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Reading scores climb after targeted intervention at California’s worst-performing schools

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

BY CAROLYN JONES | CalMattersCalifornia’s $53 million investment in teaching its youngest and lowest-performing students to read has shown dramatic — and relatively fast — results, researchers at Stanford have found.In a study released Sunday night, researchers at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education found that the percent of third-graders in the program who met or nearly met the state reading standards rose 6 percentage points, compared to students at similar schools.“This study shows we can eradicate illiteracy at warp speed,” said Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney behind the lawsuit that spurred the state’s Early Literacy Support Block Grant program. “I wasn’t surprised at the results. But I was impressed with the speed, especially during a pandemic.”The program came about in 2020 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by Morrison Foerster and Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest firm based in Los Angeles. Far too many students in California, especially those who are Blac...

Wish You Were Here: When travel plans go awry, head for Colorado

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

Our readers have circled the world this year, communing with bears in Alaska, on safari in Tanzania and cruising the islands of the United Kingdom. And they’ve shared their stories and tips along the way.Now, a Walnut Creek couple is sharing their recent adventures after a long-planned trip went belly up.Wish You Were HereCOLORADO: Walnut Creek resident Saara Chung and her wife, Linda, canceled their August trip to Maui after the fires devastated Lahaina and the surrounding area. So they pivoted in grand style. “We travelled to Avon, Colorado, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Carmel by the Sea,” Saara says. “Our highlights included biking along the Colorado River outside of Vail (pictured), ATVing thru the Rockies, hitting two new baseball stadiums (Coors and Chase Field) and visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We even got to visit the highest-elevation city in the U.S. — Leadville, Colorado, at 10,158 ft! — and experience a HABOOB (an intense dust storm!...

How to keep Milo, a Dublin cat, from nibbling on the houseplants

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

DEAR JOAN: Is there something that can be sprayed on an indoor plant (with no harm) that will keep my cat, Milo, from nibbling on the leaves?— Linda Rhoades, DublinDEAR LINDA: This is a timely question considering many of us are putting up Christmas trees, poinsettias and other items that are, of course, for the exclusive use of our cats. Or at least that’s how they see it. Protecting Christmas trees is a whole column in itself, so I’ll just stick to houseplants.You have two main options. The first is to put the plants out of reach, which is easier said than done. The best option is to hang them – the plants, not the cats –  from the ceiling, away from furniture and structures that can be used to gain access. You also have to consider the health of the plant. Hanging from the ceiling might not give them enough access to natural light.Your second choice is to spray your plants with something that makes them unappealing. There are several products on the market that promise to d...

TasteFood: An Italian holiday cake confection that’s rich and easy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

Panforte is a festive Italian cake that lives up to its name. Pan (bread) and forte (strong) are apt descriptors for this dense fruit- and nut-jammed cake. Its origin stretches back to Siena, Tuscany, during the Middle Ages, when a bread flavored with honey and pepper was paid to the local monks as a tax. When the spice trade introduced a trove of spices to Italy through Venice, more spices were added to the bread, and it became a Christmas tradition.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Make this Alphabet Soup for All Ages Restaurants, Food and Drink | A hot pink hummus makeover Restaurants, Food and Drink | Spanakorizo, a classic Greek rice dish, is cozy, creamy and flavorful Restaurants, Food and Drink | This is the season for holiday … leftovers Restaurants, Food and Drink | Holiday appetizers: Baked Camembert with Persimmon and Rosemary Panforte is a stiff and sticky package: a jumble ...

Travel Troubleshooter: Viking promised me a flight, but now it’s asking for another $600

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I recently booked a Viking cruise as a retirement gift for my wife. I was charged the cost of the cruise, travel insurance and an airline upcharge that guaranteed us flights on Delta Air Lines.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter Three days later, Viking notified us that we couldn’t get a Delta flight. A representative told me that Delta was still a possibility, but I would have to pay an additional $600. I immediately asked for a full refund. They have only refunded $4,750 of the $5,748 I paid, leaving $998 remaining.Viking didn’t give me the correct information from the start. Had we not been guaranteed Delta, I would not have bought the cruise. This is a questionable business practice. I initiated a credit card dispute, but my credit card company ruled in Viking’s favor.This has nothing to do with buyer’s remorse or finding a better deal. Can you help me get back the remaining $998 that I paid for my tickets and i...

