In The News

BOISE, Idaho — As the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act still awaits final approval, its much-needed benefits at the state-level are coming to light. For Idahoans, the bill’s passage entails investments in roads and bridges, water lines and pipes,... Read More

WASHINGTON -- As a number of states move towards enacting their own data privacy laws, the U.S. Congress should come up with its own comprehensive privacy statute enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, said FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips Monday. Having... Read More

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened investigations in five states to determine whether statewide prohibitions on the universal indoor wearing of face masks discriminates against students with disabilities. The five states that were... Read More

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Internet payment giant, PayPal, is reportedly exploring ways to allow its millions of customers to trade individual stocks. The market move was first reported by CNBC, and appears to be confirmed by the recently updated LinkedIn... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking information from the public and industry professionals on the digital engagement practices of investment advisors and brokers. These tools include behavioral prompts, differential marketing, game-like features (also known as gamification) and... Read More

Hospitals across the U.S. are experiencing nearly twice as many COVID-19 patients as last winter. Coupled with clinician staffing shortages, the situation is leading to increases in provider burnout.  “I think all clinicians in the country are tired. Last year... Read More

CHICAGO (AP) — The sergeant had so little use for the tablet that she did not bother to grab it from the seat of her squad car when she ran into the house where a suicidal man was screaming and... Read More

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union plans to recommend that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infection levels there, EU diplomats said Monday. A decision to remove the U.S. from a safe... Read More

The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission held numerous public hearings. It produced a report prioritizing redistricting criteria. Soon, the bipartisan panel will cap its work by drafting new voting maps for Indiana's nine U.S. House seats and 150 state legislative districts... Read More

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Ida rapidly grew in strength early Sunday, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane just hours before hitting the Louisiana coast while emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees despite the... Read More

CLEVELAND -- Early voting is now underway in Cleveland, where an unexpectedly robust race for mayor is headed into its final weeks before a Sept. 14, 2021 primary election. A total of seven candidates are vying to replace Frank Jackson,... Read More

This week the head of the United Nations warned that the violence in Tigray, located in northern Ethiopia, is imperiling the whole region, and he called for an immediate ceasefire. Brutal clashes in Tigray over the last nine months have... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation distributed a Flash report on Friday warning of indicators of compromise from the Hive ransomware known to have infiltrated business networks. The ransomware utilizes multiple mechanisms as attachments to gain access and “Remote... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The order issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday that blocked public schools from imposing mask mandates in the classroom was struck down by Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper. DeSantis’s order had been challenged in... Read More

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden formally unveiled plans on Friday to give civilian employees of the federal government a pay raise, effective Jan. 1, 2022. In a letter to House and Senate leadership, Biden said the across-the-board base pay increase... Read More

WASHINGTON -- More than five million households have enrolled in the emergency broadband benefit program since its launch in mid-May, the Federal Communications Commission said Friday. Coinciding with this milestone, the agency also began releasing more granular enrollment data to... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Congressional leaders signaled Wednesday that the historic $3.5 trillion social benefits package getting its last revisions before a final vote is likely to include support for more affordable housing. Housing provisions are some of the most controversial portions... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is vowing to complete the evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan after the deadly suicide bombing at the Kabul airport. He promised to avenge the deaths of 13 U.S. service members killed... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court's action ends... Read More

SOMERTON, Ariz. (AP) — It's a Thursday evening in Somerton, Arizona, and parents and students packed inside a middle school gym are roaring for the school's wrestling team at decibels that test the eardrum. The young wrestlers are seventh and... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans advanced new voting restrictions Thursday night after months of protests by Democrats, who after returning from a 38-day walkout are now all but out of ways to stop a bill that includes a ban... Read More

This article is by Emma Bryce and was originally published by Anthropocene magazine. Increasing land cover diversity in agricultural landscapes is about more than protecting nature: it could also increase crop yields across large areas of the United States by up to 20%,... Read More

A scientific report first published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell sheds new light on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and concludes that evidence of a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology is unlikely. Researchers studying the geographic locations... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is expected to rule within days on a lawsuit by associations of realtors that seek to overturn the federal extension of the eviction moratorium until Oct. 3. In a hearing on Monday, the realtors argued... Read More

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A pair of suicide bombings near the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, which happened on Thursday morning, killed civilians and American personnel, U.S. officials say. American officials suspect an affiliate group of the Islamic State... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Seven Capitol Police Officers filed a federal lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, and members of two right-wing extremist groups on Thursday over their role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The 71-page... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. - The Port of Virginia says it will lease a portion of its Portsmouth Marine Terminal to Dominion Energy in a bid to accelerate construction of the largest commercial offshore wind farm in the United States, and ensure... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces, according to a new poll, at a time when such mandates gain traction following the federal government's full approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is demanding a trove of records from federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, showing the sweep of the lawmakers' review of the deadly attack by a... Read More

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Just over half of Florida's 2.8 million public school students now face mandates to wear masks in classrooms as a courtroom battle continues over efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis to leave such decisions up to... Read More