McGraw Hill announced that it has entered into a transaction support agreement to address its near-term debt maturities. The contemplated transaction will extend all material debt maturities through late 2024. “Following a strong performance in the critically important back-to-school period, we are pleased to announce a comprehensive refinancing that addresses all near-term debt maturities”, said Garet Guthrie, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. ”The comprehensive refinancing is underpinned by the confidence that lenders and investors have in our business and will allow us to continue to execute on our digital growth strategy and to unlock the potential of learners around the world.”

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many school children were receiving less instruction on handwriting, especially cursive writing. But a July 2020 study by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) showed that, despite the move to remote learning and more time spent with screens and keyboards, children (and adults) still benefit from writing in cursive. The benefits of cursive writing, particularly for students with dyslexia, have been noted for several years. Researchers have found that all students benefit from learning handwriting. It improves hand-eye coordination, boosts memory and stimulates brain development. Dyslexia Awareness Month offers another opportunity to highlight how handwriting can help students with dyslexia, a learning disability that affects reading, spelling and writing. For these students, learning cursive writing can be the difference between underachievement and a successful academic experience.

If you're like me, sending a letter or package across the country through the US Postal Service feels like a game of chance. Will it get there in a week -- or two? During the first quarter of this year, around 20% of first-class mail across the US was delivered late. And now snail mail is about to get slower for some of the 160 million residences and businesses that rely on the Postal Service. Starting Oct. 1, the USPS will implement new service standards for its first-class mail and packages, lengthening delivery time for about 30% of its volume. That means some letters, parcels and magazine subscriptions traveling longer distances could take up to five days to arrive, instead of two or three days. The changes are part of a 10-year plan called Delivering for America to overhaul the agency and try to tackle its $160 billion debt. The plan would also reduce post office hours and raise prices for customers, and there'll be even more postage hikes during the peak holiday season. more at source