SF Bay Area sneaker waves warning starts Monday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

PACIFICA, Calif. (KRON) -- A Beach Hazards Statement has been issued by the National Weather Service for the San Francisco Bay Area coastline starting on Monday at noon. The hazards include an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents.From the North Bay to the Peninsula to the southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur coasts, northwest-facing beaches will face the greatest risk of sneaker waves, according to the NWS. These unexpected waves may sweep people into the ocean from rocks, jetties and beaches, weather officials said, and can be dangerous for inexperienced surfers and swimmers.(National Weather Service)Sneaker waves have already proven to be deadly this winter. Last month, a 5-year-old girl and her grandfather were swept out from a sneaker wave at Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay. The young girl was pulled from the ocean and rushed to the hospital but did not survive. Her grandfather’s body was not found after days of searching by the U.S. Coast Guard. Cal State faculty stri...

For a different take on latkes, try these ginger sweet potato pancakes with orange zest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

Let’s start right up front by saying these are not traditional latkes. Classic Jewish latkes for Hanukkah are made with russet potatoes, occasionally Yukon golds, and are usually very simply seasoned with salt, pepper and onion. These are something else altogether — shredded sweet potato pancakes spiked with minced fresh ginger and orange zest.They have an earthy warmth from the ginger root, and a bright citrusy note from the orange. You’ll also want to season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper.Like traditional potato pancakes, these sweet potato latkes work really well with either applesauce or sour cream.A FRITTER BY ANY OTHER NAME…Traditional potato pancakes are a favorite in my house, and I made a few big batches each year during the Hanukkah holiday. But the idea of pan-seared fritters is an appealing one, and there is a world of options aside from white potatoes. Vegetable latkes can be made from chopped or shredded beets, zucchini, carrots, butternut squash or c...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens lower following its best month in more than a year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street ahead of some key reports this week on the job market that might provide more insight into the Federal Reserve’s thinking about interest rates. The S&P 500 was off 0.6% Monday. The index is coming off its best month in more than a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 107 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%. Treasury yields were higher and crude oil prices were down about 1%. Hawaiin Airlines soared after Alaska Airlines said it would buy the company. Spotify jumped after announcing its third round of layoffs this year. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street followed global stocks lower Monday ahead of a slew of economic data on the labor market this week. Futures slipped, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.3% before the bell while the S&P 500 gave up 0.4%.Wall Street ended Friday with its fifth straight weekly gain as a growing number of signs sug...

Man arrested and charged in fatal shooting of DC man inside social services building

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

Surveillance footage from a shooting at DC Doors in Northeast D.C. was included in court documents filed on Dec. 2, 2023. (Courtesy D.C. Superior Courts) Surveillance footage from a shooting at DC Doors in Northeast D.C. was included in court documents filed on Dec. 2, 2023. (Courtesy D.C. Superior Courts) D.C. court documents have shed more light on a deadly shooting inside a private social services building in Northeast on Friday.Brandon Lewis, 23, was at DC Doors in the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue, Northeast, just before 6:40 p.m. when the shooting took place.Clarence McKnight, 22, was arrested and charged with second degree murder while armed on Friday, police said in an update Sunday.Officers responding ...

Match official in Rugby World Cup final steps away from international game because of online abuse

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:52 GMT

The man who worked as the television match official for this year’s Rugby World Cup final stepped away from the international game “for the foreseeable future” on Monday, saying a “torrent of criticism and abuse online” led him to the decision.English official Tom Foley made a series of big calls in the title match between New Zealand and South Africa in October, including recommending a red card for All Blacks captain Sam Cane in the first half. The Springboks won the game 12-11.Since the World Cup final, the referee of the match — Wayne Barnes of England — has announced his retirement and expressed his concerns at the abuse he and his family received on social media.Last week, England captain Owen Farrell said he was stepping away from international rugby temporarily to “prioritize his and his family’s mental well-being,” according to his club, Saracens.Foley has been a referee for 13 years, including seven in international rugby.“The pressure and scrutiny ...