Ransomware Disrupts Richmond School Operations

A ransomware attack on The New Community School in Richmond, Virginia, encrypted school systems and disrupted its operations and student services. A report from the advocacy group Defending Education ranks states on issues including parental rights, DEI, gender policies, union influence and foreign funding; it gives the highest scores to Republican-led states, though its conclusions reflect the organization’s stated priorities. Separately, a Learning Policy Institute count found that more than 411,000 U.S. public-school teaching positions in 2024-25 were vacant or filled by educators not fully certified for their assignments, with shortages especially widespread in special education and acute in rural districts. Vietnam’s education ministry has set inspection priorities for the 2026-27 school year, including referring suspected criminal activity to investigators and using digital tools to reduce administrative burdens. At USC, a $200 million gift established the USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence and supports expanded AI education and research, alongside the launch of a new undergraduate AI degree.