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Bureau of Land Management revokes American Prairie bison leases

Grazing permits granted to the conservation nonprofit as part of its prairie-rewilding initiative have been subject to years of criticism by cattle ranchers and Montana politicians. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Friday that it is revoking seven grazing permits in Phillips County that American Prairie had been using to sustain its herd of bison. The decision comes after a three-and-a-half-year battle between the Montana livestock industry, backed by Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Justice, and American Prairie, a conservation nonprofit working to restore the…

Homelessness is rising fast among a surprising group: Infants and toddlers

For months, Karian had tried to make it on her own in New York. After the birth of her second daughter, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression, major depressive disorder and anxiety. A single mother who had moved from Boston to New York about 13 years ago, she often spent days at a time on the couch, unable to do more than handle the basics for her daughters. “I wasn’t taking care of myself,” she said softly on a recent afternoon. “I was not really present.” The Hechinger Report is…

Trump threatens tariffs on Greenland, countries that oppose US takeover

President Donald Trump threatened Friday to place tariffs on Greenland and any country that opposes his efforts to take over the Arctic island, as members of Congress from both political parties were in Europe to assure allied nations that lawmakers won’t go along with his plans.  “I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said. “So I may do that.” Trump has been increasingly focused on acquiring Greenland during…

Back to the Bottle: Lawmakers renew alcohol tax push as deaths remain high

Latest proposal would create new 3% sales tax, sponsors say When the legislative session begins next week, Democratic lawmakers intend to revive a long-running effort to raise alcohol taxes as a means of reducing excessive drinking, which killed 1,755 New Mexicans in 2024, according to new Health Department estimates. The latest proposal would create a new 3% sales tax on alcoholic beverages, according to one of the bill’s architects, Rep. Cristina Parajón, D-Albuquerque, while preserving the existing excise taxes that alcohol distributors are assessed based on the volume of alcohol…

Wisconsin now expected to have $2.3B surplus at end of current budget

Wisconsin is now expected to have $1.5 billion more in surplus after its current budget cycle ends on June 30, 2027, after new estimates were announced by the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau. That would mean the state would have $2.3 billion in surplus, lower than the $4 billion heading into this budget but well above the $800 million surplus that was previously projected. The group said that the surplus would be the result of nearly $1.4 billion in increased tax collections and $104 million in additional departmental non-tax revenues. Both…

Universal child care, NYC nurses’ strike, ACA subsidies, and the flu

There’s a lot happening in New York health right now — from universal child care plans and the New York City nurses’ strike to rising health care premiums and continued flu. Let’s jump right in. Last week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a joint plan to bring truly universal child care to New York City and extend it across the state. Why this matters Access to high-quality child care has been shown to benefit children’s and parents’ health and well-being: It’s important to note that the quality…

Colorado Democrats plan ballot measure to raise money for schools

Colorado Democrats plan to file legislation this session that would ask voters for permission to raise the state spending cap by billions while also increasing funding for education. The idea, brought to lawmakers by the Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, is the most recent proposal to retool the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights. TABOR, as it’s known, limits the state’s revenue growth, making it hard to spend more money on schools and other priorities. CEA President Kevin Vick said the measure would be placed on the 2026…

Democrats test Ohio’s congressional map; lawmakers balk at pricey park project

Democrats shoot for the stars Defense is the main goal for congressional Democrats in Ohio this year. But they’re trying to make the case that they’re also going on offense.  This week, two Democrats formally launched their campaigns in Republican-held territory: Kristina Knickerbocker in Ohio’s 10th Congressional District and Brian Poindexter in the 7th District. The campaign behind Knickerbocker, a first-time candidate, stands out as a potential measure of how far Democrats can stretch the political battlefield this year. The district is on the outer bounds of what’s really competitive,…

AI therapy chatbots draw new oversight as suicides raise alarm

States are passing laws to prevent artificially intelligent chatbots, such as ChatGPT, from being able to offer mental health advice to young users, following a trend of people harming themselves after seeking therapy from the AI programs. Chatbots might be able to offer resources, direct users to mental health practitioners or suggest coping strategies. But many mental health experts say that’s a fine line to walk, as vulnerable users in dire situations require care from a professional, someone who must adhere to laws and regulations around their practice. “I have…

Shanghai ranks first nationwide in overall science and technology innovation performance

Shanghai ranked first nationwide in overall science and technology innovation performance, according to the China Regional Science and Technology Innovation Evaluation Report 2025. The top ranking reflects the steady strengthening of Shanghai’s innovation ecosystem in recent years, underpinned by sustained increases in funding. From 2022 to 2025, the city’s fiscal spending on science and technology grew at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent, while investment in basic research increased by 85 percent. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), R&D expenditure as a share of GDP rose to around 4.5…