PACT

May 28 2026ENVIRONMENT

How climate change is making droughts worse and faster

Scientists have noticed something worrying about droughts lately. They’re not just lasting longer—they’re also starting suddenly and getting severe very quickly. This change didn’t happen by accident. Research shows the main causes of these fast-developing droughts have shifted. In the past, lack of

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May 28 2026FINANCE

Food prices keep climbing: why your next grocery run will cost more

Americans are noticing sticker shock when they reach for their favorite snacks and staples. After gas prices jumped earlier in 2026, food bills are now rising faster than wages. The problem started with back-to-back bad weather: record heat in early spring tricked plants into growing early, then lat

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May 28 2026SPORTS

South Carolina Football Takes Mental Health Seriously in 2026

Shane Beamer, South Carolina's head football coach, has made mental health a priority in his program. He made this change after seeing how players struggled under the stress of name-image-likeness (NIL) deals. These deals, which let college athletes earn money from their popularity, can add pressure

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May 27 2026SCIENCE

The Hidden Cost of Cutting Science Funds

Funding shortages are quietly harming medical progress. Clinical trials once offered lifelines to patients with advanced cancer, turning fatal diagnoses into manageable conditions. New treatments like gene-editing saved babies with rare metabolic disorders. Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer patients now

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May 25 2026ENVIRONMENT

Birds using trash: A quiet sign of human times

For centuries, birds have been mixing human-made objects into their nests. Cases like anti-bird spikes in Dutch cities or fiber optic cables in war zones show how animals adapt to environments shaped by people. But this isn’t new—ornithologists have noticed artificial materials in nests since the 18

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May 25 2026ENTERTAINMENT

A Decade of Summer Sounds in Syracuse

Ten years ago, Syracuse got a new summer tradition that turned out to be more than just another stage. The Lakeview Amphitheater, now called the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater, opened in 2015 with a single country concert. What started as a $50 million project quickly became a cornerstone

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May 25 2026BUSINESS

The Tech Leader Bringing New Mexico’s Innovators Together

Beverlie Frazier didn’t plan to become the face of New Mexico’s tech scene, but life had other plans. After losing her sales job in a company merger, she was told to create her own opportunity—leading a multimedia project that highlighted the state’s economic trailblazers. Now, she’s stepping into a

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May 24 2026OPINION

When Trouble Comes, What Really Holds Us Together?

Big problems don’t always bring people closer—sometimes they pull them apart. Whether it’s a flood, a disease, an economic crash, or a war, each crisis tests how well a group can work as a team. The way people depend on each other matters a lot. If a few people do all the heavy lifting or if some gr

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May 23 2026POLITICS

Gas prices jump across California—what it means for your wallet and beyond

California drivers are now paying over six dollars a gallon for gas, a sharp jump that didn’t happen overnight. Back in late winter, regular gasoline cost less than half that amount. War tensions in the Persian Gulf have cut oil shipments, squeezing the global supply like never before. Prices aren’

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May 23 2026LIFESTYLE

Rain or shine: what Cincinnati food lovers need to know before heading to the big festival

The weekend forecast for downtown Cincinnati doesn’t look great for food trucks and festival crowds. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are predicted from Friday through Saturday, which could throw a wrench into Memorial Day weekend plans. The city’s biggest food festival, celebrating local chefs and rest

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