Great Falls Tribune
Experts explain surge of lung transplants, lawsuits
If you walk into a Costco, Home Depot or Lowe’s and order a countertop for your kitchen renovation, the store will likely contract with a local fabrication shop, instructing them to make one from a material called engineered stone. h Often marketed as...
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A SECOND CHANCE FOR CHESTNUTS
The American chestnut tree was once the giant of the forest in the eastern United States – taking root in early American life and lore before being nearly wiped out by a blight. Now, scientists say they’ve found a way to resurrect the storied species....
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Trump revisits election claims
President Donald Trump in a July 16 prime-time address sought to further sow distrust in U.S. elections, claiming broad vulnerabilities with voting systems and potential for interference from other nations. Trump specifically pointed to China,...
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Blanche faces resistance at confirmation hearing
President Donald Trump’s pick for the highest law enforcement position in the nation might not be able to be confirmed for his job until he meets with women who say Jeffrey Epstein abused them. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said July 16 that he...
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Social media shaping kids’ career dreams
A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money. When we asked second graders in Wisconsin...
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Most ICE vehicle stops in U.S. halted
The fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer of a Colombian man in Maine was the latest incident renewing calls for investigations and scrutiny of immigration operations around the country. The man, identified by lawmakers as...
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Trump: U.S. aims to control Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the United States is reinstating a naval blockade on Iran and will seek operational control of the Strait of Hormuz after several days in which he declared the ceasefire over, and the United States and Iran...
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Heat waves turn homes dangerous for all ages
Most people know that heat waves can be dangerous. What they may not realize is that the heat indoors can be much worse than outdoors. When the power goes out and air conditioning stops, a house starts to function like a greenhouse. Heat enters...
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Trump says Iran requests to continue negotiations
President Donald Trump said July 10 that Iran had asked to continue negotiations despite a recent escalation of hostilities and that the two sides were talking, while stressing that the June ceasefire between the two nations was over. However, Iran’s...
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Platner exit leaves Dems in disarray
Democrats are racing for the reset button in the pivotal U.S. Senate battle in Maine after Graham Platner announced he will suspend his campaign, throwing the party into a frantic search for a replacement nominee to take on Republican incumbent Susan...
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Program gives struggling artists $1,000 a month
Though artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to produce images, music and text, the technology is also making it harder for the people who have traditionally produced this work to earn a living. A photographer who once was commissioned...
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PLATNER WEIGHS THE FUTURE OF SENATE BID
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the head of Senate Democrats’ midterm operation, told Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, to immediately withdraw after a woman said he...
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Safety issues beset Silicon Valley defense startup
Ayear ago, Ryan Tseng, the head of U.S. defense tech startup Shield AI, announced his company had turned a new page. h After a gory incident that partially severed a U.S. Navy official’s fingers during a test of its V-BAT drone, Shield AI had addressed...
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About this series
This story is part of the Iconic Brands series, a USA TODAY Network project showcasing the companies and brands that helped shape the nation’s identity, economy and culture. The series celebrates American ingenuity with a deeply reported examination of...
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Some try to beat the heat without AC
As temperatures outside her Düsseldorf, Germany, apartment exceeded 100 degrees in June’s heat wave, Liza Ebbecke found an unusual way to keep her family cool: aluminum foil. Ebbecke, a native of Richmond, Virginia, who has lived abroad with her...
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Trump will not renew trilateral trade pact
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is not renewing a trilateral trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico that he hailed as a “colossal victory” for American workers when he announced it in 2020 during his first term. Facing a July 1...
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Recreational fishing outpaces estimates
One of the United States’ largest fisheries is hiding in plain sight. Recreational freshwater anglers in the lower 48 states catch – and keep – far more fish than any official body has estimated, according to new research from our team of North...
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Supreme Court upholds transgender athlete ban
WASHINGTON – States can ban transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams, the Supreme Court ruled June 30 in addressing a major cultural and political flash point before adjourning for the summer. The decision is another setback...
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Mediators try to ease the tensions in Iran
DUBAI – Iranian and U.S. technical teams working on the implementation of an interim peace deal are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source told Reuters on June 29, after titfor-tat weekend strikes threatened to derail the fragile...
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AI can lead to false arrests and wrongful convictions
In Baltimore County, Maryland, on Oct. 20, a 17-year-old student named Taki Allen was sitting outside his high school after football practice when an artificial intelligence-enhanced surveillance camera falsely identified the Doritos bag in his pocket...
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‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was a controversial choice
ASBURY PARK, NJ – “My County ’Tis of Thee” is easier to sing. “America The Beautiful” is more picturesque. And easier to sing. Yet “The Star-Spangled Banner” is our national anthem. Love it or not – and many people, through the years, have done...
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Trump sees wins on immigration, guns
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump victories in two immigration cases June 25. In the divide between gun rights and gun violence, the justices struck down another state law, this one in Hawaii, aimed at curbing guns in public...
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Strait of Hormuz traffic nears normal
DUBAI – Oil prices fell to prewar levels on June 25 as the United States said flows through the Strait of Hormuz were nearing normal and its top diplomat wrapped up a Gulf tour aimed at winning support for a preliminary Iran deal. Energy Secretary...
