A proposal to eliminate the Regents exam in New York has alarmed some social studies teachers on Long Island. They worry if the state cuts the standardized tests, history will be the first to go.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont says the state’s educational partnership with the Dalio Foundation is on track to start funding programs by the summer.

Enrollment at colleges in Connecticut is declining at a rate faster than the national average.

Long Island school officials say limited state budget increases and a growing student population will create a crisis in the near future.

There are eight fiscally stressed school districts on Long Island. That’s according to a report released Thursday by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

Legislation introduced in New York could place a four-year freeze on tuition costs at state and city universities.

A Stony Brook University scientist who discovered a penguin supercolony in Antarctica has won a national science prize of $250,000.

Six lunar modules from the Apollo Program still sit on the surface of the moon, each with a name plate: “Made in Bethpage.”

A new study from Yale University found some users of the popular e-cigarette brand Juul might be inhaling unexpected chemicals.

A new study from Yale University and Oregon Health and Science University looks at how doctor’s prejudices toward LGBT patients change during medical school.

A group of genetically engineered super-strong mice from Connecticut are headed to space. Their mission? Study a new therapy to prevent muscle loss.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has won a $750,000 grant from TD Bank to support its new cancer research facility.

Benzodiazepines are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the country, often used to treat anxiety. But a new study warns that taking benzodiazepines can be both helpful and risky for those with opioid use disorder.

Connecticut’s public health laboratory has begun screening newborn babies for a genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy.

In Connecticut supporters of paid family and medical leave made their case to state lawmakers on Thursday.

A bill in the New York State legislature would set the goal to cut greenhouse emissions by 100 percent by 2050.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont presented his first, two-year budget plan to state lawmakers in Hartford on Wednesday.

Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill stands by her office’s ability to protect voters’ access to polling centers.

Public campaign financing could be coming to New York by the end of this year, now that Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature have created a commission to come up with a plan. Supporters say the current system favors a small group of big money donors at the expense of the average citizen and needs to be changed. But not everyone agrees that is a good idea.

Democrats who want to increase the capital gains tax in Connecticut say there’s no evidence it would lead to the wealthy fleeing the state.

Connecticut’s finance committee has approved a tax package that increases revenue by more than $2 billion over the next two years. Democrats say the increase is needed to fund the state’s $43.3 billion two-year budget proposal.

The State Assembly narrowly approved a measure to remove the religious exemption for vaccinations, in the wake of a severe measles outbreak that began in communities with a high percentage of unvaccinated children in New York and is steadily spreading to other states. The measure almost didn’t make it out of the Health Committee, and the Chair of the Committee voted against the bill on the Assembly floor.

The governors of Rhode Island and Massachusetts encourage Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to pursue his highway toll proposal.

Suffolk County prosecutors have charged a county legislator with perjury and ethics violations.

The first hearing of a state commission to implement a public campaign finance system for New York’s elections was overshadowed by the issue of whether to end fusion voting, which allows candidates to run on multiple ballot lines. Critics of the proposal say Governor Cuomo wants to strike against a left leaning party that he’s been feuding with, something the governor denies.

Senator Rich Funke of Rochester is the latest Republican lawmaker to announce he will not seek reelection. Funke joins a growing list of seven other minority party GOP senators who say they are moving on to other things, after less than a year under Democratic rule in the Senate.

Magician and animal trainer Roy Horn, of the legendary Las Vegas duo Siegfied and Roy, died Friday from complications related to COVID-19. Horn tested positive last week. He was 75. "The world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend," Siegfried Fischbacher said of his partner in a statement. "Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy's life." Roy Horn was born in Germany in 1944. He and Siegfried began their act in Las Vegas in 1967. In 1989 they began a 14-year run at the Mirage Resort performing illusions with exotic animals, making tigers, lions, even elephants vanish and reappear. In October of 2003, Roy Horn was performing with a 400-pound white tiger named Mantecore when the great cat grabbed him by the throat before a stunned audience and dragged him

Protests over stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 have become more common around the country. In California, a surprising group is behind some of them: those who oppose mandatory vaccinations. On Thursday, a mash-up of people mingled on the sidewalk in front of California's state Capitol in Sacramento. There were Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags. There were Christians, singing along to religious rock songs and raising their hands in prayer. The event's MC. urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to tune into their event. "Everybody up at the Capitol, tell Gavin Newsom [to tune in to] 107.9 FM, if he wants to hear what we have to say," the MC told the crowd over loudspeakers. "It could be kind of good for him!" There were also mothers with their children at the rally. Many people were not wearing face masks or observing social distancing protocols. They'd all come out to protest California's stay-at-home order, put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. This week's

