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Chris Hughes, assistant water and wastewater operator for the towns of Cavendish and Proctorsville in Vermont, deals with the effects of a power outage at a drinking water facility. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR In a small town in southern Vermont, not far from the lauded ski slopes of Okemo, there’s water gushing out of the back of a treatment facility. For Chris Hughes, the assistant water and wastewater operator for the towns of Cavendish and Proctorsville, it’s just another problem and another day on the job. This time, he’s pretty sure a lightning strike disrupted the…

new video loaded: Why the J-1 Visa Program Is BrokenBy Amy Julia Harris, Leila Medina, Zach Caldwell, Laura Salaberry and David Jouppi•September 20, 2025Every year, tens of thousands of young people from countries around the world go to work in the United States as part of an exchange program that is supposed to showcase the best that America has to offer. Instead, a New York Times investigation has found, many have been abused and exploited by unscrupulous businesses. Amy Julia Harris, a Times investigative reporter, explains. Source link

Early in-person voting began Friday in Virginia’s gubernatorial election, marking one of the first major political contests since last year’s presidential race, and a likely bellwether for President Trump’s policies.The two contenders — Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger — held public appearances Friday to kick off the final stages of their respective campaigns, ahead of a Nov. 4 general election. Spanberger is favored in some recent polling.Spanberger cast her vote Friday morning at a polling station in West Henrico, near the capital of Richmond. Speaking to CBS News afterwards, the former congresswoman said her…

World / StudentNation / September 17, 2025 The conflict in the Congo is one of the deadliest crises in the world, but many worry that Trump’s interest in the region emphasizes deals for US investors over lasting peace. Ad Policy The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda agreed to a US-backed peace deal meant to end years of deadly conflict and promote development in Congo’s volatile eastern region.(Yuri Gripas / Getty) This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more Student Nation,…

Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed Wednesday morning over the central Atlantic Ocean, becoming the seventh named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters expect the weather system to remain over open waters for the next several days and haven’t yet warned of any hazards that could potentially affect land. Gabrielle is forecast to become a hurricane by Sunday, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. The storm’s current forecast predicts that Gabrielle’s track will carry it north of the Caribbean and away from land, but the system could pass to the east of Bermuda next week as it continues to strengthen over the…

President Trump signed an executive order Friday to offer up fast-track “Gold Card” visas to people willing to pay $1 million or more.”The Trump Gold Card is Here,” reads a government website, which features a mock-up of a bright, gilded card embossed with a photo of Mr. Trump, his signature and images of a bald eagle and the Statue of Liberty: “Unlock life in America.”Under the Gold Card program, which Mr. Trump first floated in February, non-Americans who give a gift of at least $1 million to the Commerce Department will be eligible for an “expedited process” to gain an…

A firefighter battles the Canyon Fire in August in Hasley Canyon, Calif. As temperatures rise with human-caused climate change, wildfire risk is getting worse. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP hide caption toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP States and localities have filed waves of lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry to make energy companies pay for damages that communities face from climate change. Threatened with potentially huge financial penalties, industry and its supporters recently turned to the Supreme Court for help — without success. Now, Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, has launched a new line of attack that could help industry by…

Erik Siebert, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, notified his staff Friday that he is resigning, according to a copy of the email he sent to employees obtained by CBS News. The news came after multiple sources told CBS News earlier in the day that federal prosecutors for the district were concerned that Siebert could be removed for failing to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud. President Trump did not push back on those concerns, saying Friday, “Yeah, I want him out.” The Justice Department has not responded to requests for comment.  An all-staff meeting…

Jon Wiener:  From The Nation magazine, this is Start Making Sense. I’m Jon Wiener. Later in the show: why fascists fear teachers. Randi Weingarten will explain.  But first: some good news for Democrats – from all the recent special elections. John Nichols will report–in a minute.[BREAK]We’re told the Democratic brand is in deep trouble, but Democrats have been winning special elections for the last few months — lots of special elections, all over the place. For comment, we turn to John Nichols.  Of course he’s executive editor of The Nation. We reached him today at home in Madison. John, welcome…

A federal judge in Florida has thrown out President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, citing its excessive length, but giving his attorneys a chance to file a shorter, amended version of the complaint within a month.In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Steven Merryday said the original 85-page complaint was “decidedly improper and impermissible” and went well beyond Rule 8 of federal rules of civil procedure, which requires that each allegation be “simple, concise and direct.”Merryday, a George H.W. Bush nominee, criticized the complaint’s “abundant, florid, and enervating detail,” including superfluous references to “The Apprentice,” Mr. Trump’s…