Arlington elementary school faces closure amid poor academics, declining enrollment

by Chris Moss, Arlington Report
January 8, 2026

An Arlington elementary school may close due to dropping enrollment, low academic performance and its deteriorating building.

Trustees are considering shuttering Blanton Elementary at the end of this school year. They have until the end of January to notify the Texas Education Agency if they decide to do so.

“Ultimately, right now, with the condition of the facility, the declining enrollment and academic performance, we don’t believe we’re creating exceptional experiences for students at Blanton,” Superintendent Matt Smith told trustees Jan. 8.

A majority of school board members indicated during Thursday’s meeting that they want to explore the possibility further over the coming weeks.

Multiple families expressed concerns during the meeting, ranging from challenges with transportation to class sizes to the reasons given for the possible closure.

Parent Adrienne Cannon said she worried about the effects a closure could have on the community near the school, specifically those who walk to the campus each day.

“We just want to know what are the steps and what’s being decided, if parents can have input into whatever is being decided going forward,” Cannon told trustees over Zoom.

Since 2015, the 69-year-old central Arlington school has seen a decline in enrollment.

Blanton has 458 students enrolled, a drop of about 270 students over the past decade, officials said. The school is at about 55% capacity.

The declining enrollment is projected to continue over the next 10 years as well, according to a November demographer’s report.

Board member Larry Mike wants administrators to keep Blanton’s large Hispanic population in mind as well as those students who are at risk of dropping out of school as the process moves forward.

“Will we ensure that the closure won’t disproportionately harm these groups?” Mike said.

Last school year, 89% of Blanton students were Hispanic, while 86% were labeled as at-risk of dropping out, according to TEA data.

Trustee David Wilbanks said moving at-risk students to a more populated school could allow for more resources to be grouped at a campus, leaving a possible silver lining in the move.

Smith noted smaller campuses struggle to access resources that students need.

“This is one of the things that has been on our mind with campuses with declining enrollment,” Smith told Wilbanks.

Blanton has received an F rating on Texas academic accountability standards for three years. A public campus failing five consecutive years triggers a state-intervention law, such as the takeover that’s underway in Fort Worth and Lake Worth schools.

Board president Justin Chapa told parents in the audience that closing the campus instead of waiting for a state takeover would allow them to have more of a say on plans for the future of Blanton and its students.

“If we are going to close campuses in our district, in the community I care about, I would rather it be us who know each other and not people we do not,” Chapa said.

Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Collins said the campus’s academic performance, which is largely based on how well students perform on STAAR tests, compared to others across the state with similar demographics has declined since 2013.

Meanwhile, a third-party assessment of the building’s condition found that the majority of Blanton is in “significant need of repair in order to uphold our values and meet our expectations,” according to a district report.

Blanton received a new playground, as well as improvements to its heating and air conditioning systems and interior under the 2019 bond program.

Steven Seaton-Blanchard, who has two children at the school, suggested to trustees that funds used to pay for the new playground could have been used more effectively to improve student learning.

He worries shuffling students as schools close down will be a slippery slope and lead to overcrowding in classrooms, he said.

Collins said Arlington ISD’s human resources department will ensure campuses receiving students have enough teachers should closures occur.

Employees at Blanton were notified Monday that they have a place in Arlington ISD next year if the plan goes forward, she added.

Chief Operations Officer Michael Hill said administrators would follow the district’s policy that outlines when students receive transportation to and from campuses based on how far they live. That could be adjusted as needed, he noted.

Smith said the district is evaluating other schools that students could be rezoned as well and will provide options to parents next week.

Should Arlington ISD trustees close Blanton, the district would repurpose a 2013 addition to the main building, officials said. No details on what that would entail were discussed.

District officials meet with Blanton families at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 to discuss next steps and provide information about which schools students may be assigned to, Smith said in a statement on the elementary’s Facebook page.

District officials created a website for parents to find more information.

Chapa said district leaders may hold a meeting on the topic Jan. 20.

Smith said if the trustees decide to close Blanton, the months leading up to the end of the school year will be spent ensuring students have what they need for the transition.

“I feel very confident in our team that we can ensure every student has their need met at every school,” Smith told the audience.

Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.

At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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A new neighborhood shows off the advantages of life without cars » Yale Climate Connections

Transcript:

To get around the Phoenix, Arizona area, people often need to drive on highways and wide roads that cut through sprawling developments.

But now, the real estate company Culdesac is building a new kind of neighborhood in the suburb of Tempe that is designed specifically for car-free living.

Culdesac Tempe has apartments, shops, and restaurants all connected by sidewalks and plazas where people can walk and bike.

