MPA

Dec 17 2025POLITICS

Ohio's Education Shake-Up: Phonics vs. Old Methods

Ohio's higher education system is facing some changes. A recent state audit found that some big-name colleges, like Cleveland State, Ohio State, and Ohio University, are still teaching old-school reading methods. These methods have been proven not to work as well as the new "science of reading" appr

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Dec 17 2025FINANCE

Stock Market Insights: A Cautious Look at Recent Trends

Jim Cramer, a well-known market commentator, recently shared his thoughts on several companies during a TV segment. He advised caution with Lumen Technologies, suggesting the stock has seen a significant rise and might be due for a pause. This comes as Lumen recently appointed a new chief technology

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Dec 17 2025POLITICS

Health Care Subsidies: What's Next for Americans?

House Republicans are moving forward with a health care plan that skips extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. These subsidies, which helped many Americans afford health insurance, are set to expire at the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson had considered letting

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Dec 17 2025ENVIRONMENT

Coal's Unexpected Comeback: What's Driving the Surge?

Coal, once on the decline, is making a surprising comeback. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that global coal demand is expected to reach a record high this year. This is not what experts predicted. For the past three years, they thought coal use had peaked and would start to drop. But

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Dec 17 2025OPINION

Alaska's Salmon Struggle: Who's Really to Blame?

People are pointing fingers at the trawl fleet for Alaska's salmon troubles. But the numbers tell a different story. The pollock fishery's impact on salmon runs is surprisingly small. For example, in 2023, the pollock fishery caught just 5, 627 Western Alaska chinook salmon. That's a tiny fraction c

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Dec 17 2025POLITICS

Tech Giants and the Electricity Bill Debate

Three senators are digging into whether big tech companies are making regular people pay more for electricity because of their huge data centers. These centers use a lot of power, and the senators want to know if the companies are being fair about the costs. The senators, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Va

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Dec 17 2025ENVIRONMENT

Long Road Ahead: Highway 2's Big Repair Challenge

A big chunk of Highway 2, stretching about 49 miles between Skykomish and Leavenworth, is shut down. This isn't a quick fix. It's going to take months, maybe even longer. The damage is serious. Some parts of the road are completely gone. There's a bridge buried under tons of debris. And near Tumwate

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Dec 17 2025BUSINESS

Champaign County's Changing Food Scene: What's In and What's Out

Champaign County is seeing a lot of changes in its food and drink scene. Some familiar spots have shut down, while new ones are popping up. This shift shows how the area is always changing. New places are opening up all the time. Dutch Bros Coffee, a popular coffee chain, started serving drinks on

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Dec 17 2025BUSINESS

The Big Price Tag on Oracle's Cloud Deal

Oracle recently made headlines with a massive financial commitment. They agreed to pay a staggering $248 billion over 20 years. That's a lot of money! To put it into perspective, that amount could buy a lot of things. For example, you could purchase every piece of art in the Louvre. And still have e

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Dec 16 2025TECHNOLOGY

Smartphones Getting Pricier: What's Happening in 2026?

In 2026, the smartphone market is facing a tough time. Why? Because making smartphones is getting more expensive. This isn't just a small issue. It's a big problem that will affect all smartphone brands. The main reason is the cost of parts. Chips and memory, which are essential for smartphones, ar

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