article websites for students

Awesome Articles for Students: Websites and Other Resources

All of these sites are free.

In today’s digital world, we seem to be surrounded by news. Clickbait, anyone? Yet the pervasive and often intrusive nature of internet news articles belies the fact that many of these sites are behind a paywall, biased, or feature low-quality reporting.

Still, online articles are a great starting point for all kinds of learning assignments across the curriculum. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best free article websites for students. Many of these sites offer not only high-quality topical articles on every subject, but also ideas for lessons, such as questions, quizzes, and discussion prompts.

Student Article Websites

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CommonLit With thousands of high-quality, Common Core-aligned reading passages for grades 3-12, this easy-to-use literacy site is a rich source of English and Spanish texts and lessons. Search by theme, grade, Lexile score, genre, and even literary devices such as alliteration or foreshadowing. Texts are accompanied by teacher guides, paired texts activities, and assessments. Teachers can share lessons and track student progress with a free account. 

DOGOnews News articles featuring current events, science, social studies, world events, civics, environment, sports, weird/fun news, and more. Free access to all articles. Premium accounts offer extras such as simplified and audio versions, quizzes, and critical thinking challenges. 

CNN10 Replacing the popular CNN Student News, CNN 10 provides 10-minute video news stories on current events of international importance, explaining how the event fits into the broader news narrative. 

KiwiKids News Created by a New Zealand primary school educator, Kiwi Kids News features free articles about health, science, politics (including U.S. political topics), animals, and the Olympics. Kids will love the “Odd Stuff” articles, which focus on unusual news, from the world’s biggest potato to centenarian athletes. 

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PBS NewsHour Daily News Lessons Daily articles covering current events in video format. Each lesson includes a full transcript, fact list, summary, and focus questions. 

NYT Daily Lessons/Article of the Day The New York Times Daily Lessons builds a classroom lesson around a new article each day, offering thoughtful questions for writing and discussion, as well as related ideas for further study. Perfect for practicing critical thinking and literacy skills for middle and high school students, it’s a part of the larger NYT Learning Network , which provides an abundance of activities for students and resources for teachers.

The Learning Network Current event articles, student opinion essays, movie reviews, students review contests, and more. The educator resource section offers top-notch teaching and professional development resources. 

News For Kids With the motto “Real News, Told Simply,” News for Kids strives to present the latest topics in U.S. and world news, science, sports, and the arts in a way that’s accessible to most readers. Features a coronavirus update page .

ReadWorks A fully free research-based platform, Readworks provides thousands of nonfiction and fiction passages searchable by topic, activity type, grade, and Lexile level. Educator guides cover differentiation, hybrid and remote learning, and free professional development. Great resource for teachers.

Science News for Students Winner of multiple awards for journalism, Science News for Students publishes original science, technology, and health features for readers ages 9-14. Stories are accompanied by citations, recommended readings, glossaries, readability scores, and classroom extras. Be sure to check out Top 10 tips to stay safe during an epidemic . 

Teaching Kids News A terrific site that publishes readable and teachable articles on news, art, science, politics, and more for students grades 2-8. Bonus: The Fake News resource section links to online games about fake news and images. A must for any digital citizen.

Smithsonian Tween Tribune An excellent resource for articles on a wide range of topics, including animals, national/world news, sports, science, and much more. Searchable by topic, grade, and Lexile reading score. Lesson plans offer great ideas for the classroom and simple, usable frameworks for implementing these in any grade. 

Wonderopolis Have you ever wondered if llamas really spit or if animals like art? Every day, the award-winning Wonderopolis posts a new standard-based article exploring intriguing questions such as these. Students may submit their own questions and vote for their favorites. Be sure to check out “Wonders with Charlie,” featuring acclaimed writer, producer, and director Charlie Engelman.

Youngzine A unique news site for young people that focuses on climate science, solutions, and policies to address the myriad effects of global warming. Kids have an opportunity to express their views and literary creativity by submitting poetry or essays. 

Scholastic Kids Press A multinational group of young journalists ages 10-14 report the latest news and fascinating stories about the natural world. Features sections dedicated to coronavirus and civics.

National Geographic Kids A fine library of articles about animals, history, science, space, and—of course—geography. Students will enjoy the “Weird But True” short videos, featuring fun animations about oddball topics.  

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Articles for Students

Scholastic Classroom Magazines combine authentic texts with digital resources to ignite student engagement and raise achievement in every content area. 

These free articles cover some of our most popular topics, from current events to social and emotional learning. Share them with your students, share them on social media, or just check them out for yourself!

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Middle and High School

News for Students and Teacher Resources Grades 6-12

Sudanese teachers and shopkeepers join the fight against rebels in nation's civil war

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Takeaways from the Trump/Harris presidential debate

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Watch clips from the first (and possibly only) debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

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Learn how parents, experts and educators are working to make football a safer sport

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Analyze campaign issues and practice formal debate procedures and elements of logic with this lesson

Lessons are available for STEM and non-STEM subjects to help students become civic-minded problem solvers. Click here to find resources that fit your learning goals.

Classroom features daily news lessons based on PBS NewsHour , full-length video-based lesson plans and opportunities for teachers and students to be published on Classroom Voices

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7 FREE Current Events Websites for Students

Studying current events gives students the opportunity to make relevant real world connections, engage with high-interest topics, and practice foundational reading and writing skills. Although working with current events is extremely valuable, it is not always easy to find news outlets that provide accessible content for students. The websites listed below are FREE of charge, don’t require any type of sign-in, and contain a variety of kid-friendly and appropriate news sources for students to utilize when studying current events. 

DOGO News  

DOGO News offers standards-aligned current event articles written with kids in mind. Higher level vocabulary is printed in bold and hyperlinked to a definition. Lesson plan ideas are also offered for multiple grade level bands. 

Smithsonian Tween Tribune

The Smithsonian Tween Tribune provides students with high-interest news articles that can be adjusted according to Lexile level.  As a teacher, you have the option to share articles straight to your Google Classroom.

Teaching Kids News

Teaching Kids News has been publishing news articles for kids for over ten years. Each article includes links for further reading and ideas for connecting the article with ELA curriculum. In addition to the current event articles for students, there is also an entire category on the website dedicated to media literacy.

Science News for Students

Science News for Students is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing students with the most up-to-date news in the fields of science, health, and technology. Each article includes a glossary of terms and a readability score.  In addition to the news articles, the website offers additional learning opportunities including Word of the Week, Experiments, Cool Jobs, and more.

Student News Daily

Student News Daily has six main categories: Daily News Article, World Events, Media Bias, Editorial, Editorial Cartoon, and News Quiz. Each news article includes comprehension questions, background information and additional resources (videos, maps, etc.).

The New York Times, Lesson of the Day

The Learning Network from the New York Times features short lessons based on current event news articles.  The lessons are designed to help students better understand world events, think critically, and make text-to-self connections.

CNN 10 is a ten minute news show that appears as a daily video on CNN.com. Daily news from around the world is presented in short video segments. The goal of CNN10 is to deliver internationally significant stories that are digestible for a younger audience. The show strives to provide a neutral position on all topics by providing multiple viewpoints and general overviews.

Instantly make your current event assignments cross-curricular by aligning your worksheets with reading comprehension skills. Click here to read more about how you can rotate through five different standards-based formats when assigning current event reports. If you don’t want to recreate the wheel, you can add diversity to your current event assignments with these printable AND digital standards-aligned templates. Each current event worksheet focuses on a different reading comprehension skill including main idea & details, text connections, vocabulary in context, fact vs. opinion, and summarizing.

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17 Useful Article Sites for Students

January 11, 2022 //  by  Kay Bancroft

As the popularity of student-led learning grows, so does the importance of providing our learners with safe and accurate research sources. While we want to encourage school students to explore their interests, we have to remember that the internet offers a vast supply of information, some of which is unregulated.

We want to help you guide your students to accurate and trusted resources, which is why we've done the hard work for you and found 17 of the best websites for student research.

Sites For Younger Students (K-5th Grade)

1. national geographic kids .

