Axios

The school year is once again beginning without enough teachers. Turnover rates are high and fewer young people want to go into the profession.

The big picture: According to research from Kansas State University's College of Education, there are more than 30,000 teacher vacancies in the U.S., and more than 160,000 jobs are filled by teachers who aren't qualified. Axios' Erica Pandey shares what states and districts are doing to try to solve this persistent problem.

• Plus, a rare and dangerous West Coast tropical storm.
• And, more Americans are falling behind on credit card payments.

A coup in Niger and its violent aftermath has Western powers including the U.S. scrambling to keep an anti-terrorism presence in the region, and the turmoil is also affecting China's relationship with the West African nation. As one of the largest investors in Niger, China has put billions into its oil sector, for one.

But across the continent in Tanzania, China's role looks different. There, the Chinese communist party's first overseas training institute is teaching its up-and-coming African leaders Beijing's approach to governing. It's part of China's plan to create an authoritarian-friendly political bloc in Africa.

Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian went to Tanzania as part of the investigative series "China's Shadow Empire," funded by the Pulitzer Center.

Go deeper:

• Inside a Tanzania training school where Beijing teaches African leaders its brand of authoritarianism
• China's Shadow Empire

Guests: Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian.

Credits: This special episode of Axios Today was produced by Lydia McMullen-Laird, Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.