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New data released by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) finds that, worldwide, South America has the most abuse allegations associated with large-scale mining for transition minerals over the past 15 years. Such minerals are essential for the shift away from fossil fuels and are critical for other industries, such as tech and […]

Як російська пропаганда подавала повідомлення про проблеми в окупованому Криму.

(The Center Square) – Food, music and plenty of red, white and blue are available Saturday throughout the state at attractions large and small celebrating America’s 250th birthday. From small towns to large, the gatherings have two guaranteed promises – plenty of patriotism long before the evening fireworks, and an awful lot of heat. Inland temperatures are forecast to be dangerously hot with heat index greater than 100 degrees. Capitol 250: NC Freedom Fest is an all-day event around the State Capitol in downtown Raleigh. Tift Merritt and Rissi Palmer are featured musicians, with the 82nd Airborne Brass Quintet also on hand. Historical exhibits and food trucks will be plentiful. In New Bern, the Glorious 4th at Tryon Palace includes a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a downtown parade, and a performance by the Fife and Drum Corps. On the coast, Southport’s North Carolina 4th of July Festival has a parade in the morning, live entertainment and fireworks over Waterfront Park. Historical demonstrations reflecting the region’s role in the Revolutionary War are part of the Together, We Are America celebration in Hillsborough. There will be crafts in a market and live music. At the birthplace of the Halifax Resolves, family-friendly colonial living history events will play out in Historic Halifax. The Fun Fourth Festival in Greensboro gets started with the morning Freedom Run. Vendors, food and music are on tap throughout the day. Edenton, the first colonial capital city, hosts a day of activities. The Declaration of Independence will be read, and waterfront fireworks cap the evening. Red Camel Collective will headline the Independence Day event at Jones von Drehle Vineyards and Winery in Thurmond just north of Elkin. In the mountains, the July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza at Tweetsie Railroad theme park is billed as the largest fireworks show in the High Country.

Locals from one town along Route 66 say "Mother Road" tourism is booming, and now they have a musical road for drivers to enjoy.

(The Center Square) – Inflation led to roughly $2.7 billion more in Wisconsin sales tax collections over the past five years than was projected, the same amount that the state is now projected to have in surplus at the end of its current two-year budget cycle, according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy. The cost of a week’s worth of goods in the state has risen 28.1% since 2021, the report said. “That money belongs to the taxpayers who bore the brunt of inflation, not the state,” the report, written by Professor of Economics Ananth Seshadri, said. “Because the windfall is one-time money, the relief should be one-time, too. On the economic question, no governor can move the national price level, but the prices a family actually pays are set partly at home, through zoning, utility rate design, and occupational licensing. “Behind each lies the same force: regulation that throttles supply. Loosen it and the state grows cheaper to live in; leave it and the state grows more expensive.” Seshadri wrote that it is clear that prices will not return to 2021 levels, so the only question is whether Wisconsin returns the surplus or uses its ability to lower the state’s cost of living. “After a historic transfer of purchasing power away from Wisconsin households, the loss is no longer in question; it already happened,” Seshadri wrote. “Wisconsin cannot undo the inflation. It can still decide who keeps the change.” The report comes after state lawmakers failed to pass a $1.8 billion surplus bill that included income tax refund checks, $600 million for schools and an end to taxes on tips and overtime. The bill was an agreement between Gov. Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu that passed the Wisconsin Assembly and had the support of Gov. Tony Evers but fell 18-15 in the Senate as all Senate Democrats and three Republican Senators voted against it. Eighty percent of the 454 Wisconsin adults polled on the topic in May in a Marquette Law School Poll believed the bill should have passed, with that support crossing party lines and spanning statewide.

