Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Maine and Nebraska are the 5 best states for single mothers in 2026, according to a new study.
California, Nevada, New Mexico, Alaska and Washington, D.C. rank as the 5 worst.
https://singlemothersgrants.
Heather Porter, Senior Writer at singlemothersgrants.org, said:
"The gap between the best and worst states is huge. Where you live can decide whether you can get by."
A new analysis of student phone rules in 250 public school systems, covering all 50 states and Washington, D.C., now maps out a national picture of which policies are most common.
Here are some of the key findings:
Most districts restrict phones, but the details vary by grade. Full-day restrictions are common in elementary and middle school, while high school policies spread out. Some high schools stay phone-free from bell to bell, and others allow phones at lunch, during passing periods, or both.
"Phone-free" does not always mean all day. Some policies cover class time only, while others also cover passing periods and lunch. A few districts leave those parts of the day to individual schools.
In 126 of the 250 districts, high school students may not use phones in class, during passing periods, or at lunch.
In 66 of the 250 districts, high school students are allowed to use their phones at lunch.
In some systems, the central office sets a baseline, and principals decide how phones are stored, how rules are enforced, or whether students get additional access.
The TurfMutt Foundation, which champions the care and use of the green space around us, has launched a new digital series called Second Nature now streaming on YouTube. Produced in partnership with Louisville’s Chronicle Cinema, the series highlights the ways real-world, family yards, parks, and sports fields are purposeful outdoor spaces where families – and their pets – can thrive. Watch the new Second Nature series on TurfMutt’s web site or visit the TurfMutt YouTube channel.
“We’re very excited to introduce Second Nature, to show how much well-designed green space can do for families and communities,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “Our yards, parks, green schoolyards and more don’t just look good, they actively help us live better.”
Chronicle Cinema has been a long-term digital media partner of TurfMutt’s parent organization, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), and its award-winning international trade show Equip Exposition.
“It was time to bring the TurfMutt mission of environmental stewardship to life through this inspiring digital format,” Kiser adds.
The debut episode of Second Nature features homeowners Joe and Katie who sought to transform their mostly bare backyard, which also struggled with stormwater runoff and other landscaping challenges into a functional, living ecosystem for their household. The project addresses multiple needs: creating a quiet, sensory-friendly retreat for their daughter, Amelia; providing a safe green space for their dog, Meatloaf, to safely run and play; and establishing a welcoming outdoor living area where the family can gather with neighbors.
“In this episode, we reimagine an underutilized yard with purpose, creating a beautiful and functional outdoor oasis designed around the specific needs of the Newland family,” explains Kiser. “It’s an inspirational and heartwarming story.”
To learn more about creating the yard of your dreams, visit TurfMutt.com.
About the TurfMutt Foundation
TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.
The ultimate gift for seniors, the MOBI Smart Home Clinic is a complete health bundle that brings good health and peace of mind to older adults and their families with all that’s needed to keep them safe at home at only $149 (44% off - normally priced at $269.96) at https://mobiusa.com/pages/ MOBI Smart Home Clinic Includes:
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MOBI GLP-1 Home Wellness Kit is a great gift for those on GLP-1 for healthy weight loss. A connected collection of home health devices designed for adults using GLP-1 medications and the families, doctors, and caregivers who support them, MOBI is makingit easier to keep routine measurements organized, observe changes over time, and share useful information with a caregiver and healthcare professional. The MOBI GLP-1 Home Wellness Kit Includes:
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What if the biggest lion in the jungle could not roar?
That is the dilemma facing Leviathan, a lion cub born unusually large and seemingly destined to become King of the Jungle. But after a hyena attack leaves him with a throat injury, an old turtle named Doc saves his life with a warning: Leviathan will never roar like other lions. He will always meow like a kitten.
As Leviathan grows into the largest lion in the African wilderness, his unusual voice becomes a source of ridicule. Hurt by the reaction of others, he retreats from the kingdom he was born to lead.
Then hunters enter his territory.
With his subjects in danger, Leviathan faces a choice. He can continue to hide because he sounds different, or he can step forward and do what a leader must do.
In The Lion That Meowed, children’s author and environmental advocate Richard Faith delivers a story about resilience, self-worth and the power of choosing how to respond when circumstances cannot be changed. Its central lesson is simple: “Things happen. How you react determines who you are.”
For Faith, the message comes from a lifetime of experiences that taught him the importance of standing up for what is right, even when doing so is difficult.
A Boston native and former U.S. Marine, Faith experienced profound adversity at a young age. While he was in the tenth grade, his brother, Michael Faith, was stabbed at South Boston High School in December 1974, during the turbulent period of school desegregation in Boston. The school would later be placed into receivership amid continuing violence and community upheaval.
