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Winter Academy program in 2023. The program started in 2022 with the goal of helping students catch up from lost learning time during the pandemic.Los Angeles Unified is expanding its winter break school program to a full week with the goal of drawing more than 70,000 students back into the classroom the week before school starts.
The extra time is meant to help students make up for lost learning days during the COVID-19 pandemic using winter and spring breaks. Enrollment has reached as high as 74,000 students with an average attendance of 55-60%, according to a statement provided to LAist by a district spokesperson.In 2023, the district started testing students at the beginning and end of Winter Academy to measure growth in reading, writing and math. The district provided some of this information in a statement to LAist. The largest gains were in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade with an overall increase of 9.8% in English language arts and 8.8% in math scores in 2023 and more mixed results in 2024.Winter Academy runs like a regular school day with the option of afterschool care from Mon., Jan. 5 through Fri., Jan. 9. Online enrollment is now closed, but families can still fill outLos Angeles Unified is expanding its winter break school program to a full week with the goal of drawing more than 70,000 students back into the classroom the week before school starts. The 2026 Winter Academy will start on Jan. 5, at the tail end of winter break, instead of following the end of the fall semester as in past years. “By students returning to school earlier, it'll get 'em into the routine and the rhythm ,” said LAUSD Chief Academic Officer Frances Baez. “Once the spring semester begins, it shouldn't be too difficult.” The free program, which started in response to pandemic learning loss, is now an annual offering during the district’s winter and spring breaks.Winter Academy runs the hours of a regular school day with the option of afterschool care. Teachers and parents who participated in the program told LAist class sizes are generally smaller and there’s flexibility to adapt the curriculum the district provides to the students in their class. “We want to offer programs that are gonna be aligned to student interests and at the same time, continue with that opportunity for them to grow academically and thrive,” said Executive Director of Secondary Instruction John Vladovic. The program offers some relief to working families who struggle to cobble together child care during the district’s three-week winter break , Paul Katami and Michele Singer Reiner on the day of their wedding at L.A. City Hall on June 28, 2013. And while Rob Reiner was more public-facing and famously gregarious, Katami said Michele was a powerhouse and the driving voice behind their work: “She was just a creative force that had this vision of a future and a country that was more equal and more accepting.”Today, Katami and Zarrillo have adopted a principle they learned from Michele in their own home. “There's only one conversation at a time. So the person speaking has your full attention, your respect,” Katami said, adding that the rule exemplifies exactly how the Reiners lived their lives. “They wanted to make sure everyone felt seen, everyone felt heard, and respected and loved.”If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.is a senior editor for Orange County, including food trends, politics — and whatever else the news gods have in store.More stores and shopping outlets are charging a restocking fee or a return surcharge of some kind. And many are also imposing deadlines or restrictions on returns, according to the National Retail Federation.The reason is simple. We love to return stuff. Retailers are expected to see nearly $850 billion — with a"b" — in returns this year. And nearly 20% of online sales will be returned, according to recent sales report. It all adds up, and businesses are not in the business of wasting money.If you’re already planning to return a holiday gift that you’re just not that into, you could be in for a surprise. More stores and shopping outlets are charging a restocking fee or a return surcharge of some kind. And many are also imposing deadlines or restrictions on returns,of $45, or 15% of the purchase price on certain items, such as prepaid cell phones, cameras, drones and projector screens and … saunas.The reason is simple. We love to return stuff. Retailers are expected to see nearly $850 billion — with a"b" — in returns this year. And nearly 20% of online sales will be returned, according toby the National Retail Federation. Processing all those returns cuts into company profits. And then there’s the fraud, abuse and waste that goes along with it. “We’re seeing return figures that are much more than the norm,” said David Sobie, the Santa Monica-based co-founder and CEO of, a third-party business that you’ve probably seen inside places like Ulta. For consumers, it provides returns without a need for printer labels or packing tape. For businesses, this service provides built-in fraud protection. He said limitations on returns in the form of restocking fees and charges are likely to increase in response to what businesses see as “costly consumer behaviors."Consider whether you might be better off checking the item out in person before purchasing. Find out about any “fine print” issues regarding return details, fees, or limitations. For example, if you purchase