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Montana hurries to adopt Trump's Medicaid work rules amid budget woes

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Montana plans to be one of the first states to enforce President Donald Trump’s work mandate for Medicaid enrollees, adding another challenge for state health officials trying to plug a massive budget hole.

Clinicians and patient advocates say the incoming changes will deliver a twofold blow: They expect the work requirements to kick more ...Read more

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More megachurches want to be your alma mater

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In the heart of the Bible Belt, a small Methodist college graduated its final class in May 2024, shutting its doors after 168 years.

Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama, was a Christian private liberal arts school that counted among its graduates members of Congress, famous musicians, Pulitzer Prize winners and the former ...Read more

Saja Tawalbeh/Dreamstime/TNS

Political play or budget fix? Competition for NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab management comes at a fraught moment

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LOS ANGELES — Weeks after Trump administration officials announced that management of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory would open to competitive bidding for the first time, questions remain as to why Caltech could lose control of the lab its researchers founded in 1936.

On one hand, observers note, high-profile delays and cost overruns on ...Read more

Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/TNS

States face tight timeline as feds unveil new Medicaid work requirement rules

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The federal government released new guidance this week on how states should roll out the Medicaid work requirements that will affect healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.

The new interim rule, issued by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is intended to give states more details on how they’re supposed to verify the ...Read more

MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Scott Pelley fired from '60 Minutes' after accusing CBS News bosses of 'murdering' the program

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Scott Pelley, a signature on-air talent for “60 Minutes,” was ousted from CBS News a day after he blasted the division’s top management over the firing of the program’s executive producer and two correspondents.

“We have parted ways with Scott Pelley,” the newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton said in a message sent to ...Read more

Abbas Fakih/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

US, Iran exchange military strikes to put fresh strains on ceasefire

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WASHINGTON — U.S. forces intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones aimed at neighboring Middle East countries and struck a command center in the Islamic Republic in response — the latest flare-up to test a fragile ceasefire.

U.S. Central Command said Iran on Tuesday launched several ballistic missiles toward countries including ...Read more

Workers prepare to burn imported plastic waste at a dump in East Java, Indonesia, in 2018. Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

A lot of ‘recycled’ plastic is being burned overseas – and causing widespread pollution linked to health problems

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Picture a pile of trash the size of Manhattan and taller than one and a half Empire State Buildings. That’s how much plastic waste the world is predicted to be generating every year by 2050 if nothing is done to change course.

It’s easy to think of recycling as the solution, but the vast majority of plastic waste now ends up in ...Read more

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images North America/TNS

US proposes broad tariffs of at least 10%, citing forced labor

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WASHINGTON — The United States is proposing tariffs of at least 10% on imports from most major trading partners following an investigation into forced-labor practices, as President Donald Trump seeks to rebuild the sweeping tariff wall struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 10% rate would apply to imports from Canada, Mexico, the European...Read more

One hostage released, multiple others remain trapped amid bomb threat at Bakersfield bank

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Police are negotiating with a man believed to be in possession of a bomb who is holding multiple people hostage inside a Chase Bank in downtown Bakersfield, authorities said.

Officers with the Bakersfield Police Department responded to a confirmed bomb threat at the Chase Bank at Chester Avenue and 17th Street on Tuesday afternoon, the ...Read more

Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Trump administration and Philly clash in court over President's House slavery exhibit as 250th nears

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PHILADELPHIA — In just a month’s time, tourists are expected to flood Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park in anticipation of celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States on July Fourth.

But it remains unclear which version of history visitors will see at the President’s House Site — one of the park’s ...Read more

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Supreme Court rules Alabama may redraw congressional maps to oust a Black Democrat

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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday night that Alabama Republican leaders may redraw their congressional voting districts to oust a Black Democrat and elect a white Republican.

The court’s conservatives, who ruled for Louisiana Republicans in a redistricting dispute, extended that decision to Alabama. The three liberals dissented....Read more

Ethan Wolin/The Sacramento Bee/TNS

California man attempts to board plane with explosive, 5 phones and a very ominous text

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Wearing a scarf around his face and blue latex gloves on his hands, a 49-year-old man already had a suspicious look about him as he approached TSA agents at Sacramento International Airport on Saturday night.

But it was the contents of his carry-on bag that proved truly unnerving.

Inside his backpack, agents found a knife, other bladed weapons...Read more

Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/TNS

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoes 'surveillance pricing' bill prioritized by legislative Democrats

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DENVER — For the second time in a year, Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed legislation that was intended to curb the use of price-setting algorithms in Colorado.

On Tuesday, Polis rejected House Bill 1210, which would’ve prohibited companies from using the vast amounts of data collected on Coloradans to set individualized prices on goods like ...Read more

Edmund Lowe/Dreamstime/TNS

Gen Z is more optimistic than Boomers, but less attached to America, poll finds

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A new national poll shows how Americans feel about our country as we approach the United States’ 250th birthday.

Elon University Poll results show an optimism among younger Americans and pride in being American across generations, even though those polled think the nation’s founders would be disappointed.

Read on to see how results break ...Read more

MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Scott Pelley fired from '60 Minutes' after accusing CBS News bosses of 'murdering' the program

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Scott Pelley, a signature on-air talent for "60 Minutes," was ousted from CBS News a day after he blasted the division's top management over the firing of the program's executive producer and two correspondents.

"We have parted ways with Scott Pelley," the newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton said in a message sent to staff Tuesday.

...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Here's what federal changes could mean for cannabis laws in Virginia

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RICHMOND — The legislative commission tasked with overseeing Virginia’s transition to a retail cannabis market met Tuesday morning to hear how federal changes to cannabis policy could impact Virginia. The short answer, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures — there are still a lot of questions.

In April, the federal ...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

DeSantis has claims about his tax amendment. Here's what it actually does

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has made some bold claims about his property tax plan since unveiling it last week.

He’s said 92% of primary homeowners could pay no property taxes. He’s touted a state fund that will help rural counties weather the shortfall.

Some of those claims are outdated thanks to the Legislature, which ...Read more

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Blanche says 'anti-weaponization' fund not moving forward

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WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping its plans for a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” after a wave of bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill.

His comments mark an abrupt reversal for the Justice Department amid criticism that the money would amount to a slush ...Read more

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America/TNS

Analysis: Trump's Netanyahu problem is latest key hurdle to Iran deal

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has spent months projecting confidence that a deal to end the Iran conflict is within reach. Israel’s determination to press ahead with its own objectives underscores his tenuous control over the outcome of the crisis.

The latest diplomatic rupture followed days of Israeli military escalation against ...Read more

Francis X. Donnelly/The Detroit News/TNS

Search for Michigan woman Lynette Hooker resumes in Bahamas, report says

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The Coast Guard is resuming its search for a missing Michigan woman in the waters surrounding the Bahamas.

Divers with the Coast Guard have arrived and are preparing to reenter the Sea of Abaco in search of Lynette Hooker, 56, CNN reported, citing a U.S. official familiar with the investigation.

Coast Guard media spokespersons didn't ...Read more