REV JOSHUA C ROBERTSON

Jun 09 2026TECHNOLOGY

\\Upgrading Columbia’s Meters: A Big $42M Tech Leap\\

Columbia plans a costly upgrade that will swap out almost 54, 000 electric meters and about 53, 000 water meters for new digital versions. The goal is to stop the old system’s slow hand‑reading, broken devices and hidden leaks by letting data travel wirelessly to the city’s computers. The plan sa

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Jun 09 2026POLITICS

China’s Arms Game: Strong Sales, Weak Reach

China has spent decades building a powerful weapons industry. The country now appears in the top five worldwide when it comes to selling military gear, according to a respected global tracker. Yet the real story is more nuanced than those numbers suggest. A key problem is that China’s armaments hav

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Jun 09 2026POLITICS

When leaders cross the line: A president's controversial final days

Colombia’s outgoing president has spent his last months in office making headlines—not for policy wins, but for social media outbursts. In a recent post, he responded to an opinion piece by using a phrase tied to one of history’s darkest regimes. The article in question praised a conservative candid

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Jun 09 2026EDUCATION

Money Basics Now Part of California High School Plans

California will soon ask every high schooler to take a money management class before walking out with a diploma. The state wants teens to leave school knowing how to open a bank account, handle credit cards, and spot risky loans. Three years ago, some schools jumped ahead. Fresno Unified put the cla

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Jun 09 2026SCIENCE

Understanding how algae fight back when water is cleaned

Cleaning water before it reaches our taps often involves adding chlorine to kill harmful algae. But algae have a clever trick—they wrap themselves in sticky layers called extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS. These layers act like shields, protecting the algae from chlorine’s effects. Scientis

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Jun 09 2026SPORTS

What drives a young NFL star? Caleb Williams shows us

Caleb Williams wasn’t born with a football in his hands and a dream of greatness. At ten years old, after a tough loss where his team couldn’t score, he got benched— not for bad play, but for too much energy. Instead of quitting, he decided then and there that he’d never let his team feel that way a

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Jun 09 2026POLITICS

What Chicago’s Ethics Rules Really Mean When Big Money Talks

Chicago’s mayor has a rule: no campaign money from companies that do city work. But over the years, money still slips through. This time, an IT firm called EKI-Digital—already under fire for possible overbilling—sent a $250 donation to the mayor’s campaign. The timing is awkward. Just last year, the

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Jun 09 2026EDUCATION

New Study Paths in Nature Care: Online Degrees Take Root in Maine

Colleges aren’t just teaching the usual subjects anymore. In Maine, one university is focusing on jobs that help protect animals and plants. Three fresh degree programs are now open online in marine biology, wildlife care, and wildlife management. Alongside these, four short certificate courses have

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Jun 08 2026SCIENCE

The Hidden Journey of HIV‑Treated Immune Cells

CD8⁺ T cells are the body’s frontline defenders against viruses. When HIV takes hold, these cells become overworked and lose their power. Doctors give patients antiretroviral therapy (ART) to stop the virus from multiplying, but many immune problems linger. Scientists used a new technique tha

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Jun 08 2026SCIENCE

Cotton’s Battle Against Salt: New Ways to Keep the Crop Growing

Cotton can grow in many places, but salty soil is a big problem. The plant first feels the salt as water pressure changes and then later deals with too many ions inside its cells. Cotton’s reaction is a teamwork of sensors on the cell wall, channels that let ions in or out, and calcium signals that

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