It's Your Week. A racist baseball tradition takes center field.

Cases of champagne and Budweiser sat unopened outside the Braves clubhouse Sunday night. The Atlanta baseball team was one victory from their first World Series title in a quarter-century, then lost again.

Now facing the Houston Astros for Game 6 on Tuesday, the Braves – and their fans – are seeing more air-time. The pressure is on, and not just on the field.

Yes, we're talking about Atlanta's controversial celebratory chant, the "tomahawk chop."

"Adamantly defying a wave of immense social change in sports in this country, the Braves and Major League Baseball will give their racist chant its ultimate platform," writes sports columnist Christine Brennan for USA TODAY. The hand motion is a symbol the National Congress for American Indians admonishes. And one the MLB commissioner insists the Native American community supports.

It's Kristina and Alex, and this is Your Week, a Monday guide to the week's top stories. Your subscription allows our reporters and editors to dive into these intersectional issues of race and history, whether in the stadium or in the classroom. 

In today's edition, we explore how racism should be discussed in schools as educators across the country are navigating restrictions on teaching critical race theory.

First, our must-read stories

• A Florida foster mom facing a murder charge had two children removed from her care four months earlier following an abuse allegation, records show.
• In Opinion: Hiding from history, even the 'disgusting and gross' parts, doesn't protect us. It hurts us.
• A top Democrat and Republican are going after one of the most ubiquitous forces on Earth: Facebook.
• The rush is on: With vaccine orders placed, doctors and pharmacies prepare for a flood of young children.
• America's public servants are being terrorized with death threats. The 'emotional toll' is lasting.
• Did America’s schools open safely? We crunched the latest data on COVID-19 and kids.
• American climate credibility in question at COP26 with President Joe Biden's agenda in flux.

Schools can still teach the full US history under critical race theory bans

Under a new Texas law targeting critical race theory, teachers can't make students feel guilty on account of their race. But educators shouldn't just avoid controversial topics, experts tell USA TODAY education reporter Alia Wong. 

Schools keep talking about critical race theory and DEI. Let's first define these terms:

• Critical race theory is an academic framework that examines if, and how, systems and policies perpetuate racism. 
• DEI is an acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion. It is often used to lump all diversity, equity and inclusion programs a district or school may be implementing together. 

Experts say there are ways to get ahead of the ban:

• Some suggest teachers make their curriculum and exams transparent to parents.
• One teacher is even letting parents sit in on history lessons. 
• And some teachers are even taking what they call a “show versus tell” approach – demonstrating they believe Black lives matter without uttering that phrase, for example. 

"Unless empathy and compassion are outlawed, educators can and should and will continue to advocate for historically marginalized students," said Stacey McAdoo, who was Arkansas’ 2019 Teacher of the Year and is the founding state director for the nonprofit Teach Plus. 

Want to learn more about critical race theory? Jump in here:

• Here's what happens when conservative school boards gain power at districts around the country.
• Critical race theory bans are adding more anxiety to stressed teachers: 'It's like walking a tightrope'

Conversation starters

The Great Resignation | As more Americans quit their jobs, exhausted colleagues are also heading for the exit. “It’s become a vicious cycle of sorts,” says Johnny Taylor, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. In August, a record 4.3 million workers quit jobs for myriad COVID-19-related reasons. Now, the ramifications of the mass exodus is being felt by overworked, and questioning if they're being underpaid.

Welcome to #SwingTok | Pineapples – upside-down pineapples, specifically – serve as a signal: that you and your partner are swingers. Don't believe us? Head over to #SwingTok. Pineapples are plentiful on social media app TikTok across the hashtag, which has amassed more than 582 million views. But what exactly is swinging? How is it different from other non-monogamous relationships, such as open relationships or polyamory? USA TODAY's David Oliver explains.

'Tis the season to invest | What's the best month for stocks? Hint: the next four weeks. The start of the holiday season is typically a strong time of year on Wall Street, a pattern that analysts point to as a reason to remain optimistic that the stock market will remain at all-time highs following a turbulent September. “We all assume December is the best month, but November is actually better and gets very little fanfare," said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial. "Maybe it should be a month for the bulls, not for turkeys.”

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Thanks for reading, and see you next week!

Alex and Kristina