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Apr 18 2026POLITICS

Alabama missed a chance to regulate AI image abuse

Alabama lawmakers had a simple task last session: pass a bill that would stop tech companies from using AI to create and share sexual images of people without their consent. Instead, the bill died in committee, leaving Alabamians—especially women and kids—vulnerable to a growing problem. Right now,

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Apr 18 2026TECHNOLOGY

Europe bets big on homegrown cloud services for government work

The European Union just spent €180 million on cloud services from four homegrown providers. That’s a lot of money for digital storage that will run government agencies for the next six years. The deal is meant to cut down on Europe’s habit of relying on tech from outside the continent. Instead of us

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Apr 18 2026CRYPTO

Europe’s Move to Build a Stablecoin That Can Rival the Dollar

In 2026, Europe plans to launch its own digital coin tied to the euro. Major banks like ING and UniCredit have been working since late 2025 to create Qivalis, a stablecoin that follows Europe’s new crypto rules called MiCA. The aim is simple: give businesses and traders an alternative to dollar-link

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Apr 18 2026POLITICS

California’s Governor Uses PAC Funds to Push His Book Up the Charts

Governor Gavin Newsom’s political team spent over a million and a half dollars to buy most of the copies of his new memoir, pushing it onto the bestseller list. Records show his PAC paid for about 67, 000 out of 97, 400 total copies sold nationwide. That means roughly two out of every three books so

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Apr 17 2026EDUCATION

Discover Fun Learning at the 4‑H Science Hub

The University of Maine’s Extension team is inviting kids and their families to a free, hands‑on gathering at the Lafayette and Rawcliffe 4‑H Science and Engineering Learning Center in Orono. The open house will run from ten a. m. to one p. m. on Saturday, May 2, and no sign‑up is needed. Inside th

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Apr 17 2026HEALTH

The Plastic‑Detox Myth: What the Show Gets Wrong

A new Netflix series claims that tiny plastic particles are shrinking men’s genitals and killing sperm. It follows five couples who try to stop using plastic for three months and then report more babies. The program sounds like a reality show, not science. The host is an epidemiologist who talks ab

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Apr 17 2026POLITICS

Young Men Say Religion Matters More Than Ever

A new poll shows a big jump in how many young men think religion is “very important. ” The survey asked people between 18 and 30 about their beliefs. More than a third of the men said faith plays a big role in their lives, up from just under half a year ago. The change is notable because it shifts

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Apr 17 2026ENVIRONMENT

Citizen‑Science Photos Turn a Field into a Living Timeline

In a quiet corner of Longmeadow, a simple wooden post now doubles as a window into the past and future of a wildlife refuge. A sign invites hikers to snap a picture with their phones, send it by email, and instantly add a new frame to a growing archive that tracks the area’s changes since 2020. T

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Apr 17 2026ENVIRONMENT

Urban Air Microplastics: How We Measure and Why It Matters

The quick review looked at how scientists catch tiny plastic particles in city air and then figure out what they are. They pulled data from 35 research papers that used active sampling—devices that pull air through filters—to measure how much plastic people might breathe. The papers showed that ac

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Apr 17 2026TECHNOLOGY

Robots Help Old Hong Kong Residents Get Their Things Back

The fire that shook Tai Po last November left a high‑rise block in ruins and 168 people dead. Now, four months later, residents are trying to recover what they can from the wreckage. Fanny Mok, 59, has lived on the 13th floor for three decades. The blaze destroyed her home and forced her to stay

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