There are no parking spots for residents, but they do get an unlimited pass on Tempe’s light rail, which has a station nearby. And residents can rent cars for longer trips.

Ryan Johnson, the company’s cofounder and CEO, says the development is about half finished. But already, over 300 people have moved in.

Johnson: “And it’s the kind of neighborhood that millions of Americans want to live in.”

He says living in walkable areas helps people connect with one another.

Johnson: “We have one resident with a family that says they’ve met more people living in six months in Culdesac than 15 years living in the suburbs.”

And the neighborhood helps residents cut their planet-warming carbon pollution because they no longer need to drive.

So Johnson hopes other cities will follow Culdesac Tempe’s lead – and build more walkable, car-free neighborhoods of their own.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media

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Red Light Therapy for Hair Growth: Does It Work?

Hair loss is common and happens for various reasons, including genetics, hormonal changes, underlying medical conditions, stress, medications, and more.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294208405f-6f0c-4e7d-b36a-17f86467edfb It affects men and women almost equally.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d2c0224a-eabd-4751-b56b-350624be0279 There are many treatments out there, including red light therapy (RLT) .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291ead843a-3062-454b-aa82-e98d5a86d918 RLT is one non-invasive option that has become increasingly popular as a dermatological treatment, driven, in part, by social media excitement on TikTok.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a3555bc2-59f4-4c48-a4fe-f0a173fc93ed But is it safe and effective? Read on to learn about how red light therapy works for hair loss, its side effects and risks, where you can get it, and more.
What Is Red Light Therapy? What It Is Red light therapy (RLT) is a type of treatment that uses red light to address a variety of conditions, including hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295a23e08f-9591-4e75-906a-77016c62bae8 It fits into the category of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) . If you were to look at a red light device, you’d see a series of red bulbs. Proponents say the light from these bulbs is what may promote beneficial changes in the body. RLT can be provided in a dermatologist’s office or you can purchase a device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use at home. If you go the at-home route, it’s best to speak to your dermatologist before using one.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work for Hair Loss? What the Science Says How It Works There are a variety of different types of hair loss. Red light therapy is used for androgenic alopecia or male or female pattern baldness, a common form of hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294cd12cf9-0120-4936-8288-3d965e573f39 When it comes to red light therapy, it’s important to know that light is more than “just” light. “Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of low-level light to stimulate cellular activity in the scalp,” says Mona Mislankar, MD , a board-certified dermatologist and the owner of Cincinnati Skin Center in Cincinnati. RLT may do this by increasing blood flow and oxygen to hair follicles, a process that, in theory, promotes growth factors that support follicle regeneration, Dr. Mislankar says.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a8bebedb-23fe-48f1-b32c-535afd00bbee The therapy may do this by prolonging the growth phase of the hair cycle, as well as reducing inflammation that may contribute to thinning, she explains. That said, this is not believed to be a permanent fix, and you need ongoing treatment to maintain results.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a8bebedb-23fe-48f1-b32c-535afd00bbee Some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have found red light therapy to be more effective than placebo treatments, says the board-certified dermatologist and hair loss expert Ronda Farah, MD , an associate professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Minnesota and the founder of Alluma Dermatology in Medina, Minnesota. “These trials showed an increase in hair counts in the LLLT group compared to sham (fake) devices. From my perspective, we have good evidence that these can be effective,” she says. The American Academy of Dermatology points out that RLT has been shown to improve hair thickness and length, and may be just as effective as minoxidil (Rogaine) in treating hair loss for those with pattern hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297ce8ccd3-4a9d-4150-af50-da60be5fa243 One systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials reflects these results. In the review, researchers analyzed the effects of LLLT on pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia) and found that these devices could improve hair density for men and women with this type of hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762941f7689d-776b-47bc-b5f9-8664edfe76b7 Researchers point out several limitations, including smaller sample sizes, short-term trials, and different LLLT protocols, which can affect the results. Another issue with the research is that some of these trials were industry-funded, which could be a source of bias.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297f4f9daa-8d1c-4baf-85a8-bf12c7121501 “More research that is non-industry based is always ideal,” Mislankar says. Research involving larger sample sizes would help solidify the conclusions, she says.
