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Apr 26 2026ENTERTAINMENT

High school jazz band lights up stage with pro sax player

A group of Arkansas high school musicians is stepping into the spotlight this week, blending youthful energy with professional polish. The 20-piece big band, drawn from seven local high schools, marks its 10th year under the guidance of jazz educators and guest soloist Adam Larson, a saxophonist who

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Apr 26 2026POLITICS

Turkey Weighs Joining Hormuz Mine-Clearing Mission

Turkey is quietly assessing whether to send experts to clear naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz, but only if Iran and the United States first reach a lasting peace deal. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan explained in London that any future clearance teams would consist of technical specialists from mu

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Apr 26 2026HEALTH

New Challenges with Designer Drugs: What’s Happening with Fake Benzos?

New kinds of fake benzodiazepines are showing up more often in labs and hospitals, creating tough problems for doctors and scientists. These substances, often called “designer benzos, ” don’t act like regular medicines. They can cause serious harm, especially when mixed with alcohol, painkillers, or

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Apr 25 2026POLITICS

Gaza Voters Get a Rare Chance to Cast Their Ballots

The first local elections in Gaza since 2007 let many residents try their hand at voting, a move that could signal a shift in how the Palestinian Authority claims authority over the area. The elections, held on Saturday, included Deir al‑Balah, a city that has suffered less damage than others in

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Apr 25 2026BUSINESS

Industrial Space Bought After Zoning Victory

A company that sells promotional items has bought a 4, 000‑square‑foot factory in Edison for $835, 000. The property was on U. S. Route 1 and had been owned by a family cabinet shop for many years. The deal was not quick. It took almost a year and required the buyers to fix zoning problems tha

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Apr 25 2026FINANCE

Big Loan Approved for Tanzania’s Railway Upgrade: Who’s Paying and Why It Matters

Tanzania is getting a massive $2. 2 billion loan to expand its railway network, with Standard Chartered leading the deal. This isn’t just a regular business transaction—it involves export credit agencies and development banks, meaning taxpayers in other countries may also be backing the project. The

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Apr 25 2026POLITICS

Neighbors at the Table: Colombia and Venezuela Tackle Border Issues

Colombia’s president heads to Venezuela this week to talk border security with the country’s top diplomat. The two nations share deep connections—families live on both sides of a 1, 370-mile border, and nearly 3 million Venezuelans have moved to Colombia after years of economic trouble back home. Tr

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Apr 25 2026ENVIRONMENT

Words we lose, world we forget

Everyday speech used to include mossy banks, singing bees, and blade-soft grass. Yet over two centuries, these small picturesque labels have quietly slipped out of books and conversations. A study tracking 28 simple nature words finds they appear sixty percent less now than in 1800, matching a paral

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Apr 25 2026ENTERTAINMENT

TMZ heads to Washington with flashy moves

The arrival of TMZ in Washington isn’t just another entertainment industry takeover—it’s a symptom of how politics and pop culture have blended over time. For years, the city’s power players acted like gatekeepers, keeping out tabloid-style media. But with public trust in Congress at historic lows a

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Apr 24 2026POLITICS

Who Really Wears Out America’s Trust on the World Stage?

When Donald Trump steps away from office, many assume America’s global reputation will automatically reset. Reality tells a different story. Years of political division have left deeper scars than recent headlines suggest—Trump didn’t invent polarization, but his presidency certainly turned up the v

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