1gridNATION
Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump’s administration said Thursday it plans to overhaul Head Start, tossing out many of the regulations that are the hallmark of the early education program for the nation’s poorest children. Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the federally funded preschool program, said the proposed changes would […]
Afghanistan’s child deaths are rising as food distributions face cuts, UN says
ROME | Child malnutrition has reached critical levels in a third of Afghanistan’s provinces and is expected to worsen as funding shortfalls force cuts in food distributions and other support, the U.N. World Food Program said Tuesday. “We must act now to stem the rise in child deaths, which this crisis is provoking,” John Aylieff, […]
The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump’s tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
WASHINGTON | It is among the most famous phrases in presidential history: ” The buck stops here.” Except with President Donald Trump, it almost never does. Concerns about a weak economy and still-high inflation? His predecessor, Joe Biden, saddled him with that, he says, even though the Democrat has been out of office for 18-plus […]
Everyone wants to ‘tax the rich.’ In New York City, it’s getting complicated
NEW YORK | Across the U.S., calls to “tax the rich” have become potent political slogans. But even in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s New York, getting the wealthy to pay more isn’t playing out as smoothly as supporters hoped. What seemed at first like an easy idea — slapping a new tax on people who own […]
The livin’ is no longer so easy: How carefree dreams of ‘summertime’ are fading in 2026’s swelter
LONDON | Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to consider the death of the summertime state of mind. The season itself is in no danger; climate change, mainly caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal, is warming the weather year-round. Viewed this way, summer-like weather is ascendant. It’s setting records across the […]
Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
NEW YORK | Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting matter-of-factly that he trailed the executive to an investor conference and gunned him down on a New York City street in 2024. Mangione, 28, said he made a gun with the aid of […]
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage beats a slate of fringe candidates in election boycotted by major parties
CLACTON-ON-SEA, England | Nigel Farage regained his seat in Parliament on Friday, beating a field of fringe candidates led by trash-can-wearing comic Count Binface in a special election boycotted by mainstream parties that called it a farce. Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party who some see as a possible next prime minister, abruptly […]
Hurricane warning is issued for the Big Island of Hawaii as Tropical Storm Lala approaches
HONOLULU | Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to become a hurricane while approaching the Big Island of Hawaii, where it could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend, forecasters said. The storm is forecast to bring rain to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday as well as high […]
Israel’s Christians rely on faith and allies as they fear rising harassment
MOUNT TABOR, Israel | Sister Mayela wears her black veil and habit as she walks to work near where another Catholic nun was violently attacked in Jerusalem’s Old City — but she’s now accompanied by a Jewish volunteer for protection. Many Christians in Israel, who make up less than 2% of the country’s population, are […]
Trump set to highlight violent crime reduction during a visit to New York police academy
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump plans to highlight his record on crime and safety during a visit to New York on Friday, pivoting to one of his strongest issues as he looks to boost Republicans in battleground races ahead of the November midterms. Trump is visiting the Nassau County Police Academy in suburban Long Island, […]