[APPLAUSE] “I will totally obliterate the deep state. I will fire —” Donald Trump is obsessed with the “deep state.” “The deep state — The deep state — The deep state is destroying our nation. Either the deep state destroys America, or we destroy the deep state.” And many Republicans are widening his paranoia. “These unelected bureaucrats ruining this country.” From a cabal of security agents to “The sick political class that hates our country.” If elected, Trump’s vowed to gut the federal government. “Reinstate the Schedule F executive order and, quote, ‘fire rogue bureaucrats.’” But who are these bureaucrats, and what makes them so dangerous? We needed answers, so we took a trip across America. “In 100 yards, take the exit.” In search of the people behind this threatening entity. [LAUGHS] [LAUGHS] First stop, Huntsville, Ala. Sure looks like some nefarious government activity happens around here. “You have reached your destination.” Meet Scott Bellamy. “I am a mission manager in the Planetary Missions Program Office.” He drives a Nissan Titan four by four. He’s loved “Star Trek” since he was a kid. “Of course I have a favorite character. It’s either Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock.” And he may have quite literally saved the planet from annihilation. “Potentially.” You see, Scott managed a mission called “The Double Asteroid Redirection Test.” And back in 2022, his team used your tax dollars to pull off something kind of incredible. “You have an asteroid, and you have a spacecraft, and you fly the spacecraft into the asteroid and try to change the trajectory of that asteroid. It’s like playing pool in space. Everybody was holding their breath. This is the moment of truth. Did we hit it?” [APPLAUSE] “We got it?” “And we have impact.” “We got it.” “A giant leap for [INAUDIBLE].” They knocked an asteroid off its course, proving something that had previously only been done in movies. “Saving the world from an ‘Armageddon’ scenario, potentially.” Next, we traveled deep into the swamp itself, Washington, D.C. “You have arrived.” This is Radhika Fox. “I am the assistant administrator for water at the Environmental Protection Agency.” She loves Pilates, making salads and watching the Taylor Swift Eras Tour on TV with her family. “I think we’re all pretty 1989.” Oh, and she led an operation to make our drinking water lead-free in 10 years. “That’s the dream.” “Worried and angry about lead contamination, residents of Newark, N.J., are demanding bottled water and answers.” “Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause irreversible brain damage. Folks are drinking out of these pipes right now.” “Every single American child will soon be able to turn on that faucet, and their moms and dads know that the water they’re drinking is clean.” When President Biden announced a nationwide plan to remove lead water pipes, Radhika’s team made it happen. “Yep. That’s right.” Water utilities would be legally required to replace all remaining lead pipes. “Nine million in 10 years or less.” It’s an expensive bet. “$50 billion. But those benefits are truly priceless because it’s the well-being of this nation that’s at stake.” You want to replace your own water pipes? You got the skills to launch an asteroid-deflecting spacecraft? No. That’s why your tax dollars pay experts like Radhika and Scott. Important work like this is happening all over America, from helping two million victims of the opioid crisis to engineering major breakthroughs in nuclear fusion and helping make hearing aids affordable for 30 million people. Yup. The “deep state” is hard at work making America great. Just because we don’t know about it doesn’t make it suspicious. “You have arrived.” Our final stop, Chicago, Ill. [MUSIC PLAYING] Meet Nancy Alcantara. “I am the acting director of enforcement for the wage and hour division for the Midwest regional office for the U.S. Department of Labor. I had to take a breath, yes.” She still eats Lucky Charms for breakfast, trains for marathons and loves Latin dancing. “Cumbia, bachata, cha-cha-cha. You name it, I did it.” And she uses your tax dollars to get kids out of working in dangerous slaughterhouses. “13-, 14-, 15-year-olds working on the kill floor. Cleaning body parts, right? Animal carcasses. They’re working with machinery, such as skull splitters, bone splitters.” Nancy and her colleagues raided slaughterhouses in several states and found more than 100 children working illegally. Last year their employer, Packers Sanitation, was fined $1.5 million — one of the largest child labor cases in American history. “Kids would die. Kids would get limbs amputated. I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if no one did this job.” These guys work for you, but Trump wants them working for him. “Trump wants to fire at least thousands of these people that he calls pejoratively the deep state.” “Schedule F would allow Trump to fire up to 50,000 of them and replace them with like-minded people.” “Sometimes it’s really hard to read the newspaper, where you feel like we as public servants are being attacked.” Now, this doesn’t mean that Americans can’t have different ideas about how big the federal government should be. After all, there’s no shortage of examples of real government overreach and overspend. But Trump’s teaching us to expect the worst from people in government when the truth is, they’re actually some of our best. [MUSIC PLAYING]