The experience left Faith with a lasting conviction: Circumstances may be beyond a person’s control, but the choices made in response to those circumstances still matter.
That conviction now shapes the stories he creates for children, with an emphasis on courage, kindness, moral clarity and the value of embracing individuality rather than allowing others to define one’s worth.
With vibrant illustrations by Todd Hobin, The Lion That Meowed is the newest addition to Faith’s Old Doc Turtle series, which blends whimsical storytelling with lessons about resilience and environmental awareness.
“Whether I’m writing for children, creating an environmental superhero or working on environmental initiatives, my goal is the same: use storytelling to make people think, care and hopefully become part of the solution,” Faith said.
The book’s back-to-school timing also makes its central message especially relevant as children navigate new classrooms, friendships and social pressures. For parents and educators, Leviathan’s story offers an accessible way to explore questions children encounter in many forms: What makes someone different? Does being different make someone less valuable? And what happens when doing the right thing requires courage?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Faith is an author, environmental advocate and former U.S. Marine. A South Boston native, Faith learned valuable lessons in resilience, independence and the importance of standing up for what he believed in from an early age. He is the creator of the Old Doc Turtle children’s book series, which includes Bee Scared, a book that received recognition in Forbes. The Old Doc Turtle series is under development as an animated series. He is also the author of the Megamerse science-fiction series.
Faith is also the executive director of Mother Nature Festival Live Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to “Stop Global Warming.” Colleagues representing the nonprofit recently teamed up with Dr. Lee Newman, Associate Professor and Chair of Chemistry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, to develop a national biofertilizer field to help mitigate climate change and rejuvenate agricultural soils.
Mother Nature Festival Live is also honored to have the encouragement of environmental advocates Patty McCune and Leslie Riggs, whose own work has been connected to the American Green Cross environmental tradition. Their support reflects a shared belief that protecting the environment requires education, cooperation and action.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Todd Hobin is a composer, songwriter and artist. His illustrations have been featured in textbooks, storybooks and posters around the world. Best known as the founder of the Todd Hobin Band, he wrote the soundtrack for the award-winning documentary The Artist and the Astronaut, streaming now on Amazon. Hobin is currently working on an original score for An Arrow Shot Through Time.
Big Tex is back, and so is the great Texas question: how much fair food can one person eat? In There Once Was a Cowgirl (TCU Press), author and illustrator Susan K. Holt answers it one bite at a time.
A Texas twist on the classic “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” the picture book follows a cowgirl who cannot resist the fairgrounds. It starts with a funnel cake. Then come apple cider, a corny dog “as big as a log,” hot chili chips, a buttered biscuit, pecan pie and a Big Red float, each rhyme stacking on the last until the whole menu comes back up in one giant, bandana-print BURP. Holt’s cut-paper and fabric collage fills every page with midway booths and Ferris wheels.
The book began in Holt’s own classroom. Her students were putting new twists on familiar stories when a boy asked what hers would be. She didn’t have to think: the Texas State Fair and her favorite fair foods. The back of the book includes a kid-friendly funnel cake recipe, made with an adult’s help.
The State Fair of Texas runs September 25 through October 18 at Fair Park in Dallas and draws more than two million visitors. It gives free admission to pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students in participating school districts and has handed out more than 14.2 million free student and teacher tickets since 2018. This book’s readers are already headed to the gate.
For teachers, it is a field-trip warm-up and a writing lesson in one. Students predict the next food, chant the repeating lines, then write their own twist on a familiar story, as Holt’s class did.
For librarians, it is a story time that works this month and every fair and rodeo season after. Holt is a former librarian and a popular presenter at schools and conferences.
For parents, it is the one fair treat that will not melt, drip or disappear before you get to the car.
About the author: Susan Kralovansky Holt is the award-winning author of nineteen picture books, including There Was a Tall Texan Who Swallowed a Flea and The Book That Jake Borrowed, whose bilingual edition won an International Latino Book Award. A former librarian, she lives in Georgetown, Texas.
About TCU Press: Founded in 1947, TCU Press is the publishing house of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, publishing books about Texas and the American West.
In Pittsburgh, certain numbers carry special meaning.
143 was Fred Rogers’ shorthand for “I love you.” 412 connects Pittsburghers to home. There are 90 neighborhoods, 446
On Sept. 25, Remake Learning will release The 57, marking 20 years of learning innovation by spotlighting 57 projects that have changed learning across the Pittsburgh region and distilling what educators and communities anywhere can learn from them.
At a moment when educators are wrestling with chronic absenteeism, youth mental health, disengagement and how schools can remain relevant in an AI world, the new publication asks a refreshingly practical question: What is actually working?