National Geographic Kids features content that is mostly focused on animals and the natural world but also has information on social studies topics too. The site offers educational games, videos, and other activities. Students can also find out 'Weird But True' facts and tour countries around the world.

Learn more: National Geographic Kids

2. DK Find Out!

DK Find Out! is a fun site covering many topics, such as science and math, along with content that is less commonly covered such as transportation, language arts, and computer coding. The site is easy to navigate and includes videos, quizzes, and fun facts.

Learn more: DK Find Out!

Epic! is a digital library and e-reader website and app with a collection of over 40,000 children's books. Students can search for texts and also be assigned texts to read by their teacher. Free accounts are available to use during the school day.

There is also a built-in dictionary feature and a large number of 'read to me' texts, which are excellent for students who may not be able to read independently yet.

Epic! also includes an educational video library, magazines, and options to track student activity. Some texts can also be downloaded for offline use if access to an internet connection is an issue.

Learn more: Epic!

4. Ducksters

Ducksters is quite a text-heavy site, so best for use with older students who have already developed independent reading and note-taking skills. It offers a range of social studies and scientific content, but it is an especially great resource for researching the US and world history. Along with written content, the site also has a collection of games for students to play.

Learn more: Ducksters

5. BrainPOP Jr.

BrainPOP Jr has a huge archive of videos on a broad range of topics. Each video is around 5 minutes long and kids will be tickled by the two main characters, Annie and Moby. This is a great resource to use if you've taught your students how to take notes from watching videos, although the transcripts for each video can also be accessed. The website also includes quizzes and activities for students to complete after watching the videos.

Learn more: BrainPOP Jr.

6. Kids Discover

Kids Discover is a vast, award-winning library of non-fiction content for students, featuring interesting articles and videos that will have them hooked! Students will need an account but there is some free content available.

Learn more: Kids Discover

7. Wonderopolis

Head to the Wonderopolis website and explore the world of wonders! The content on this site covers a wide range of educational topics. Articles have embedded photos and videos for easy access, and the search tool will help students find the information they need.

Learn more: Wonderopolis

8. Fact Monster

Fact Monster combines reference materials, homework assistance, educational games, and fun facts for kids. From the solar system to the world economy, Fact Monster has a wide range of information that your students might find useful in their research.

Learn more: Fact Monster

9. TIME for Kids

TIME for Kids aims to nurture today's learners and tomorrow's leaders with original news articles and interviews. Help your students grow the critical-thinking skills required to become active global citizens. The site is geared towards helping students understand the news and world around them.

Learn more: TIME for Kids

Sites for Older Students (6th Grade -12th Grade)

10. brainpop.

The older sibling of BrainPOP Jr, BrainPOP is aimed at older students and features videos based on a higher level curriculum. Tim takes over from Annie to interact with Moby, and the videos cover more information at a greater depth while at a faster pace.

Learn more: BrainPOP

11. Newslea

Containing a vast range of educational content, your students are sure to find the resources they need at Newslea. Material is aligned to academic standards and also includes wellness activities. You will need to subscribe to this site in order to access its content, but certain types of funding are available.

Learn more: News ELA

12. New York Times

The New York Times has the latest, up-to-the-minute articles informing your students of current events happening around the world. Be mindful that this is a news site aimed at adults, and so you should think carefully about the age and maturity of your students before directing them to this site. The site has a vast collection of online articles that students may find useful in their research.

Learn more: New York Times

13. National Public Radio (NPR)

Again, another NPR is another site of excellent journalistic material that is geared towards an adult audience. A great place to direct students if they are looking for reputable coverage of current events.

Learn more: National Public Radio (NPR)

14. National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History website is a useful resource for exploring history and viewing artifacts. The website also provides suggestions to other Smithsonian pages that might be of use to your students' topics of research.

Learn more: National Museum of American History

15. How Stuff Works

'How Stuff Works' is an interesting collection of videos and articles which explain, well, how things work! Great for any curious student who wants to dig a little deeper into the science behind something.

Learn more: How Stuff Works

16. History

Did you know that the well-known 'History Channel' has a site where you can read articles about important historical events? Events are categorized in a variety of ways, making it easy for students to find what they are looking for.

Learn more: History

17. Google Scholar

Now, Google Scholar is not a website where students can view information. Think of it more as a tool created to help readers find the literature of a scholarly nature on the internet. From the search bar, students are able to locate peer-reviewed papers, books, theses, abstracts, and journal articles from a range of academic publishers. It is a great tool for helping your students find and explore educational resources.

Learn more: Google Scholar

Internet Safety

It's worth noting that while these sites are designed for children and teenagers, advertisements may still pop up or students may be tempted to stray to different sites. We recommend that you always check out a site yourself before recommending it to your students. It might be wise to consider teaching an online safety lesson before starting any kind of online research project with your students.

You could reach out to your technology department for help with this. There are also some great ideas for lessons on sites such as Teachers Pay Teachers.

The Library

Don't discount your school library for excellent resources and access to texts! Connect with your school librarian and provide them with a list of research topics. They are usually more than happy to dig out some age-appropriate texts and check them out for you to use in your classroom.

However, we all know that one student with a super-specific and obscure interest, and that's when the internet can be an invaluable tool! Online resources are also excellent for when students don't have access to hard copy books, such as during remote learning.

Librarians can also tell you about any sites or databases your school subscribes to and how to navigate online texts you may have access to.

Taking Notes and Plagiarism

Along with teaching students about internet safety, it's also imperative to teach them how to take notes properly and avoid copying straight from the text.

Again, there are some great lessons and videos out there on how to take notes and write research in our own words. Students will definitely need some time and practice with it, but it's a useful topic on which to have a class discussion before they get started.

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Lesson of the Day

Over 100 ‘Evergreen’ New York Times Articles With Questions and Activities for Students

Spinning water droplets that seemingly defy physics, chinese researchers have discovered a new way to make water droplets spin, creating a potential new kind of hydropower..

I bet you’ve never seen water do this: twist and turn like a dancer in flight. It happens when a droplet lands on a water-repellent surface with a special pattern. These acrobatic leaps were recorded by Chinese scientists investigating new ways to manipulate water. To understand what they did, let’s step back and see what Isaac Newton had to say about bouncing objects. According to Newton, when an object hits a solid surface, some of the energy of the impact is translated into a rebound. Think of a ball hitting concrete. If the ball travels straight down with no spin, it should bounce straight up again. And it’s the same with a water droplet on a water-repellent surface. Theoretically, the droplet should bounce straight up — no fancy stuff. But the researchers created a pattern of adhesive material on the surface that water sticks to. The water in contact with the sticky patches recoils more slowly than the water touching the repellent surface, and that makes the droplets spin. Change the pattern of the adhesive, and you change the shape of the dancing droplet. The researchers made swirls and half-moons and dotted circles, each of which caused the water to behave differently, sometimes even bouncing sideways. Scientists also showed how the energy of the droplets could be harvested. They set up a magnetically suspended surface. As the droplet landed on the surface and rebounded, it pushed down the plate and caused it to spin. It’s a new kind of hydropower. And at their peak, those droplets are spinning at a whopping 7,300 revolutions per minute. So apart from creating a water droplet ballet, scientists have also found a new way to harvest energy. And their work might help in designing self-cleaning airplane wings. For now, it’s enough to have the pleasure of watching the leaps and pirouettes of those dancing drops.

By The Learning Network

• June 18, 2019

This feature, now renamed “Lesson of the Day,” will resume on Sept. 3, 2019.

The above video is featured in this Article of the Day .

Every school day we choose an important or interesting news or feature story to become our Article of the Day , then write a quick series of questions and activities designed to help students both understand the piece and connect it to their own lives.

Each edition has suggestions for engaging students before they read, comprehension and critical thinking questions to support them as they go, and ideas for taking the topic further when they’re done.

As you might expect, many of our Articles of the Day respond to the big issues and news events of the day. This year, topics included the U.S. midterm elections, the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and the California wildfires, along with international events like protests and crises in France, Sudan and Venezuela.

