Protestors gather in Syracuse to oppose education cuts

Protestors gathered at Sen. David Valesky’s Syracuse office Thursday afternoon to oppose cutbacks in education according to Syracuse.com.

Valesky voted for a Senate budget proposal two weeks ago that included a $1.4 billion cut to education according to protest organizer, Tanika Jones-Cole. The group, Alliance for Quality Education said the cuts threaten 15,000 teaching positions in New York.

Protestors went to Valesky’s office urging the Senate to raise money for education by taxing Wall Street bonuses and eliminating pass-back of capital gain taxes. Valesky said instead of increasing taxes state officials need to decrease spending. Valesky expects cuts in education and health care amongst other areas. 

Rescue workers delayed at West Virginia mine

At least three miners are still unaccounted for in West Virginia, but according to the New York Times rescue teams were pulled out of mines Thursday morning because methane levels were dangerously high.

Administrators of the Mine Safety and Health Administration said further explosions were possible and they were concerned for the safety of rescue workers. 

Officials say drilling holes to ventilate the mine will resume.  They hope to send the rescue workers back underground by Thursday evening. Federal officials said two safety citations were made against the mine’s operator on Monday, the day of the explosion.  At least 25 people were killed in the blast at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal.

Oprah Winfrey moves to her OWN network

Last year Oprah Winfrey announced that “The Oprah Winfrey Show” would be ending after 25 years.  Now, according to CNN, Winfrey will return to TV in January on her OWN network.

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will launch Jan. 1, 2011 replacing the Discovery Health Network. 

Winfrey’s new show will be called “Oprah’s Next Chapter” where she will be out of the studio conducting interviews all over the world. 

On Thursday OWN revealed five new series that will be part of the new network. 

The other shows include “Master Class,” Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind,” Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” “Gayle King Live!” and “Why Not? With Shania Twain.”