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‘NURTURE HOPE’
A teenager scrolls through their phone at the dinner table, barely looks up and answers questions with one-word replies. For many adults, that image has come to stand for a larger fear: that today’s young people are disconnected from others and may be...
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Trump: Iran agreed to inspections
DUBAI – President Donald Trump said on June 23 that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into “infinity,” despite Tehran’s denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States. Washington...
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Fire transforming West’s public lands
Wildfires are affecting our public lands at an accelerating scale and increasing intensity. Yet how fire affects recreation has remained poorly understood. Colorado’s two largest fires on record, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, burned...
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Scenic trips to celebrate AMERICA’S BIRTHDAY
America is turning 250, but some of its greatest treasures don’t sit behind museum glass. h The awe-inspiring scenes that take your breath away and remind you of the beauty of our nation are hidden along winding roads, tucked into mountain valleys,...
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Obama Center opens while Trump looms
Remember hope and change? The sun-splashed, star-studded dedication of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18 was designed to echo the sense of excitement and possibility that surrounded former President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 −...
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OBAMA CENTER CELEBRATES OPENING
CHICAGO − Former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters came on stage at the opening of the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago at its starstudded grand opening ceremony on June 18. Also attending were former...
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LOWER CRIME RATES AT RISK
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer...
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LEGACY BUILT
Barack Obama’s presidency was like none that came before. h That’s also true of the Obama Presidential Center, being dedicated June 18 on the South Side of Chicago. h The edifices that presidents build after they leave office reveal their preferred...
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U.S. deal with Iran leaves uncertainty
The United States and Iran were set to begin a week of high-stakes diplomacy after announcing on June 14 a framework deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary agreement that has already pushed oil prices lower but leaves the...
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WINDS OF CHANGE
The United States is in a bizarre situation in 2026: It’s facing a looming energy shortage, yet the Trump administration is making deals to pay offshore wind developers nearly $2 billion in taxpayer money to walk away from energy projects. These...
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Epstein accusers who speak out face backlash
When Marina Lacerda told the world that Jeffrey Epstein had sexually abused her when she was 14, the threats began almost immediately. h In September, she and other accusers appeared at a news conference pressing for the release of the Epstein files....
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1 dead, damage reported after severe storms slam Midwest
Severe storms and tornadoes that tore through the Midwest on June 11 left one person dead, downed trees and plunged thousands into darkness with power outages. The storms capped multiple days of outbreaks across several states, with tornadoes, storm...
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Trump cancels Iran strikes, citing progress
President Donald Trump on June 11 said he has canceled the latest wave of airstrikes he threatened on Iran, citing productive discussions with the nation’s leaders and a potential peace deal in the works. “Based on the fact that discussions with the...
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Israel, Iran halt retaliatory attacks
Israel and Iran said they would halt strikes on each other for now but warned of forceful responses to any future aggression – ending, at least temporarily, an exchange of missile attacks over the weekend that put a fragile ceasefire and diplomatic...
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Big water problems need big solutions
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing lowflow devices. h While...
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Lawsuit alleges injury from monitor
INDIANAPOLIS – A few days after immigration officials placed a GPS monitoring device on the man’s left ankle, his leg started to swell. The bracelet gripped so tightly that it restricted blood flow. Discomfort escalated to pain. It kept him awake at...
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Iran has reaffirmed its support for Hezbollah
DUBAI – Iran has reaffirmed support for its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and demanded that Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, underscoring complications facing an interim deal to end the broader conflict between the United States and Iran. Tehran has...
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House votes to end war with Iran
In a severe political blow to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives on June 3 voted for the first time to end the war with Iran. The 215-208 vote, which was mostly symbolic, marked a new period of congressional unease with the conflict...
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AI partners could upend human relationships
When the movie “Her” debuted in 2013, its plot felt like science fiction. The protagonist, Theodore, is a jaded man with no vigor for life. He comes alive after talking daily with his artificial intelligence chatbot, Samantha, with whom he eventually...
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Trump, Netanyahu clash on Lebanon
President Donald Trump lit into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an expletive-laden call on June 1, multiple news outlets reported, after Iran threatened to pull out of peace talks with the United States over strikes on Hezbollah in...
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Iran suspends talks over Lebanon attacks
Iran halted indirect talks with the United States over Israel’s intensifying attacks on Lebanon, according to Iranian media reports, signaling a possible breakdown in diplomatic efforts to end the 3-month-old war. The Iranian semi-official Tasnim news...
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Ads for GLP-1 drugs flooding the internet
If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight-loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. Like millions of others around the country, if you’ve ever considered taking one of these drugs, you probably went...
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Commencement tradition could fade away
PISCATAWAY, NJ – From the robed procession to the conferring of degrees to the keynote speech meant to inspire students to reflect on their lives and contributions to society, graduation ceremonies are a grand and cherished tradition. But...
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Potential Iran deal puts Trump in a bind
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: He is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get U.S. gasoline prices down but at the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks...
