How a small library near the U.S.-Mexico border programs to serve families A library in Arizona realized it couldn’t serve young children without also serving their caregivers. Now, its community approach has helped land one of the highest honors for libraries.
National Babies don’t come with instructions. But in Oregon, they now come with a nurse A new state program offers any family with a new baby a no-cost visit at home with a trained nurse. It’s Oregon’s response to the country’s dismal infant and maternal mortality rates. Cory Turner
Digital Dr. Dolittle: decoding animal conversations with artificial intelligence (reprise) Chris Morgan Lucy Soucek Matt Martin
National The science section of the ACT exam will now be optional Students can now opt between several versions of the test: the ACT core exam (which includes reading, math and English), the ACT plus writing, the ACT plus science or the ACT plus science and writing. Ayana Archie
National Federal appeals court blocks remainder of Biden's student debt relief plan The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion for an administrative stay filed by a group of Republican-led states seeking to invalidate the administration's entire student loan forgiveness plan. The Associated Press
National 35,000 more public servants see their student loan balances reduced or erased The Biden administration announced $1.2 billion in student loan forgiveness for borrowers who work in public service, including as firefighters, social workers and teachers. Sequoia Carrillo
National California bans school rules requiring parents notification of child's pronoun change The law, which is the first in the nation, bans school rules requiring school staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child's permission. The Associated Press
Some schools used COVID funding for repairs, not student assistance Four years ago, the federal government gave schools across the country $190 billion to help deal with the pandemic. They were supposed to spend a lot of that money to help students catch up academically.
National Women don’t have equal access to college in prison. Here’s why Many people in prison rely on federal Pell Grants to pay for college courses. But in most states, women's prisons offer less access to Pell-eligible classes than men’s prisons do. Jenny Abamu