Side Effects and Risks of Red Light Therapy Risks Red light therapy doesn’t use the same type of light as tanning beds, and for most people, it is a safe treatment.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762905c39818-a3b5-4383-9016-38b550c56ed2 That said, these devices may cause eye damage if you don’t wear eye protection. In Mislankar’s experience, other side effects tend to be mild and temporary, and aren’t common. The following may occur:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293cd72eaf-fe72-49d7-812b-1223cd809814 Dry skin Scalp tenderness Mild headaches (rare) Scalp irritation, redness, or itching Warm sensation during treatment RLT may be especially suitable for people who aren’t good candidates for other hair loss treatments , such as medication like oral finasteride, which can cause side effects like erectile dysfunction , decreased libido , and increased body hair growth.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293cd72eaf-fe72-49d7-812b-1223cd809814 If you experience persistent scalp redness or the side effects above are interfering with your quality of life, it’s best to stop RLT and talk to your dermatologist, Dr. Farah says.
Who Should Not Try Red Light Therapy Who Should Try It Red light therapy is generally safe, Mislankar says.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ad103a06-8f7f-45f8-acd4-89133f22f816 “I do think the studies show us that LLLT [may be] helpful and, more importantly, [could be] overall a safe option,” she says. With that in mind, she advises patients with the following conditions to avoid red light therapy : Active scalp infection Scalp disease Scalp wounds Skin cancers, such as melanomae60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292c07cbcb-8d6b-46f8-a05a-0243775c6881
Where to Get Red Light Therapy for Hair Loss Where to Get It First, visit a dermatologist to evaluate if red light therapy may be a viable hair loss treatment for you, Farah says. Although we might think of derms as skin doctors, they are also experts in hair and scalp health and disease, she says. (You can use the American Academy of Dermatology’s Find a Dermatologist tool to find a board-certified dermatologist in your area.) If you are a good candidate, you can get red light therapy in a dermatology office, clinical medical spa, or use an at-home FDA-cleared RLT product, Farah says. When purchasing a red light therapy device (such as a helmet or cap), look for a product cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Farah recommends. The term FDA-cleared indicates a low level of risk of using these devices, but it doesn’t guarantee effectiveness.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295b253c79-6810-47fd-b4f8-024e6d90124d These devices can cost several hundred dollars, so compare prices across brands and the cost of in-office procedures. In addition, if you are using an at-home device, be sure to follow the directions for use and use protective eyewear to safeguard your eyes from the light, Farah says. Doing so will help reduce the risk of side effects. Generally, the procedure isn’t covered by insurance, as it is considered cosmetic.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629908b18fb-fd48-43d6-aa9e-71e611bb91b5
Other Ways to Manage Hair Loss Alternatives Hair shedding, specifically telogen effluvium (TE), is different from hair loss, and it doesn’t necessarily require treatment. TE occurs when more of the hair shifts into the resting — or shedding — phase, and it can be triggered by stress , childbirth, or extreme weight loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b9dac418-d392-4705-a40e-345d58936728 If this is the case for you, Mislankar advises giving it time and having patience, as shedding will stop and hair growth will return to normal. “In the meantime, supporting healthy hair practices and prioritizing a healthy diet with protein is helpful,” she says.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bc3f4c9c-4e5b-42ed-9c65-9f6eb17a64c5 In addition to a balanced diet, healthy hair practices also include proper scalp hygiene, such as washing hair regularly, which can support a healthy environment for hair to grow.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762984219aa6-a29d-4112-95cf-39f4bd0b2e42 For androgenetic alopecia , topical medications like minoxidil (Rogaine), oral prescription medication like minoxidil, finasteride (Propecia), or spironolactone, or supplements to correct a nutrient deficiency may be helpful.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f35e7c03-858c-4690-b1dd-7e964efe2763 Microneedling, an in-office procedure in which a dermatologist rolls a device with thin needles over your scalp, may be an option, as well.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629aa804931-3158-4a23-9fa1-98161472df3f Another option is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which involve a doctor injecting your own blood cells into your scalp.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762927750639-e2fa-42fb-b168-10550522e6b7 Your dermatologist may also recommend adding red light therapy to minoxidil to treat hair loss in earlier stages, or if you partially respond to minoxidil alone, Mislankar says.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629eabd8969-a075-44eb-a557-f2e93c61df34
The Takeaway Red light therapy is a type of low-level laser therapy that is one treatment for androgenic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness). RLT works by increasing blood flow and oxygen to hair follicles, stimulating their growth phase, and reducing inflammation. Side effects — which are usually mild and short-term — may include scalp irritation and itching. If you experience hair loss, visit a dermatologist to determine the cause and discuss treatment options.

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Anthropic adds Allianz to growing list of enterprise wins | TechCrunch

AI research lab Anthropic continues to land sizable enterprise deals. Its latest entails bringing its large language models to a legacy German insurance giant.

Anthropic on Friday announced a deal with Munich, Germany-based global insurance conglomerate Allianz to bring “responsible AI” to the insurance industry. The parties declined to share financial terms of the deal.

The partnership is made up of three specific initiatives.