But we also try hard to choose pieces as our Article of the Day that are “evergreen”: stories that are interesting in their own right, and that will be powerful, vivid and compelling in the future. From the 181 Articles of the Day we published during the 2018-19 school year, we selected 102 evergreen stories to include in the categorized list below, drawn from the Arts, Sports, U.S., World, Education, Science, Health and Technology sections. We hope some of these articles and their related learning activities can become part of your curriculum.

Have you taught with our Article of the Day feature? Let us know how, and please share any suggestions you might have for making it even more useful, by posting a comment.

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Most Reliable and Credible Sources for Students

Give your students access to trusted, reliable, and credible sources for news, current events, and research. Do you have students working on a research paper? Are they keeping up with the news to build reading and critical thinking skills? It's easy for students to go astray and get duped by untrustworthy, deceptive news sources or research studies. This list will point students in the right direction, toward sites and apps with vetted, fact-based, and fact-checked work. There are kid-friendly news sites and apps that adapt journalism to different reading levels and kids' sensibilities as well as primary and secondary research resources from leading institutions like the Smithsonian and NASA. We've also curated a few well-known sites and apps for older kids and adults like the New York Times and NPR. Of course, all news has some measure of bias, so it's important to combine reading these news sources with news literacy lessons .

Trustworthy News Sources

Nasa visualization explorer.

Updated stories help kids stay up to speed with space exploration

Bottom Line : Weekly updates and striking visuals make it easy for kids to stay informed about NASA's most recent discoveries.

NASA Global Climate Change - Vital Signs of the Planet

Tons of climate change info from expert sources in one easy place

Bottom Line : This is a one-stop shop for climate change info, from basic intro content to practical guides and raw data; good for middle schoolers and up.

The New York Times

Easy access to news, but most content is available only to subscribers

Bottom Line : Provides an easy-to-use news resource, but only section front pages are accessible without a subscription.

Trusty podcast app has quality content but lacks learning supports

Bottom Line : An enticing free option for connecting current events to content through podcasts, but student engagement hinges on how you incorporate it.

Kid- and Student-Friendly News Sources

Time for kids.

Pro news zine balances kid-friendly content with teacher supports

Bottom Line : This is an excellent, cross-curricular news source that'll keep kids current and build their thinking skills.

News-O-Matic

Daily news stories and supplements keep elementary schoolers current

Bottom Line : This highly useful current events platform can be a daily fixture of elementary school classrooms.

Weekly newspaper makes current events accessible to all

Bottom Line : This a pricey tool but it's packed with a school year's worth of content and handy accessibility features.

Great stories, just-right leveled reading; now mostly by subscription

Bottom Line : While pricey, Newsela has ascended into an all-in-one destination for leveled, non-fiction reading.

CBC Kids News

Real news stories and videos for and by kids

Bottom Line : This is a robust resource for real and accessibly-written news stories students, but don't expect interactive elements or supporting materials.

Science News for Students

Cool STEM articles with learning supports make for fun, informative reading

Bottom Line : Free, fascinating articles make science relevant to students.

PBS NewsHour Classroom

Trusted news brand's current events site offers daily discussions

Bottom Line : There's a wide variety of current, credible, and high-quality content on this site that should support interesting classroom discussions.

Digital news source builds literacy and measures progress

Bottom Line : A top-notch digital news source with interactive features; a good tool to add value as students learn critical-thinking and close-reading skills.

The Learning Network

High-powered news site offers daily resource to process current events

Bottom Line : Backed by a world-class news team, this stunning free resource can fuel daily topical discussions.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Smithsonian's history explorer.

Browse and use American history artifacts and activities

Bottom Line : This is a handy resource that, with some effort, will uncover resources for kick-starting curious learning.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Powerful stories and media centralize African-American history

Bottom Line : While there aren't ready-to-go curricular materials, this modern, well-curated, and well-contextualized digital collection is sure to inspire compelling lessons.

Library of Congress

Dig into famed library's collection of research goodies

Bottom Line : The Library of Congress delivers the best of America's past and present, and with teacher support it could be a reliable research resource for students.

Smithsonian Open Access

Stellar museum-based resources available for exploration and use

Bottom Line : This high-quality collection of museum resources -- ranging from artifacts to full-blown exhibits -- provides unlimited exploration for students, reliable primary sources for teachers.

National Archives

Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources

Bottom Line : NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.

Digital Public Library of America

Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources

Bottom Line : DPLA is at the top of the list of high-grade, online primary source collections if teachers make effective use of what's on offer.

Google Arts & Culture

Well-curated art and history site inspires curious learning

Bottom Line : A beautifully presented one-stop shop for compellingly curated and contextualized art, history, and culture resources, but it's lacking educator supports.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Extensive resource collection supports teaching about the Holocaust

Bottom Line : As a valuable resource for anyone teaching or learning about the Holocaust, time to explore and plan is necessary in order to make the materials effective.

The National WWII Museum - New Orleans

High-quality resources and activities offer an in-depth study

Bottom Line : Materials and activities support a thorough study of World War II, making this a valuable resource for both teachers and students.

Elegant treasure trove of data could fuel lessons and projects

Bottom Line : An efficient research tool that makes it easier to incorporate stats into a host of lessons or projects focusing on the U.S.

Google Scholar

Academic search engine, an excellent source for credible research info

Bottom Line : This smart tool can help teens locate credible material for paper and report writing, general research, and other school projects.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

History and art intersect on the Met's vast, reading-centric site

Bottom Line : This resource from the Metropolitan Museum of Art beautifully illustrates art's evolution and is great for research, but more interactivity would help balance out the text-heavy content.

News Aggregators

Allsides for schools.

Civics site offers building blocks for meaningful dialogue

Bottom Line : This site meaningfully promotes dialogue rather than argument, and collects a lot of resources you might normally have to curate yourself.

Google News

News site offers a useful platform for research, critical thinking

Bottom Line : With some cautious supervision and adept guidance from teachers, this is a good tool for seeking, reading, and evaluating stories from multiple sources.

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34 Websites for Students — To Research, Study, and Have Fun

Yvonne McQuarrie

Academic Advice

Discover 34 secret websites that will help you with studying and not only.

Modern problems require modern solutions.

And Internet is the solution to many student challenges. There are so many useful websites and services to help you with research, career development, and productive leisure time!

Below is a compilation of the 35 website ideas for students to improve their daily lives. Save this post in your bookmarks cause you’re gonna be using it daily.

📚 Study & Research

There are myriads of sources in this area, so I tried to pick the most unique and efficient ones. Because who wants to use Google Scholar and Wikipedia anyway?

IvyPanda — Study Hub

Probably the best source on the market. IvyPanda has it all — valuable writing tools, free study guides, articles, and personalized assistance. You can get instant help with all writing-related things — use a topic generator, word counter, grammar checker, paraphrasing tool, or text summarizer. The literature guides, study blog, and free essay database are regularly updated. The cherry on the cake is the 24/7 homework help from the best academic experts. Join us to learn more!

BioOne Digital Library

It’s a database of digital sources for all your environmental science projects. The website has a simple search system for eBooks and journals on biological, ecological, and environmental topics. BioOne is a nonprofit organization that engaged scientific societies from all over the world to create this library.

Library of Congress

This website is a fantastic tool for finding credible sources for your history projects. It’s a library with collections of primary sources. You can search them by topic, format, or specific divisions or archives. It’s the Library of Congress, so there’s no need to worry about credibility.

Omni Calculator

It’s an online calculator that can help you solve any calculation-based problem. It includes biology, math (obviously), finance, food, health, construction, and everyday life categories. You can even find some surprising topics, such as music, weather, and video games. There’s also a tip calculator and an engagement rate calculator in case you ever need them.

Wolfram|Alpha: Computational Intelligence

WolframAlfa is a place to look up answers to your science questions and solve some problems related to everyday life. How? The founders of this website created an engine that collects and refines objective data via various methods and algorithms. The answer to your question comes out in a nice interactive visual. It’s better than Google.

Cheatography.com: Cheat Sheets For Every Occasion

Looking for a place that would have neat and comprehensive cheat sheets on any topic imaginable? This is the one! This website shares one-page-long info sheets organized by subtopics. They often contain short information on the subject, charts, tables, checklists, infographics, and pictures. The best feature is that you can download them in PDF!