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Negotiators reach deal
Negotiators for the United States and Iran have reached a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the 60-day ceasefire while discussions continue over Tehran’s nuclear program, according to an American official. President Donald Trump has yet...
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Cannabis legalization spurs innovation
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients. Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies....
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NJ officials seeking ICE facility’s closure
A junior U.S. senator and a congressman from New Jersey described inadequate medical care, poor food and “inhumane treatment” at Delaney Hall, the federal immigration detention center in Newark, after speaking to detainees on Day 2 of a hunger...
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THE LIMITS OF LOCKDOWNS
There have been 63 school shootings – meaning any time there is gunfire on a school campus – so far in 2026. h They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a...
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Shooting suspect killed near White House
A gunman opened fire outside the White House during the evening of May 23 before the Secret Service fatally shot the suspect, the agency said. A bystander also was struck by gunfire, according to the Secret Service. No officers were injured. President...
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‘THE QUICKER THE BETTER’
ARAPAHO, OK – When Bill Sawatzky’s heifer started experiencing difficulty during labor and couldn’t deliver her calf on his farm near Custer City, Oklahoma, he quickly loaded her into a trailer and made the 15-mile journey to Highland Veterinary Clinic...
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Pakistani official seeks breakthrough with Iran
WASHINGTON – Iran’s foreign minister met Pakistan’s interior minister on May 22 to discuss proposals to end the U.S.-Israeli war, Iranian media reported, with Tehran and Washington still at odds over Iran’s uranium stockpile and controls on the Strait...
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Pakistan aims to get peace talks on track
DUBAI – Pakistan stepped up diplomacy on May 21 to hasten peace talks between the United States and Iran even as Tehran appeared to harden its stance over the nuclear issue amid new threats of strikes from President Donald Trump if he didn’t get the...
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AI ventures into literature
At some point in the next several months, I am hoping to receive a modest check as a member of the class covered in the class-action settlement Bartz v. Anthropic. In 2025, the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, best known for creating the...
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Trump postpones planned Iran strikes
President Donald Trump said he delayed strikes on Iran planned for May 19 following progress on a possible deal to end the war, though Tehran’s latest proposal appears little changed from an earlier deal that the president rejected as “garbage.” “It’s...
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Trump warns Iran: ‘Clock is ticking’
President Donald Trump warned Iran that the “clock is ticking” following a drone strike on a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, raising fears of renewed conflict as talks between Washington and Tehran stall. Emirati officials said a...
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RISING COSTS
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel have been elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But recently released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread,...
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Seniors struggle with housing, caregiving
Hurricane Milton had blown off the carport roof, damaged the lanai and broken several windows of his home in Sarasota, Florida. But that October 2024, L. Paul Laramee was reeling from an even greater shock. h After months of troubling behavior –...
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China’s Xi warns against mishandling of Taiwan
BEIJING – China’s Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump at the start of a two-day summit on May 14 that trade talks were making progress, but cautioned that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path and even lead to...
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Centurylong effort aims to keep nations White
Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government. The Trump administration in late 2025 slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to 7,500 for budget year 2026, down from the 125,000 cap set in...
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Redistricting wars in uncharted waters
The redistricting wars are raging. What happens next? History provides little guidance, because never before has there been a cross-country campaign to redraw congressional districts at mid-decade and on the fly. But the repercussions, both immediate...
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Stalemate in Iran raises oil prices
DUBAI – President Donald Trump’s swift rejection of Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal has fueled concerns that the 10-week-old conflict will drag on and continue to paralyze shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing oil prices higher, on...
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AI-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
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Why many feel bad about the economy
As the impacts from the Iran war spilled over into everyday life, more Americans have said they are worse off today than at most any point in the last 25 years. h More than half – 55% – say their financial situation is deteriorating, according to a new...
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Trade court rules against tariff in defeat for Trump
A federal court dealt another blow to President Donald Trump’s trade agenda May 7, ruling against a 10% global tariff the president imposed earlier this year to replace tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. A panel of judges for the Court of...
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Memo hints at possible deal between Iran, U.S.
President Donald Trump said Iran could either agree to a framework for peace talks or bombing would resume, after he had paused the military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said on social media the war that began Feb. 28, with a...
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Hegseth says ships sailed through strait
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on May 5 said two U.S. commercial ships and two Navy destroyers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, embarrassing Iranians who claimed the key waterway was closed and demonstrating it is safe to pass while a blockade of...
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U.S. sinks boats in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. military sunk six Iranian boats on May 4, a military official said, as the United Arab Emirates reported missile fire and drone attacks from Iran, testing a weekslong ceasefire amid Washington’s attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Adm....
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. h Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their...
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‘THERAPEUTIC BENEFIT’
The Food and Drug Administration has announced the winners of national priority vouchers to study the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs, shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order paving the way for more research. In an...
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TrumpIRA site offers retirement savings
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 30 that will broaden access to retirement savings for workers whose employers don’t offer 401(k)type plans. The order creates a new website, TrumpIRA.gov, that workers can use to enroll in a...
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