GUEST POST: Finals Prep: Effective Studying Methods
For long-term exams, it can be beneficial to create a study schedule to help pace yourself and hold yourself accountable. This may look different for every student, but a good basic outline includes starting with content from the beginning of the year and studying recent information closer to the exam. Additionally, students can portion out their studying. For example, giving yourself six thirty-minute blocks of studying rather than 3 hours straight will help solidify information between blocks and prevent burnout.
Spaced practice helps strengthen students’ memory by allowing their brains to forget information in between studying blocks so that it can later be retrieved and ultimately better endure. Retrieval, a technique that entails pulling information out of long-term memory, can help re-solidify memories and strengthen connections between neurons. This method can be utilized through brain dumps, defining terms or answering open-ended questions without the help of notes, and many more processes that all help students discover what they truly know or do not know. This can allow students to focus attention on content that may need additional studying.
The inverse of active studying, passive studying consists of familiarizing the brain with information, but not doing enough for it to stick. This is a great technique to begin with: reading over notes or watching videos can help reintroduce content. However, passive studying can create a misleading sense of familiarity, ultimately failing to help students recall knowledge when the exam comes around. A great way to confirm knowledge is to try teaching it to somebody else. Familiarity creates a false sense of confidence, but being confident enough to teach the information shows that you are on the right path. Paired with active studying methods, familiarity can work well to help re-solidify knowledge and prepare students for their exams.
Many AP courses span over two or three marking periods, sometimes in the first half of the year. With May AP exams seeming far away, students need to utilize effective study methods for unit exams, midterms, or final exams in order to better sustain information for the long term.
No matter the class, the information you learn will most likely be helpful and show up again in the future. While many complain about and question the usefulness of topics such as calculus in their real lives, material often connects between courses and shows up on standardized tests, as well as in college. Retaining this information in the long-term will benefit future you.
11 HTML and CSS Code Challenges for Beginners
HTML and CSS form the foundation of modern web development. HTML defines how a web page is structured, and CSS defines its style. While both languages are relatively easy to learn, once you know the basics, you’ll still need to sharpen your skills with practice.
Code challenges are a great way to sharpen your programming skills and combine them in different ways. Here are 11 HTML and CSS code challenges that’ll help you take your skills to the next level. To get started, just pick a challenge, open up a workspace, and start coding.
Note that while these challenges are designed for beginners, you’ll still need to have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. If you need a refresher, use the courses below:
1. Create a tribute page
Choose a historical figure who’s meaningful to you and create a webpage dedicated to them. The webpage should include:
- A title or heading with the person’s name
- An image of the person
- A caption for the image
- A timeline of the person’s life in the form of a list
This can be completed with only HTML, but use CSS to give it some style.
2. Create a Wikipedia page
Wikipedia is one of the backbones of the internet, and it has a relatively simple layout. Create a Wikipedia page on the topic of your choice. It should include:
- A title or heading
- A table of contents with links to sections within the page
- Superscript number links that link to the corresponding number in the reference section
- An ordered list of references
3. Create an HTML and CSS-only search results page
Create a mock Google search results page. It should include:
- The Google logo
- A search bar at the top
- A list of search results with clickable links
Here’s an example of what it might look like.
