November 18, 2025
POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Deported Hero: The Case of Purple Heart Veteran Jose Barco Sparks Outrage Over Immigration Policy and Broken Promises

A U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Jose Barco, was deported early Friday morning from a detention facility in Florence, Arizona — a move that has ignited outrage across veteran communities, immigration advocates, and lawmakers. Barco, a 39-year-old Venezuela-born veteran whose family fled Cuba as political refugees, served two tours in Iraq and was […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

Survivor Speaks Out as Epstein Files Ignite Political Firestorm

When Marina Lacerda learned that House Republicans had released thousands of new Jeffrey Epstein–related documents, she said she braced herself — not for silence, but for another storm. Lacerda, 37, known for years in court records as “Minor Victim-1,” has become one of the most prominent voices calling for the full release of Epstein’s government […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

FAA Lifts Flight Restrictions as Shutdown Fallout Fades, But Political and Economic Turbulence Remains

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday that it will lift all remaining flight restrictions at 40 major U.S. airports, marking the end of a turbulent chapter in aviation brought on by the nation’s longest government shutdown. Airlines will resume full schedules Monday at 6 a.m. EST, according to a joint statement from Transportation Secretary […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

DOJ Sues California Over New Congressional Map, Escalating National Redistricting War

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging California’s newly approved congressional map, opening a high-stakes legal front that could help decide control of the U.S. House in 2026. The move marks an extraordinary moment in American politics: a Republican administration suing a Democratic-led state over redistricting, in a mirror image of […]

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Humanity POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 1: No Poverty

Federal Judge Orders Release of Hundreds Detained in Illinois Immigration Crackdown

A federal judge ordered the release of hundreds of people arrested as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Illinois, according to a court ruling, dealing a blow to federal efforts to detain and deport as many undocumented people as possible. US District Judge Jeffrey Cummings on Wednesday morning sided with attorneys from the […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

“Please” and “Thank you” to ChatGPT: Small words, big costs

“Please” and “Thank you” to ChatGPT: Small words, big costs Recently Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, made headlines when he acknowledged that courteously saying “please” and “thank you” to AI tools like ChatGPT is costing the company tens of millions of dollars in energy bills. The basic logic: Thus, the article’s framing that even small […]

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Humanity Travel & Tourism

The End of an Era: U.S. Mint Strikes Final Penny as America Phases Out the Cent

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia struck its final circulating penny Wednesday, officially ending the nation’s longest-running coin denomination after more than 230 years of production. President Donald Trump ordered the phase-out earlier this year, calling the penny “wasteful” as production costs rose to nearly four cents per coin. “For far too long […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Supreme Court Upholds Same Sex Marriage Decision Against Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeal of Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. The court’s decision effectively leaves the landmark precedent on same-sex marriage intact, easing fears among LGBTQ advocates that the current […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 10: Reduced Inequality Travel & Tourism

Visa and Mastercard in $38B Settlement

Visa and Mastercard have agreed to a revised $38 billion settlement with U.S. merchants, aiming to resolve a two-decade antitrust dispute over so-called swipe fees—charges businesses pay every time customers use credit cards. The new agreement is designed to address concerns from a federal judge who rejected a smaller $30 billion proposal in 2024 as […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

700 Flights Cancelled With Continued Shutdown

On Friday, U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a phased reduction in domestic flight capacity due to a worsening air traffic controller staffing crisis linked to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The order, which took effect November 7, mandates cuts rising from 4 percent to 10 percent […]

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