Electric grid strains while 150 million endure high heat ahead of July Fourth
With a heat dome looming over America this Fourth of July weekend, pressure is building on the power grid, raising the cost of keeping cool. Wholesale electricity prices on America’s most highly populated regional power grid are surging under the heat. The increased costs by utility companies to purchase adequate power supplies are eventually passed […]
The government may become a part-owner of OpenAI. Are more deals on the way?
Artificial intelligence company OpenAI is in talks with the Trump administration to give the federal government a 5% stake in the company, a holding worth nearly $43 billion under the company’s current $852 billion valuation. The proposal, still in its early stages, could lead to deals beyond OpenAI’s. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, said he […]
NJ Rep. Kean’s absence reveals ongoing stigma of long-term depression care
After months of speculation about his absence, U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., returned to the House floor Monday and revealed he was seeking treatment for depression. A doctor tells Straight Arrow that the negative responses that Kean and many other Americans receive when revealing a mental health struggle are the result of ignorance about the […]
Public schools were America’s great equalizer. What happened?
Public education is one of America’s enduring social contracts with its citizens. The public funds the schools, and the schools educate the public’s children. Something has gone wrong with that agreement, and more people are voicing their dissatisfaction with the public school system than they have in decades. Who’s to blame for what’s become of […]
John Brennan seeks to preserve investigative records in new lawsuit against the Trump administration
Former CIA director John Brennan sued the Trump administration Wednesday, demanding that a court order it to preserve all records related to its investigations into him. He claims he will need the documents to defend himself in the “vindictive” prosecution. “Given these strong indicia of vindictiveness, Director Brennan expects that he will forcefully challenge any […]
Love, peace and police atop the Empire State Building
Two climbers reached the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday, unfurled a black banner about love and peace, and then appeared to get engaged before being arrested. The message from police was shorter: “Well, you can’t be up here.” The climbers, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, were identified by police […]
Russia launches massive strike on Ukraine capital; Sky-high proposal ends in arrests
Russia pounds Ukraine with more attacks on Kyiv. This morning, more than a dozen Ukrainians were killed, and others are trapped in the rubble. Plus, the death toll from the Venezuela earthquakes now exceeds 2,000, but tens of thousands remain missing one week later. And they made it to the top of the Empire State […]
FBI investigates whether Nancy Guthrie ransom notes are legitimate or ‘extortion attempts’
Investigators with the FBI are working to verify the authenticity of “several” ransom notes received in the five months since Nancy Guthrie, “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, disappeared. The 84-year-old was kidnapped from her Arizona home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. So far, investigators believe the first two notes, sent in […]
Living (longer) in America: US deaths hit record low in 2025
People are living, man, L-I-V-I-N, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. hit a record low number of deaths in 2025, while life expectancy is expected to hit another record high. The new data show that just under 3.1 million people died in the U.S. in 2025, 4.6% […]