4. Create a survey form
HTML forms are an important part of many websites. Create a form for a survey on the topic of your choice.
Include a variety of answer options, including text fields, dropdowns, radio buttons, checkboxes, and a submit button. Don’t forget to add a title, and consider using CSS to improve the look of your form. Here’s an example.
5. Create an image gallery
Image galleries can be an essential template for many websites—like photography portfolios, for instance. Pick a theme you like (films, plants, architecture) and create an image gallery using float or display flexbox.
This gallery should contain:
- A title or heading
- 8+ clickable images with descriptions
- A top navigation bar
- A footer, complete with social media links
6. Create a parallax website
A parallax website has a fixed image in the background that stays in place while you scroll through other parts of the page. It’s a popular effect in web design and gives an elegant look and feel to a page.
Design a parallax webpage. Divide the page into three or four sections. Set three or four background images and align text to each section. You’ll use margins, padding, and background positioning to create the effect. Here’s an example of a parallax website.
7. Create a product landing page
Many websites are designed to showcase and sell products. A product landing page needs to be attractive, informative, and easy to read to appeal to consumers. Your product landing page should include:
- A picture of the product
- A header and footer
- Columns
- Multiple sections
Consider the color scheme and ensure that elements don’t overlap each other.
8. Create a restaurant website
A restaurant website is similar to a product landing page in that it should showcase the restaurant and menu items appealingly. It’s more complex, though, with images of different foods and drinks. First, create a responsive restaurant website using a viewport and media queries.
9. Create a chessboard
This challenge teaches you how to create and format a table. You’ll also need to learn how to insert UNICODE characters.
Create a chessboard. The board should be alternating colors and an eight-by-eight grid. Here are the UNICODE characters you’ll need for the pieces.
- White King: ♔
- White Queen: ♕
- White Rook: ♖
- White Bishop: ♗
- White Knight: ♘
- White Pawn: ♙
- Black King: ♚
- Black Queen: ♛
- Black Rook: ♜
- Black Bishop: ♝
- Back Knight: ♞
- Black Pawn: ♟
10. Create an event or conference website
This challenge continues the theme of building attractive web pages. This one will include a registration button that links to a registration form. You’ll also need details and images of the speaker or performer and venue. Describe the event and include multiple sections along with a header and footer. Consider the color scheme and use fonts that are readable and reflect the theme of the event.
11. Create a portfolio website
Take what you’ve learned throughout the other challenges and create a portfolio website. The website should reflect your skills.
Include a page with your resume, work samples, a photo, and a top menu with links to an about page, contact page, and any other pages you’d like to include. In the footer, include your contact information and links to your relevant social media accounts.
Building your HTML and CSS skills
Code challenges are just one way to build your HTML and CSS skills. You can also brush up with courses like Learn HTML, Learn CSS, and Learn Intermediate CSS. These courses build on one another, though you can always jump into an intermediate class if you already have a good base knowledge of CSS.
Skill Paths are another great way to learn specific skills. Our Learn How to Build Websites Skill Path walks you through HTML and CSS, along with responsive design and accessibility. You’ll end the class with a polished website that you can use in your portfolio. We also have a standalone course on responsive design.
If you feel confident in your HTML and CSS skills, it may be time to learn another language. Our course on JavaScript builds on HTML and CSS to help you make websites even more responsive and dynamic. Once you learn JavaScript, we offer a course on Building Interactive JavaScript Websites that brings all those skills together.
This blog was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated to include additional HTML and CSS challenges for beginners.
Whether you’re looking to break into a new career, build your technical skills, or just code for fun, we’re here to help every step of the way. Check out our blog post about how to choose the best Codecademy plan for you to learn about our structured courses, professional certifications, interview prep resources, career services, and more.
Are Highly Structured Classes Better for Learning?
