Author: Anne Brown

If you live in Arizona, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kansas, or North Carolina and have never experienced the particular joy of a Buc-ee’s pit stop — the spotless restrooms, the wall-to-wall beaver merchandise, the brisket at the food counter, the fuel stations that could fill a small city — your wait is almost over. The Texas-based travel plaza chain is in the middle of one of the most ambitious expansions in its history, with plans to open its first locations in six new states by the end of 2027, stretching its reach from 12 states to 20. Two states are getting…

The images are familiar in their unsettling way: a cruise ship anchored offshore, health workers in protective gear, a public health agency working to contain an outbreak before fear outpaces fact. But Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, wants the world to hear something specific before the anxiety compounds into something larger than the situation warrants. “This is not another COVID-19.” The WHO chief made that declaration in a lengthy post on X on Saturday morning, as plans were finalized to evacuate 150 passengers from the MV Hondius — including 17 Americans — following a…

Officers arriving at the Cohutta Police Department in northern Georgia on Wednesday morning encountered something they had not been told to expect: a sign posted on their own department’s door. “The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.” With that, the town of roughly 1,000 people lost its entire police force. All 10 employees — officers and staff alike — were out of a job. And Mayor Ron Shinnick had answered, in the most blunt way imaginable, the question of how he intended to respond to officers who had filed formal complaints against his wife. The sequence…

Cinco de Mayo arrives each year with a predictable rhythm in American politics — and for the past decade, a central question has been: what will Donald Trump post? On Tuesday, the answer was a stylized “NICE” graphic shared to Truth Social — an eagle-and-shield design styled to resemble federal law enforcement branding, referencing his recently endorsed concept of renaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement to “NICE.” It is the kind of post — blending humor, immigration policy, and cultural provocation — that has made Trump’s Cinco de Mayo messaging a recurring annual event in the American political calendar. The ‘NICE’…

When a federal appeals court cleared the path for Texas Senate Bill 4 to take effect — lifting an injunction that had blocked the law since 2024 — it did not end the legal battle. It restarted it. On Monday, a coalition of civil rights organizations filed a new federal lawsuit seeking to halt portions of the law before it can be enforced. The clock is running: SB 4 is scheduled to go into effect on May 15, giving courts less than two weeks to act if the new challenge is to prevent its implementation. Senate Bill 4 represents one…

What should have been a routine Sunday afternoon landing at one of the country’s busiest airports became anything but — when a United Airlines international flight clipped a light pole and a tractor-trailer on its final approach, sending debris onto a roadway below and landing a truck driver in the hospital. United Airlines Flight 169, inbound from Venice, Italy, made contact with the pole at approximately 2 p.m. during its descent into Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the airline and law enforcement. Despite the collision, the aircraft landed safely, proceeded to the gate under its own power, and all…

Children in Britain who are 17 years old or younger, as well as future generations, will be prohibited from legally purchasing cigarettes following the approval of new legislation aimed at reducing tobacco use.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduces a phased increase in the legal age for purchasing tobacco products. It will raise the age by one year each year, starting with individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, effectively creating a lifetime ban for these age groups.The legislation, which is awaiting royal assent, also establishes stricter regulations on vaping products, including a prohibition on sales to individuals under 18,…

In a landmark decision, lawmakers in the United Kingdom have approved stringent new measures aimed at combating smoking among future generations. Children in Britain who are 17 years old or younger, alongside anyone born after January 1, 2009, will never be legally permitted to buy cigarettes.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is set to introduce a rolling age ban, raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products by one year, every year. This means that today’s minors will face a lifetime prohibition on cigarette sales.Moreover, the legislation, which awaits royal assent next week, imposes stricter regulations on vaping products. It bans…

In a significant shift within the administration, President Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor, for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. This decision comes after he withdrew the prior nomination of Dr. Casey Means, marking the third attempt to fill this crucial role.The nomination of Means, who had been a prominent ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encountered challenges within the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which is chaired by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. President Trump publicly criticized Cassidy, accusing him of obstructing Means’…

In a significant development, U.S. President Donald Trump has named Dr. Nicole Saphier—a radiologist and contributor to Fox News—as his nominee for the role of U.S. Surgeon General, marking his third attempt to fill this key public health position. This announcement follows the withdrawal of his previous nominee, Casey Means.The nomination of Means faced challenges, particularly from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who Trump accused of obstructing the process. Cassidy chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which did not advance Means’ nomination due to a lack of support.Means, allied with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,…