(The Center Square) – Recreational marijuana is legal for Californians 21 and older, but illegal grows remain a costly concern for state and local governments, taxpayers, consumers and the environment. Because the state's two primary task forces operate independently and target different sectors of the illicit market, California's enforcement data is divided across separate agency metrics. The Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis Task Force, which is overseen by the California Department of Justice, focuses on illegal cultivation sites. These include illegal grows harming public lands. The Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force at the Governor’s Office targets the illicit market supply chain including outdoor and indoor grows, unlicensed dispensaries and illegal delivery services. The Department of Cannabis Control and California Department of Fish and Wildlife are co-chairs of the UCETF Task Force. Since it was established in 2022, UCETF alone has seized and destroyed over 317 tons, or over 635,303 pounds, of illegal cannabis worth an estimated retail value of $890 million. Had that gone through legal supply chains and been hit with state and local taxes, millions of dollars would have been generated, although state officials did not have estimates as of publication time. In 2025, the EPIC Task Force reported 204 arrests across 34 California counties, which resulted in the eradication of 728,458 illegally grown plants. That same year, UCETF reported 23 arrests, 188 tons of illicit cannabis destroyed and 590,000 plants eradicated. The large size of some illegal grows is seen in several photos that the Department of Cannabis Control sent to The Center Square. The photos include the one that is being published with this story. To tackle illegal cannabis grows, law enforcement targets organized crime, labor exploitation and environmental degradation, said Jordan Traverso, the department's deputy director of public affairs. But enforcement, Traverso said, is only a single piece of the puzzle. DCC’s broader priority is to strengthen the legal market while making the illegal market less profitable, less accessible and less tolerated, Traverso told The Center Square. “That includes reducing unnecessary friction for licensed businesses trying to operate lawfully, improving regulatory clarity, supporting compliance, protecting consumers, and giving the licensed market a fair opportunity to compete against operators who avoid testing, taxes, track-and-trace, licensing, labor standards, and environmental rules,” Traverso said. Consumer education is part of that strategy. For example, Traverso said, consumers need to understand the difference between licensed cannabis and illegal cannabis. Licensed cannabis is subject to testing, labeling, packaging, inspection and enforcement requirements. Illegal cannabis is not. When consumers buy from the illegal market, Traverso said they may be supporting unsafe products, violence, labor exploitation, tax avoidance and organized criminal activity. “DCC’s guiding objective is a safe, stable, accountable and lawful cannabis market,” said Traverso. “That means protecting consumers, supporting responsible licensees, reducing illegal competition, improving compliance, coordinating enforcement and focusing resources where they can have the greatest impact.” Both outdoor and indoor illegal cultivation operations pose several severe environmental hazards, said Sarah Sol, a spokesperson for California Department of Fish and Wildlife. For example, outdoor sites sometimes illegally divert water, she said. “We've had instances where illegal growth sites were out on public lands, and they were illegally diverting a spring or something along those lines,” Sol told The Center Square. She said illegal growers may also be contaminating soil and waterways with things like fertilizers or harmful pesticides, fuel and other waste products. "In order to have these larger cultivation sites, they often remove native vegetation, just kind of clear out plants, and that can also introduce invasive species, and there could be light pollution, noise pollution and other things that just generally affect fish and wildlife," said Sol. Indoor sites without permits could involve unregistered pesticides or other kinds of safety hazards from electrical issues and unregistered chemicals, Sol said. Recreational marijuana became legal in 2016 after California voters passed Proposition 64. Small personal possessions became legal soon after the vote, and legal retail sales began on Jan. 1, 2018. In California, recreational cannabis is legal for adults 21 and older. Cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal for ages 18 or older with a physician's recommendation, according to the DCC. The expansion in legal cannabis turned out to be a boon for the Golden State's taxes. According to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the state has generated over $8.1 billion in total cannabis tax revenue from the start of legal sales for recreational use through the first quarter of 2026. Tax revenue from legal marijuana goes into the California Marijuana Tax Fund, which then puts money toward licensing and enforcement, environmental protection and restoration, research on cannabis, treatment of addictions and prevention of drug abuse. Of the money, $50 million goes to the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development for grants to local health departments and nonprofits in communities affected by previous federal and state drug policies. The money covers areas such as mental health and substance use treatments, job placements and legal services. And $3 million is allocated to the California Highway Patrol for protocols to determine if motorists are driving under the influence. Funding is also used to address public health and safety concerns related to Proposition 64.

(The Center Square) - U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Surprise, Ariz., recently introduced a bill to increase military hazard pay. The Combat Pay Protection Act would require Congress to increase numerous combat-related and specialty military pay rates. The legislation is also known as H.R. 9465. Hamadeh said his bill would provide a one-time pay increase to help restore payments that have not kept pace with inflation or military basic pay rates. The bill would also require the Department of War to adjust these payments every January based on whatever is higher: inflation or the annual increase in basic military pay. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. Hamadeh, an Army veteran, said, “Washington forgot who it works for.” “Many of the brave men and women putting their lives on the line for our country have been stuck with combat and hazardous duty pays that haven't been meaningfully updated in decades. It’s absurd,” Hamadeh told The Center Square, answering questions via email. The Arizona congressman noted his legislation will update “dozens of military [pay scales] that Washington has ignored for far too long.” “I'm proud that it will be included in the House FY27 National Defense Authorization Act,” he said. The representative noted American military members “should never fall behind because of Washington's failures.” “Combat pay, hazardous duty pay, and family separation allowances should keep pace with either military base pay growth or inflation, whichever is higher,” he said. “If inflation hurts military families, Congress has a responsibility to make sure the men and women defending our nation are protected.” Hamadeh said supporting America’s military “means more than saying ‘Thank you for your service'; it means ensuring they and their families can thrive.” Currently the Pentagon is authorized to pay up to $275 a month in hazardous duty pay and $450 per month in hostile fire pay. But the Pentagon has chosen to pay $225 a month for either hazardous duty pay or hostile fire pay, Hamadeh said. “That is only $7.50 a day, which is about the cost of a coffee in 2026. That’s unacceptable,” he noted. The last time Congress increased special-combat pay was in 2003. “For years, Washington failed to stand up for the men and women who stand up for America every day. That's why I have introduced the Combat Pay Protection Act, and that's why I'll continue fighting until our service members receive the compensation and respect they have earned,” Hamadeh said. “I am proud to be a champion for America's warfighters and their families, and I will always put them first,” he added.

