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Driver Without a Hand Challenges Assumptions After Viral Traffic Stop
4 days ago•Source: CBS News
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15.785 min•7 days ago
Iran weighs a China-style internet: tighter control, not a total blackout
Iran may be moving from episodic internet shutdowns toward a durable, China-style system of digital control that centralizes censorship, monitors communications, and isolates citizens from the outside world while keeping some commerce online. While officials cite imported Chinese equipment as a sign of a “permanent” shutdown, experts caution Iran lacks many domestic capabilities and may pursue an adaptive, centralized internet that tightens restrictions during sensitive moments and eases them for economic needs rather than a full, permanent disconnection.
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Dad's Sudden $8,400 Request Tests a Son's Boundaries
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The 1889 Pension That Still Sets Our Retirement Clock
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Fire Destroys Kukai-Linked Hall on Miyajima
A hall linked to the Buddhist saint Kukai on Miyajima Island burned down, with about 30 square meters affected and a nearby hut; flames spread to surrounding woodland but were brought under control by around 10:30 a.m.; no injuries have been reported, and the Reikado hall houses the eternal flame said to have burned for nearly 1,200 years.
Lawsuit Challenges Whites-Only Arkansas Compound for Discrimination
A St. Louis real estate broker sues Return to the Land, a Ravenden, Ark., whites-only community run by white nationalists, alleging racial and ancestry-based discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Civil Rights Acts of 1866/1871. The suit, the first civil action against the group, argues private-association provisions don’t shield the venture, while Arkansas investigators probe potential violations and the founders defend their right to freely associate.
Long Beach Pride Festival canceled, Sunday parade proceeds
The city of Long Beach canceled this year’s Long Beach Pride Festival due to permitting issues, stating organizers did not provide the required safety documentation to complete reviews and inspect critical infrastructure. The Pride Parade scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. will still take place, and local businesses plan celebrations around Downtown Long Beach. Long Beach Pride expressed disappointment and urged city leaders to work with the community to preserve the festival while ensuring public safety.
Iran's 70-day internet blackout tests daily life and livelihoods
Millions in Iran have endured more than 70 days of internet disruptions that have disrupted work, healthcare, education, and daily life, devastating small businesses’ incomes, raising living costs, and taking a toll on mental well-being as residents rely on limited domestic apps and offline communication amid broader political repression.
California unveils first-in-the-nation free diaper program for newborns
California will begin a first-in-the-nation program providing about 400 free diapers per newborn at hospital discharge, starting in 65–75 hospitals that serve many low-income families, with expansion statewide later. The diapers are produced by Baby2Baby under the Golden State Start label, funded by about $7.4 million in the prior budget and $12.5 million proposed for the 2027 fiscal year. The initiative aims to ease the ongoing cost of diapers (roughly $100 per month per child) and follows other California measures to support families.
Beagles Freed from Ridglan Farms Begin Rehoming Drive
About 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin are being rehomed after protests, with Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy purchasing the dogs. The first 300 have been moved, and roughly 1,000 more will be placed with shelters and adoptive families nationwide. Adoption processes include vaccinations, microchips, spaying/neutering, and thorough screening as groups coordinate across the country. Protests and legal actions surrounding the facility have highlighted concerns about animal testing and licensing.
Beagles Freed From Wisconsin Lab Begin New Lives With Rescue Network
Beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, are entering a nationwide rehoming effort after protests and a confidential deal to sell 1,500 dogs; the first 300 have been removed with more to come, and 1,000 are slated for adoption via Big Dog Ranch Rescue and partners while the Center for a Humane Economy will take the remaining 500. The dogs are being vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered, and prepared for transport to shelters as activists who protested the facility face charges and a federal lawsuit alleging excessive force. Ridglan denies mistreatment, and previously agreed to relinquish breeding licenses; beagles are favored in testing due to their docile temperaments.
UK Twins Discover Different Fathers After DNA Tests in Rare Medical Phenomenon
Twin sisters Michelle and Lavinia Osbourne, born minutes apart in Nottingham in 1976, discover via DNA tests that they have different biological fathers—one father is Alex, the brother of a woman who was friends with their mother, and the other is Arthur. The revelation, discussed on BBC Radio 4’s The Gift, makes them the first documented UK case of heteropaternal superfecundation, a rare phenomenon where two eggs are fertilized by sperm from two men in the same cycle. The sisters, who endured a troubled upbringing, have since built relationships with their respective fathers and highlight how rare genetic surprises can redefine family history.
DNA Reveals Rare Twin with Different Fathers
Two UK twins, Lavinia and Michelle, discover they share a womb but have different fathers due to heteropaternal superfecundation after taking Ancestry DNA tests—a rare finding that reshapes their identities, leads Lavinia to meet her biological dad Arthur Moon Foot, and brings Michelle into a wider network of half-siblings. The piece follows their difficult upbringing, the emotional fallout of the revelations, and how casual home DNA testing is increasingly exposing hidden family histories.
Rescue Groups Move 1,500 Beagles Toward New Homes After Ridglan Farms Sale
More than 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin are being adopted out through rescue groups led by Big Dog Ranch Rescue and The Center for a Humane Economy, with hundreds staying in-state and the rest headed to homes nationwide. The effort includes vaccines, spaying/neutering, and care as adopters are screened and dogs are prepared for their new lives.