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Keep your calendars open. Gov. Dan McKee has agreed to debate his Democratic challenger, Helena Buonanno Foulkes, three times before early voting begins in August. The verbal deal reached within a single business day comes as the rivals continue to trade barbs over policy and public polling while pursuing donations and endorsements ahead of the […]

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.The Detroit school district will close four schools at the end of this school year, officials confirmed Wednesday.All four schools – Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School – had previously been identified to be phased out in 2022 by the Detroit Public Schools Community District due to low enrollment and high operation costs.District officials originally planned to stop enrolling new students at the schools, phasing out grades over time to minimize disruption to families. But Superintendent Nikolai Vitti indicated during Tuesday’s board meeting that the plan had changed because of budgetary concerns.“When we looked at the budget and the threats at the federal level, increased inflation, need to continue to increase wages for all of our employees with an upcoming bargaining season, we said, ‘How do we maximize our costs and still help children?’” Vitti said. “And one way we did that was to accelerate the phase-out of the original phase-out schools.”Vitti only mentioned one of the four schools during Tuesday’s meeting — Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School. DPSCD spokesperson Chrystal Wilson confirmed to Chalkbeat on Wednesday that four schools, including that one, will close at the end of June. The last day of the school year is June 5.District officials did not immediately respond to questions about when families were notified of the accelerated school closures..subtext-iframe{max-width:540px;}iframe#subtext_embed{width:1px;min-width:100%;min-height:100%;}fetch("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alpha-group/iframe-resizer/master/js/iframeResizer.min.js").then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(t){return new Function(t)();}).then(function(){iFrameResize({heightCalculationMethod:"lowestElement"},"#subtext_embed");});Rudaina Kainaya, a middle school science teacher at Greenfield, told Chalkbeat the school’s principal shared the news of the closure last month during a staff meeting. Staff were told they will be placed in other district positions, she added.The board meeting Tuesday was marked by shouts of frustration from the crowd and a tense exchange between board members. Security circulated the auditorium at Renaissance High School to warn audience members to settle down. At one point, an officer appeared to ask a mother to leave but stopped at the direction of Board Chair LaTrice McClendon.None of the schools were on the meeting agenda, but some of Greenfield’s teachers and parents showed up for the public comment portion of the meeting.Kainaya, who spoke during public comment, said staff members at Greenfield were originally told the school would close one grade level at a time.“Dr. Vitti said that even if we had 10 students left [per grade] at that time in 2022 and 2023, they would phase out that last year for those students as eighth graders,” she said.Vitti said the district did stick to that promise for the higher grades at Greenfield and has given families time to move their children to other schools. He added that he was troubled by the public comment, because the closures have been discussed for several years.“It’s disingenuous to come to the mic tonight and say we didn’t know the school was going to close,” he said.But he acknowledged that the accelerated closure plan is new.Mass school closures in the district – both before and after the state’s period of emergency management – enraged many families over the years and prompted some to abandon the school system.In 2019, Vitti told Chalkbeat the district would not “replicate the sins of the past,” and he would take a different approach to closures than previous administrations.“We would phase schools out and phase grade levels out rather than abruptly closing schools,” he said. “But part of this process has to be rightsizing the district. We have too many open seats.”There are 15 other schools the district says cost more to keep open than the revenue they generate, according to a 2025 report.“This is a districtwide challenge that is not going away,” Vitti said during Tuesday’s meeting.Former board member LaMar Lemmons, and others who spoke during public comment, said school closures are a reflection of the district’s failure to grow enrollment.Vitti said low enrollment is a long-term problem stemming in part from Detroit’s population decline and the fallout of the state’s emergency management of the district.When emergency management ended, the district enrolled about 45,700 students. The numbers increased by more than 5,000 the following year when Vitti took the helm. However, enrollment declined during the COVID pandemic, and the district has not yet fully recovered its numbers.At the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, there were around 49,400 students, state records show.Community support for a charter school with an uncertain futureDozens of community members also spoke during Tuesday’s meeting to urge board members to renew a one-year contract for Barack Obama Leadership Academy.Four board members, who were present during a committee meeting last month, decided not to put a vote on the Obama charter on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting – a move that likely means the charter would not be approved by the district to operate for another year. At the time, some members said the charter had received multiple warnings that it needed to improve its academic performance and had not shown enough growth.If the board does not approve a new contract by June 30, the charter will either have to rush to find a new authorizer or face closure.Michigan charters must sign a contract with an outside body, known as an authorizer, in order to operate. DPSCD, like other school districts, colleges, and universities, can serve as an authorizer. Its role is to monitor the schools’ compliance with education laws.The district currently authorizes six charters, excluding the Obama school. One more is expected to open in the fall.Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter, said during Tuesday’s meeting that the school wanted a final one-year contract with DPSCD to allow enough time to find a new authorizer.“This is not a request to reverse the course indefinitely,” she said. “We’re asking for the opportunity to continue serving our students while we complete that transition in a thoughtful and structured way.”During public comment, Tiffany Walls, a parent at the school, described the charter as a community hub and safe haven.“A school is more than just a list of test scores,” she said. “It’s a vital pillar of the community.”It is unclear whether the board will revisit the matter at its next committee meeting on April 29 or if it will be on the agenda of the regular board meeting on May 12.A tense exchange among board membersAt the start of the meeting, board member Ida Short asked to make changes to the agenda related to school closures and the Obama charter’s contract. She said she wanted to “plan a way in which agenda items can be provided by individual board members, so that it does not matter who is the president or not the president, because we’re all equal members.”McClendon, the board chair, said that “any board member at any time can add an agenda item.” She encouraged Short to attend the board’s committee meetings, where policy is discussed and agendas for regular board meetings are decided.“I know you’ve missed the last two meetings, but that is the place where you can discuss [policy],” she said.Short responded, “If I don’t attend any meeting, it means that I have something personal that’s very important.”Later in the meeting, Short asked about another agenda item, and McClendon responded that the item was discussed at length during the last committee meeting, including the answer to Short’s question.She suggested Short go back and listen to a recording of the committee meeting.Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Minnesota Democrats are beginning the midterm election season with a significant cash advantage over Republicans, according to Minnesota campaign finance data released Wednesday. In the first 62 days of her campaign for Minnesota governor, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar raised $4.8 million — a total that suggests she will have a staggering cash advantage over her […]