The first is making Claude Code, Anthropic’s AI-powered coding tool, available to all of Allianz’s employees. Anthropic and Allianz will also build custom AI agents for Allianz employees that can execute multi-step workflows with a human in the loop.

This partnership also includes an AI system that logs all AI interactions to keep the AI transparent and ensure that information is readily available for regulatory or other needs.

“With this partnership, Allianz is taking a decisive step to address critical AI challenges in insurance,” Oliver Bäte, CEO of Allianz SE, said in the company’s press release. “Anthropic’s focus on safety and transparency complements our strong dedication to customer excellence and stakeholder trust. Together, we are building solutions that prioritize what matters most to our customers while setting new standards for innovation and resilience.”

This is just the latest enterprise deal Anthropic has landed in recent months.

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In December, the company inked a $200 million deal to bring its AI models to data cloud company Snowflake and its customers. Shortly after, it announced a multi-year partnership with the consulting firm Accenture.

In October, it signed a deal with consulting firm Deloitte to bring its Claude chatbot to the firm’s 500,000 employees. That same month, Anthropic signed a deal with IBM to bring its AI models into the latter’s products.

The race for AI enterprise dominance is clearly on, and Anthropic appears to be winning — so far at least.

Anthropic holds 40% of enterprise AI market share, according to a December survey from Anthropic investor Menlo Ventures, and 54% of the market share for AI coding. Anthropic market share increased throughout last year. When Menlo’s original survey came out in July, the company held a 32% market share for overall enterprise LLM use.

Google launched its dedicated enterprise AI product, Gemini Enterprise, in October. At the time, the company touted that the product suite already had customers including fintech Klarna, design software company Figma and cruise line operator Virgin Voyages, among others.

OpenAI launched its enterprise version of ChatGPT, ChatGPT Enterprise, in 2023. Recently, the company reportedly expressed deep concern in an internal memo that Google Gemini’s success was starting to encroach on its business. Shortly after, the company released a report that said enterprise use of ChatGPT had surged 8x in the past year.

A recent TechCrunch investor survey found that enterprise-focused VCs overwhelmingly think that 2026 will be the year that enterprises start to see a meaningful return on their investment into AI products.

While Anthropic seems to be a clear favorite at the moment, this year will likely be telling of what the enterprise AI market — and its competitive landscape — will look like in the future.

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Fronteras: ‘American Sons’ follows the impact of war on a brotherhood of Marines

The war in Afghanistan claimed the lives of over 2,400 U.S. military personnel between 2001 and 2021.

The impact of the war continues to be felt today by veterans who came home. Over 140,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001.

The new documentary American Sons explores the impact of the scars the war left behind in one group of Marines deployed to Afghanistan. It follows the deployment of 22-year-old San Antonio native, Cpl. Jorge “JV” Villarreal.

Villarreal took hours of personal footage to send to his family back home, sharing everything from his living quarters to the terrain where he and his brothers in arms walked.

Filmmakers Laura Varela and Andrew James Gonzales sifted through that footage to help tell Villarreal’s story and the physical and psychological effects of war.

Gonzales said the documentary highlights experiences of service members that often go unseen.

“We were exposed to the different themes that are going on with service members today: PTSD, TBI (traumatic brain injury), and different issues when returning to combat,” Gonzales said. “It was really just understanding JV (and) building a story around the footage that he gave us.”

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Andrew James Gonazles and Laura Varela are the fimmakers behind the documentary, American Sons.

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TPR’s Norma Martinez interviews American Sons filmakers Laura Varela (left) and Andrew James Gonzales (right) at TPR headquarters.

Marian Navarro / TPR

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From left to right: Filmmaker Laura Varela, TPR’s Norma Martinez, filmmaker Andrew James Gonzales.

Marian Navarro / TPR

Varela said she hoped the documentary sparks conversation regarding the treatment of servicemembers.

“Once we see that (veterans) are just like us, then we can empathize more and we can also hold our leaders accountable to where we send them and the care that they get when they get out of the military,” said Varela.

American Sons will be screened nationally on PBS Jan. 12. It will also be available for streaming on the PBS website and app.

Click here to view the film following the screening.

Watch a trailer below:

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First Look: Pusha T Models Louis Vuitton SS26 Campaign

WWD

What better way to start off the year than with high prospects of winning big at the GRAMMYs for “Best Rap Album” — maybe even “Album of the Year’?! — while also spearheading the new Spring/Summer 2026 campaign by high-end fashion house Louis Vuitton?

Ladies and gentleman, only Pusha T.

