Young students are still struggling to bounce back academically from the pandemic, even though many were babies at the time. In new data from research and testing company NWEA, first and second graders are scoring below kids pre-pandemic in math and reading. Math scores have risen a little each year. Reading scores have stayed flat. Researchers say the problem looks bigger than impacts from the pandemic. They point to emerging data that suggest parents are reading less to kids. Some districts say stronger phonics lessons and frequent check-ins help reading recover. And some states are expanding pre-K to boost early literacy.

A former deep-sea treasure hunter who spent more than a decade in prison after refusing to disclose the whereabouts of missing gold coins is now free. Federal records show Ohio-born research scientist Tommy Thompson was released from prison last Wednesday. Thompson made one of the great finds in American history in 1988 when he found what was known as the Ship of Gold off the coast of South Carolina. The wreckage held thousands of pounds of sunken treasure that sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years. A dispute over missing gold coins landed Thompson in prison while he contended he didn’t know their whereabouts.

This is the weekend when clocks move ahead, causing angst, lost sleep and health issues for many. Over the last decade, at least 19 states have passed laws to let them stay in daylight saving time if the federal government allows it. And some are giving serious consideration to staying in standard time — if their neighbors are willing to make the same move. There's not a clear consensus on what to do when every solution will still leave millions of Americans in the dark later in the morning or earlier in the evening than they would like for a chunk of the year.

Denmark is debating whether top-level cooking counts as art, and the country’s most theatrical restaurants sit at the center of it. The culture ministry is exploring formal recognition for gastronomy. Some chefs say food can carry ideas, emotion, and social messages, like modern performance art. They also say art status could unlock public funding and private grants. But others say food has a different purpose which must be consumed. Art voices say chefs could start competing for the same cultural money.

Some of the United States’ most important historical documents are beginning a first-of-its kind journey as part of the country’s 250th anniversary commemoration. The documents include the 1783 Treaty of Paris that formally ended the Revolutionary War and the 1774 Articles of Association that urged colonists to boycott British goods. They are rarely moved from their home at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., but will begin an eight-city tour on Monday. The first stop will be at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. Jim Byron, senior adviser to the acting archivist of the United States, says the documents are typically kept in vaults and have never before traveled together.

It might still be winter in Minnesota, but spring is in the air for people lined up at the Dairy Queen in Moorhead, Minnesota, for its annual opening. The event is a community tradition, no matter what the weather. The Dairy Queen “heritage store” has operated for 77 years and offers treats found almost nowhere else. People bundled up in coats, hats and gloves in freezing cold to line up Sunday for ice cream treats. March is very much a winter month in the upper Midwest, and the first day of the month can often bring subzero cold or heavy snow. But at the Moorhead Dairy Queen, it seemed like a bit of a summer day — almost.

Group chats now run much of daily life, and etiquette experts say a few simple habits keep them sane. In the latest One Tech Tip, The Associated Press shares tips from etiquette experts at Debrett’s on how to avoid annoying others. Think before you post, and match your message to the group’s purpose. In a practical chat, stay on task. In a social chat, light posts can fit. Keep messages short. Assume work chats can be forwarded. Use emoji carefully. In big groups, do not reply to everything. Mute noisy chats, and leave if needed.

The ranks of female high school athletes who tore their anterior cruciate ligament are growing fast and researchers are pressing the sports world to take the devastating injury more seriously and trying to bolster prevention efforts. Despite decades of research on it, parents, researchers and trainers say that information isn't being used enough by teams, coaches or sports leagues. High school-age female athletes are the most vulnerable, sustaining ACL injuries at higher rates than both adults and their male counterparts. Trainers and researchers say there are effective pre-workout warm ups and strengthening routines that are designed to reduce the risk of an ACL injury.

In the years Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green were released in 1996 for Nintendo Game Boy in Japan, marking the debut of Pokémon, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games and highly coveted trading cards. Friday marks the 30th year anniversary of Pokémon as its popularity continues into the next generation with fans young and old. Avid collectors may buy and sell cards for thousands of dollars each, with the fervor leading to a string of break-ins at card shops in California. Fans say they have found community around the game.