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Feb 12 2026ENVIRONMENT

Data Centers: A Growing Concern for Illinois

Illinois is facing a big challenge with data centers. These huge facilities are popping up quickly, and they're causing some problems. They use a lot of water and electricity. This is making people's bills go up. Plus, they might be hurting the environment. A new law called the Power Act is being p

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Feb 12 2026OPINION

Climate Change: Is Fear the Right Way to Drive Change?

Global temperatures have been rising, with recent data showing that the past decade has been the hottest on record. The average global temperature in 2025 was about 1. 47 degrees Celsius higher than it was from 1850 to 1900. This increase is largely attributed to the burning of fossil fuels, which r

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Feb 12 2026SCIENCE

Building Smarter: How Designers Can Harness Wind for Greener Architecture

In the fight against climate change, architects are looking for ways to make buildings more eco-friendly. One big challenge is figuring out how wind affects buildings early in the design process. Most tools for this job are used late in the game, but small changes early on can make a huge difference

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Feb 12 2026CRYPTO

Young People Prefer Crypto Over Banks

Young folks today are not big fans of traditional banks. They trust crypto more. This is a big deal for banks. A recent study shows that Gen Z and millennials trust crypto almost five times more than older generations. About one in five young people don't trust banks much. But most baby boomers stil

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Feb 11 2026SCIENCE

Climate Debate Blog: A Fresh Look at the Facts

The blog “Watts Up With That” claims to be a top source for climate science. It gathers research, news and expert views about how Earth is changing and what that means for people. Its focus areas include the causes of global warming, predictions about future temperatures and how scientists study th

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Feb 11 2026CRYPTO

Ripple Teams With Aviva to Tokenize Funds, While XRP Stumbles Near $1. 30

Ripple has signed a deal with Aviva Investors, the investment arm of the UK insurer, to bring traditional funds onto its XRP Ledger. This marks Ripple’s first partnership with a European asset manager and could open the door for more institutional use of its blockchain. The ledger can issue tokenize

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Feb 11 2026BUSINESS

Mattel’s Stock Drops Despite Revenue Rise

Mattel, the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels, saw its share price fall sharply after reporting a lower net profit for the fourth quarter, even though total sales climbed. The company earned $106 million in net income for the period, translating to 35 cents per share. This is down from $141 million

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Feb 11 2026TECHNOLOGY

Zero Blockchain: A New Way to Run the World’s Markets

LayerZero Labs has rolled out Zero, a fresh blockchain that promises to solve the speed and scale problems that have stuck traditional crypto networks for years. The project pulls together big names from finance and tech, such as Citadel Securities, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC)

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Feb 11 2026BUSINESS

Bryan County Says No to Nickel Plant Incentives

The idea of building a nickel refinery in Georgia was meant to close the gap in the state’s electric‑vehicle supply chain, linking factories that make cars and batteries with a plant that turns raw nickel into the metal needed for high‑performance batteries. Instead of boosting local jobs and kee

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Feb 11 2026OPINION

Missing Voices: The Impact of a Sports Section’s Exit

The Washington Post recently shut down its sports department, leaving a noticeable gap in the world of sports journalism. When Commanders coach Dan Quinn met with reporters, he found three empty seats where Post journalists used to sit. He expressed disappointment and noted that the team misses thei

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