OneLook Dictionary

OneLook is a dictionary with a variety of cool features. You can use it as a regular dictionary or thesaurus, as well as a more complex word search engine. For example, it lets you look up all the words, starting with “blue” or ending with “bird.” There’s a help page with the search patterns for your convenience.

AcademicEarth — Online Courses

If you know Coursera, you’ll find similarities to this website. Academic Earth has a library of free courses on various subjects from the top universities. You can pick some of the best online courses by subject area or look through all the programs different universities offer (Stanford, Berkeley, & more).

RemNote — Flashcards & Notes

Remnote is a tool for those students who want to add something extra to their study sessions. This website lets you transform your notes into flashcards. Simply type in the information you want to memorize, and the tool will create a set of cards for you to use at timed intervals.

🚀 Productivity & Organization

It’s hard to choose the most productive websites for students. There are various methods and approaches: mindfulness exercises, virtual workplaces, soundscapes, time tracking, and distraction blocking. Check out some of them below!

Flocus : Focus & Ambience

This mindfulness and stress-management tool can help you get things done. It has multiple personalization options, such as themes, quotes, background sounds and music, ambient mode, etc. It sets the mood and provides the right environment for studying.

Noisli — Background Noise Generator

Noisli is a place to generate a soundscape. It lets you create mixes specifically for work, relaxation time, and even sleeping. Soothing background music helps you mask surrounding loud noise so you can finally concentrate on your tasks.

Toggl Track — Desktop Time Tracker

Toggl Track is a time-tracking software. It creates detailed reports about your activity and optimizes your time by giving valuable insights. It works offline and provides you with notifications. The design is also very user-friendly and pleasant to use.

Cold Turkey — Website Blocker

This website blocks distractions for you. It’s a harsh tool, but it lets you work more efficiently by setting custom block schedules for websites, games, apps, etc. You’ll finally be able to use your time productively. But beware — it’s almost impossible to unlock once you turn it on.

💊 Health & Wellness

Healthy student — happy and productive student! It’s been proven by various research that overall health affects your mood, productivity, and achievements. People with special needs will find useful websites and services here as well.

Go Ask Alice — Health Promotion

Whatever question about your bodily functions or general health you have, this website can satisfy your curiosity. While it’s not a place to get medical advice about health conditions, you can find answers to questions about mental and emotional health, nutrition, physical activity, general health, substance use, and sexual and reproductive health.

I Wanna Know | Sexual Health

Looking for a judgment-free space to learn about sexual relationships? IWannaKnow.org will provide sex education on the most critical topics your parents are probably too shy to talk about — relationships, anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and consent. You can also email them if you didn’t find what you wanted.

The Trevor Project — LGBTQ+ People Support

The Trevor Project is a safe space with LGBTQ+-related information. It’s not only a website with articles about sexual orientation and gender identity. You can find a local community to connect with and get counselor support via chat, phone, or text messages at any time of the day.

MyPlate | Healthy Nutrition

MyPlate has the most up-to-date nutritional information. You can access the guidelines about how to build nutrient-dense and healthy meals. Their budget-friendly recipes are beneficial for students and those who are trying to save. The MyPlate app is another great feature.

Think College — Inclusive Education

Think College is a program aiming to help students with intellectual disabilities have equal opportunities for higher education. It has a database of 338 inclusive postsecondary education programs. This project also provides resources and technical assistance for students with disabilities.

Disabilities-R-Us | Online Community

For almost thirty years, Disabilities-r-us has provided a supportive space for students with physical disabilities. Its chat room and forums allow students from all over the world to connect online. The website also includes news, legal, health, and sex ed resources.

Autismnow | Resource for People with Autism

It’s a website with information on autism spectrum disorders for people of all ages. It has articles and resources on early detection, transition out of high school, employment, policies, family support, care services, and local support communities.

📈 Career & Development

Are you starting to think about your future career while in college? Good thinking! It’s an important decision, and some services can make career-related research more fun and efficient. Here are websites for students to research careers:

Mapping Your Future — College, Financial Aid, Career, and Financial Literacy

Here, you can find lots of information about different career paths. But the perk of its service is financial guidance. Students can get educated on loans, taxes, and fees and use online calculators to learn about savings and interest rates.

VisualCV — Student CV Builder

This website offers some excellent options to help you build a CV of your dreams. It has templates, examples, and an AI-powered resume generator. If you don’t trust AI, there are some guidelines on creating your CV and expert teams to help you.

My Next Move | Career Options

MyNextMove is all about choosing a profession. If you are still not confident in any specific career, this website can help. There are easy-to-understand infographics about every profession imaginable, with info about the skills they require, predictions of future demand, and average wages.

STEM Career Coalition — Resources & Careers

This website gives you access to resources specifically related to careers in STEM. You can find guides with tips and strategies to help you find your dream job. Some interactive materials will give you a better understanding of different opportunities in STEM.

🧩 Fun & Hobbies

You gotta take breaks from studying and relax sometimes. Here’s a list of websites you can go to for leisure (some services can help you have fun and learn at the same time):

Zooniverse — People-Powered Research

It’s the biggest platform that enables people to take part in research. Some research is hardly possible, so this website helps them come true through volunteers participating from all over the world.

Word Games & Quizzes | Merriam-Webster

The world’s most famous dictionary created online games and quizzes that you can use to expand your vocabulary. Check your knowledge, learn new words, and have some fun at the same time.

Drawspace — Drawing Lessons

Take a break and check out these free drawing courses. People of any age can learn the basics through a guided course or choose individual lessons to improve their skills.

Kahoot! Quizzes & Mini-Games

This resource is full of mini-games and quizzes that let you learn something new while enjoying your time off. The best part is that you can create and share your own game!

Google Arts & Culture

This website can take you into the world of art while you’re in the comfort of your home. It offers virtual museum tours of any type of art — sculpture, painting, photography.

Managing finances is not only for adults. If you’re alive and live on planet Earth, you should keep improving your financial literacy, including budgeting, investing, savings, and retirement.

Finaid | Guide for College Financial Aid

Finaid is the perfect place to start if you have questions about college-related financial stuff. Here, you can learn about scholarships, loan consolidation, and guides on different types of financial aid. You are also welcome to use their loan calculators.

Rocket Money — Save More, Spend Less

Rocket Money is an incredibly user-friendly budgeting tool. Like other similar services, it tracks your expenses. But this one will help you negotiate your bills, automate payments, and track your credit score. It will even get rid of your unused subscriptions!

YNAB | Manage Your Money

Ynab is another fantastic budgeting service that has multiple useful features. It can help you take charge of your finances by providing saving and investment plans and strategies. The best thing is that it offers students a full year of free subscription.

Charles Schwab | Investing and Retirement Planning

Schwab is a financial company with a website and an app for tracking investments. One great feature is that student accounts don’t have a minimum balance requirement. Another bonus is a custodial account option that lets teenagers have their own accounts under parental management.

UNiDAYS — Exclusive Deals for Students

Who doesn’t like to save? Unidays is an online database of all possible student discounts and coupons in different countries. You can find fantastic deals by searching various categories, such as food, fashion, health, lifestyle, and even online subscriptions.

This list could go forever, but I had to stop at some point. Now, I would like to learn some cool resources from you! Share your favorite websites in the comments — let’s improve each other’s well-being!

Written by Yvonne McQuarrie

Dedicated writer at IvyPanda. Thrive on delving into diverse topics, from education and tips for academic success to career development and beyond.

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The Curious Economist

Economic news for students.

• [ September 11, 2024 ] Google and Apple Fined Billions for Abusing Monopoly Power Consumer and Business Behaviour
• [ September 9, 2024 ] Bill Gates on Taxes: “I should have paid more!” Basic Economic Concepts
• [ September 4, 2024 ] How Premier League Football Clubs Make a Profit: The Case of Brighton & Hove Albion Curious?
• [ September 4, 2024 ] New Zealand’s Tourism Tax Hike: A Boost or Barrier for Economic Growth? Aggregate Demand and Supply
• [ August 26, 2024 ] Iceland’s TikTok Cucumber Shortage Basic Economic Concepts

Breaking Economics News

Google and Apple Fined Billions for Abusing Monopoly Power

Bill Gates on Taxes: “I should have paid more!”