Imagine you were to go to a school where every task in class was timed down to the second, where you were expected to comply with strict behavior rules and where all your teachers closely followed a district-approved curriculum.
Does this sound anything like the school you go to now or one you have attended? Or is it radically different from what you’re used to?
Do you think this kind of schooling model would work for you? Why or why not?
In “Is Micromanaging Classes a Recipe for School Success?” Troy Closson and J. David Goodman write about how a new superintendent in Houston is trying to improve its public schools through strictly structured teaching like this. But the model has been deeply polarizing:
The Houston public school classroom might have looked like any other, if not for an unusual feature on the whiteboard: A countdown timer.
The teacher leading the English lesson allowed her fourth graders “10 more seconds to log in” for tech problems. Then she asked the class to read a passage to determine the author’s motivations, set the timer to one minute, and called out at the 25- and 15-second marks. Students took 30 seconds to share answers with a partner before their daily 10-minute quiz.
The regimented structure is part of a strict new schooling model that nearly half of the 274 schools in the Houston Independent School District have adopted.
Educators are required to adhere closely to the curriculum. District officials visit schools several times a week to observe classes and ensure that teachers are following the new protocols. Strict behavior policies are enforced. At one point, students were required sometimes to carry orange traffic cones to the bathroom, instead of the traditional hall passes, as part of an effort to prevent disorder.
These ideas are not all new, but the scale, pace and force of change in Houston stands among the starkest in modern American education.
Halfway through the second school year that the new model has been in use, officials argue that it is paying off. The number of schools in Houston that were rated D or F by the state dropped to 41 from 121. Math and reading scores on state standardized tests have risen. The overall gains were “largest single-year growth in the district’s history,” district officials said.
The Houston schools did not make overall gains in reading last year on a federal exam that is considered the gold standard — but it did avoid the national slide in achievement in the subject.
Still, the overhaul has also been deeply polarizing, infuriating many people in a district where more than 80 percent of the students are Black or Hispanic. A fierce movement of parents and teachers argue that the new model’s emphasis on test preparation damages students’ desire to learn. They have criticized the removal of novels from English lessons, and have complained that the closure of libraries is harmful to disadvantaged children.
The article quotes a parent:
“This is not an education,” said Liz Silva, whose third-grade son attends an arts magnet school in Houston under the new model. “My kid’s miserable.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What are your thoughts on the district’s new strict schooling model? Are there parts of it that you think might be helpful and effective? Are there parts of it that you think might be ineffective or even harmful to students?
Houston’s district officials point to improved test scores to show that the model works, but many parents and teachers say it has damaged students’ desire to learn. Do you think highly structured classes are better for learning? Why or why not?
Where does your own school fall on a scale from extremely regimented to more free-flowing? Does your school’s approach work for you? Do you wish you had more or less structure during the day? Why?
This art piece, “The Takeover,” by Isobel Stevenson, a 16-year-old student in Houston, was one of the winners of our 2023 multimedia challenge that asked students to tell us what school is like today. What do you feel when you look at it? What does it communicate about Texas’ takeover of Houston public schools from a student’s point of view?
Target
What do you think this illustration is communicating? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Word of the Day: kismet
The word kismet has appeared in 31 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Oct. 15 in “A House for One That Has Room for Many” by Tim McKeough:
When Susan K. Reed bought a house in North Haven, N.Y., in 2002, she viewed it as a fun escape from her primary home in Brooklyn.
“I had never really been to Long Island, but I came out to visit some friends and it was just so beautiful,” said Ms. Reed, now 68.
Situated just north of Sag Harbor and a short ferry skip south of Shelter Island, North Haven impressed her with its relaxed, beachy vibe. So it almost seemed like kismet when she noticed that the small house next door to her friends’ home was on the market.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word kismet in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how kismet can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
Navigating the Future of Work: Insights from the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published its Future of Jobs Report 2025. This barometer of trends across all sectors anticipates challenges and opportunities for growth until 2030. Key takeaways include the imperative for a flexible workforce that is prepared to upskill in line with technological advances.
