PACT

May 18 2026OPINION

Quonset Runway Closure: A Question of Priorities

The Rhode Island Airport Corp. decided to shut down runway 5‑23 at Quonset State Airport, a move that many see as politically driven rather than technically justified. The runway sits on Narragansett Bay, where winter winds make it a key spot for pilots. Yet the decision was made without hearing

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May 18 2026BUSINESS

Why AI isn't killing offshore call center jobs as expected

Many thought AI would replace call center workers in countries like the Philippines and India. Instead, the opposite happened. Call center jobs in the Philippines nearly doubled from 2016 to 2025, growing to 2 million workers. Unemployment there dropped from 9% to about 4% during the same period. In

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May 18 2026POLITICS

Tennessee’s leadership crisis: one-party rule and its hidden costs

Tennessee’s government is controlled by a single party with overwhelming power, but this setup is doing more harm than good. When one group dominates politics completely, it shuts down fresh ideas and accountability. Think of it like a store with no competition—prices go up, service drops, and no on

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May 18 2026POLITICS

Iran and the U. S. locked in high-stakes standoff over oil and nuclear talks

The latest warning from Washington came in a weekend social media post that lacked specifics but carried sharp teeth. "Speed matters for Iran, " it read. "Fast action needed—or nothing will remain. " The message came as negotiators from both sides attempt to turn a fragile April truce into lasting p

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Gas Prices and Big Decisions: Why Some Voters Stand by Trump

High gas prices are hitting rural Colorado hard. Amy Van Duyn, who works at Stubs liquor store in Wiggins, now pays 50% more to fill up than she did when Trump returned to office. She used to spend $36 for a full tank. Now, that money buys barely half. Her coworker Tonyah Bruyette feels the pinch to

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May 17 2026SPORTS

Rain forces Indy 500 qualifying to take a different route

Saturday’s rain in Indianapolis didn’t just dampen the ground—it soaked the entire first day of Indy 500 qualifying, a rare event last seen in 2008. Instead of the usual qualifying battles, teams faced empty garages and empty stands while waiting for hours just to see if the track would dry. Now the

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May 17 2026OPINION

Portland’s Creative Pulse is Fading Fast

Portland still brags about being a city where art and small businesses thrive. But the places that once made it special are disappearing—not all at once, but one by one, like ice melting in spring. Rents are skyrocketing, forcing artists, writers, and shop owners to work extra jobs just to scrape by

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May 16 2026BUSINESS

US factories bounce back but war risks still loom

April saw American factories bounce back strongly, with output jumping by its biggest margin in over a year. Cars and tech gear led the charge, thanks to heavy spending on artificial intelligence and renewed consumer demand after months of slowdowns. Yet even as production picks up speed, growing su

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May 16 2026ENVIRONMENT

What we know so far about Maine’s lumber mill fire chaos

A fire tore through a century-old lumber mill in Searsmont on Friday morning, sending thick smoke over Route 131 and forcing emergency crews to deal with explosions inside the site. The blaze erupted just after 10 a. m. and raged for hours, turning a place that’s been family-run since the 1800s into

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May 15 2026ENVIRONMENT

How tiny plastic bits in cow poop could harm beetle families

Scientists tested how plastic pollution in cow dung affects a common beetle species known for cleaning up animal waste. They found that when cow manure contains tiny plastic pieces—even in small amounts—it can seriously harm beetle babies. The beetles’ larvae struggled to survive when exposed to hig

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