Today in History: EPA bans use of pesticide DDT
Today is Saturday, June 14, the 165th day of 2025. There are 200 days left in the year. This is Flag Day.
Today in history:
On June 14, 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered a ban on domestic use of the pesticide DDT, to take effect at year's end.
Also on this date:
In 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the United States Army, was created by the Second Continental Congress.
In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the design of the first 'stars and stripes' American flag.
In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the breakaway state of the California Republic, declaring independence from Mexico.
In 1919, British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown embarked on the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1940, German troops entered Paris during World War II; the same day, the Nazis transported their first prisoners to the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled 6-3 that public school students could not be forced to salute the flag of the United States or recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill adding the phrase 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced his nomination of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2005, Michelle Wie, 15, became the first female player to qualify for an adult male U.S. Golf Association championship, tying for first place in a 36-hole U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying tournament.
In 2017, fire ripped through the 24-story Grenfell Tower residential building in West London, killing 72 people.
In 2018, a Justice Department watchdog report on the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe criticized the FBI and its former director, James Comey, but did not find evidence that political bias tainted the investigation.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Marla Gibbs is 94. U.S. President Donald Trump is 79. Olympic speed skating gold medalist Eric Heiden is 67. Jazz musician Marcus Miller is 66. Singer Boy George is 64. Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf is 56. Classical pianist Lang Lang is 43. Actor J.R. Martinez is 42. Actor Lucy Hale is 36. Actor Daryl Sabara is 33. Rapper Gunna is 32.
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Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Should boys start kindergarten a year later than girls?
Some districts, including New York City, have banned this practice (with exceptions), in part because these children already tend to be ahead in school, so it could contribute to a long-existing achievement gap by race and family income. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But a different way to address that issue, supporters of redshirting say, is to make it the national policy for all boys. That would make it accessible to more Black and Hispanic boys and those from low-income families -- the children least likely to be redshirted now but most likely to benefit, says Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. Advertisement Such a policy might sound far-fetched. The data is not clear that it helps in the long run. Children develop at different rates, and a universal policy is unlikely to serve them all. Crucially, kindergarten is usually the first year that parents have free child care, and without universal pre-K, this would force many parents of boys to pay for another year of private care. Advertisement But research shows that being a year older benefits children, especially boys, in one crucial way involving self-control -- and helps illuminate why many young children are struggling in the American school system. Redshirting has been happening in small numbers for decades. Malcolm Gladwell popularized it in his 2008 book 'Outliers,' noting that professional athletes were often old for their grade. The idea to redshirt all boys was proposed in 2022 by Reeves in his book, 'Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It.' It gained momentum because of two changes to education. First, parents have become more competitive about educating their children, and redshirting has been a way to give them an edge in academics or athletics. Also, school has become more academic earlier -- meaning more time spent preparing for tests and less time learning through play. That has been particularly difficult for boys, who on the whole mature later than girls. The result is a gender gap in kindergarten readiness that continues through high school, with boys going to college at lower rates. Shrinking the gap early on could help in adolescence, too. Girls go through puberty about a year and a half before boys do and tend to develop the executive function skills crucial to school, like time management and self-control, earlier. 'I think the main reason for giving more flexibility is not because of kindergarten; it's because of those later years,' Reeves said. 'I actually think adolescence is when the gaps are biggest, or at least the most consequential.' Advertisement Joe Strickland, who taught middle school outside Savannah, Georgia, for 25 years, said he thought the policy would be 'the smartest thing the schools ever did,' because in his experience, boys and girls at that age 'are completely different.' The girls, he said, tend to be focused and interested in school. Many boys? 'Just general silliness, horse playing with each other, anything but focusing and concentrating on their work,' he said. Nicole Appell started her son in kindergarten at age 6, after his preschool teacher suggested it. At first, Appell, also a preschool teacher, was taken aback. He was already reading, but he wasn't emotionally ready, becoming easily overwhelmed and crying a lot at school. 'In hindsight, I'm so glad she did that,' said Appell, who lives in Seattle. 