The other half of Clipse, with much respect to brother Malice, Pusha T has really been sustaining a rap legacy for himself that’s consistent both in lyricism and style alike. OG rap fans will fondly recall seeing the Virginia native a full 20 years ago — true to this, not new to this! — front and center alongside Pharrell Williams, BAPE founder NIGO and hip-hop king JAY-Z in the Louis Vuitton store in SoHo posing for pictures while celebrating Skateboard P’s 2005 LV sunglasses collaboration at the time. Two decades later, Rell is the Creative Director for menswear at the label and directing his longtime homie Push in a campaign that has the My Name Is My Name emcee looking cleaner than a whistle. Cream tones, premium materials as per usual for the LV aesthetic, pop art-friendly designs across the travel accessories and a lookbook backdrop that calls for a sophisticated getaway all come to mind with this season’s delivery.

Luxury train travel optional, but highly preferred.

Titled “Art of Travel,” the collection matches the illustrious imagery captured by photographer Drew Vickers with tones and textures you’d expect to come across in a expedition between Paris and Mumbai — think sand, leather, deluxe dark chocolates, nature, sunrises to sunsets, gold, steel and most importantly comfort. Highlights across the set include the Keepall 50 and Horizon 55 on the bag side, pretty much everything emblazoned with The Darjeeling Limited prints, all monogram offerings and an impressive line of footwear from loafers to sneakers alike.

Watch the Pharrell-directed campaign video for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026, available now in-store and online, featuring the aforementioned wordsmith Pusha T and rising Hollywood frontman Jeremy Allen White of The Bear fame:

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Verizon chief talent officer says Gen Z grads shouldn’t snub retail or hospitality jobs in the current economy | Fortune

Young millennials and Gen Z grads are having a hard time breaking into the world of work. Millions are unemployed as AI steals entry-level roles—and experts don’t see the dire situation improving, instead warning that the traditional college-to-office path is forever broken. Verizon’s chief talent officer, Christina Schelling, says now is the time to embrace non-degree retail and hospitality jobs.

“There’s a path that you have in your head that you’ve built up for however long, and anything different from that maybe doesn’t feel good enough,” Schelling told Fortune.

“But my advice would be to recognize that within yourself, put it aside and just start somewhere.”

Schelling would know: The Verizon chief has an impressive resume, having previously led people teams at Estee Lauder, Prudential, and American Express. But before breaking into the corporate world, she worked part-time with children with special needs.

“Even I’ve had experiences with jobs I never knew I would be in,” Schelling added, but ultimately each job she did added up and led her to where she is today; In charge of the hiring and career growth for over 100,000 staff at the Fortune 500 (#31) firm.

“Although I may or may not have stayed that long in that space, it’s all a build.”

Retail, hospitality and manufacturing jobs could be a launch pad to corporate management, the Verizon chief says

Young grads are already questioning whether their expensive college degree was “pointless.” They’re likely to feel even more grieved that experts are now advising them to turn their backs on the subjects of the studies, after shelling out thousands in student loans and wasting years in a classroom, when they could have nabbed a retail job straight out of school.

But Schelling rejects the idea that working in a shop is settling. When we spoke, she had just come back from touring Verizon’s stores—and what she saw there undercuts the stereotype of retail as a dead end.

“There were amazing retail professionals whose aspiration is to be a retail professional. There were also people that I met who went to school for more corporate jobs,” she said, adding that the majority had data science degrees or technology degrees. Some told her they didn’t like the culture in their post-grad office jobs. Others said they’re able to get promoted faster in retail.

“Whether they have a long-term career in retail or not, their initial thought in starting their career was not retail, yet where they landed is exactly where they should be,” Schelling insisted. “They were happy, learning and growing and really building a resume that could go in lots of different directions.”

After all, she says, it’s up to you where you then take the skills you learned on the shop floor. Just because that’s where you start your career, it’s not where it needs to end.

“The transferable skills that come from a hospitality job or a retail job or a manufacturing job are so transferable when it comes to working in teams, when it comes to conflict resolution, relationship management, understanding and assessing the customer needs, understanding customer experience, you get management practice,” Schelling said. “So there’s just so much of that that is important for any job that you are building, even if it doesn’t feel like the path that you thought you would start building on.”

“And hiring managers, by the way, love that build.” As a hiring manager herself, she insisted that instead of being looking down on, retail and hospitality jobs are a big “plus” in her eyes.

“Even when I think about general managers, or our most senior executives, from a development perspective, I love nothing more than for them to be rounded out by going into those places or having a resume that reflects some of that,” Schelling added. “I actually think that helps differentiate you and stand out. And I don’t know if people know that when they’re just starting in the in the workforce—I certainly didn’t know that.

