The Supreme Court’s recent ruling struck down major parts of the Voting Rights Act, a move that shocked many who value civil rights. In Maryland, the decision triggered a shift in Senate President Bill Ferguson’s position on partisan redistricting. He now supports changes that could let the state’s
Alaska voters face a decision next year about how to choose their leaders. A new proposal wants to end the system that lets voters rank multiple candidates. It says the old way—pick one person—is clearer and fairer. The current method is more complex. Candidates run in a “top‑four jungle
The United States is running a high‑spending budget that will soon strain the national economy. While this is well known, fewer people realize how it affects state budgets and the everyday lives of residents. State workers, students, and Medicaid patients all feel the impact when federal money shrin
A new system called ART can build full 3‑D models of moving objects from only a handful of ordinary pictures. Unlike older methods that need slow calculations or work only on one type of object, ART treats the item as a set of stiff pieces that can rotate or slide. The technique uses a transfo
The new Hisense CanvasTV can act as a TV and an art wall. It shows movies, streams, or pictures when it’s not being watched. The screen has a matte finish that keeps images sharp in any light. A special coating blocks glare, so bright rooms are not a problem. During the holiday sale Amazon cuts the
The Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund gave out $13, 931. 47 this spring to 11 local arts and culture groups. The money went into projects ranging from summer theater camps to art therapy for people who survived brain injuries. The fund uses a competitive spring round. A panel of judges scores each
A wooden hotel, finished in just 105 days, now stands in the Loetschen Valley as a sign that people are trying to move forward after their village was swallowed by ice and rock. The building, called Hotel Momentum, was opened a year after the Birch glacier slid down and buried most of Blatten. The s
The conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has taken a new turn with the use of inexpensive, easily built drones that can evade Israeli defenses. A recent attack on an Israeli soldier by one of these “kamikaze” drones sparked a sharp reaction from high‑ranking officials in
A new law will give more money to Alaska’s Infant Learning Program, a free service that helps babies with developmental delays. The bill was approved by both houses of the state legislature and now waits for the governor’s signature. The program, run by 15 providers across the state, offers therapy
Education is the state’s biggest budget item, costing around 91 billion dollars for K‑12 and another 60 billion from local and federal sources. These funds shape the future of nearly six million students, and they also determine California’s economic health. Because of this, education is a top prior
