San Diego, CA
Meet Estella, the Chula Vista girl in Disney new Christmas special
Estella Madrigal spends most days attending fourth grade with her fellow students at Eastlake Elementary in Chula Vista.
However, this Friday, millions of strangers can listen to her when the animated “An Almost Christmas Story” begins streaming on Disney+.
And that’s not even the 9-year-old’s biggest achievement.
Estella Madrigal is the voice of “Luna,” a lost girl who befriends a lost and injured owl in New York City at Christmas-time.
“I almost cried when I got the part,” beamed Estella Madrigal before school started Wednesday.
Her classmates didn’t believe her at first.
“But then I showed them the trailer and now they believe me.”
Producers for the animated short wanted “Luna’s” voice to come from someone with a similar background.
“It definitely felt like I had a connection with my character,” Estella Madrigal explained.
“It was written for her,” said her mother, Karen Madrigal. “[The producers] were literally looking for a Latina girl that had an amputation.”
Doctors found a tumor in Estella’s right leg a few years ago. The young girl chose to have her right leg amputated instead of risk the cancer returning. The almost 10-year-old is now cancer-free.
“I always wanted to meet somebody my age who also had an amputation,” Estella Madrigal said. “So, I finally got to meet her.”
Estella Madrigal’s character “Luna” has a prosthetic leg. Her owl companion has a hurt wing.
Karen Madrigal said her daughter has been on an amazing journey.
“Just the fact that we were able to do that and not be at Rady [Children’s Hospital], not be locked in a hospital, it’s a blessing,” she smiled. “I just hope that story inspires others.”
It seemed to be something Estella Madrigal is good at doing.
“When you’re going through something different, you can obviously beat it,” she said before beginning another day of fourth grade.
San Diego, CA
San Diego Unified leaders propose policy to limit technology in classrooms
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego Unified School District leaders Tuesday announced an effort to better integrate technology in classrooms and reduce excessive media consumption, to be voted upon by the school board Tuesday evening.
If the Board of Education approves the proposed resolution at Tuesday evening’s meeting, the first changes would go into effect on Aug. 10, the first day of the 2026-27 school year.
The proposed changes include:
— Prohibiting video-streaming platform use such as YouTube on individual devices;
— Prohibiting non-instructional gaming platform use on individual devices; and
— Removing computer carts from Transitional Kindergarten classrooms, while still allowing for access to devices for students with needed accommodations.
“Technology has expanded educational opportunities for students in ways we could not have imagined a generation ago,” Board President Richard Barrera said. “But our responsibility is to ensure technology serves students – – not the other way around. This resolution takes thoughtful, research-based steps to reduce passive screen time and create more opportunities for students to engage with their teachers, collaborate with their peers, and develop the communication, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives.”
Other facets of the proposal, which would be phased in over the course of the next year, include:
— Developing age-appropriate device usage guidance;
— Limiting screen time outside established time frames;
— Expanding family resources and parent controls;
— Strengthening digital citizenship instruction;
— Reviewing instructional software annually; and
— Continuing evaluations of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
District leaders said that while technology remains an important learning tool, excessive screen time and passive digital media consumption can “negatively impact attention, academic performance, sleep, social-emotional development, and overall student well-being.”
The impetus of the resolution is not to remove technology from classrooms, its proponents say, but to instead support diverse learning needs while “creating more opportunities for meaningful human interaction, student engagement, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.”
“One of the strengths of this resolution is that it recognizes these decisions should not be made in isolation,” Board Trustee Shana Hazan said. “Families, educators and community partners have helped elevate this conversation, and their voices will continue to guide this work. Technology remains an important educational tool, but it should never replace the relationships, creativity, collaboration, and human connection that are at the heart of a great education.
“This resolution creates a framework for bringing diverse perspectives together to determine what is best for students at every stage of their development,” Hazan added.
District leaders say if the resolution passes, staff will work with advisory groups such as the Community Advisory Committee, District Advisory Council and District English Learner Advisory Committee to further refine ideas.
San Diego, CA
Who’s playing in the World Cup today? TV schedule for June 23
Here’s who is playing in the 2026 men’s World Cup on Tuesday, June 23.
MORE: 2026 men’s World Cup standings, scores, brackets
World Cup TV Schedule June 23
Group Stage
Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT, Houston Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)
Group L: England vs. Ghana, 4 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. PT, Boston Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)
Group L: Panama vs. Croatia, 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT, Toronto Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)
Group K: Colombia vs. Congo DR, 10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. PT, Estadio Guadalajara (FS1, Telemundo, Peacock)
Note: Matches on Telemundo and Peacock are in Spanish.
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles schools superintendent resigns after FBI search and months on paid leave
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The superintendent of Los Angeles public schools has resigned four months after he was put on paid leave during a federal investigation, saying he wants students to learn “without distraction.”
Alberto Carvalho ‘s resignation letter dated Sunday made no direct mention of the FBI’s Feb. 25 search of his home and the LA Unified School District’s headquarters. Two days after the FBI served the search warrants, the district’s Board of Education voted unanimously to place Carvalho on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the district, which serves more than 500,000 students. The investigation appears to relate to a contract the school district had with an education technology company whose leader was later indicted for fraud. The company, AllHere, had a contract with the district to create an AI chatbot.
Before becoming the Los Angeles superintendent in 2022, Carvalho had spent his entire education career in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he drew national praise for improving graduation rates and academic achievement among Black and Hispanic students. While advocating for Miami’s immigrant students, he spoke openly about his own struggles as a young recent arrival from Portugal working in restaurants and construction while homeless at times.
Under Carvalho, the Los Angeles district had been making strides. Students’ academic growth has outpaced the state average in recent years and students have bounced back from pandemic learning loss. Voters overwhelmingly passed a $9 billion construction and modernization bond, the school system’s largest ever.
Carvalho has denied wrongdoing
Authorities have not accused Carvalho of any crimes. He denied any wrongdoing earlier this year and had asked to be reinstated as head of the nation’s second-largest district. On Sunday he resigned via a letter addressed to “students, families, teachers, staff, and community.”
“Placing students first has always guided my work,” Carvalho wrote. “Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as Superintendent of LAUSD effective today, June 21, 2026.”
In its statement released early Monday, the Board acknowledged it received the letter of resignation.
“The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership. Our focus remains unchanged: providing every student with a high-quality education, supporting our dedicated workforce, and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve,” it said. in the statement.
It said that Andrés Chait, who has been acting superintendent, will remain in that position until a permanent decision is made.
The FBI investigation has been linked to the maker of a school chatbot
In February, the FBI also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere.
In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.
At the time, Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interests of students and within the bounds of the law,” Holland & Knight, the law firm representing him, previously said in a statement. “While the government’s investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law.”
Following the search of school headquarters, LA Unified said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information.
Carvalho became superintendent of LA schools in 2022 on a four-year contract with an annual salary of $440,000. He began a new four-year contract in February, just weeks before the raid, for the same salary, according to school board meeting documents.
In Miami, Carvalho began his education career as a high school physics teacher in the 1980s and climbed the administrative ranks. He led the district for nearly 14 years.
In 2020, a nonprofit he founded to support Miami schools drew scrutiny after it solicited a $1.57 million donation from an online education company doing business with the district. The district’s inspector general later determined the donation didn’t violate state or district ethics policies but did create the “appearance of impropriety” and should be returned, according to The Miami Herald. Instead of returning the funds, the foundation distributed the money to Miami-Dade teachers in the form of $100 gift cards.
Toness reported from Boston.
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