in person, can you return the item by mail?Sitting in the Oval Office this month, President Donald Trump went on one of his trademark riffs, an aside about vehicles that are popular in Asia but impossible to buy new in the United States.It is not actually illegal to build tiny cars for the U.S. auto market. The problem is that kei cars built for foreign countries don't meet U.S. safety standards, so you can't import them unless you're willing to buy an antique. And companiesKei cars, trucks and vans are very popular in Japan. But while new models might meet Japan's safety standards for things like airbags and seat belts, they're not designed to meet the very specific U.S. requirements.Sitting in the Oval Office this month, President Donald Trump went on one of his trademark riffs, an aside about vehicles that are popular in Asia but impossible to buy new in the United States. "They have a very small car. It's sort of like the Beetle used to be with the Volkswagen," he said."They're very small. They're really cute." In Japan, these vehicles are known as kei cars. They are, indeed, very small. They are, indisputably, very cute. "But you're not allowed to build them" in the U.S., Trump went on."I've authorized the secretary to immediately approve the production of those cars."relaxing fuel economy rules — a change that will make it easier for Americans to buy more of the big, fuel-guzzling trucks and SUVs that car buyers love.It is not actually illegal to build tiny cars for the U.S. auto market. The problem is that kei cars built for foreign countries don't meet U.S. safety standards, so you can't import them unless you're willing to buy an antique. And companiesbuild tiny cars to U.S. standards, but given the American preference for big vehicles, they simply don't. "If this is going to be a kick in the right direction to maybe get the domestic auto industry to reconsider cars like this," said Andrew Maxon, a kei car owner and the founder of the Capital Kei Car Club,"I'm all for it. I'll take what we can get."Kei cars, trucks and vans are very popular in Japan. But while new models might meet Japan's safety standards for things like airbags and seat belts, they're not designed to meet the very specific U.S. requirements. So they can't be imported and driven in the U.S. unless they're at least 25 years old, which qualifies them as an antique and exempt from federal safety standards. That's why every vehicle at a recent Capital Kei Car Club meetup in Northern Virginia was at least 25. Drivers raved about their tiny cars — their fun handling, their cute appearance, the delighted responses they get when they drive them around.Ryan Douglass replaced his midsize American pickup with a pint-size Japanese one, but while it's shorter than a modern Mini Cooper, it still has a full 6-foot bed, longer than you'll find on a lot of massive trucks these days. "I can lay down in the bed and not even touch the ends of it," he said. More to the point, he can fit in a sheet of plywood.And the imported antiques? Douglass paid $8,000 for his truck, which runs great, and he says that was on the expensive end; he paid someone else to manage all the import paperwork."I think I could get five or six of these and customize them to my heart's desire and still be cheaper than a brand-new truck that I can buy out of a dealership today," he said. There are drawbacks, of course. Douglass' license plate warns drivers behind him that his vehicle is, in fact,"VRYSLW."The snub-nosed front of the vehicle means there's no protective crumple zone in front of the driver. If you crash a kei truck, your knees take the hit directly. And because these vehicles are all antiques, their safety specs are antiquated too. "I accept the terms and conditions," said Sergey Hall, whose 1992 Suzuki Cappuccino car is even smaller than Douglass' vehicle."That's the best way to put it. I know that there are no safety features on it. No airbags, ABS , no throttle position sensors or anything like that."imported antique kei vehicles, even if federal rules allow them. That frustrates kei car enthusiasts, who note that motorcycles, which are not renowned for safety, are legal on highways. "What is a 'safe' vehicle?" mused Dan Kobayashi, who drives a Honda Acty kei truck. He noted that a car that's slow and small isIn his remarks, Trump said that companies"can't build" little cars in the U.S. and that he'd immediately authorize the production of tiny vehicles.Yes, federal safety standards block imports; for the record, the Transportation Department confirmed to NPR that those safety standards are not being waived for small cars. And, yes, some states restrict imported antiques because of safety concerns. So what's stopping automakers from building versions of these cars that do meet U.S. safety standards?When companies sold smaller cars in the past,"people didn't want to buy them," says Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at the car data site Edmunds. "We look at the subcompact car — that is the smallest car sold in the United States. That segment is less than 1% of the market," she says. And it's shrinking, not growing.At the Capitol Kei Car Club meetup, I asked everyone there — big fans of tiny cars — whether they think America writ large could learn to love them too. Could small, cheap and slow take off? "If I had to bet, I would bet against it, unfortunately," Andy Creedon said, summing up the overwhelming consensus.
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