The projects in The 57 took root in classrooms, libraries, museums, maker spaces, parks and community centers and some places that defy categorization. They include weather balloons and video games, flight simulators and digital fabrication labs, TV shows and toys.
But taken together, The 57 makes a surprisingly low-tech case for innovation: Give educators permission to try things. Start small. Build relationships. Use what you already have. And don't be afraid to make a little bet on an interesting idea.
Again and again, the projects suggest that relationships, belonging, and student agency set the stage for achievement.
One teacher’s love of flying led to flight simulators and an aviation-focused career pathway for students. A cartoonist recording himself on YouTube helped launch a renowned digital art program. A shuttered hospital became a career-exposure hub. And one initiative that helps schools create belonging through “house systems” led to a 74% drop in discipline referrals.
The 57 also offers a counterpoint to the idea that educational innovation in 2026 must begin with the newest technology or AI tool. Many of these projects began with something much simpler: an educator who cared deeply about something and was given room to share that passion with young people.
Behind the 57 stories are thousands of educators, artists, librarians, technologists, students and families who have spent two decades experimenting with what learning can look like.
For national education writers, The 57 raises a timely question: What could happen if more educators were given permission to make little bets – to test an idea, follow a passion, repurpose what they already have, and see where it takes their students?
The 57 publishes Sept. 25, and Remake Learning’s leaders and participating educators are available to discuss what two decades of experimentation in Pittsburgh can teach communities nationwide about making learning more relevant, engaging and joyful.
DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought you unforgettable bonds between a boy and a dragon in How to Train Your Dragon, an ogre and a donkey in Shrek, and a robot and a gosling in The Wild Robot, now welcomes a dazzling and emotional story about two lifelong best friends who must come together before they drift apart in Forgotten Island.
The new original film is written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and is produced by Academy Award® nominee Mark Swift, the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Grammy and Academy Award® winning supernova H.E.R. and Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, Alone/Together) star as high school graduates Jo and Raissa, who have been best friends since grade school but are now about to embark on separate life paths.
While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.
Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww (Dave Franco) and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal (Tony winning icon Lea Salonga), the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
Mortgage rates rose in 37 of the 50 states between Q1 2026 and Q2 2026, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its new report on the States Where Mortgage Interest Rates Are Increasing the Most, based on proprietary user data.
| Increasing the Most | Increasing the Least |
| 1. Mississippi | 41. Vermont |
| 2. Colorado | 42. Rhode Island |
| 3. Tennessee | 43. West Virginia |
| 4. Wisconsin | 44. Maine |
| 5. Missouri | 45. Nevada |
| 6. North Carolina | 46. Texas |
| 7. Kansas | 47. Montana |
| 8. Arkansas | 48. Wyoming |
| 9. New Hampshire | 49. South Dakota |
| 10. South Carolina | 50. North Dakota |
For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
“It’s a difficult time to buy a house, given that home prices have risen astronomically over the past few years and housing shortages make it hard to find the right place even if you have the money. Consumers’ home-buying struggles are exacerbated by the fact that the average mortgage interest rate increased in all but 13 states between Q1 2026 and Q2 2026. Although interest rates are still down a bit from the highs we saw last year, they’re a far cry from the historic lows during the pandemic.”
–
“Mississippi experienced the largest increase in the average mortgage interest rate between Q1 2026 and Q2 2026, at around 1.9%. This increase is the highest of any state, edging out the second ranked state by 0.32%. As of Q2 2026, the average mortgage interest rate in Mississippi was over 5.5%, the 21st-most expensive rate in the country.”
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
More From WalletHub
The Getty Center and Getty Villa museums have a lively autumn lined up for visitors at the museums with an array of programs to fulfill a wide range of tastes. Familiar culinary and performance series events return this fall, along with art talks and all-ages workshops that complement new exhibitions.
Performances
On Oct. 4, Ever Present: A Moveable Feast of No: No Wave Women with Adele Bertei at the Center revisits the women of New York’s punk and No Wave scenes with an evening of experimental music, performance, and wandering guitar players throughout the site. Headlining the event are downtown New York legends the Bush Tetras.
During Ever Present: NOVA ’78 — with Julia Heyward and Aaron Brookner on Oct. 23 at the Center, view a special screening of “Nova ’78,” a documentary that chronicles the 1978 Nova Convention centered on William S. Burroughs and New York’s downtown avant-garde. After the screening, Heyward performs her electronic-vocal monologue from the now-legendary event.
The Getty Research Institute’s Latin American and Latinx Art Initiative (LALAI) has organized an indoor music performance weaving together chamber classical, folk, torch song, and experimental music for Canto de Todes: A Performance and Conversation with Dorian Wood on Nov. 14 at the Center.
