Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, left a lasting impact on his former students as a high school teacher. One such student, now a teacher himself, reflects on Walz's unique teaching style and its influence on his own career in a Politico Q&A. Walz's classroom was a...
Pressure From Ed Advocates Ends Effort to Eliminate Teacher Assessments
A controversial bill that would have eliminated teaching performance assessments — the last licensure test California teacher candidates are required to take — has been dramatically revised under pressure from education advocacy groups. Senate Bill 1263, sponsored by the California Teachers Association, would have ended the requirement that teacher candidates...
US Women Win 5th Olympic Gold Medal in Soccer by Blanking Brazil
PARIS — The U.S. women's soccer team won its fifth Olympic gold medal by beating Brazil 1-0 on Mallory Swanson’s early second-half goal in the tournament final Saturday at the Paris Games. The Americans, who hadn't won gold since the 2012 London Olympics, closed out an undefeated run to the...
California Rent Control Back on the Ballot, Twice
Sky-high rent is among Californians’ biggest concerns. Nearly 30% of tenants spend more than half their income on rent; and the median rent is $2,850 a month, 33% higher than the national average. Two propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot address this issue — though one does so in a rather roundabout way. The...
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO and Google Exec, Dies at 56
Susan Wojcicki, a pioneering tech executive who helped shape Google and YouTube, has died, her husband said. She was 56. Wojcicki played a key role in Google’s creation and served nine years as YouTube's CEO, stepping down last year to focus on her "family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” she said at...
Meet Gunther: The Adorable Tongue-Out Pup
Gunther, a lovable bundle of joy weighing in at just 10 pounds, is here to steal hearts with his charmingly lopsided cuteness and perpetually hanging tongue. This 1-to-2-year-old pup has a personality as endearing as his unique smile. When he’s not busy socializing with people or frolicking with other dogs,...
‘Alien: Romulus’ Actors Battled Lifelike Creatures to Bring the Film Back to Its Horror Roots
SAN DIEGO — While filming "Alien: Romulus," Cailee Spaeny didn't have to dig too deep to muster up sheer terror. She was often facing off against real creatures on set — or as close to real as they could get. Under director Fede Álvarez, a prominent horror filmmaker, the actors...
Israeli Airstrike on a Gaza School Used as a Shelter Kills 80: Palestinian Officials
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza early Saturday, killing at least 80 people and wounding nearly 50 others, Palestinian health authorities said, in one of the deadliest attacks in the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas. A witness said it struck during prayers...
Contract Holdouts and Hold-Ins Cast a Shadow Over NFL Contenders
SANTA CLARA — Whether it's star players holding out of training camp or holding in by reporting and not practicing, contract disputes are playing a prominent role across the NFL this summer. Some of the top contenders to compete for the Super Bowl are headed into the first full weekend...
Kamala Harris Isn’t Giving Interviews. Any Questions?
The press has questions for Vice President Kamala Harris. She isn’t giving a whole lot of answers. In the nearly three weeks since President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy, catapulting Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president has shown little eagerness to meet journalists in unscripted...