Over 1,000 employers contributed insights into evolving technological, societal and economic trends to inform this latest report. Together they represent some 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies around the world.
Saadia Zahidi, WEF Managing Director
Saadia Zahidi, WEF Managing Director, commented: “Transformational breakthroughs, particularly in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are reshaping industries and tasks across all sectors. These technological advances, however, are converging with a broader array of challenges, including economic volatility, geoeconomic realignments, environmental challenges and evolving societal expectations.”
Future of Jobs Report Insights Can Help Workers Plan Ahead
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 helps employers identify potential opportunities and pitfalls. Employees, students and those seeking a change of career can use its insights to plot a path or make adjustments to their plans for the future.
As a trusted free online empowerment platform, Alison supports WEF’s ambition to equip employers and individuals to meet the challenges of the next five years, grasp opportunities and thrive. Our 5,500+ course library grows every week. To date, Alison has equipped more than 45 million learners across 193 countries to remain competitive in the job market, enhance their skills, and achieve career growth and development.
Alison CEO Mike FeerickFounder, Mike Feerick, explains: “Education underpins all social progress. Our aim is to harness technology to make all education and skills training available to anyone, anywhere for free.”
Below, we explore some of the WEF Report’s highlights and Alison’s role in supporting its aims.
Three Major Trends
The report highlights the top 3 factors affecting economies worldwide: the growth of technology, the rising cost of living and climate change.
1. The Technology Trend
“Broadening digital access is expected to be the most transformative trend,” according to the report, with 60% of employers anticipating major changes to their business by 2030. 
AI Makes an Impact
Within the technological advances, the burgeoning artificial intelligence field has caught the attention of 86% of employers surveyed. WEF notes the top three fastest-growing skills up to 2030 are expected to be AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy.
Consequently, the fastest-growing jobs in percentage terms include Big Data Specialists, Fintech Engineers, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, and Software and Application Developers. Robotics and autonomous systems engineers will also be in demand.
Alison is home to over 1,000 courses on all aspects of IT. Click on the links for courses for:
Technological Literacy
In the modern workforce, almost every job requires some understanding of the digital world. Alison empowers beginners with digital literacy courses which cover the basics of navigating the internet safely and securely. There are also multiple free online AI training courses catering to businesses and individuals interested in generating content through prompt engineering.
For detailed insights into the role of AI in today’s world, enrol in the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – IBM experts explain how AI works, examine the ethical implications and discuss the breakthroughs and future of this era-defining technology.
Our platform also caters to specific sectors such as Project Management, Supply Chain and Logistics, Education and Human Resource Management wanting to avail of AI’s benefits.
The table below indicates how technological advances stand to impact business. WEF expects these trends to have a divergent effect on jobs, driving both the fastest-growing and fastest-declining roles, and fueling demand for technology-related skills.
2. Cost of Living
The second trend or factor of note, according to WEF, is the rising cost of living accompanied by general economic slowdown, set to cost 1.6m jobs worldwide. Here, human skills take precedence over automation. “These two impacts on job creation are expected to increase the demand for creative thinking and resilience, flexibility, and agility skills,” notes WEF.
The report finds that analytical thinking remains the most sought-after core skill with three-quarters of companies surveyed considering it as essential in 2025. Leadership skills and social influence are also in demand.
Such skills can be bolstered by training. With Alison, learners can explore multiple courses on:
Registration is free and certifications are accredited by the independent UK organisation CPD.
3. Climate-change mitigation
Mitigating the effects of climate change is a priority for 47% of employers, while 41% rank adapting to climate change as important. Consequently, WEF identifies renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers and electric and autonomous vehicle specialists among the 15 fastest growing jobs. Environmental stewardship enters the Future of Jobs Report’s list of top 10 fastest growing skills for the first time.
With Alison’s support, individuals can master the science behind climate change, develop environmental management skills or pursue a career in the green energy sector.
