Tax refunds rise as many Americans face record debt
Tax season is underway, and many Americans could see larger refunds this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC Friday the average refund so far is up 22% compared to last year. The IRS reported that the average refund in 2025 was $3,052. A 22% increase would amount to roughly $671 more for the average […]
Inside the plan to move charter schools into public buildings
Months ago, when Florida’s Schools of Hope law was enacted, it set off a frenzy. Sarasota County Public Schools quickly drafted a plan to close its district headquarters and raze and consolidate some schools. Manatee County Public Schools said the new law would cost the district an additional $2,500 per student who joined a Schools […]
Gun-part maker agrees to pay families of mass shooting victims $1.75M
The maker of a gun part used in a deadly, racially motivated mass shooting has agreed to pay $1.75 million to survivors and victims’ families. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement, which also requires the company to stop selling the device. The settlement resolves legal claims stemming from the May 2022 shooting […]
What we know, and what we don’t, about the El Paso airspace closure
Questions remain, and tensions are stirring around conflicting explanations for the abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso, Texas. Late Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was closing the airspace in and around El Paso International Airport for 10 days for “special security reasons.” However, the agency lifted the restriction less than […]
White House rescinds authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked the endangerment finding, a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that classified greenhouse gases as a threat to public health requiring federal regulation. The decision strips the EPA of the legal authority to regulate carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The revocation affects existing fuel economy standards for passenger and […]
Who counts as a journalist? Arrests, access fights put press freedom on trial
Layoffs across storied media institutions, stagnant industry wages, expanding news deserts and the rise of the internet have created a burgeoning independent journalism industry. But it’s also raised new questions about who should be able to claim the constitutional protections afforded to the press and who gets to decide whether someone is a journalist. The […]
Second US carrier could deploy as Iran talks hit missiles, enrichment roadblocks
The Pentagon could soon send more firepower toward the Middle East as the White House balances a major military build-up with high-stakes diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal reports that a second aircraft carrier strike group has been told to prepare for deployment to the region. If approved, the second carrier — one option officials cited […]
Sen. Rand Paul teams with Democrats to push for answers into Alex Pretti shooting
One Republican joined Democrats on Thursday in pushing for answers from immigration officials regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis. On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs held a hearing with three top immigration officials in the Trump administration. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., […]
Why Texas scientists are breeding flesh-eating maggots
In the Texas border city of Edinburg, scientists are getting ready to release millions of invasive, flesh-eating flies into the wild. While the thought of the U.S. government releasing parasitic flies into the wild resembles a horror movie plot, they’re doing it to help protect people. The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled a new facility […]