Schelling’s not wrong. The CEO of the world’s biggest recruiter says Gen Z grads need to consider hospitality jobs too

Plus, any experience right now, is better than none.

Last year in the U.K. alone, more than 1.2 million applications were submitted for fewer than 17,000 graduate roles. And unfortunately, even the CEO of the world’s biggest talent company, Randstad, doesn’t see Gen Z’s “hiring nightmare” improving.

Under Sander van ’t Noordende helm, the staffing company places around half a million workers in jobs every week—and like Schelling, he recently warned that young grads may have more luck landing bartending, barista, or building jobs, than the cushy office jobs they have set their hearts on.

“We all grew up, with our parents saying, ‘go do something in college or university and then do something in an office,’ that path that used to work for a long time is starting to break,” he said

“People need to reflect on—taking a student loan, going to college and being trained or educated for a profession that is rapidly changing—whether that’s still the right path.”

Are you a graduate who’s resorted to working in retail or hospitality instead of your desired field? Fortune wants to hear from you: orianna.royle@fortune.com

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In Cristobal’s image, Miami’s beefy offensive line steamrolls a path to title game

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Miami coach Mario Cristobal gathered his offensive linemen together during a pressure-packed, fourth-quarter drive in the Fiesta Bowl and delivered a message to the big, beefy guys he knows so well.

You five are about to lead the way for the winning touchdown.

“He believed in us,” Hurricanes right tackle Francis Mauigoa said. “We were in the middle of the field and he’s saying, ‘We’re going to score this. Defense get ready.’”

Sure enough, a few minutes later quarterback Carson Beck ran untouched into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to cap a bruising 15-play, 75-yard drive, and the No. 10 seed Hurricanes had earned a 31-27 victory over No. 6 Mississippi along with a chance to play for their first national title since 2001.

“All the work that we put in, all the preparation that goes into this, is for moments like these,” said Beck, who finished with 268 yards passing and two touchdowns. “You play this game for moments like these, you live for moments like these.”

It was the kind of physically dominant performance that Cristobal — a former offensive lineman at Miami — thoroughly enjoyed.

“It almost seems like the tougher it gets, the better we play,” Cristobal said. “And it’s a testament to them, to their resilience, and their will.”

Miami dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of their win, racking up an impressive 191 yards rushing as the line spent much of the night steamrolling the Rebels’ defense. Mark Fletcher ran for 133 yards on 22 carries, the Hurricanes had 459 total yards and the offense controlled the ball for more than 41 minutes compared to roughly 18 1/2 minutes for the Rebels.

That’s not to say the Ole Miss defense didn’t present some challenges. The Rebels sacked Beck four times, which helped them rally for a 27-24 lead with 3:13 left.

“They brought out some smart stuff — they brought out some good blitzes,” Mauigoa said. “The head coach over there (Pete Golding) is a smart guy.”

But the offensive line — from left to right, Markel Bell (6-foot-8, 345 pounds), Matthew McCoy (6-6, 325), James Brockermeyer (6-3, 295), Anez Cooper (6-5, 345) and Mauigoa (6-6, 335) — was at its best on the final drive.

Cristobal gave the group the game ball during the on-field postgame celebration.

“It was just what the situation required,” Brockermeyer said. “If we didn’t do that, we lose the game. I think it’s a little different when you’ve got to have it. Never throw in the towel, keep fighting, keep throwing haymakers and at the end of the day, look up at the scoreboard and the Miami Hurricanes are 1-0.”

Beck had plenty of time to survey the field on the game-deciding play, pulling the ball down before running into the end zone. It had to be a beautiful sight for Cristobal, who was an offensive tackle for the Hurricanes during some of their glory years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Brockermeyer said the team — and particularly the offensive line — feeds off their coach’s energy.

“Unless you’ve played offensive line like he has, there’s no way to truly understand what it’s like,” Brockermeyer said. “It’s just such a blessing to have a guy like that in our corner, a guy who gets it, respects it, puts a huge emphasis on it.

“He’s built this program around the offensive and defensive lines and it’s awesome to be a part of.”

Now the Hurricanes are one game away from their first title in 25 years. They’ll play for the national title on Jan. 19 against either Indiana or Oregon in their backyard in Miami Gardens, Florida.

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They Couldn’t Access Mental Health Care When They Needed It. Now They’re Suing Their Insurer.

In late 2024, Nimrod Shimrony, an emergency medical technician for the New York City Fire Department, tried to end his life. After completing an intensive outpatient treatment program, he and his wife searched for a therapist for months.

Valeria Calderón, a special education teacher with New York City’s public school system, suffered a miscarriage that same year. Before she tried to have a baby again, she sought help with the depression and anxiety she had been struggling with. She called more than a dozen therapists.

