40 million Americans face hunger as Speaker Johnson’s obedience to Trump leaves Congress powerless

It also means that the House will not be back at work before November 1, when at least twenty-five states have said they will not be able to provide the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits more than 42 million Americans rely...

New research says polygyny (one husband, multiple wives) has plus sides

Polygyny, which is illegal in New Zealand, has economic and social advantages, according to a recent study. But does that mean it's harmless? David W. Lawson reports. In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the...

The Pentagon issues statement decrying Netflix’s House of Dynamite over ‘inaccuracies’

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

How graphite mining in New York’s Champlain Valley created America’s iconic pencil

The Champlain Valley once served as a major source for the material with which pencils make their marks on paper— graphite. There’s no exact date for the discovery of graphite in the region. Likely native populations found some and used it to mark...

Trump’s increased fee for H-1B visas hits Minnesota schools, retail and health care

Generally, universities, nonprofits and government research organizations are exempt from the lottery, so they can submit petitions any time. The federal citizenship agency reviews and approves applications based on several factors, including an...

Trump’s Russia sanctions shift war dynamics to the energy front

Whether either side will yield under economic pressure is uncertain. But each views its energy attacks, analysts say, as a strategic lever to break the stalemate in a conflict that has ground on for nearly four years and has so far been immune to...

Netflix's 'A House of Dynamite' Is a Must-Watch, Even if It Isn't Perfect

Kathryn Bigelow's white-knuckle nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite blasts its way to Netflix on October 25, 2025, instantly becoming one of the must-see cinematic home-viewing events of the year. Bigelow's first film in eight years, A House of...

Personal Finance: Chattanooga’s role in credit equality for women

Tuesday will mark the 51st anniversary of a major victory in the struggle for women's equality. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 formally outlawed discrimination against women in the extension of credit. While it might seem archaic or even...

There’s a reason electricity prices are rising. And it’s not data centers.

But a new study from researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the consulting group Brattle suggests that, counterintuitively, more electricity demand can actually lower prices. Between 2019 and 2024, the researchers calculated,...

GM’s latest tech announcement is giving me deja vu

“Imagine you step into your vehicle, push a button, and it drives you to the office.” This futuristic vision could have been conjured by any number of automotive or tech executives over the past decade or so as interest in autonomous-driving tech...

From NBA Coaches to Poker Players, Here's Everyone Named in 'Operation Royal Flush'

A federal indictment unsealed Thursday shed light on allegations of a widespread cheating ring in underground poker games that utilized advanced technology, mob ties and former NBA players to allegedly cheat players out of over $7 million over...

Uttar Pradesh Emerges As A Major Food Processing Hub Under Yogi Adityanath’s Govt

Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, Uttar Pradesh is scripting a new chapter of industrial growth rooted in agriculture. The state is rapidly transforming into India’s leading food processing hub. A recent Global Trade Research...

Call out the National Guard for nation’s cyber defense

As cyber threats grow in scale and sophistication, America’s most critical and vulnerable systems – our power grids, water supplies, and gas pipelines – are increasingly in the crosshairs. These systems, known as Operational Technology (OT), are...

Test Expectations: How many students met or exceeded science MCA expectations in Renville County West School District in 2023-24 school year?

Willie Jett Commissioner of Education Minnesota Department of Education | Office of Gov. Tim WalzWillie Jett Commissioner of Education Minnesota Department of Education | Office of Gov. Tim Walz In Renville County West School District 28% of the...

North Korea’s AI-Powered Hackers Are Redefining Crypto Crime

There's a change coming to crypto crime, and North Korea's state-backed hackers are in the vanguard. There's no longer any need for dozens of expensively educated programmers to analyze blockchain code and smart contracts for vulnerabilities, it's...

Bemidji Area Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship to meet Nov. 1

BEMIDJI — The Bemidji Area Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship of America chapter is set to meet at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Beltrami Electric Conference Room, 4111 Technology Drive NW. A light breakfast will be served and all are...

The Crisis We’re Not Talking Enough About, Why All Star Cheer Is Failing Its Athlete’s Mental Health

A 9-year-old comes home from practice unable to throw her standing tuck, a skill she’s had for years and has landed hundreds of times. A 14 year old stops eating lunch three months before competing at Worlds for the first time. A 17 year old has a...

Donald Trump travels to Asia and a meeting with China’s Xi as the US government shutdown drags on

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump headed for Asia for the first time this term, a trip where he’s expected to work on investment deals and peace efforts before meeting face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping to try to...

Open enrollment's Nov. 1 start looms over Obamacare subsidies debate in Congress

Congressional Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse on negotiating an extension of enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies during the government shutdown, but they agree on one thing: Time to act is running out. Obamacare open enrollment begins...

I Asked ChatGPT Whether Downsizing Saves Money in Retirement: Here’s What It Said

One of the most common retirement tips is to sell the big house, move into something smaller and pocket the savings. But does it actually work out that way? To explore the question, I asked ChatGPT whether downsizing truly saves money in...