Sean Salai

Mud pies and clay pizzas: Eating dirt is the new online diet craze, despite health warnings

Most people sweep dirt into the trash, but a grassroots social media trend suggests sprinkling it on your lunch as a healthy treat.

October 11, 2024

33% of college graduates regret their education, survey finds

One in three college graduates lament their education choices, according to a survey released this week that finds substantial buyer's remorse among student loan borrowers.

October 10, 2024

Justice Department weighs asking federal judge to break up Google

The Department of Justice is considering asking a federal judge to break up Google as an illegal monopoly, according to court documents that reveal the latest Biden-Harris administration strategies to rein in the tech industry.

October 9, 2024

Economy in its own league as an election issue, poll finds

The economy is the only issue most voters say is "extremely important" in the upcoming presidential election, according to Gallup polling released Wednesday.

October 9, 2024

Thirteen states, D.C. jointly accuse TikTok of targeting youth, damaging mental health

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of intentionally hooking young children on short videos that increase their anxiety and depression.

October 8, 2024

Report finds charter school enrollment booming while traditional school districts decline

Enrollment in public charter schools rose by nearly 400,000 students over the past five years, even as headcount in traditional school districts fell by 1.75 million, an advocacy group reported Tuesday.

October 8, 2024

Focus on the Family’s Tim Goeglein traces crumbling faith in institutions to 1960s rebellion

The ongoing erosion of trust in U.S. institutions has its roots in the utopian cultural revolution of the 1960s, former George W. Bush aide Tim Goeglein argues in a new book.

October 3, 2024

State cellphone bans for public school students divide parents

Danielle Hicks, whose 9-year-old son gets picked on for developmental issues at his public charter school, isn't happy about a recent trend of states banning student cellphones on K-12 campuses. Ms. Hicks is one of many parents on both sides of the political divide with mixed feelings about the push to confiscate phones.

October 3, 2024

Mental illness, suicide more common among transgender adults, study finds

Mental illness and suicidal tendencies are significantly more common among transgender and gender-fluid people than those who feel comfortable with their sex assigned at birth, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.

October 2, 2024

Youth anxiety, depression surged during Southern California pandemic lockdown

A new study of electronic medical records finds clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression swelled among young people during strict pandemic lockdowns in Southern California.

October 1, 2024

Last-minute agreement with Kennedy Center saves NSO season opener: Strike resolved in hours

The musicians' union of the National Symphony Orchestra reached a tentative contract with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, ending a four-hour strike that briefly canceled its season-opening concert gala.

September 28, 2024

Curtain not rising on Kennedy Center’s symphony opener as musicians strike

The musicians' union of the National Symphony Orchestra went on strike Friday, forcing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to cancel its season-opening gala concert.

September 27, 2024

College Board: Testing surged after switching to digital SAT, but scores kept dropping

A switch to digital SATs has helped boost the number of test-takers closer to pre-pandemic levels, but scores for recent college-bound seniors fell for the third straight year amid ongoing learning losses.

September 25, 2024

Most K-12 teachers unhappy as staffing shortages, learning losses persist, report shows

Most K-12 public school teachers are unhappy with their jobs as staffing shortages and pandemic-era learning losses extend into the current academic year, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.

September 25, 2024

Government report blames Education Department for botched college aid revamp

Education Department officials launched a defective revision of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid last year despite signs it would cause widespread chaos, a government report says.

September 24, 2024

National Symphony Orchestra union votes to strike

The National Symphony Orchestra musicians' union announced Monday that they authorized a strike, complaining that their six-figure incomes are no longer enough to afford rising living costs in the District.

September 24, 2024

Gallup finds record-high 80% of American adults say the nation is ‘greatly divided’ on core values

A record high 8 in 10 American adults say the country is "greatly divided" on core values ahead of November's presidential election, a Gallup poll reported Monday.

September 23, 2024

Report finds labor unions in higher education surging, bucking national trends

A record high 38% of graduate student workers belong to a union, according to a report that finds collective bargaining in higher education bucking national labor trends.

September 19, 2024

Rent outpaces home values as America’s housing squeeze tightens

The average cost of rent, utilities and energy adjusted for inflation grew faster than median home values in 2023 for the first time in 10 years, the Census Bureau estimates.

September 18, 2024

Constitutional confusion: Americans struggle with basic civic knowledge as November election looms

Just in time for Constitution Day, an annual survey finds that most Americans know little about their constitutional rights ahead of November's elections.

September 16, 2024