New Zealand’s Tourism Tax Hike: A Boost or Barrier for Economic Growth?

Iceland’s TikTok Cucumber Shortage

Europe on the brink: calls for immediate climate action, japan still struggling with wide gender gap, flowing forward: $5.8 billion federal boost for nationwide water systems, bridging the gender gap will cost $360 billion a year, paris triples parking charges for suvs in a push for greener streets, california’s solar setback: incentive cuts dim the shine on rooftop solar, europe’s rich nations facing child poverty crisis, germany to invest billions in african energy projects, innovating against waste: how tgtg is tackling the global food waste challenge.

For the most curious of economists...

How premier league football clubs make a profit: the case of brighton & hove albion, global wealth tax: a potential $2 trillion boost for climate action, apple faces criticism over new ad campaign, japan bids farewell to negative interest rates, ai’s thirst for power: the environmental cost of artificial intelligence, shein’s ipo adventure: navigating the waters of global finance and regulation, top hedge funds record $67 billion gains in 2023, social enterprises: a business with a heart, inflation unveiled: making cents of our changing economy, billionaire tax: the quest for fairness, micro news by topic.

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• Editor's Pick

Harvard Students Express Concern After Drop in Black Enrollment

Harvard’s Academic Worker Union to Begin Contract Negotiations with the University

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Some Harvard students said they were disappointed by the racial composition of the Class of 2028 after Harvard College reported a drop in Black enrollment on Wednesday.

The current freshmen are the first group to be admitted to the College after the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action decision last summer, a ruling that many predicted would lead to dramatic declines in Black enrollment.

In the Class of 2028, 8 percent of applicants chose not to disclose their race or ethnicity – a notable jump from 4 percent of students in the Class of 2027. This year, the data released by the College reflects the percentage of students who chose to disclose their racial or ethnic identity.

The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard, a group of Harvard students and alumni advocating for diversity in higher education, wrote in a statement that the group was “deeply distressed” by the data.

“Harvard must address why it fell short, especially compared to other colleges,” the group wrote.

Harvard, however, is not the only university to report a drop of Black students in the Class of 2028.

MIT’s data revealed sharp declines in Black and Latino enrollment. The percentage of Black students dropped from 15 percent in the Class of 2027 to 5 percent in the Class of 2028. The percentage of Hispanic and Latino students fell to 11 percent from 16 percent. The percentage of white students was 37 percent, while the percentage of Asian American students jumped from 40 percent to 47 percent.

Similarly, at Amherst College in Massachusetts, the percentage of Black students fell dramatically from 11 percent to 3 percent while the percentage of white and Asian American students increased.

The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard also called on the University to reinstate test-optional admissions policies and end preferences for legacy applicants.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association wrote in a statement Wednesday that the group “rejects the notion that affirmative action discriminates against Asian Americans.”

“We believe that equity in admissions is crucial for the removal of barriers for marginalized groups,” the group wrote.

David E. Lewis ’24-25, a student lead of the Affirmative Action Coalition at Harvard, said he was concerned that the increase in students who declined to report their race “could be somewhat inflating the numbers.”

The individual change in percentages varied by less than 5 points within racial groups, so on many metrics, the Class of 2028 looks similar to the classes before it. While many students did not notice a change in the racial makeup of the freshman class, members of racial minority groups said they noticed a shift in the student body.

“I haven’t really noticed a difference,” Caroline M. Fouts ’28 said. “I think I just see everybody around and try to just be friends with everybody and meet new people.”

Lewis said he felt that the actual presence of Black freshmen on campus had declined.

“We have GroupMe chats every year for Black freshmen and the current GroupMe chat for this particular crop of freshmen is less than half of what it usually is,” Lewis added.

Lewis urged Harvard to further its commitment to diversity. He said that Harvard’s actions prior to the Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action were still not enough to rectify the University’s history of “participating in slavery and exploiting Black labor and Black people for hundreds of years.”

The percentage of Native American students in the Class of 2028 dropped to 1 percent. Lena M. Tinker ’25, president of Native Americans at Harvard, said that though the percentage declines “seem small,” it played an “outsized impact in reversing recent progress.”

Tinker said her main concern for institutions that have historically excluded minorities is whether “students of diverse backgrounds feel comfortable applying to the school.”

“I absolutely think it has an impact on people’s decision to apply,” she said.

Many other students said they felt surprise or dissatisfaction towards the data.

Jurni A. DeLoach ’27 wrote in an email that though the racial compositions did not surprise her, she was disappointed by the figures.

“Though I concede that this is a relatively minor decrease, that does not negate the fact that this is indicative of a worrying downward trend in Black enrollment at elite universities,” DeLoach wrote.

Agustin J. Leon-Saenz ’25, the vice president of Fuerza Latina, said he was satisfied with the increased representation of Latino students, but found it “disheartening” that the increase did not translate to other minority groups.

The proportion of international students in the Class of 2028 rose from 15.2 percent last year to 16 percent.

The College reported that the proportion of students identifying as Asian American remained the same from the previous year.

Yukong Zhao, president of Asian American Coalition for Education — an anti-affirmative action non-profit, said that affirmative action was only a “bandage.”

Zhao said that he believes the drop in Black enrollment at MIT and Harvard was not caused by the Supreme Court ruling but instead reflects “failing K-12 education in too many Black and Hispanic communities.”

In a Wednesday email to Harvard affiliates announcing the admissions data, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra wrote that it could take several admissions cycles to determine the full impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on class composition.

“As the University’s leadership asserted when the Court’s decision was announced, the change in law did not change our fundamental commitments,” Hoekstra wrote.

—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah .

—Staff writer Samantha D. Wu can be reached at [email protected] .

—Staff writer Katie B. Tian can be reached at [email protected] .

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Employee donations help support scholarships for students

• Denise Crawford

11 Sep 2024

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The 2024 Employees’ Spouse and Dependent Scholarship awarded scholarships to six students for the 2024-25 academic year. Thanks to the generosity of Virginia Tech employees and donors, each student received $2,000, helping make their Virginia Tech education a little more affordable.

An annual scholarship reception is held each fall semester to recognize the awarded students, their families, and the donors. This year’s reception was held in August to provide an opportunity for the students and their families to meet each other and the scholarship committee and express their gratitude for the scholarship and donors. 

Scholarship recipient Sonja Tuel, majoring in communications, originally planned to attend a college beyond Blacksburg but fell in love with Virginia Tech after several campus visits with her dad, an employee at the university. She is grateful for the scholarship initiative as it has made her college transition more reasonable.  

Since 2000, when the scholarship was established, more than 250 incoming students have received assistance. Each year the amount and number of recipients differ, based on the available funds. This year, 17 students submitted their applications for the scholarship.

Thanks to the donations, the committee was able to increase the scholarship amount this year, said Pascha Gerni, managing director, business and administration, for the Office of the President and chair of the Employees' Spouse and Dependent Scholarship committee. “The scholarship program is celebrating its 25th year, and our goal is to raise more funding to increase the award value and impact,” she said.

Scholarship donations are funded mainly from Virginia Tech employees, but anyone is welcome to donate. Visit the Employees’ Spouse and Dependent Scholarship webpage to learn more about the program, including how to apply for assistance or to give to the fund through payroll deduction.

Laurie Crawford

540-418-5235

Stephanie Overton

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New Harry Potter series launches casting call

HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series has launched a casting call for young actors.

The casting call was opened earlier this week, and the TV network has confirmed its authenticity to Variety .

To be eligible for the roles of Harry, Ron or Hermione, children must be between the ages of nine and 11 in April 2025 and be residents of the UK or Ireland.

The casting call also says it is "committed to inclusive, diverse casting".

It continues: "For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by law unless otherwise specifically indicated."

For those who wish to apply, they must send two self-tapes, which are videos of those auditioning.

It asks that one video be "a short poem or story" (though nothing from Harry Potter) and the second "telling us a bit about yourself, including your date of birth, height and where you live".

It also asks for children to use their own accents.

There is no release date yet for the series, but the call notes that the series is expected to film in the UK during 2025-26.

Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, who worked on Succession, will serve as writer and director respectively.

It is also expected that there will be seven series of the show, each season adapting one of the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling.

In August 2000, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were picked to play Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the original films.

Grint, who was 12, applied for the role after seeing a Newsround report about the open casting.

Radcliffe has previously said that while he is "excited" to watch the new adaptation, he doesn't think he'll make a cameo.

"I think they very wisely want a clean break," he told E! News.

"And I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it. I’m very happy to just watch along with everyone else."

Potter fans boo as Hogwarts Express not announced

Harry potter books to be made into new tv series, harry potter £1 proof sells again - this time for £29k.

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Notes from the Field : E-Cigarette and Nicotine Pouch Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2024

Weekly / September 5, 2024 / 73(35);774–778

Eunice Park-Lee, PhD 1 ; Ahmed Jamal, MBBS 2 ; Hannah Cowan, MPH 1 ; Michael D. Sawdey, PhD 1 ; Maria R. Cooper, PhD 1 ; Jan Birdsey, MPH 2 ; Andrenita West, PhD 2 ; Karen A. Cullen, PhD 1 ( View author affiliations )

What is already known about this topic?

E-cigarettes remain the most used tobacco product among U.S. youths. The wide availability and growing sales of nicotine pouches has also raised concerns about potential use of these products among youths.

What is added by this report?

During 2023–2024, current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students declined from 7.7% to 5.9%. Current nicotine pouch use (1.8%) did not change significantly during this period.

What are the implications for public health?

Youth e-cigarette use has declined; however, comprehensive tobacco control strategies, regulations, and enforcement remain critical to preventing and reducing e-cigarette and nicotine pouch use among youths.

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Current e-cigarette use among U.S. youth has declined considerably since 2019*; however, approximately 2.13 million youths used e-cigarettes in 2023 ( 1 ). As sales of nicotine pouches (small, dissolvable, flavored pouches containing nicotine derived from tobacco that users place in the mouth between the lip and gum) † have continued to rise nationally since 2016, their use among U.S. youths has become concerning ( 2 , 3 ). All pouches and most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, § which is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain ( 4 , 5 ).

Investigation and Outcomes

The Food and Drug Administration and CDC analyzed nationally representative data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), a cross-sectional, school-based, self-administered web-based survey of U.S. students in middle school (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12), which was conducted among 29,861 students from 283 schools during January 22–May 22, 2024. ¶ Current (i.e., past–30-day) use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches was assessed overall, and by frequency of use, device type used for e-cigarettes, any brand and usual brand used,** and flavor types. Weighted prevalence estimates, 95% CIs, and population totals were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN software (version 11.0.4; RTI International). †† Changes in current use since 2023 were evaluated using t- tests; p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. The 2023 NYTS data collection methods and estimates have been published ( 1 ). This activity was reviewed by CDC, deemed not research, and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy. §§

In 2024, 5.9% of middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use, including 7.8% of high school students and 3.5% of middle school students ( Table ). Among students who currently used e-cigarettes, 38.4% reported frequent use, ¶¶ and 26.3% reported daily use. The device types used most often by students reporting current e-cigarette use were disposables (55.6%), followed by prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges (15.6%) and tanks or mod systems*** (7.0%); 21.8% of students currently using e-cigarettes were unsure of the device type used. Among students who currently used e-cigarettes, 36.1% used Elf Bar, followed by Breeze (19.9%), Mr. Fog (15.8%), Vuse (13.7%), and JUUL (12.6%); 87.6% used a flavored product; fruit (62.8%), candy (33.3%), and mint (25.1%) were the flavor types most frequently reported.

In 2024, 1.8% of middle and high school students reported current nicotine pouch use, including 2.4% of high school students and 1.0% of middle school students. Among students who currently used nicotine pouches, 29.3% reported frequent use, and 22.4% reported daily use. Among students reporting current nicotine pouch use, 68.7% used ZYN, followed by on! (14.2%), Rogue (13.6%), Velo (10.7%), and Juice Head ZTN (9.8%); 85.6% used a flavored product: mint (53.3%), fruit (22.4%), and menthol (19.3%) were the flavor types most frequently reported.

From 2023 to 2024, current e-cigarette use declined among middle and high school students overall (from 7.7% to 5.9%; p<0.05) and high school students (from 10.0% to 7.8%; p<0.05). No significant changes were observed for current e-cigarette use among middle school students or for current nicotine pouch use among high school students or middle and high school students overall.

Conclusions and Actions

In 2024, an estimated 1.63 million U.S. middle and high school students currently used e-cigarettes, a significant decline from 2.13 million in 2023. In contrast, from 2023 to 2024, no significant changes occurred in current nicotine pouch use among middle and high school students overall (an estimated 480,000 students in 2024), despite rising sales of nicotine pouches ( 2 ). ††† Continued surveillance of youth tobacco product use patterns and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control strategies, regulations, and enforcement §§§ are important for preventing and reducing tobacco product use by youths and associated adverse health outcomes, including a potential lifetime of nicotine addiction.

Corresponding author: Eunice Park-Lee, [email protected] .

1 Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland; 2 Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC.

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

* http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6812a1

† Unlike other smokeless tobacco products, such as snuff and snus, nicotine pouches do not contain any tobacco leaf.

§ E-cigarettes: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/e-cigarettes-vapes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends ; nicotine pouches: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/other-tobacco-products .

¶ In 2024, the student-level participation rate was 78.3%, and the school-level participation rate was 42.7%, for an overall response rate of 33.4%.

** Brand response options were: blu, Breeze, Elf Bar, Esco Bars, Fume, JUUL, HQD, Kangvape (including Onee Stick), Logic, Mr. Fog, NJOY, SMOK (including NOVO), Suorin (including Air Bar), Vuse, “some other brand(s) not listed here,” and “I don’t know the brand.” Those who selected “some other brand(s) not listed here” could provide a write-in response. Write-in responses were recoded into valid responses. Estimates for Geek Bar and Lost Mary were based on the write-in responses and might be underestimated.

†† Data were weighted to account for complex survey design and to adjust for nonresponse. The weighted proportions of students in each grade matched national population proportions for U.S. public and private schools derived from data from the National Center for Education Statistics (2021–2022 Common Core of Data and 2019–2020 Private School Universe Study) and Market Data Retrieval, Inc. Population number estimates were rounded down to the nearest 10,000 students.

§§ 45 C.F.R. part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. part 56; 42 U.S.C. Sect. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. Sect. 552a; 44 U.S.C. Sect. 3501 et seq.

¶¶ Frequent use was defined as use on ≥20 days during the previous 30 days. Daily use was defined as use on all of the previous 30 days. These estimates are not mutually exclusive.

*** An e-cigarette with a tank that the user refills with liquids or a mod system that can be customized by the user with their own combination of batteries or other parts.

††† The scope of the current report examined changes in prevalence from 2023 to 2024. Although outside the scope of this report, a small but statistically significant increase in current nicotine pouch use occurred from 2022 to 2024. The 2022 NYTS methodology report and a copy of the 2022 data file can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about-data/surveys/national-youth-tobacco-survey.html .

