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Apr 28 2026POLITICS

Health CEOs Face Cost Questions in Congress

The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to probe why health care costs keep climbing. Instead of defending their own practices, the CEOs from big hospital groups stepped up to point out how political decisions by the opposing party push prices higher. Earlier this year, insurance lea

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Apr 28 2026WEATHER

Cold Snap Hits Virginia Wineries Hard

The chill that swept through Virginia last week knocked out a huge chunk of the state’s grape harvest. Temperatures fell to about 24 degrees in Charlottesville, turning a normal winter night into a hard freeze that rattled vineyards from Northern Virginia all the way down to New Kent County. T

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Apr 28 2026SCIENCE

How Talking Helps Babies Learn Sounds in Different Worlds

In many parts of the world, babies grow up hearing a lot or very little talking. Researchers wanted to see if the amount of speech aimed at a child matters for how well babies learn the sounds that make up words. They studied two very different places: a rural highland community in Bolivia where peo

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Apr 28 2026SCIENCE

New way to fight gum disease by tweaking immune cells

Gum disease attacks the gums and the bone that holds teeth in place. The body’s defense cells called macrophages shift to a bad state that keeps damage going. Scientists looked for a simple tool that could flip these cells back to a repair state. They picked polydopamine, a natural coating that many

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Apr 28 2026OPINION

How to honor someone after they're gone without breaking the bank

Losing someone changes everything. Families often want to share memories but don't know where to start. Newspapers offer a way to do this through paid notices, but the process can feel confusing and expensive. These notices aren't just announcements—they're a chance to celebrate a life lived. Yet th

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Apr 28 2026BUSINESS

A fresh tie-up for high-end race week

Precision Drive Club just locked in a new ride ally for its Formula 1 weekend in Miami. Go Rentals, already a go-to name for wealthy jet-setters, will now handle every car need inside the fenced-off zone of Hard Rock Stadium. Instead of lining up at a regular desk, members glide straight from their

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Apr 28 2026ENTERTAINMENT

Behind the laughter: What really matters when hosts join SNL

Every week, Saturday Night Live faces a fresh challenge: turning a guest host's ideas into live sketches in just days. Some hosts arrive with pages of jokes, while others just show up ready to perform. Kenan Thompson, a long-time cast member, has seen it all. He’s noticed a pattern among the most su

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Apr 28 2026TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft and OpenAI change their AI partnership rules

A big tech deal just got bigger—and less restricted. Microsoft and OpenAI recently updated their long-term partnership, removing key restrictions that once gave Microsoft special control over OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI models. The old rules made Microsoft the only company allowed to sell OpenAI’s top

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Apr 28 2026TECHNOLOGY

Small Stores Get a Tech Upgrade Without the Big Bills

Independent shop owners often feel stuck between old cash registers and expensive software upgrades. Many can't afford the latest point-of-sale systems that big chains use daily. Two companies now say they have a solution that skips the sticker shock. Vibe Retail makes cloud-based software for stor

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Apr 27 2026BUSINESS

Napa’s Wine Scene Shifts: A Tasting Room Closes, Spirits Rise

Barber Cellars in Petaluma has announced that its downtown tasting room and cheese shop will shut down on June 5, after eleven years of serving guests with wine, food and laughter. The owners said the decision came from financial pressure in the current wine and tourism market, as well as personal h

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