Report for America corps member will expand the newsroom's accountability reporting on some of New Jersey's most pressing issues.

Solana Beach sits in one of those coastal stretches where the present looks settled, but the past is still just beneath it.

Una de las presentaciones más concurridas de la segunda jornada de la Feria Internacional del Libro ZICOSUR (FILZIC) 2026 fue la del Coro y la Orquesta de la Universidad de Antofagasta, que este jueves 2 de julio llenaron de música el escenario central con un repertorio con una sección dedicada a grandes divas de la […] Este artículo Gran convocatoria marcó el concierto del Coro y la Orquesta de la Universidad de Antofagasta en FILZIC fue publicado originalmente en El Diario de Antofagasta.

Беларуска Дыяна замовіла на вяселле фатографа, відэаграфа і кавер-бэнд. Свята ў італьянскім стылі праходзіла на вялікай пляцоўцы ў Гродзенскай вобласці. У сваім Instagram дзяўчына расказала, колькі ў выніку сям’я выдаткавала на вяселле.  Падзею беларусы адзначалі напрыканцы чэрвеня 2026 года, на вяселлі прысутнічала 40 гасцей. Вобраз нявесты каштаваў $1,3 тыс., вобраз жаніха ў разы таннейшы – [...]

Кабмін має розглянути постанову, яка дасть змогу провести архітектурний конкурс проєктів пам’ятника гетьману Івану Мазепі в Києві, повідомляє пресслужба Офісу президента. Відповідне рішення ухвалили під час першої наради щодо реалізації ініціативи президента України зі встановлення пам’ятника Івану Мазепі. Повідомляється, що у нараді під головуванням керівника Офісу президента Кирила Буданова взяли участь голова Верховної Ради Руслан Стефанчук, віцепрем’єр-міністерка з гуманітарної...

Украинские дроны уже несколько месяцев бьют по российским НПЗ — и к началу лета из-за постоянных простоев проявляется накопленный эффект. Проблемы у потребителей начинаются с Крыма: на бензин вводят талоны, но они сразу заканчиваются. А потом на полуострове бензин прекращают продавать вовсе. В других регионах вводят лимиты: сначала на частных АЗС, потом — в крупных государственных сетях, в европейской части России — а затем и в Сибири, в том числе, в нефтедобывающих регионах. Правительство называет ситуацию «непростой, но контролируемой». Россия просит бензин у Казахстана, потом у Индии. Кремль требует от подконтрольных СМИ замалчивать кризис. Власти начинают преследовать перекупщиков и блокировать объявления о продаже бензина на маркетплейсах. Правительство планирует разрешить неэкологичный бензин «Евро-2». Путин признается: Украина предлагала прекратить удары по НПЗ, но он отказался — ведь наступление в Донбассе важнее, а дефицит бензина «не критический». Очереди на заправках — уже почти по всей стране, люди стоят в них сутками. Правительство этого не видит: «есть перебои на отдельных заправках, они быстро устраняются». Неудивительно, ведь чиновников на АЗС обслуживают без очередей.

Etxebizitza Sindikatu Sozialistak Añorga Txiki auzoan ezarria zegoen bi familien etxegabetzea eragozteko deialdia egina zuen gaur goizerako. Deialdia bertan behera gelditu da.

Трагата на оваа дигитална измама е далеку од Холивуд или Вашингтон и потекнува од кај нас. Лид Сторис откри координирана мрежа од лажни страници на обожаватели на Фејсбук, со домени проследени до Куманово, одговорни за објавување на овие измислени објави…

Abayomi é uma menina brasileira que conhece Marla, uma criança estadunidense que passa alguns meses no Brasil com a mãe. Durante esse período, as duas personagens compartilham histórias sobre a cultura negra de seus países. Essa é a trama de “Abayomi e Marla: Uma Aventura do Brasil aos Estados Unidos”, novo livro da escritora, pedagoga […] O post Escritora do Campo Limpo cria literatura infantil negra com autora dos EUA apareceu primeiro em Agência Mural.

دونالد ترامپ: وضعیت اقتصادی ایران با تورم بیش از ۳۰۰ درصد آنها را به سوی دستیابی به توافق با ما سوق داده است

Глава подконтрольной РФ администрации города Игорь Ивин призывает жителей города сделать запас воды по меньшей мере на трое суток