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Jun 06 2026POLITICS

Military Religion Rules Get a Major Shrink

The U. S. military just cut its list of officially recognized faiths from over 200 down to 31. A memo went out to troops explaining the change was made to make it easier for chaplains to support service members based on their beliefs. But critics say this move strays dangerously close to favoring on

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Jun 06 2026RELIGION

Why some Americans are dying younger and how community plays a role

In the U. S. , a troubling rise in deaths from suicide, overdoses, and alcohol-related illnesses has been noticeable since the early 1990s. These deaths aren’t random—they mostly affect middle-aged white adults. Research links this trend to a drop in religious involvement over the same period. When

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Jun 06 2026RELIGION

Religious leaders and their mixed feelings about vaccines and baby tests

In a city in eastern Turkey, researchers talked to 200 Muslim clerics to see how they felt about two health topics: vaccines and a quick blood test newborns get right after birth. The clerics filled out a long survey about their own health habits, their views on childhood and adult vaccines, and the

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Jun 06 2026POLITICS

Skokie residents to vote on $53 million park upgrades

Skokie is considering letting voters decide in November whether to support a $53 million bond issue for new parks and upgrades. The plan includes creating Channelside Park South on an old industrial site and expanding Sports Park East with better sports fields and facilities. If passed, property tax

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Jun 06 2026BUSINESS

County Steps Forward to Help Revive Local Hotel

Shawnee County has taken a quiet but important step toward breathing new life into a historic downtown building. Officials recently approved a plan to support upgrades for Hotel Topeka, a project that could reshape part of the city center. The move allows up to $7 million in bonds to be issued, but

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Jun 06 2026POLITICS

New homes coming to Vermont for those in need

Vermont is taking big steps to tackle its growing housing crisis by investing $28 million to build 241 affordable apartments across seven towns. This push comes as the state faces rising construction costs and a sharp increase in homelessness since 2020—both nearly doubling in that time. With demand

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Jun 06 2026SPORTS

College baseball teams skip games because of a confusing ranking system

Every year, college baseball teams face a tough choice when scheduling late-season games. A hidden ranking called RPI decides which teams make the tournament, but it works in strange ways. If a strong team beats a weak opponent, it barely helps their RPI. But if they lose to that same team, their RP

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Jun 06 2026CRIME

What Happens When Legal Loopholes Clash with Justice?

In early 2025, a reality TV personality found himself locked up after a serious fight with the law. Reports say he was accused of a brutal act inside prison—a cellmate was killed, with officers describing the scene as a motionless body in a shared cell. Now, the accused man is fighting to have his m

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Jun 06 2026HEALTH

Why Texas spends more on child safety in some places than others

In Texas, families in big cities get way more help than families in small towns or rural areas. A recent look at all 254 counties showed that cities receive about ten times more home visits and family support programs than rural places. Yet, this spending doesn’t match where child abuse cases are ac

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Jun 06 2026CRIME

How Old Gold Treasures Led to a Museum Heist and Courtroom Drama

A Dutch museum lost some of Romania’s oldest gold treasures last year in a bold overnight robbery. Thieves blew up a back door to sneak in, sneaking off with a 2, 500-year-old helmet and three bracelets that once belonged to the Dacian people. The Drents Museum called the theft a major blow, while R

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