Gov. Josh Stein visited Guilford Technical Community College on Tuesday alongside educators, students, and leaders from Forsyth Technical Community College to highlight child care workforce training programs in the Triad, according to a press release. “Child care continues to be... The post Governor’s visit to Guilford Tech highlights early childhood workforce programs appeared first on EdNC.

In 2023, the N.C. General Assembly passed a state budget including what Republicans called the “largest expansion of school choice” in 10 years. Following the expansion, two years ago, the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) received 69,511 applications for Opportunity Scholarships by... The post Even fewer new NC families apply for vouchers this year appeared first on EdNC.

First Lady Anna Stein moderated a panel of people who are currently incarcerated in North Carolina prisons at the 2026 Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference hosted by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC). The panel focused on current needs... The post First Lady Anna Stein moderates panel with people who are incarcerated at reentry conference amid funding challenges appeared first on EdNC.

Steve Hanf has taught journalism for 11 years at First Flight High School in Dare County — following five years of teaching in Winston-Salem and a long journalism career. He’s also the school’s newspaper and yearbook adviser. When he can,... The post EdExplainer | What’s the status of teacher pay and benefits in North Carolina in 2026? appeared first on EdNC.

Trump quer a supremacia atômica e propõe blindagem total do país contra mísseis: poderia atacar sem retaliações de inimigos. Mas há um série de limitações concretas e fragilidades no projeto – e, se implantá-lo, poderá acelerar uma perigosa corrida armamentista The post EUA: Os furos no escudo nuclear  appeared first on Outras Palavras.