§§§ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/php/state-and-community-work/guides-for-states.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/guides/index.htm ; https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/fdas-comprehensive-plan-tobacco-and-nicotine-regulation

• Birdsey J, Cornelius M, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students—National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1173–82. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7244a1 PMID:37917558
• Marynak KL, Wang X, Borowiecki M, et al. Nicotine pouch unit sales in the US, 2016–2020. JAMA 2021;326:566–8. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.10366 PMID:34374729
• Robichaud MO, Seidenberg AB, Byron MJ. Tobacco companies introduce ‘tobacco-free’ nicotine pouches. Tob Control 2020;29:e145–6. PMID:31753961
• CDC. E-cigarette use among youth and young adults: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/e-cigarettes/pdfs/2016_sgr_entire_report_508.pdf
• CDC. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK179276.pdf

* Current use of e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches was determined by asking, “During the past 30 days, on how many days did you use [e-cigarettes/a nicotine pouch]?” Current use was defined as use on ≥1 day during the previous 30 days. † Estimated number of students was rounded down to the nearest 10,000 persons. Subgroup estimates might not sum to overall population estimates because of rounding or exclusion of students who currently used e-cigarettes and who did not report grade level (154), device type (61), any brand (65), usual brand (77), flavor types used (105), use of flavor including the word “ice” or “iced” (83), or use of flavors without specific flavor descriptor (97). § Frequent use was defined as use on ≥20 days during the previous 30 days. Daily use was defined as use during all of the previous 30 days. These estimates are not mutually exclusive. ¶ Device type was ascertained by response to the question, “Which of the following best describes the type of e-cigarette you have used in the past 30 days? If you have used more than one type, please think about the one you use most often.” ** Students currently using e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches were asked, “During the past 30 days, what [e-cigarette/nicotine pouch] brands did you use? (Select one or more).” Those who selected “some other brand(s) not listed here” could provide a write-in response. Write-in responses corresponding to an original response option were recoded. †† Geek Bar and Lost Mary were not included in the list of prespecified response options but were the two most common write-in responses for “some other brand(s) not listed here.” Estimates for Geek Bar and Lost Mary might be underestimated. §§ Data were statistically unreliable because of an unweighted denominator <50 or a relative SE >30%. ¶¶ If a student currently using e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches reported a single brand when asked, “During the past 30 days, what [e-cigarette/nicotine pouch] brands did you use (Select one or more),” it was reported as the usual brand. Those who selected two or more brands were asked, “During the past 30 days, what brand of [e-cigarettes/nicotine pouches] did you usually use? (Choose only one answer).” Write-in responses of “some other brand(s) not listed here” were recoded to a corresponding original response option. *** Students currently using e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches were asked, “In the past 30 days when you used [e-cigarettes/nicotine pouches], what flavors did you use? (Select one or more)?” Those who provided no valid responses were classified as using “unspecified” flavors. ††† Flavor type was ascertained by response to the question, “In the past 30 days when you used [e-cigarettes/nicotine pouches], what flavors did you use? (Select one or more).” Those who selected “some other flavor not listed here” could provide a write-in response; write-in responses corresponding to an original response option were recoded. §§§ These flavor options provided examples: “alcoholic drinks (such as wine, margarita, or other cocktails)”; “non-alcoholic drinks (such as coffee, soda, lemonade, or other beverage)”; and “spice (such as cinnamon, vanilla, or clove).” ¶¶¶ Students currently using e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches were asked, “Did any of the flavors you used in the past 30 days have names or descriptions that included the word ‘ice’ or ‘iced’ (for example, blueberry ice or strawberry ice)?” **** Students currently using e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches were asked, “Did any of the flavors that you used in the past 30 days have a name that did not describe a specific flavor, such as ‘solar,’ ‘purple,’ ‘jazz,’ ‘island bash,’ ‘fusion,’ or some other word or phrase?” †††† Estimated population number of students was rounded down to the nearest 10,000 persons. The total of subgroup estimates might not sum to overall population estimates because of rounding or exclusion of students who currently used nicotine pouches and who did not report grade level (129), any brand (nine), usual brand (12), flavor types used (24), use of flavor including the word “ice” or “iced” (20), or use of flavors without specific flavor descriptor (33).

Suggested citation for this article: Park-Lee E, Jamal A, Cowan H, et al. Notes from the Field: E-Cigarette and Nicotine Pouch Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:774–778. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7335a3 .

MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.

All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version ( https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr ) and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables.

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Kamala Harris' policy plans and platform on key issues for the 2024 election

By Melissa Quinn , Caitlin Yilek , Caroline Linton , Kaia Hubbard , Kathryn Watson , Mary Cunningham , Aimee Picchi

Updated on: September 11, 2024 / 11:52 AM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off in their  first — and possibly only — debate of the 2024 presidential campaign  on Sept. 10, giving Americans the chance to hear what they have to say about some of the most pressing issues facing the country, including the economy, immigration, abortion access, foreign affairs and more. 

Harris, a latecomer to the race who earned the nomination after President Biden announced he was dropping out , has not announced many policies during the course of her short campaign, but she has released some proposals and has her record as vice president. Here are some key points from the plans she's offered, information about her record and what she's said about some of these subjects. (A similar overview of Trump's positions can be found  here .)

Trump and Harris have competing tax plans . Both nominees' plans would have to be passed by Congress, which has the power of the purse. Here's what Harris has proposed so far:

• Harris says she'd provide bigger tax benefits for families but would offset the costs by raising corporate taxes, while Trump has said he'd extend the tax cuts enacted in 2017.
• Under Harris' tax plan, according to an analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model, 95% of Americans would see lower taxes, and higher earners would pay more taxes. The top 0.1% — whose annual average income exceeds $14 million — would pay about $167,000 more in taxes.
• Harris wants to eliminate federal taxes on tips, which Trump first proposed.
• She also says she wants to provide a financial cushion for small businesses with a tenfold increase in the startup expense deduction — lifting it from $5,000 to $50,000. New businesses wouldn't need to claim the deduction in their first year, when many take losses and would not be able to use it. Instead, they'd be able to wait until they're profitable and use the deduction at that time. Businesses would also be able to take part of the deduction in one year and save the rest for future years.

Child tax credit

• After Trump's running mate  JD Vance pitched boosting the child tax credit to $5,000, up from the current top tax break of $2,000, Harris one-upped Vance's number, suggesting a child tax credit of $6,000, although this would be for the  parents of newborns. 
• Harris also suggests a return to the pandemic-era expansion of the child tax credit, up to $3,600 for young children. She hasn't released income eligibility thresholds, but it's likely that it would phase out for those at higher income levels.
• Earlier this year, Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have increased the child tax credit.

Housing shortage

Harris says she'd address the nation's housing shortage with several initiatives. She promises to build 3 million affordable new homes and rentals by the end of her first term, offering tax breaks to builders who construct homes for first-time home buyers. She's also proposing a $40 billion fund to help local governments find solutions to the low housing stock. 

And she wants to provide Americans who have paid their rent on time for two years with up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more support for first-generation homeowners. 

• Inflation has cooled nearly to pre-pandemic levels — it's now at 2.9% — but prices have risen nearly 21% since the beginning of the pandemic. A recent survey found two-thirds of middle-income families said they're falling behind their cost of living 
• Harris is trying to address the effects of inflation on lower- and middle-class Americans, an approach used by the Biden administration. She blames price gouging by food suppliers and grocery chains for high prices at the store and pledges to take on corporations with the first federal law against price gouging. Economists have expressed doubts about the efficacy of such a law because they say that the reasons for food inflation are complex. 
• She also wants to lower prescription drug costs, which has been a focus for the Biden administration. Last month, the White House announced Medicare reached agreements with drug manufacturers for lower prices for 10 drugs that treat a range of ailments, from heart failure and blood clots to diabetes, resulting in savings for patients of 38% to 79%, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It was Harris who cast the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which granted Medicare the drug negotiating authority. 

Immigration  

• Harris has not yet issued an immigration policy platform. At campaign events, Harris has mostly brought up the bipartisan border security deal that collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Trump urged GOP lawmakers to reject it. Harris has promised to revive the bill and accused Trump of scuttling it for political reasons.
• The legislation would have enacted permanent restrictions on asylum, given the president the power to quickly deport migrants when border crossings soar and boosted the ranks of border agents, deportation officers, immigration judges and asylum adjudicators. It would also have expanded legal immigration, allocating 50,000 new immigrant visas annually for five years.
• While the bipartisan border deal did not include a legalization program for undocumented immigrants — a longtime Democratic priority in immigration negotiations — Harris has expressed support for an "earned" path to citizenship for this population on the campaign trail.
• Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris' campaign manager, signaled to CBS News that Harris would likely continue a June order by Mr. Biden that has severely curtailed access to the U.S. asylum system. It's a move officials credit for a four-year-low in illegal border crossings.
• Harris' campaign has tried to distance her from the more liberal immigration positions she espoused when she was a presidential candidate in 2020. Those prior positions included an openness to decriminalizing the act of crossing the border without authorization and overhauling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Harris and Trump have opposing views on abortion access, an issue that could be a crucial motivator for voters in November.

