THOR

May 12 2026POLITICS

Who Decides When the U. S. Goes to War?

Back in 1942, Congress last officially declared war. Since then, presidents have sent troops overseas over 100 times without that same approval. The Constitution says Congress should handle war declarations, but presidents argue they can act fast when they see a threat. A 1973 law tried to fix this

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May 10 2026CRIME

Texas Shuts Down Fake Dallas School Claiming Islamic STEM Degrees

Texas has just pulled the plug on a Dallas-area school operating under a misleading name. The place called itself the Texas American Muslim University at Dallas, promising degrees in tech fields like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. But here’s the catch: it never had state approval to hand

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May 09 2026HEALTH

Leading the heart: How Ghana’s centre reshaped heart care in West Africa

Ghana took a major step forward in 1989 when a specialist unit opened at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Instead of flying patients abroad for heart surgery, local doctors now had a place to perform modern procedures right at home. Over time, this centre attracted trainee surgeons from across W

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May 06 2026HEALTH

Future of Healthcare: When Rules Slow Down Care

Insurers want to speed up the system by dropping approval checks for some treatments. One big player, UnitedHealthcare, plans to remove 30% of prior authorization rules by 2026. This means simpler access to outpatient operations, diagnostic tests, therapies, and chiropractic care. Currently only 2%

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May 06 2026POLITICS

Why Hungary’s Warning Should Matter to American Voters

This November, Americans face a choice that could shape the next generation. Over the past few years, some leaders have pushed policies that weaken voting rights, attack free speech, and reward corruption. These moves mirror what happened in Hungary, where an elected leader slowly chipped away at de

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May 03 2026SCIENCE

Psychedelics and the Fight Against Authoritarian Thinking

Research has shown that certain psychedelic drugs can lower people’s tendency to support strict, top‑down authority. However, these studies were small and not always well controlled. Because of that uncertainty, scientists are calling for bigger experiments with stricter designs to see if the eff

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May 01 2026POLITICS

What Americans Really Believe About Human Rights—and Why It Matters

A growing number of Americans now see certain authoritarian governments as better on human rights than their own country. Polls show this shift is especially strong among younger Democrats, who view Iran, Israel, and even China in similar negative ways—or sometimes even favor China over the U. S. Th

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May 01 2026ENTERTAINMENT

Unexpected voices and fresh stories to explore in the Bay Area this May

May lights up with over 60 book-related events scattered across the Bay, from North Beach to Menlo Park. Instead of the usual literary suspects, this month’s lineup mixes unlikely storytellers—chefs, scientists, athletes, and even a DJ—behind the microphone. A Venezuelan-American writer reflects on

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Apr 30 2026POLITICS

Quick Look at the New Surveillance Bill Rush

A new push to extend U. S. surveillance powers moved fast this week. House leaders got just enough votes to start debating the bill after a tight two-hour vote. The change would let spy agencies keep collecting data without first asking a judge. Some lawmakers only agreed after pressure from top Rep

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Apr 26 2026OPINION

What leaders say—and what we let them get away with

Leaders shape what a society finds acceptable. When they joke about violence or treat mass destruction like a game plan, something fundamental shifts. It isn’t just talk. Words from powerful people act like invisible rules. They tell us what behavior is okay now, and what will be okay later. Over ti

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