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to pick up in Alaska, Dr. Anne Zink, the state's chief medical officer, faced a difficult choice. Should she continue in-person meetings and nightly briefings with Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy? Or should she opt for a more socially distant form of engagement? Zink chose the latter, saying she wanted to model the behavior that she has been appealing to residents to follow. She now appears at Dunleavy's briefings by video. And over the past two months, she has become a trusted voice as she urges Alaskans to follow the strict social distancing and other public health guidelines adopted by the state administration — which doctors groups have credited with keeping the state's COVID-19 numbers among the lowest in the country. Zink, who has a Facebook fan club and a #ThinkLikeZink hashtag , isn't the only public health official to acquire a cultlike following during the pandemic: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal infectious disease expert, has inspired a Saturday

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Monty and Rose met last year on a beach on the north side of Chicago. Their attraction was intense, immediate, and you might say, fruitful. Somewhere between the roll of lake waves and the shimmer of skyscrapers overlooking the beach, Monty and Rose fledged two chicks. They protected their offspring through formative times. But then, in fulfillment of nature's plan, they parted ways, and left the chicks to make their own ways in the world. Monty and Rose are piping plovers, an endangered species of bird of which there may only be 6,000 or 7,000 in the world, including Monty, Rose and their chicks. They were the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago in more than 60 years. After their chicks fledged, they drifted apart. Rose went off to Florida for the winter, and Monty made his way to the Texas coast. They'd always have the North Side, but were each on their own in a huge, fraught world. And then, just a few days ago, Monty and Rose were sighted again, on the same patch of sand on

In this time of fear and uncertainty, people are going back to the land — more or less. Gardening might just be overtaking sourdough baking, TV binging and playing Animal Crossing as our favorite pandemic coping mechanism So here I am in my back yard, where I've got this lovely four foot by eight food raised garden bed — brand new this year, because yes, I'm one of those people who are trying their hand at gardening. I've got tomatoes, I've got cucumbers, I've got radishes, I've got beets sprouting up, I've got what I think might be a zucchini and a spaghetti squash, but the markers washed away in a storm. And I had some watermelon seedlings, but they died in the last cold snap. So that's why I'm out here today — driving in stakes and draping plastic wrap for the next cold snap. I have to be extra careful now, because I couldn't actually replace my watermelon seedlings — garden centers and hardware stores have been picked clean. Jennifer Atkinson is a senior lecturer in environmental

Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men. That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women. Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month. One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007. Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's. But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month. That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the

Airlines and airport operators in the United Kingdom are not waiting for the British government to publicly confirm their fears. Already, the groups representing major players in the U.K.'s air travel industry are pushing back on a proposal that would require travelers to quarantine after arriving from outside the country. A spokesperson for Airlines UK — a trade body with British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair as members — says the group understands from government officials that plans for a quarantine are in the works, but that details remain scarce at the moment. "We need to see the detail of what they are proposing. Public health must of course be the priority and we will continue to be guided by Sage advice," the group said in a statement emailed to NPR, noting that support measures will be necessary to ensure "that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted." "We will be asking for assurances that this decision has been led by the science and that

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners will discuss tonight how they may move forward with county operations amid a COVID-19 crisis.

The Ann Arbor Independent Community Police Oversight Commission continues to operate during the COVID-19 crisis. Their focus has changed a bit during the pandemic.

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan and State Theater executive director Russ Collins about all of the new flicks and special events the Michigan Theater is providing for your online viewing pleasure this weekend. Plus, they talk about how WEMU and the Michigan Theater fared during this week's National Day of Giving.

Saying it would be “impractical and implausable to maintain social distancing” due to COVID-19, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair has been cancelled this year, July 2020. WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Maureen Riley, the executive director of the Ann Arbor Art Fair-The Original, about all that went into making the very difficult decision to cancel the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair.

The City of Ann Arbor is in the process of creating a plan to make sure residents have social distancing options when it comes to being outdoors.

State Senator Jeff Irwin wants all future elections to be done entirely with absentee ballots.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has extended her stay-at-home order through the end of May, while introducing a multi-step plan to get Michigan's economy going again. 12th District Representative Debbie Dingell expressed her optimism to WEMU for a safe start to the process while calling for more bi-partisan efforts to support those in need.

Eastern Michigan University released information regarding its planning process for the Fall 2020 semester.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Neil Simon wrote more than 30 plays and screenplays, including "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot In The Park" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs." He won Tonys, Oscars and the Pulitzer Prize. But when he died this week at the age of 91, Quinn Cummings remembered that she had a piece of theatrical history. Quinn Cummings was just 10 years old when she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar in Neil Simon's 1977 film, "The Goodbye Girl." (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE GOODBYE GIRL") QUINN CUMMINGS: (As Lucy McFadden) I can't sleep. MARSHA MASON: (As Paula McFadden) Give it five minutes. You just got into bed. CUMMINGS: (As Lucy McFadden) I can predict the future. MASON: (As Paula McFadden) Yeah? How about predicting mine? (SOUNDBITE OF PHONE RINGING) CUMMINGS: (As Lucy McFadden) I could predict the phone ringing in your life. (SOUNDBITE OF PHONE RINGING) SIMON: She starred alongside Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss in "The Goodbye Girl."