Rhode Island’s federal court is now allowing out-of-state attorneys to represent immigration detainees pro bono without joining the court’s bar for the next year in response to a surge in habeas corpus petitions against the Trump administration. The general order issued Monday by Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. follows a March 30 petition by […]

Today, standing steps away from the U.S. Capitol, the Patriotic Millionaires, along with Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD), Senator Edward Markey (MA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and countless other organizations, demanded Congress tax the rich in order to defeat the oligarchs and billionaire class and advance a new kind of economy that works for everyone.The “Tax the Rich, Make Life Affordable” rally highlighted efforts to reform the tax code for working people and to unrig our economic system that currently rewards wealth over work. During the press conference, speakers noted previous failures over the past 60 years to stem the growth of inequality and the billionaire class and the current administration’s priorities and policies that actually accelerated it. Several organizations noted their support for current bills in front of Congress that would raise taxes on high earners and bring much-needed economic relief to low- and middle- income people.“While I’ve seen examples of the good that wealth can do, I have also seen all the ways it can lead to irreparable harm to our personal, political, moral, and societal well-being. There is a level of wealth beyond which it threatens the health and even the existence of our democracy and our economy. We cannot hand over the keys to our democracy to people who are unwilling to address the economic injustices that exist today,” said Patriotic Millionaire Scott Ellis, who spoke on behalf of the organization. “I joined Senator Van Hollen, Representatives Jayapal, Beyer, and DeLuzio, and others to urge our government leaders to deal with the money problem in our country head-on with solutions like those found in the Patriotic Millionaires’ MONEY Agenda platform. Every time inequality reaches extraordinary levels, we create a vulnerability to authoritarianism where money becomes power. If we want to unrig our economy, we need a bold, surprisingly simple economic vision. Millionaires like me who want a rich, stable, free country demand an economy that ensures it. That begins with commonsense revenue raisers and tax reforms that stop the accumulation of oligarchic concentrations of wealth.”Today’s rally also follows an increase in state momentum to pass legislation to tax the rich in light of federal inaction on the issue. States like Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington state have passed their own laws to raise taxes on high earners and the wealthy in recent years, with states like California, Virginia, and others now considering similar actions. Speakers pointed to these efforts as evidence that federal lawmakers should proactively address economic inequality.“Our federal tax code is stacked in favor of the wealthy, especially those who make their money off of money – while disfavoring working Americans who are living paycheck-to-paycheck. My Working Americans’ Tax Cut Act creates a fairer system that ensures those who are stretching to make ends meet can keep more of what they earn, while asking the well-off to pitch in more. It’s long past time that we rebalanced our tax code to put working people first – and promote greater opportunity and shared prosperity for all,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD).“Our government has a fiscal recklessness problem, and it looks like this: the richest people in the history of Earth facing lower tax rates than Americans who earn a paycheck,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17). “Yet that is the Republican plan—jack up the national debt and slash healthcare and more for the American people to pay for these huge tax giveaways to corporations and the ultra-rich. We need a vastly different approach, like passing the Ultra-Millionaires Tax to get some sanity back into our tax system.” Over the past several months, the Patriotic Millionaires saw two elements of its legislative platform, The MONEY Agenda, introduced in both chambers of Congress. The first component, the Equal Tax Act, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Edward Markey in March and in the House by Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) in September. It would ensure millionaires and billionaires, who earn most of their money passively through investments, pay the same tax rates as working people and close other common loopholes used by the super rich to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. In March, the second component, known as the “Cost of Living” Tax Cut Act, was introduced as the Working Americans’ Tax Cut Act in the Senate by Senator Chris Van Hollen and in the House by Representative Don Beyer (VA-08). The legislation would provide a substantial tax cut for working people, paid for by a surtax on millionaires. “We welcome the introduction of the Equal Tax Act. Investment income being taxed less than income from work is one of the most glaring examples of how the ultra-wealthy exploit and rig our broken tax system to their advantage,” said David Kass, Executive Director of Americans for Tax Fairness. “It's only reasonable that Wall Street elites and the ultra wealthy should not be made to pay lower federal tax rates than nurses, teachers, and most working Americans. These changes are long overdue and mark a vital step toward a fairer tax system that ensures these ultra-wealthy individuals pay their fair share like everyone else.”“As an organization that fights for women and girls, we know that we can’t achieve gender justice without tax fairness,” said Emily Martin, Chief Program Officer at the National Women's Law Center. “Through their tax agenda, Republicans in Congress and the Trump-Vance administration have made it crystal clear that their priorities lie not with women and families, but with the billionaire class. Women and their families deserve a government that ensures the wealthy pay their fair share, invests in health care, child care, and education, and builds an economy that works for everyone—not just billionaires and big corporations.”“The affordability crisis isn't an accident. It's the result of policy choices that protect concentrated wealth over the prosperity of working families,” said EJ Juárez, State Innovation Exchange (SiX) Executive Director. “We know that when extreme wealth goes unchecked, the costs get passed down to working families: in rent, health care premiums, childcare bills, groceries, and electricity. In 2025 alone, billionaire wealth grew 22%—from $6.7 trillion to $8.2 trillion—while working families see the cost of living go up, and wages too low. That is why SiX is working alongside state legislators across the country to lead the way. Across all 50 states, lawmakers are advancing bold solutions to make the ultra-wealthy pay what they owe, close corporate loopholes, and build tax systems that actually lower costs and empower working families. Together, states are proving a better future is possible.”