Family Programs
On Oct. 17, bring the whole family to the Center for a vibrant lineup of mariachi, ballet folklórico and bilingual storytelling for this fall’s Family Festival: LA and Mexico in Focus. This daylong event is inspired by current photography exhibitions which highlight moments and revelations of Mexican culture as well the Chicano/a communities in Los Angeles.
Ask questions and discover more as artist Alfonso Aceves demonstrates silkscreen printing in Artist-at-Work: Serigraphy and create Mexican photography-inspired art in Images and Imagination: Collage Workshop led by Kalli Arte Collective. These events will take place at the Center on Oct. 4, Nov. 8 and 22, Dec. 13, 2026. Family programming is always free and offered year-round at the museums.
At the Villa, join artist Andrés Cortes for a live mosaic-making demonstration in Artist-at-Work: Making Mosaics. Meet the artist, ask questions, and discover different materials and techniques for constructing mosaics. Then make your own mosaic with a contemporary twist in the Modern Mosaics: Family Workshop. These bilingual (English/Spanish) events have several dates from Oct. 2026 to Jan. 2027.
Food & Drinks
Beer enthusiasts can visit the Getty Villa on Oct. 10 for modern brews inspired by ancient practices in Bacchus Uncorked: Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. A ticket includes presentations on ancient beer culture, followed by brews, bites and conversation at the Villa's Cafe Terrace.
The popular “Tastemakers” series returns to the Center with two dates this fall. Experience Getty Supper Club: The Literary Gourmet on Oct. 11, and Getty Supper Club: La Belle Époque on Nov. 22. “Tastemakers” is a series of communal exchanges inspired by cookbooks in the Getty Library, featuring meals led by chefs, scholars and culinary luminaries.
Exhibitions and Art Programs
Getty’s exhibitions are accompanied by various educational opportunities to learn about the artwork currently on display during panels and lectures with experts. Many of the free art talks also offer the option to join online.
“Odilon Redon: Otherworldly Visions” highlights Getty’s collection of the artist’s moody charcoal drawings and vibrant pastels. Join curator Danielle Canter and conservator Michelle Sullivan on Oct. 4 to hear new insights into Redon’s complex artistic methods in Seen/Unseen: A Closer Look at Odilon Redon Drawings.
“Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography” and “Every Minute Is History: Five Views of Los Angeles” explore the cultural history of Mexico and Los Angeles through photography. Related art talks at the Center or online include On Photography: Patssi Valdez & Christina Fernandez on Oct. 18, a panel discussion on Laura Aguilar on Nov. 8, and a talk on legacies of Mexican photographers on Nov. 19.
“Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt” features sculpture from a time of intense artistic revival and renewal in ancient Egypt. On Oct. 26, The Hidden Influence of Nubia in Ancient Egypt invites Egyptologist Kathryn Howley to uncover how a sub-Saharan kingdom left a lasting imprint on Egypt.
“Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Passions” displays a new series of paintings inspired by the art of father-and-daughter painters Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi in the Getty’s collection. Join the artist for a conversation about his artistic practice, inspiration, and storied career in A Painterly Pursuit with Reggie Burrows Hodges on Oct. 27.
“The Holy Family at Home” presents works that highlight the late medieval view of the tender human relationships at the heart of the Christian story. A talk about the exhibition highlights Getty’s recently acquired painting by Gerard David, while showcasing illuminated manuscripts and panel paintings in The Holy Family Goes Viral on Nov. 7 at the Center .
“A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby” celebrates the artist’s astonishing ability to capture the magic of light piercing the dark. Hear about his work at the conversation, Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter and Draftsman on Dec. 6 at the Center.
Additional art programs at the museums explore a variety of themes. These events include Édouard Manet, Jeanne Demarsy, and the Art of Parisian Chic on Sept. 26, Show and Tell: Yoko Ono Archive on Sept. 30, Lost, Found, and Beyond: Provenance at America’s Museums with Victoria Reed on Oct. 13, A journey through the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Nov. 1 at the Villa, Art Break: An Ancient Beauty Contest Through a New Lens on Nov. 12 online, Provenance of Antiquities at the Getty: Discovering the Histories of Objects on Dec. 2 at the Villa, Non-Consenting Collaborators with Gala Porras Kim on Dec. 12 and a public panel featuring MacArthur Fellows on Dec. 13 at the Center.
General admission to the museum is free and requires a timed-entry reservation. Visit both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa through the Pay Once, Park Twice program, in which same-day parking at both sites is available for $25. Parking is $15 after 3 p.m. and $10 after 6 p.m.
For a full list of Getty’s public programming, please visit our online calendar.
As previously announced, the Getty Center will temporarily close for renovations next year, beginning March 2027.
