Former Microsoft CEO’s philanthropy will donate up to $170M a year for free preschool in WA The Ballmer Group on Wednesday committed hundreds of millions of dollars for free preschool in Washington, a massive philanthropic contribution amid state budget cuts and federal rollbacks. Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard
For students who rely on SNAP, school food pantries offer some relief A school in Pittsburgh has set up a food pantry for students and their families whose SNAP benefits have been cut or delayed because of the government shutdown. Jillian Forstadt
Pittsburgh school opens food pantry to support students who rely on SNAP benefits A school food pantry in Pittsburgh aims to help fill the gap for families whose SNAP benefits have been disrupted by the shutdown. Jillian Forstadt
Sniffs, scratches, sights and sounds: Ed Yong on how animals sense the world Chris Morgan talks with Pulitzer Prize winning author Ed Yong about the astonishing ways animals sense the world around us: from birds that navigate the open ocean by smell, to penguins that sense vibrations underground. Lucy Soucek
UW loses federal funding for migrant students A federal program that helps young people from migrant families attend colleges, including the University of Washington, is not operating this year after the Trump administration eliminated funding for migrant education. Ann Dornfeld
Alaska's public schools can serve as emergency shelters. The buildings are in crisis Alaska's public schools are being used as emergency shelters, though many of the buildings are crumbling. Emily Schwing
Judge says Education Dept. partisan out-of-office emails violated First Amendment A federal judge says the Trump administration "overplayed its hand" by inserting partisan language into workers' out-of-office autoreplies. Cory Turner
Chronic absenteeism is declining, but still not at pre-pandemic levels State policies could help schools address root causes.
Seattle School Board names lone superintendent finalist, a district leader recruited from Michigan An experienced district leader from Michigan is set to become the next superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. Sami West
Tiny but tough: Hummingbirds of the Arizona desert This episode looks at the shrinking of the nectar landscape and native plants and how that could impact the migration patterns of hummingbirds in the desert of Arizona. Matt Martin
