BUD

Apr 11 2026EDUCATION

Where Fitness Meets Community: What Happens When a Special Program Disappears?

For over forty years, a small but powerful program at Napa Valley College gave people with disabilities a place to move, heal, and belong. Some came to rebuild strength after strokes or surgeries. Others found their first taste of independence in a gym built with ramps and adaptive machines. A 92-ye

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Apr 10 2026SCIENCE

NASA's future in question as budget cuts threaten key missions

The White House's 2027 budget plan proposes slashing NASA's science funding by nearly half, putting over 50 missions at risk. This includes active spacecraft like Juno, which has studied Jupiter for nearly ten years, and New Horizons, which explored Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Even missions that just

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Apr 10 2026POLITICS

Austin’s Police Unions Push Back Against Accountability

Austin’s police unions have found a new way to shift blame away from officers accused of misconduct. When an officer injured a protester in 2020, the unions filed a legal motion arguing that poor training—not the officer—should take the fall. But here’s the catch: they’ve known about training issues

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Apr 10 2026POLITICS

Ellsworth invests big in a new fire truck for safety updates

The city of Ellsworth decided to spend $866, 000 on a brand-new fire engine. The old one being replaced is 19 years old, making it harder to rely on. Rather than fixing the aging fleet piece by piece, the fire department is upgrading entire vehicles to avoid old equipment breaking down when it matte

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Apr 09 2026FINANCE

Budget Meeting Chooses Projects for Next Year

The town’s Select Board and Finance Committee met to decide how much money would go toward new projects. They looked at the town’s total budget of $34. 66 million, which is about $1. 83 million less than last year’s amount. A big part of that money, 57 percent or $16. 47 million, is for the lo

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Apr 08 2026LIFESTYLE

Smart ways to cut summer costs with your phone plan

Summer always seems to drain wallets faster than expected. Between more trips to the beach and frequent outings, expenses pile up quickly. Instead of cutting back on fun, many people look for clever ways to balance their spending without giving up what they love. One smart approach is checking what

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Apr 08 2026POLITICS

A Quick Look at Massachusetts' Health Funding Fix

Massachusetts just set aside another $300 million to keep public workers' health plans running until summer. Lawmakers pushed this through fast, signing the bill the same day it cleared both chambers. The money targets the Group Insurance Commission, which handles health plans for roughly 460, 000 p

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Apr 08 2026POLITICS

Budget Delays in New York: A Habit or a Problem?

New York’s state budget is late again this year, but no one seems shocked. Lawmakers have grown used to missing deadlines—this is the fifth year in a row. Instead of rushing to finish, many took a two-week holiday during Passover and Easter, leaving essential work for later. One Democratic senator e

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Apr 07 2026POLITICS

Trump Pushes for Record Defense Spend as Pentagon Eyes New High‑End Weapons

The U. S. administration is asking Congress for the biggest defense budget hike in 75 years, aiming to reshape the military’s industrial base and introduce cutting‑edge systems. The proposal includes a 44 % rise in the overall budget for fiscal year 2027, starting this October, and a 77 % jump in

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Apr 07 2026POLITICS

NASA’s science budget faces another big cut—what’s really at stake?

For the second year in a row, a new budget plan suggests slashing NASA’s science spending by nearly half. If passed, missions studying planets, stars, and Earth’s climate could be delayed or scrapped entirely. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch soon, and missions to Titan and near-

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