• Both Trump and Harris have highlighted the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, and the role that the three justices appointed by Trump played in that landmark decision, albeit for different reasons: Trump has touted his nomination of three of the five justices who voted to overturn Roe, while Harris has criticized her opponent for specifically selecting justices who would dismantle the constitutional right to abortion. Since the high court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, nearly one-third of states have near-total bans on the procedure in place, while access to abortion is severely restricted in a handful of others.
• Harris has made abortion rights a focal point of her campaign and lambasted "Trump abortion bans" on the trail.
• In her speech at the Democratic National Convention accepting the party's presidential nominee, the vice president pledged to sign into law legislation that restores the federal right to abortion — if such a bill is passed by Congress.

Access to in vitro fertilization services became a campaign issue after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos created during the IVF process could be considered children. The decision threatened the availability of IVF services in Alabama and thrust access to fertility treatments into the national conversation, including among the presidential candidates.

• Harris has repeatedly said she supports the right of women to make their own decisions about their bodies and family-planning, and told the crowd at the DNC that since Roe's reversal, she has heard stories of couples who have had their IVF treatments cut off.
• The vice president said in a video shared to social media that Trump "is literally the architect of this entire crisis," and said the Alabama ruling is a "direct result" of the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe.

Climate  

Harris has not outlined her climate policy yet, but she is expected to continue to pursue the goals of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which funded energy and climate projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. 

• As vice president, Harris advocates moving the country toward a "clean energy economy" while not completely backing away from oil and gas, which is a major industry in battleground states like Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is one of the top natural gas producers in the country. 
• In an interview with CNN, Harris said that as president, she wouldn't ban fracking — a technique for extracting natural gas from shale — a departure from a statement she made in 2019 that she'd support a fracking ban. Citing the creation of 300,000 clean energy jobs during the Biden administration, she told CNN that her experience as vice president shows "we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking." 
• A Harris campaign spokesperson said 300,000 clean energy jobs were created under the Biden-Harris administration in both 2021 and 2022 .
• The Democratic Party platform says it will increase protections against drilling and mining in the Arctic, although U.S. oil production has hit record highs during Mr. Biden's presidency. Mr. Biden approved almost 50% more gas and oil leases during his time in office than Trump did during his first three years in office.
• Trump has vowed to undo what he calls Biden's "electric vehicle mandate" on Day One in office. A spokesperson for Harris' campaign told Axios Harris doesn't support an electric vehicle mandate. The Biden administration has not issued a mandate, but it has introduced incentives to encourage Americans to buy EVs and set a target that half of all new vehicle sales be zero emissions by 2030.
• President Biden in 2022  signed  the most significant update to gun safety law in almost three decades in the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and New York. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act augmented background checks for gun buyers under 21, provided billions for mental health services and closed the so-called "boyfriend loophole" to prevent convicted domestic abusers from purchasing a firearm for five years. It also clarified the definition of gun dealers — 26 GOP-led states are suing to block this provision. The measure also creates penalties for straw purchases and gun trafficking. In 2023, Mr. Biden announced the creation of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, to be overseen by Harris. 
• Before she became the nominee,  Harris visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School  in Parkland, Florida, the site of the 2018 mass shooting that left 17 dead, where she called on states to pass "red flag" laws, which allow courts to seize guns from those deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. Twenty-one states have enacted red flag laws, but many  do not enforce them . She also announced federal funding and resources aimed at providing training and technical assistance to help states with their red flag programs. In 2024, the Justice Department announced the creation of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, dedicated to training and technical assistance to support states and localities in implementing their red flag programs. 
• At her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Harris only made passing reference to gun violence. "In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake," she said. "The freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities and places of worship."

Education 

• As a senator, Harris backed a bill that would have provided tuition-free college for most families. 
• The Democratic Party's platform also calls for free college tuition for all. This is not an idea Harris has been discussing on the campaign trail. 

Israel and Gaza  

Both Harris and Trump have, at times, been critical of Israel's handling of its war against Hamas in Gaza. But neither has threatened to pull support for the ally. 

• Harris has called the bloodshed in Gaza "devastating," but vowed there would be no change in policy toward Israel. 
• She has pushed for a cease-fire deal that would release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. 
• She backs a two-state solution. 

Ukraine and Russia

• Harris pledged in her DNC address that she "will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies."
• Harris accused Russia of committing "crimes against humanity" in Ukraine a year after the war began.
• The Biden administration has spearheaded a number of aid packages for Ukraine, including weapons, and worked with allies to sanction Russia for its invasion. Still, the administration's response — especially early on in the war — has been criticized as slow-moving, and more recently, Republican opposition in Congress further slowed aid to Ukraine. 

China 

Harris has offered few details about how her China policy would differ from Mr. Biden's. In her Democratic National Convention speech, Harris said "America — not China — wins the competition for the 21st century." 

• She told "Face the Nation" in September 2023 that the U.S.-China economic relationship is "not about decoupling, it is about de-risking." 
• Harris briefly met Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2022 in Bangkok amid friction between the two countries. The vice president said she stressed the need to "maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between our countries." 
• She has condemned China's aggression in the South China Sea, accusing it of "undermining key elements of the international rules-based order" and coercing and intimidating its neighbors. 
• Harris has also reaffirmed U.S. support for Taiwan. 
• In the Senate, Harris cosponsored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act. Trump signed both into law. 

Iran nuclear deal 

It's unclear whether Harris would seek to renegotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran if she wins the election. During the 2020 campaign, Harris, who was running in a crowded Democratic presidential primary, told the Council on Foreign Relations that she would seek to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement, "so long as Iran also returned to verifiable compliance."

• Kamala Harris

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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Rochester could get new 14-story building that includes student housing downtown

The proposed 175,000-square foot building could provide more than 200 housing units for area college students.

By Trey Mewes

ROCHESTER — A local developer has plans to build a 14-story, 175,000-square-foot downtown building in Rochester that could house hundreds of college students in the area.

Titan Development could construct the building on the former Michaels restaurant site at Broadway Avenue and Center Street, as well as connect it to the city’s skyway system. According to city officials, the building would house retail space on the first and second floors, office space and student support on the next three floors, and then more than 200 units of student housing for the rest of the building.

The building would address ongoing housing needs for the University of Minnesota Rochester, which is still planning to expand its campus downtown, but city officials say developers haven’t yet contracted with any local colleges or universities.

“There are multiple institutions of higher learning in Rochester, and the developer has determined there is demand for that style of development,” said Josh Johnsen, the city’s strategic initiatives director, during a City Council meeting Monday.

Representatives with Titan on Tuesday declined to comment on the project or its timeline.

Council members voted 5-2 to enter into a two-year agreement with the developers that could result in tax breaks and leased parking space from nearby city ramps, though nothing has yet been set. It could also include assistance to connect the building via skyway to the nearby Hilton hotel and the Galleria at University Square.

This isn’t the first Titan Development project related to higher education. Titan was involved in turning the former DoubleTree Hotel into more than 400 student housing units for the U’s Rochester campus in 2022, It also leases the university space in the Galleria.

Council members largely welcomed the project, though Patrick Keane had reservations over the city’s role in the project, and Molly Dennis sought more city input to address community needs. Council President Brooke Carlson noted that Rochester Community and Technical College and Winona State University also faced increasing housing issues for its students, while Mark Bransford argued the project could be a catalyst for more downtown development.

At least one business owner in the community is critical of the project. Antique store owner John Kruesel argued that the project, if geared toward the U, isn’t necessary because the university owns several blocks of land near Soldiers Field Memorial Park by the former YMCA.

Kruesel said the land looks like it “has been abandoned … by 10 former taxpaying businesses,” which should be redeveloped for student housing needs instead of a prime downtown location.

“Let it go where it was supposed to go,” he said.

U officials had planned to build housing and classroom space in that area before the pandemic hit in 2020. A previous agreement with the YMCA fell apart once the Y closed at the beginning of 2022, forcing the university to alter its campus plans.

about the writer

Trey Mewes is a reporter based in Rochester for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the Rochester Now newsletter.

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