As the battle to mitigate the impact of climate change intensifies, individuals advance in environmental stewardship through online courses on climate action and sustainable development.
Click the links for courses for:
Meeting the Demands of a Rapidly Changing World
In conclusion, the WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 paints a clear picture of a rapidly transforming world of work, driven by technological advancements, economic shifts, and the urgent need to address climate change.
Education underpins all social progress. Our aim is to harness technology to make all education and skills training available to anyone, anywhere for free.” Mike Feerick, Alison.com.
By embracing lifelong learning and focusing on the in-demand skills highlighted in the report – from AI proficiency and digital literacy to creative thinking, resilience, and environmental stewardship – individuals can not only navigate these changes but thrive in them.
Alison’s comprehensive library of free online courses provides a crucial resource for upskilling and reskilling, empowering learners to seize the opportunities of tomorrow and shape a brighter future for themselves and the global workforce.
*The World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 project team is Till Leopold, Attilio Di Battista, Ximena Játiva, Shuvasish Sharma, Ricky Li and Sam Grayling, alongside the wider team at the Centre for the New Economy and Society.
Read the full report or the report digest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the most significant trends shaping the future of work according to the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025?
A: The report highlights three major trends impacting the global economy and the job market: the rapid advancement and integration of technology (especially AI), the rising cost of living coupled with economic slowdown, and the urgent need for climate change mitigation and adaptation. These trends are reshaping industries, creating new job roles, and requiring workers to adapt and acquire new skills to remain competitive.
Q: What specific skills are identified as crucial for success in the future job market, and how can individuals acquire them?
A: The report emphasizes a blend of technical and human skills. On the technical side, AI and big data, cybersecurity, and technological literacy are highly sought after. Human skills like analytical and creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, leadership, and social influence are also critical. Platforms like Alison offer a wide range of free online courses that can help individuals develop these skills, from AI and software development to leadership training and environmental stewardship. Lifelong learning and continuous upskilling are essential for staying relevant in the evolving job market.
Q: How does the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 connect with Alison’s mission and resources?
A: The WEF report underscores the importance of accessible education and skills training to empower individuals to navigate the changing world of work. This aligns perfectly with Alison’s mission to provide free, high-quality education and skills training to anyone, anywhere. Alison’s extensive library of over 5,500 courses covers many of the in-demand skills identified in the report, including AI, digital literacy, leadership, and sustainability. By offering these resources for free, Alison helps individuals equip themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the future job market and contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous future.
Word of the Day: banal
The word banal has appeared in 195 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 25 in “How Do I Balance Being Fashionable With Being Professional?” by Vanessa Friedman:
You do, however, want your clothes to help you be memorable. As much as they shouldn’t suck up all of the attention from those around you, they shouldn’t be so boring that you fade into the background, or so banal that they make you seem thoughtless and uncreative.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word banal in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how banal can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
Favorite Sports Team
This room belongs to Dave Bergner, who, as you might suspect is a Philadelphia Eagles superfan. His collection of Eagles paraphernalia includes 300 jerseys, 200 hats, and an assortment of drink koozies, license plates, bobbleheads, Christmas decorations and more.
Is there a sports team you love as much as Mr. Bergner loves the Eagles?
Tell us about your favorite team, whether local, amateur, college or professional. Why do you love them? What memories do you have of watching them play? What does this team mean to you, your family or your community?
How do you express your devotion to this team? If you could, would you have a shrine like the one pictured above?
Tell us in the comments, and then read the related article to learn more about Mr. Bergner’s extreme Eagles fandom. Then, head over to our related Student Opinion prompt to weigh in on who you think will win in the face off between the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this weekend.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Will You Be Watching Super Bowl LIX?
In The Athletic, the sports service from The New York Times Company, Mike Jones outlines the top story lines to follow ahead of the big game. Here are three:
Eagles-Chiefs rematch
Two years after they met in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles and Chiefs face each other again.