The therapists Shimrony and Calderón contacted were listed in their insurance plan’s provider directory, meaning they were supposedly in-network and the fees associated with visiting them would be lower. Given the number of names listed, there should have been lots of options. But Shimrony and Calderón couldn’t find any in-network provider who would see them.

“It blows my mind that I couldn’t find a therapist” through the directory, Shimrony said. “It was impossible.”

“I was hanging on by a thread,” said Calderón, who eventually paid more for an out-of-network provider. “There’s only so much you can vent to your family about and only so much support that they can do.”

Shimrony and Calderón are among the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed last week against EmblemHealth, which offers the most popular health plan for New York City employees.

The city employees allege that extensive errors in EmblemHealth’s directory left them with a “deceptive” and “misleading” impression about the size of the insurer’s provider network. The employees were forced to delay care, forgo treatment or seek help from costlier out-of-network providers, said the lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status.

Valeria Calderón, a special education teacher in New York City’s school system, struggled to find an in-network mental health provider. Sarah Blesener for ProPublica

Health insurers rarely face consequences for errors in their provider directories that make it difficult for many consumers to find in-network mental health care. ProPublica’s 2024 series, “America’s Mental Barrier,” examined the harms that patients face from so-called ghost networks. The series, which is cited in the lawsuit, also detailed the many ways that insurers have prompted mental health providers to quit accepting insurance.

Many insurers overseeing ghost networks have faced only small and sporadic fines from regulators, and patients often have limited legal recourse against them because of restrictions on the damages that typically can be recouped under federal law.

But there are health plans, such as ones local governments offer to employees or that some individuals buy through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, that aren’t covered by the federal law that restricts damages. Damages levied against those plans in lawsuits can be more substantial. That’s the basis for the current suit.

“We hope this case can use state consumer protection laws to better advocate for plan members,” said Sara Haviva Mark, an attorney representing the city employees.

ProPublica sent EmblemHealth a list of questions about the lawsuit. Shimrony and Calderón also signed documents waiving their rights to privacy so the insurer could answer questions. “We don’t comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson for EmblemHealth wrote in an email.

Attorneys have filed lawsuits similar to the New York one in at least two other states against insurers such as Kaiser Permanente and Molina. Last spring, the mother of an Arizona man who died after being unable to find mental health treatment sued his plan, which was overseen by Centene, saying it broke the law by publishing false information that misled its customers. (ProPublica had chronicled the man’s struggles to find mental health care.) Those lawsuits are still ongoing and the insurers in those cases have disputed the allegations.

This past fall, health insurers overseen by Centene agreed to a $40 million settlement over a similar lawsuit that had been filed by San Diego’s city attorney. A spokesperson for Centene did not respond to ProPublica’s request for comment.

The New York lawsuit was also filed on behalf of the American Psychiatric Association, which alleged that some of its 39,000 members had been listed in EmblemHealth’s directory without their consent. It also claimed that those listings “artificially inflate[d] its provider network at psychiatrists’ expense.” The lawsuit claims that the directory contained many duplicate listings, with one psychiatrist listed 29 times.

The directory errors increased the chances that its psychiatrists’ reputations could be damaged, the lawsuit said. That’s because customers reaching out for appointments couldn’t actually get care — and could post negative reviews.

“What we do is based on trust,” said Dr. Robert Trestman, a leading ghost networks expert for the association. “So when our name appears in a listing that says you can get care, and then they call us, and we say, ‘Sorry, not taking new patients,’ it has a really negative impact.”

The insurance industry’s top trade group, AHIP, has told lawmakers that its members take steps to keep their directories accurate. AHIP claims errors could be fixed faster if providers better updated listings after they move or retire. Mental health experts have disputed that point: They say that insurers don’t always remove listings even after providers formally drop out of a network.

EmblemHealth covers more than 3 million people in New York and in neighboring states. New York city employees have been offered numerous options for health plans as part of their employment. But in recent years, roughly 3 out of every 5 city employees chose an EmblemHealth plan in which the premium was fully covered by the city. That plan was replaced by another one from EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare at the beginning of 2026.

The employees had expected to pay $15 or less to see an in-network mental health provider under the old plan, according to the lawsuit. All they had to do was find one in the company’s directory.

But, according to the lawsuit, some employees using the directory were unable to find an in-network provider willing to take their insurance. Some providers in the directory had long waitlists and many had incorrect contact information, which the insurer is supposed to check. Others no longer accepted EmblemHealth, and a few never had accepted it.

