POLICY

Feb 25 2026POLITICS

Schools Lose Support as Education Office Passes Jobs to Other Agencies

The U. S. Department of Education is moving more of its duties to other federal bodies, a shift that could reshape how schools receive help and funding. Under new deals, the Health and Human Services (HHS) agency will manage certain grant programs that currently provide money for school safety and c

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Feb 25 2026POLITICS

UCLA Faces Legal Battle Over Alleged Campus Hate

The U. S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against UCLA, claiming the university fostered an environment hostile to Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff. The suit cites violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national

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Feb 25 2026POLITICS

Retail Stores Must Report Theft, but No Fines Imposed

In Douglas County, a new rule was approved that tells most retail shops in the unincorporated areas to tell law‑enforcement when someone steals from them. The county changed the original plan, which had set fines up to $1, 000 for businesses that didn’t report a theft. Instead of penalties, the deci

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Feb 25 2026POLITICS

Casey Means’s Surgeon General Bid: A Wellness Twist on Public Health

Dr. Casey Means, a 38‑year‑old wellness star who runs her own health app and books, will appear before the Senate Health Committee to try for the Surgeon General slot. The hearing was pushed back from October after she went into labor on the day of her original appointment. Means says she wants to

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Feb 25 2026CRIME

Texas Supplier Accused of Medicare Scam

A small medical supply shop in Austin is at the center of a federal complaint that says it billed Medicare for unnecessary urinary catheters. Investigators say the company, linked to a Russian citizen living in Texas, is part of a scheme that moved millions of dollars overseas. The complaint n

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Feb 25 2026POLITICS

A New Surgeon General on the Horizon

The Senate health committee will hear from Dr. Casey Means, a 38‑year‑old wellness advocate, on Wednesday as she seeks the top public health post in Washington. The meeting was pushed back from last October after Means unexpectedly went into labor the day she was scheduled to appear. During her t

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Feb 25 2026HEALTH

Art as Medicine: How Creative Touch Can Heal

A scientist in London began to notice that patients who watched shows or listened to music felt better, even when they didn’t need painkillers or could not remember names. This sparked a long career that mixed music, psychology and biology to prove that art can lower stress hormones, reduce inflamm

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Feb 25 2026POLITICS

Data Centers: The New Battleground for Local Politics

In many states, voters are starting to see data centers as a serious issue that can sway elections. A recent poll showed only 28 % of people would stop a new data center if it was built within three miles of their home, while the same number were unsure and 37 % supported it. The numbers differ slig

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Feb 25 2026EDUCATION

Community Schools, Not Competition: Building a Shared Future

South Bend’s recent debate over Clay High School shows how a city can get caught up in institutional pride instead of student needs. The real story is about preparing young people for a workforce that increasingly demands more than just a diploma. Nearly seventy percent of Indiana’s upcoming jobs

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Feb 24 2026FINANCE

Fed Holds Off on Rate Cuts While Inflation Sticks Above Target

The Chicago Fed chief, Austan Goolsbee, told a Washington conference that cutting interest rates now would be premature because inflation still lingers above the 2 % goal. He warned that past mistakes of assuming price rises were temporary should not be repeated. Goolsbee highlighted the latest d

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