery for managing citrus greening in Florida in the future is unlikely, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

To ensure that U.S. agricultural policies are well-informed, data collection programs must be periodically revisited to reflect current realities of the agricultural sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A shift is needed in how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are taught to students in grades K-12 who are learning English, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The social and behavioral sciences (SBS) offer an essential contribution to the mission of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), a mission that requires an understanding of what human beings do, how, and why, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) system is a secondary waste processing reactor of the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP). It is perhaps second in importance behind the agent neutralization reactors, which perform base hydrolysis of chemical warfare agents stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine began a study this week to provide states and school districts with guidance about whether and how to safely reopen schools.

Guidelines about feeding children under the age of 2 are generally consistent, but there are some inconsistencies, such as the minimum recommended age to which breastfeeding should be continued, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new rapid expert consultation from the Societal Experts Action Network identifies promising strategies to make the adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask or regularly washing your hands, more likely.

A new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Societal Experts Action Network says strategies such as giving advance notice, partnering with trusted sources, and offering incentives can encourage individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 to respond to health department contact tracing and share information about people they may have exposed to the virus.

Last week, millions of Americans made a trip to the grocery store to buy a fuller cart than their usual weekly shopping. Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season, centered on cooking, abundance, and plenty, even as celebration get-togethers are scaled back because of the pandemic.

Two new rapid expert consultations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offer lessons learned from the 2020 fall semester regarding COVID-19 testing and guidance on student behavior, as college administrators plan for the 2021 spring semester.

Sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina, communities across the Southeast are recovering from the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Learn more about advice that the National Academies have developed on managing evacuations during COVID, predicting storms and flooding, and preparing infrastructure for disasters.

This Guidance Document is a product of the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, which presents information and identifies guidance based on existing research literature.

The U.S. Coast Guard should issue a range of new guidelines and requirements to ensure the safety of passengers and crew on DUKWs or “duck boats”— those familiar amphibious vehicles often used for touring the streets and waters of many cities.

HCLTech said the lab is scalable to test millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency 5G infrastructure to help OEMs and telecom service providers quickly and accurately measure critical parameters.

Join us for this fun Garden tradition! We’ll craft nature-filled globes, mini wreaths, botanical cards, and more. Garden Admission, refreshments and all materials included. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Drop-in any time during 2-hour program window.

Join us for this fun Garden tradition! We’ll craft nature-filled globes, mini wreaths, botanical cards, and more. Garden Admission, refreshments and all materials included. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Drop-in any time during 2-hour program window.