Sean Salai

Retail industry projects surge in post-Christmas regifting and returns

To regift or to return? That is the question for millions of people sorting through tight orange sweaters, toothpick replicas of Sputnik and solar-powered flashlights in the days after Christmas.

December 26, 2024

Research center urges staff cuts at small urban schools as birth rates fall

Public school districts should consolidate small urban campuses to keep the best ones open as U.S. birth rates plunge to new lows, according to Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab.

December 24, 2024

Elite schools expand ‘free college’ for the middle class

Dozens of elite universities have expanded "free college" programs to compete for a dwindling pool of middle-class applicants as tuition hikes add to enrollment declines nationwide.

December 24, 2024

Ho ho hum: Gallup poll finds Christmas spirit fades to 30-year low

A new Gallup poll finds that fewer Americans will celebrate Christmas this year than before the pandemic, driven by a decline in people who consider it a religious holiday.

December 23, 2024

Retailers can’t fight theft alone, says study calling for federal law; retail crime up 93% from 2019

Stores haven't been crying wolf about crime in recent years, according to an industry report that finds retail theft and losses nearly doubled from before the pandemic.

December 19, 2024

Deadly chill: Study flags climate change as cold weather deaths double

Cold-related death rates more than doubled from 1999 to 2022 in the U.S. amid a surge in "extreme winter weather events" linked to climate change, a study has found.

December 19, 2024

Idaho education board abolishes ‘DEI ideology’ in public colleges

The Idaho State Board of Education voted Wednesday to ban offices, centers and policies "dedicated to DEI activities" at public four-year colleges. The move to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives comes amid a national backlash against racial preferences favoring underrepresented minorities in higher education hiring, promotions and student admissions.

December 18, 2024

New federal rule extends seatbelt warning chimes to all car seats

The Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized a rule Monday that will require all car seats to adopt the "ding, ding, ding" safety belt chimes with warning lights that have long reminded drivers to buckle up.

December 16, 2024

A step to vitality: Study links daily walking to reduced depression risks

Daily walking could help reduce the risks of clinical depression, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open.

December 16, 2024

Even liberal professors oppose DEI mandates; colleges find pledges threaten free speech

Half of professors at top colleges oppose mandatory faculty pledges to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a recent survey.

December 16, 2024

West Virginia delegate-elect jailed for threatening to kill Republicans

A newly elected West Virginia delegate was jailed Thursday for threatening to kill five Republican colleagues after they expelled him from their party for falsifying his resume.

December 13, 2024

Looming ‘enrollment cliff’ for high school graduates threatens future of higher education

U.S. high schools will graduate a record 3.9 million students in 2025 before entering a long decline that threatens the future of higher education, a report shows.

December 11, 2024

Ho, ho, no: Christmas tree prices still up there

Consumers hoping for relief from three years of fast-rising Christmas tree prices will have to shop around a bit this year.

December 10, 2024

Report finds K-12 teacher diversity lagging as more minorities earn college degrees

A new report has found that the racial diversity of the K-12 teacher workforce is growing slower than that of college-educated adults, reversing a longstanding trend.

December 10, 2024

Americans give failing grade to healthcare quality, poll reveals deep doubts medical system

Opinions about the quality of the U.S. health care system have fallen to their lowest level in 24 years, according to the latest Gallup polling.

December 6, 2024

District raising cost of parking to cut down on cars in U Street corridor

The District is raising the cost of parking fees in the popular U Street corridor during high-use periods this month, expanding on earlier initiatives already in place that were designed to reduce vehicle traffic and congestion in Chinatown and Penn Quarter.

December 5, 2024

Four-year colleges offer dual-credit classes to high schoolers as enrollments fall

Four-year universities are increasingly initiating dual-credit courses for high school students as their enrollment and tuition revenues shrink, cutting into a market long dominated by community colleges.

December 5, 2024

Reagan shooter John Hinckley to open music store in Williamsburg, Va.

Would-be presidential assassin John W. Hinckley Jr. has announced he will open a music store in eastern Virginia this month.

December 4, 2024

Study finds 30% of pro-life pregnancy centers tout unapproved abortion pill reversal medicine

Nearly a third of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers nationwide advertise unapproved medicine that reverses abortion pills, a study has found.

December 4, 2024

College completion rates improve to 12-year high

Declining numbers of dropouts have driven college completion rates to their best level in 12 years, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported Wednesday.

December 4, 2024