'It was really important. Being a little more mature means being able to handle the situations that happen at school.' Studies of redshirting have found pros and cons. Some research has found that any boost in achievement fades away as children get older. Redshirting could increase high school dropout rates because older students would reach the legal age for quitting school earlier. It could also disadvantage men by delaying their entry into the job market. Yet several large studies -- of nearly all kindergartners in three states -- show clear benefits to being older. In Florida, where children start kindergarten if they have turned 5 by Sept. 1, researchers compared those with September birthdays, who were relatively old for their grade, and those with August birthdays, who were almost a year younger. The older students consistently scored higher on tests in third grade and, to a lesser extent, eighth grade. They were more likely to attend college and less likely to go to jail as juveniles. The findings were true for children of all backgrounds, but especially for boys and for children from low-income families. Advertisement Researchers in Tennessee and North Carolina found similar results, including that redshirting reduced the male-female achievement gap. Studies in other countries have also found that older children score higher and have more self-confidence in school. One line of research provides a clue as to what exactly is benefiting older children. They stood out in a key skill: their ability to sit still, concentrate, think before acting and see tasks through to the end, a study of Danish children found. These traits, which girls tend to develop earlier, have been shown to be crucial to academic success. Thomas Dee, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education and an author of the study, said children develop this kind of self-control through pretend play, and older children probably spent more time doing that in high-quality, play-based Danish preschools. (He cautioned that the potential benefits of redshirting might not be realized if the extra year were spent in a less enriching environment.) This idea -- that these attention skills are driving the differences between older and younger students -- is backed by studies showing that the youngest students in a grade are more likely to be diagnosed with attention disorders. A study of 400,000 children in every state found that those with birthdays just before the kindergarten cutoff were significantly likelier to be diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder than those with birthdays just after the cutoff. A study of 1 million children in Britain found a similar pattern. Advertisement 'Age really matters,' said David Figlio, professor of education and economics at the University of Rochester and an author of the Florida study. Yet he also didn't think universal redshirting for boys was the answer. A better alternative to redshirting all boys, some researchers said, would be to make it optional for any student so that parents could choose whether it was right for their child, with advice from teachers and the option to attend an extra year of public pre-K. An easier change, some said, would be to make the cutoff date for kindergarten earlier, so all children would turn 5 at least a few months before they start. Teachers could group classes by birth month, with the older kindergartners together in one class and the younger ones in another. Also, schools could restore more of the play-based learning -- like dress-up, art and nature exploration -- that was much more common in kindergarten before 2000. 'Boys are half the population, so if we're doing all these things in school that we think are disadvantaging them, the answer isn't to redshirt,' said Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, professor of education and social policy at Northwestern. 'We can do something cheaper and better, like not overintellectualizing kindergarten -- more circle time, fewer worksheets about circles.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Are you required to destroy a U.S. flag if it touches the ground?
(WHTM) — Today is Flag Day, and many people will be flying their red, white, and blue flags on this patriotic anniversary. However, as Americans nationwide fly their flags, a common question arises: If a U.S. flag touches the ground, are you required to destroy it? Maintaining flag etiquette is crucial, as the American flag serves as a symbol of patriotism, freedom, and unity. According to the United States Flag Code, 'The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.' However, according to the American Legion, the code was created to emphasize that citizens must exercise care when handling a flag to protect it from becoming soiled or damaged. The Legion says you are not required to destroy the flag in the event it touches the ground, but you should try your best to avoid letting it become damaged. As long as the flag remains suitable for display, you may continue to display the flag, per the American Legion. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The Legion adds that the Flag Code does not prohibit the washing or dry-cleaning of the flag, as the decision would depend upon the type of material of the flag. The Department of Defense released some 'Dos and Don'ts' for displaying the American flag. To see the tips, click here. To learn how to properly dispose of a U.S. flag, click here. Flag Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the United States' flag on June 14, 1777. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Missing World War One soldier's grave identified
The grave of a missing World War One soldier has been identified in Belgium. Capt Ernest Cecil Blencowe of the Dorsetshire Regiment died in February 1916 trying to get control of The Bluff, an area of raised ground near the Ypres-Comines canal which was fought over extensively during the war. His body was not recovered, but remains originally found in June 1921 and reburied at Bedford House Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium, have now been identified as those of Capt Blencowe. A rededication service, where the unmarked grave was marked, was held on Wednesday, and was attended by two of Capt Blencowe's great grandchildren. Capt Blencowe joined the army at the outbreak of war. He was attached to 6th battalion the Dorsetshire Regiment and arrived in France in July 1915. After he died, he was listed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. In June 1921, the remains of an unknown British officer bearing buttons and badges of the Dorsetshire Regiment were found, but further identification proved impossible. Now, research has revealed the un-named officer to be Capt Blencowe. The rededication service, organised by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), was led by Padre John Storey. Capt Blencowe's headstone was replaced, and will be cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Sean Phillips from the CWGC said it was "a tremendous privilege". "For evermore, visitors to Bedford House Cemetery will be able to pay their respects to Captain Blencowe at his final place of rest," he said. JCCC Caseworker, Alexia Clark, said: "In rededicating his grave we have reunited his mortal remains with his names, in the presence of his family, ensuring that his sacrifice will not be forgotten." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Ministry of Defence Commonwealth War Graves Commission
