As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, many people in the U.S. are deeply concerned about the country’s future.

A recent poll by Elon University found that 69% of respondents “believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about modern American democracy.” ...Read more

In Watson v. RNC, decided June 29, 2026, liberal and conservative Supreme Court justices joined a noteworthy cross-ideological majority to uphold state grace periods for mail-in ballots. The decision, which went against President Donald Trump’s policy preferences, preserved the status quo, allowing states to accept and count mail-in ballots...Read more

Chemical giant Monsanto has argued for years that if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a pesticide label without requiring a cancer warning, states cannot hold its manufacturer liable in court for failing to warn consumers about cancer risks. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed, in a ruling issued on June 25, 2026, though some ...Read more

Florence Corcoran, an employee of South Central Bell Telephone Company, was eight months into a high-risk pregnancy when her obstetrician recommended she spend the final month on bed rest in the hospital, for close monitoring. Despite the recommendation, her health insurer determined that it would only cover partial-day at-home nursing care.<...Read more

Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. But their sense of embodiment and experience of health was markedly different from Americans today.

It goes deeper than not having aspirin, ...Read more

The Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission released its report on June 26, 2026, on the state of religious freedom in the United States, declaring it to be under attack.

The commission was established in May 2025 to identify and report on “emerging threats to religious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all ...Read more

Few substances are as deeply woven into everyday life as alcohol. It is a fixture at holiday celebrations, work-related social gatherings, sporting events, airports, and brunch or dinner tables. A raised glass for a toast, the ubiquitous wedding open bar or drinks shared during a Fourth of July celebration all demonstrate how deeply alcohol ...Read more

Russia unleashed one of the most intense missile and drone attacks on Kyiv so far this year, killing at least 17 people and injuring dozens, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s Air Defense said ballistic and cruise missiles were used in the overnight assault on Kyiv as well as jet-powered drones, while strikes were also reported in ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — John Morris was eager to mark the 250th anniversary of America with his annual fireworks show at Alamitos Bay.

Then, he discovered the California Coastal Commission would only approve a show using lighted drones, not real fireworks. He couldn’t believe it.

“Of course it’s going to be about fireworks,” Morris told the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A line stretched around the downtown Los Angeles immigration courthouse before doors even opened. Immigrants crowded waiting rooms and spilled into hallways as clerks raced to process around 100 people scheduled for an administrative hearing that morning.

In the last two months, these master calendar hearings have been coined "...Read more

GRANBY, Colo. — High in the Rocky Mountains, spring-fed streams and ponds have vanished, leaving patches of cracked mud in what were once spongy meadows.

This year has been so extremely warm and arid that the mountains have remained largely snowless. The water-generating source of the Colorado River, its headwaters, is drying up.

“I grew ...Read more

MIAMI — When people in Cuba describe the state of their healthcare system they don’t use phrases like “on the brink” or “serious shortages.” Health care on the island, which was already noticeably deteriorating before the current energy crisis, has now completely collapsed.

Most pharmacies are out of medications and people in need ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A decade after Congress first allowed federal funding to support clean needle programs, the Trump administration is backing off that policy, potentially risking progress made against hepatitis C, a deadly but curable virus mostly spread by people who inject drugs.

The administration now says funding can no longer support the ...Read more

Hundreds of people fill a downtown street for a protest, waving signs and chanting as they march past businesses and government buildings. Overhead, a police drone records video of the crowd. Nearby traffic cameras and license plate readers capture faces, vehicles and movements along the route.

With artificial intelligence, experts say, hours ...Read more

In the Supreme Court term that began in October 2025, the justices delivered major decisions in cases ranging from voting rights to citizenship to presidential power. The Conversation’s Politics and Legal Affairs Editor, Naomi Schalit, spoke with Dickinson College President John Jones, a former federal judge, about the court’s session....Read more

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to scrap guidance on radiation exposure for power plant workers that’s been in place since the mid-1970s.

The NRC has proposed replacing the “as low as reasonably achievable” standard, abbreviated as Alara, with regulations the agency considers more cost effective and less complex. The new ...Read more

DETROIT — Dotted and undotted i's, and loops in r's are among the evidence to be scrutinized by jurors who will decide whether a Hamtramck City Council member forged a signature on a woman's absentee ballot in 2023.

The Wayne County Circuit Court jury began deliberations Wednesday following three days of testimony, in which they heard from ...Read more