The plaintiffs’ claims follow a series of practices by EmblemHealth — and the companies that merged over the years to form it — that have come under scrutiny from state officials.

In 2010, the New York state attorney general’s office found that Group Health Inc., one of the insurers that merged into EmblemHealth, had “failed to maintain an accurate” directory. As part of a settlement, Group Health Inc. was supposed to confirm each year that the listed providers were still in the network and to correct inaccurate listings.

In 2014, the attorney general’s office reached a separate settlement with EmblemHealth after it found that the insurer “improperly denied” coverage of treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. EmblemHealth agreed to change some of its practices to reduce barriers to getting those treatments. At the time of the settlement, an EmblemHealth spokesperson said in a statement that the insurer was working to “improve the management of behavioral services.”

And in 2023, the attorney general’s office published a report that found that EmblemHealth and another dozen insurers had failed to keep their listings of mental health providers free of extensive errors. The office’s staff had contacted a sample of doctors — nearly 400 providers listed in the 13 insurers’ directories — and the vast majority of them were “unreachable, not in-network, or not accepting new patients,” the report said. In EmblemHealth’s directory, the report found, 82% of the providers that were called were not available for an appointment.

The report called on health plans to conduct routine checks of its directories to ensure the listings were accurate. It also recommended that the state’s insurance regulator “vigorously enforce the law” and fine insurers over violations.

When ProPublica previously reached out to New York’s insurance regulator, a spokesperson couldn’t point to a single fine related to a ghost network. Last year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new regulation to “eliminate so-called ‘ghost networks.’” But the state’s insurance regulator, which publishes enforcement actions on its website, hasn’t posted any notice of fines against EmblemHealth or other health insurers for inaccurate provider directories since then.

ProPublica asked the state’s insurance regulator if there had been any fines against health insurers for inaccurate provider directories since the 2024 story. The regulator did not answer our questions.

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4 Albums Out Today to Listen To: Dry Cleaning, Jenny on Holiday, Zach Bryan, and More – Our Culture

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on January 9, 2026:

Dry Cleaning, Secret Love

4 Albums Out Today to Listen To: Dry Cleaning, Jenny on Holiday, Zach Bryan, and More – Our Culture Dry Cleaning are back with their Cate Le Bon-produced album, Secret Love. Grounded by Florence Shaw’s imaginative, increasingly expressive lyricism, the follow-up to 2022’s Stumpwork was preceded by the singles ‘Hit My Head All Day’, ‘Cruise Ship Designer’, ‘Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit’, and ‘Joy’. The album took shape at Jeff Tweedy’s Chicago studio the Loft, with Gilla Band’s Alan Duggan and Daniel Fox in Dublin, and finally with Le Bon in the Loire Valley. “We’re very confident about our identity,” Shaw said in press materials. “It doesn’t seem to be possible to break it down.”

Jenny on Holiday, Quicksand Heart

Jenny Hollingworth, half of Let’s Eat Grandma, has come out with her debut solo album, Quicksand Heart, as Jenny on Holiday. Packed with glowing synths and soaring choruses, it was written in the stillness of Norwich summers and completed in London with producer Steph Marziano (Hayley Williams, Nell Mescal). “My voice is the instrument I enjoy expressing myself most on,” she said in press materials, and it animates Quicksand Heart.

Zach Bryan, With Heaven on Top

WHOT_Album Cover Zach Bryan has released a new album, With Heaven on Top. It spans 25 tracks, putting it somewhere between 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene and 2023’s Zach Bryan in terms of runtime. It was written, recorded, and produced by Bryan over the last several months in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “Hope you don’t hate it,” Bryan wrote upon announcing the album on Instagram earlier this week. It’s too pleasant to hate, but way too monotonous make it worth revisiting.

Winged Wheel, Desert So Green

Desert So Green cover artwork Winged Wheel is a band that includes Whitney Johnson (Matchess, Circuit des Yeux), Cory Plump (Spray Paint), Matthew J. Rolin (Powers/Rolin Duo), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Lonnie Slack, and Fred Thomas (Idle Ray, Tyvek). You could practically them a supergroup. The patient, exploratory Desert So Green is their third album, following 2024’s Big Hotel. Working out of a studio on the outskirts of Chicago, the band embraced a more cohesive approach, foregoing some of the jammy tendencies of their previous records for deeper experimentation.

Other albums out today:

The Cribs, Selling a Vibe; French Montana, Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos; Robert Stillman, 10,000 Rivers; Home Star, A Binding Life; The Kid LAROI, Before I Forget; Alter Bridge, Alter Bridge; Pullman, III; Lasse Lokøy, & The Roommates; Tim Handels, Liminal Spaces.

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