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Memorial services are underway, as we speak, for Senator John McCain at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Meghan McCain spoke urgently and passionately about the legacy of her father. We're joined by Ron Elving. He's NPR's senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk. Ron, thanks for being with us. RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott. SIMON: And NPR's Kelsey Snell is outside of the cathedral. Kelsey, can you hear us? KELSEY SNELL, BYLINE: Yes, I can. SIMON: Henry Kissinger is speaking at the moment. We've also heard from Senator Joe Lieberman. Let me ask you both about the remarks made by Meghan McCain - deeply personal eulogy, deeply personal memories of her father and reaction but also some very pointed things to say with political smack, if I might put it that way. Ron and Kelsey, let me just quote one. She said, "we gather here to mourn the passing of American greatness, the real thing, not

"I'm supposed to be a dead man," says Bobi Wine, a Ugandan musician turned politician. His driver Yasin Kawuma was shot dead on Aug. 13. Wine tweeted a graphic picture he said was of the man's dead body. Wine says police were the ones who shot Kawuma, but Wine says he was their real target. Bobi Wine's real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. He rose to fame as a musician — first with love songs and dance songs, but more recently turned to political themes in his music. His 2017 song "Freedom" has become a rallying cry for the country's opposition. In the same year, Wine was elected to the country's Parliament as an independent. He's become a leader in opposing the country's longtime President Yoweri Museveni — in power since 1986. Museveni is known for violently crushing dissent. Human Rights Watch says the government "continues to violate free association, expression, and assembly rights." "We are living in a country where life does not mean a thing," Wine tells NPR's Scott Simon.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And Tropical Storm Florence continues to drench the Carolinas. There's flooding, downed trees and buckled roads. Trillions of gallons of water have come down as rain. Nearly a million people are without power. At least five deaths have been linked to the storm. And, of course, rescue efforts are underway at this moment. Todd Terrell is with the Cajun Navy, a volunteer rescue group, and he joins us from Wilmington, N.C. Mr. Terrell, Captain Terrell - whatever I call you - thanks so much for being with us. TODD TERRELL: Yes, sir. Thank y'all for having me. SIMON: And what are you seeing? How bad is this? And you have seen a lot. TERRELL: We've seen a lot. Last night, honestly, was about the scariest part I've been with a group of volunteers, even though it wasn't the worst weather we went through. In Wilmington, we - I guess, we caught the tail end of it. And as it came through here, they had some straight-line winds came through

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And to the uplifting notes of B.J. Leiderman, who writes our theme music, Major League Baseball is headed into the final weeks of the regular season. Mercy, is there a race in the NL Central. Howard Bryant of ESPN and espn.com joins us. Howard, thanks for being with us. HOWARD BRYANT, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott. SIMON: Oh, it is a good morning. The Cubs defeated the Reds - I mean the Cincinnati baseball team, not the KGB - 3-2. The Brewers defeated the Pirates 7-2. The Dodgers defeated the Cards 3-0. This put the Cubs a game and a half above the Brew Crew (ph) and five ahead of the Cards. These are three very worthy teams, aren't they? BRYANT: You know what, Scott? We talk so much this year about the president, and we talk about the NFL when we talk about Colin Kaepernick, and we talk about Serena and we talk about all of these things, but this has been such an underrated baseball season. And this is my

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: A note written in March of 1930 said, difficult times of war lie behind us. We hope for better times soon to come. Poor roofers who worked on a cathedral in Goslar, Germany, left that note in a glass bottle, stashed it in the roof and patched it over. Eighty-eight years later, a roofer named Peter Brandt was working on that same roof and found the bottle. He knew one of the names on that note, Willi Brandt - his grandfather, not the former leader of Germany. Peter Brandt used to work with his grandfather and eventually took over the family business. The Washington Post reports Peter Brandt has memorized a line from his grandfather's 1930 note. (Reading) We worked an entire week for one pound of butter and one bread. Every day, we're discussing the many problems we have as a city, says Peter Brandt, but with this letter from 1930, we can see that the many problems that we perceive aren't really problems. The note is now in the

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Finally, time for sports. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SIMON: The NFL suddenly powered by free agents. Are the Pats running out of gas? And the return of the Tiger (imitating tiger roar). Joined now by NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman, who's somewhere in Minnesota - actually, Minneapolis. He's pretty easy to find. Tom, thanks so much for being with us. TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Always a pleasure, Scott. How are you? SIMON: I'm fine, thanks. A little over three weeks into the season. Free agents are getting contracts. Among them, let me ask you about safety Eric Reid. This was kind of a surprise, yes. GOLDMAN: Sure is. And it is not just any free agent signing. Eric Reid, former San Francisco teammate of Colin Kaepernick's. He followed Kaepernick's lead and was the second player to take a knee during the national anthem protests. And he also filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, like Kaepernick, after he wasn't signed as a free