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts delivered a dazzling performance in his Super Bowl debut, passing for 304 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 70 yards and three more touchdowns. His Eagles held a 27-21 lead entering the fourth quarter before the Chiefs scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 35-27 lead with 9:22 left to play. Hurts and the Eagles responded with another touchdown drive, but in the final five minutes of action, Patrick Mahomes marched his team downfield for a 27-yard Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds left for the 38-35 victory.
Chiefs’ pursuit of history
With three Super Bowl victories in five years, the Chiefs already have achieved dynasty status. But they’re not done yet. They have their sights set on additional historic feats.
A victory Sunday would make the Chiefs the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row. Kansas City also would join the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers as teams with five Lombardi Trophies, trailing only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have six.
Mahomes has a personal legacy to add to. If he wins Sunday, he’ll tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the second-most Super Bowl victories by a quarterback, with four. Tom Brady leads the list with seven rings.
Officiating under the microscope
… Officiating came under scrutiny again in this year’s AFC Championship Game because of two controversial plays. On one, Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy was awarded a catch even though Bills safety Cole Bishop also appeared to possess the ball, which also seemed to hit the ground (but didn’t move). On another, the Chiefs were deemed to have stopped Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen on a fourth-and-1 sneak attempt, even though some camera angles appeared to show Allen crossing the line to gain a first down. Replay review upheld both calls, but that hasn’t quieted skeptics, who believe the Chiefs receive favorable treatment from game officials.
The Chiefs, Eagles, their fans and the N.F.L. as a whole can only hope this Super Bowl isn’t decided by any controversial calls.
Are there other Super Bowl stories you may be following?
Perhaps you have been noticing the rise in fashionable football apparel:
Almost exactly a year ago, Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of the San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who had been happily D.I.Y.-ing her own game-day merch, became the Cinderella of her own fashion fairy tale when Taylor Swift wore one of Ms. Juszczyk’s custom-made jackets to watch her new boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play football. Before you could say touchdown, she had 1.2 million Instagram followers, a licensing deal with the N.F.L. and was chosen to make a jacket for the winner of the Indy 500.
… or you have been looking forward to Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance:
After sweeping the Grammys on Sunday, Lamar’s ubiquitous Drake diss could be the centerpiece of the halftime show. That, it bears mentioning, is pretty strange.
… or you have been following the news that the N.F.L. might remove the “End Racism” messaging in the end zones ahead of Sunday’s game:
At his annual Super Bowl news conference Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell strongly supported the league’s policies designed to promote diversity at the club-employment level and said they would continue.
But during Super Bowl LIX, and with President Donald Trump apparently planning to attend on Sunday, the NFL might be making another kind of statement on the Caesars Superdome field itself. According to two league sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, league officials recently changed one of the slogans expected to be stenciled in the back of an end zone from “End Racism” to “Choose Love.”
Students, read one or more of the articles above, and then tell us:
Are you planning to watch Super Bowl LIX? If so, what are you most looking forward to — the game, the commercials, the parties, the halftime show or something else? If you’re not planning to watch, why not?
If you’re a football fan, what do you think of the matchup between Kansas City and Philadelphia? Which side are you rooting for? What team do you think will win? Which players do you think will stand out and why?
Which Super Bowl story has been most compelling to you? Is it one of the stories mentioned above or another that you’ve been following on your own? Whatever it is, tell us why it has your attention.
What do you think about the choice of Kendrick Lamar as the halftime performer? If you could see anyone perform at the Super Bowl, who would it be, and why?
What predictions do you have about the game or anything else related to it, such as which way the coin toss will go, how long Jon Batiste will sing the national anthem or whether Travis Kelce will propose to Taylor Swift after the game? (Yes, those are all real bets fans are making ahead of this year’s game.)
Why do you think the Super Bowl is such a big deal in American culture? Is it more than just a game? What do you think it means culturally, and why?