Iowa House legislation setting state appropriations for different education systems and programs passed through subcommittee Wednesday, despite concerns from lawmakers of status quo funding and attached policy language. House Study Bill 778 allocates state funding to the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Workforce Development, the Iowa Board of Regents and the institutions it governs, as […]

This article was published in partnership with New York Focus. Each spring, Albany lawmakers decide how to spend hundreds of billions in public money in the state’s famously opaque budget process. New York’s budget is bigger than those of most countries, and outpaces that of every other state except California. At stake are key questions […] The post How the New York State Budget Works appeared first on THE CITY - NYC News.

Um grupo de artistas andinas e indígenas em São Paulo transforma a migração em criatividade, ação política e identidade coletiva a partir da Casa das Cholitas O post Cholitas da Babilônia: indígenas andinas reimaginando a migração no Brasil apareceu primeiro em Mídia NINJA.

Berdevka Koşka Spî dibêje ku "Ya herî baş di berjewendîya Îranê," de ew e ku daxwazên Serok Donald Trump bicîh bîne, dîsan dibêje ku îhtîmala rêkeftinekê bi Tehranê re erênî ye. Berdevka Koşka Spî Karoline Leavitt, roja Çarşmeê di civîneke çapemeniyê de got: "Me hestek baş derbarê îhtîmala gihîştina rêkeftinekê bi Îranê re heye," Wê got jî, "Zelal e ku berjewendiya herî baş a Îranê ew e ku daxwazên serok Trump bicîh bîne." Rayedarên leşkerî yên Pakistanî roja Çarşemê serdana Îranê kirin da...

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who previously served as Georgia’s governor, is retiring from his role as chief of the state’s public colleges. The university system announced the planned retirement Wednesday. Perdue will continue to serve until the Board of Regents chooses his successor in a nationwide search. A timeline for when that […]

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) led a letter this week from congressional lawmakers asking top federal agricultural officials to report on their efforts to curb the spread of a parasitic fly through Mexico, and prevent its penetration into U.S. herds, including the latest on a sterile fly facility and decision-making about reopening the border for livestock trade.

Estudos recentes de microorganismos do meio ambiente, como o corredor central da BR-319 e a região de exploração de potássio, alertam que áreas da Amazônia ameaçadas por grandes projetos econômicos podem criar condições ecológicas que facilitam a disseminação de patógenos e a recombinação genética com patógenos humanos conhecidos, amplificando os riscos globais de biossegurança. O post A infraestrutura na Amazônia tem riscos para a biossegurança apareceu primeiro em Amazônia Real.

La ofensiva de Donald Trump contra Jerome Powell trasciende el enfrentamiento personal: pone en cuestión uno de los pilares del sistema económico moderno, la independencia de los bancos centrales, justo cuando la presión electoral y la incertidumbre económica empujan en sentido contrario.

白宮周三宣布，正與伊朗商討第二輪談判，並對達成協議的可能性表示樂觀。此前，德黑蘭威脅要封鎖紅海航運，以回應美國對其港口的海上封鎖。

白宫周三宣布，正与伊朗商讨第二轮谈判，并对达成协议的可能性表示乐观。此前，德黑兰威胁要封锁红海航运，以回应美国对其港口的海上封锁。