Fair 64°
Schools
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says An Albany elementary school is mourning the death of a young student who died after an accident at home reportedly linked to a dangerous TikTok challenge. The incident occurred Saturday night, Nov. 8, and involved a student from Arbor Hill Elementary School, Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell said in a message to families. She called the loss “profoundly sad” and warned parents about the serious risks tied to viral online challenges, which are often promoted as harmless entertainment. District officials said the accident appeared to be connected to a TikTok trend, though no additional deta…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Schools
WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One
Watch ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One Starbucks fans couldn’t bear the disappointment after the company’s surprise newest holiday item — the viral “Bearista Cold Cup” — sold out nationwide within hours of its release. The Seattle-based coffee chain issued a public apology after the launch turned chaotic, with viral videos showing customers fighting in stores and scrambling to grab the limited-edition item that sold out within hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6. “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” Starbucks said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehous…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-dei Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Students, alumni, and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania received a vulgar, inflammatory email from a hacker on Friday, Oct. 31, the university confirmed. The fraudulent message, which appeared to come from Penn’s Graduate School of Education, contained offensive language attacking the school’s diversity and admissions policies. Some recipients said they received the vulgar message multiple times. The full message was shared on reddit: The email allegedly sent by hackers from UPenn. Reddit/r/philadelphia @bpt1047 In a statement posted to its website, Penn said its Office of Info…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
These Bergen County Schools Just Ranked Top In NJ For 2025, Survey Says These Bergen County Schools Just Ranked Top In NJ For 2025, Survey Says
These Bergen County Schools Just Ranked Top In NJ For 2025, Survey Says Several New Jersey schools are among the best in the nation, according to new rankings released this week. U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, announced its 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools list on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The report includes about 47,000 public elementary schools and 23,000 middle schools ranked at the state and district levels, with charter schools evaluated as a separate category, according to the publication. Rankings are based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, the report said. To qualify for district…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
$18M Budget Crisis Prompts 150+ Job Cuts For This NJ School District, Superintendent Says $18M Budget Crisis Prompts 150+ Job Cuts For This NJ School District, Superintendent Says
$18M Budget Crisis Prompts 150+ Job Cuts For This NJ School District, Superintendent Says A New Jersey school district is facing an $18 million deficit that its new superintendent blames on “years of bad accounting” and overspending, forcing more than 150 staff cuts this month. Montclair Schools Superintendent Ruth B. Turner said 153 employees received notifications on Oct. 22, including 103 who were terminated or affected by a reduction in force (RIF). The changes take effect Dec. 31. “The process of making and communicating staffing reductions is incredibly difficult,” Turner said in the statement. “The total of 153 letters issued included a combination of reduction-in-fo…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA
One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA A shooting left one person dead and six others injured on the campus of Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania — one of America’s oldest historically Black colleges and universities — during homecoming weekend, authorities announced on Sunday, Oct. 26. Officers responded to the 1500 block of Baltimore Pike around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, for reports of gunfire, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. During a press conference early Sunday morning, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe confirmed the fatality and said one person …

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report
Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report A staff member at a Massachusetts therapeutic school was killed after she was kicked in the chest by a 14-year-old student. Now, a news report says authorities have charged the teenager with the death.  Amy Morrell, 53, of Riverside, Rhode Island, worked at Meadowridge Academy in Swansea. The school serves students with emotional and developmental challenges. Authorities said Morrell and other staff were trying to stop a student from leaving her dorm without permission on Oct. 15 when the teen kicked Morrell in the chest. “Shortly after being struck, the victim collapsed,” said Bristo…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Schools
NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police
NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police A Long Island elementary school teacher is accused of requesting sexually explicit photos from who he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Wading River Elementary School teacher Mark Verity, 37, was arrested by Suffolk County Police Friday, Oct. 17, hours after he was allegedly caught on a livestream admitting to engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a purported minor, as Daily Voice reported.  On Thursday, Oct. 16, the vigilante group Predator Poachers Long Island posted a video claiming it had confronted the teacher during a sting operation. In the clip, Verity allege…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Schools
NY Teacher Discussed 'Sex, Kissing' With Purported 13-Year-Old Girl In Undercover Sting NY Teacher Discussed 'Sex, Kissing' With Purported 13-Year-Old Girl In Undercover Sting
NY Teacher Discussed 'Sex, Kissing' With Purported 13-Year-Old Girl In Undercover Sting A Long Island elementary school teacher has been suspended and banned from campus after allegedly having sexually explicit conversations with a purported underage girl. The Wading River Elementary School teacher was “caught on a livestreamed platform sharing disturbing remarks,” Shoreham-Wading River Central School District Superintendent Gerard Poole said in a letter to parents Wednesday, Oct. 15. It came hours after the vigilante group Predator Poachers Long Island posted a video claiming it had confronted the teacher during a sting operation. In the clip, the man admits to engaging in a …

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Surprise! Video Shows NJ Teacher's Priceless Reaction To Winning $25K National Award Surprise! Video Shows NJ Teacher's Priceless Reaction To Winning $25K National Award
Surprise! Video Shows NJ Teacher's Priceless Reaction To Winning $25K National Award Seventh-grade English teacher Jeanette Capritti thought she was walking into another morning assembly at Lawrence Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Instead, she walked out $25,000 richer — and part of an elite group of educators recognized as the best in the nation. Capritti was named New Jersey’s sole recipient of the 2025-26 Milken Educator Award, one of education’s most prestigious honors, during a surprise ceremony in the school gym packed with cheering students, teachers, and local leaders. A video from the event shows Capritti’s jaw drop in absolute shock as her name was called. Th…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
'Pee Challenge': NJ HS Principal Condemns 'Reprehensible' TikTok Trend 'Pee Challenge': NJ HS Principal Condemns 'Reprehensible' TikTok Trend
'Pee Challenge': NJ HS Principal Condemns 'Reprehensible' TikTok Trend A new TikTok trend streaming all over the app has taken over a high school in New Jersey — and the principal has had enough. Barnegat High School Principal Patrick Magee sent a letter home to families on Monday, Oct. 6, speaking out about "The Pee Challenge," where people film themselves urinating in public after the trend "recently appeared in our school community." "This behavior is completely reprehensible," Magee said. "It not only damages property but also creates serious health and safety risks for students, staff, and the public." Magee said the school district is working with Barne…

SHARE

by Sam Barron
Schools
Federal Union Sues Trump-Vance Admin For Forcing Workers’ Emails To Blame Dems For Shutdown Federal Union Sues Trump-Vance Admin For Forcing Workers’ Emails To Blame Dems For Shutdown
Federal Union Sues Trump-Vance Admin For Forcing Workers’ Emails To Blame Dems For Shutdown The nation’s largest federal worker union is suing the Trump-Vance administration, accusing it of forcing government employees to send partisan political messages during the ongoing shutdown. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents roughly 800,000 federal workers, filed the lawsuit Friday against the US Department of Education and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, alleging that the agency violated employees’ First Amendment rights by changing their automatic out-of-office email responses to blame Democrats for the shutdown. According to the lawsuit, the Edu…

SHARE

by Zak Failla