A highly tense standoff has been raging across state lines in recent days, with more than fifty Democratic lawmakers from Texas seeking sanctuary in Illinois in an attempt to block a contentious redistricting proposal. These lawmakers, many of whom are still recovering from their escape, strategically positioned themselves almost 1,000 miles away by refusing the Texas House a quorum in an attempt to thwart what they perceive to be a particularly damaging GOP attempt to take over more congressional seats. In addition to opposing their own legislature, they have unintentionally turned Illinois into a political staging ground by escaping Texas.…
Author: foxter
A small area of downtown Waterloo, Iowa, has subtly developed into a cultural powerhouse over the last 20 years. With pipes humming, kilts flying, and a strong sense of Gaelic pride, Iowa Irish Fest has evolved into a celebration that resembles the great Celtic festivals of Galway or Dublin, but with a Midwest flair and a welcoming atmosphere that feels very local. From a small gathering in 2006, this community-led event has grown into a three-day celebration that now attracts close to 50,000 people. The footprint has grown by four city blocks in recent years, adding not only more space…
The daily grind of clocking in and processing pork for one of the nation’s biggest meat producers came to a halt for hundreds of JBS meatpacking employees in Ottumwa, Iowa. More than 200 workers, many of whom had been employed lawfully for years, were summoned to management meetings. A quick and agonizing disintegration of livelihoods ensued. The Trump administration’s sudden change in immigration policy had resulted in the revocation of their work permits. These were not illegal laborers. These workers had legal authorization—until they didn’t. The administration hit at the heart of the workforce that JBS and similar businesses rely…
Kansas City has transformed from a barbecue hotspot to a remarkably diverse culinary hub in recent years. Every summer, the Kansas City Taco Festival, held at the popular Kansas City Live! venue, provides a lively platform for this evolution. The 2025 edition has significantly outperformed previous iterations by fusing street food flair with exuberant entertainment, providing a more carefully planned, culturally immersive experience that combines music, flavor, and community involvement into a single joyous weekend. Thousands of foodies, taco enthusiasts, and inquisitive tourists flocked to the Power & Light District over the weekend of August 2–3 to sample more than…
Just by answering the phone, thousands of Californians might be remarkably close to receiving unclaimed funds. Wells Fargo has agreed to pay people and companies who received calls between 2014 and 2023 without giving adequate notice that the conversation was being recorded as part of a recently completed $19.5 million class action settlement. Your eligibility for the Wells Fargo $5,000 settlement could result in an unexpectedly large payout if you’re one of those beneficiaries. The legal case stems from allegations that The Credit Wholesale Co. Inc., acting on behalf of Wells Fargo, routinely recorded outbound sales calls to California residents…
The way big institutions manage employee retirement benefits has subtly changed over the last ten years as a result of ERISA litigation. This expanding trend reached Boston’s Mass General Brigham Inc., a reputable healthcare system, in April 2025, when it consented to a $8.25 million settlement. This court decision resulted from a class action lawsuit alleging that the company permitted exorbitant fees in its 403(b) retirement plan, which provides benefits to over 100,000 workers throughout its network. The lawsuit focused on claims that Mass General chose excessively costly investment options and neglected to keep an eye on administrative expenses. The…
The Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has generated a very active discussion on social media and traditional media in recent days. The reason? A surprisingly simple Facebook post urging people to think about giving unwanted pets to the zoo’s carnivores—not for adoption. Despite having its roots in conservation biology, this project has sparked a heated discussion and brought up important issues regarding animal ethics, emotional attachment, and ecological education. The post stressed that the zoo’s efforts to mimic natural feeding behaviors could be supported by donations of animals like guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, and even small horses. Whole prey is what…
Long treasured for its serene trails, Civilian Conservation Corps architecture, and distinctively preserved natural formations, Devil’s Den State Park is tucked away in the wooded folds of the Ozarks. But that serenity was broken by a startling act of violence in late July 2025. While hiking, Clinton and Cristen Brink, who had two young daughters, were viciously stabbed. Their children and a community in shock at the magnitude of the loss were left behind when the parents perished on the trail. Now, the tragedy has sparked contentious discussions about public park safety and the screening of people in positions of…
Few events have been able to change as smoothly over the last ten years as the Missouri State Fair. The 2025 edition, which takes place from August 7–17, feels especially innovative in terms of local culture and pride. This year’s fair, which is anchored in Sedalia and is run by Jason Moore, feels like an improved mosaic of change and tradition. It’s where headliners and hay bales collide, where fireworks and exhibits with an eye toward the future coexist with deep-fried pickles. Missouri State Fair 2025 has produced something remarkably akin to a living, breathing portrait of the state by…
Residents of Arizona have been inundated with phony text messages in recent months purporting to be from the DMV and referencing Arizona State Administrative Code 15c-16.003, which sounds official. The sole issue? Arizona doesn’t have that code. Actually, cybercriminals have cynically repackaged a legal misreference taken from Florida’s rulebooks in the hopes that you won’t notice. Their objective is straightforward: to instill just enough fear that it sounds legitimate to fool you into clicking a link and giving them your personal information. Scammers have created an extremely successful scheme by using this phony code, one that is not only perplexing…