Sean Salai

Trick or tariff: Halloween industry predicts record revenues as Trump import duties raise prices

Costume sellers and candy merchants are anticipating record-high revenue this Halloween, even as tariffs and rising chocolate costs bedevil inflation-weary consumers.

October 22, 2025

Ex-Texas Medical Board director challenges ‘forced resignation’ over Planned Parenthood job

The former director of the Texas Medical Board is fighting to regain his job. He is accusing Republicans of forcing him out over allegations that he moonlighted as an abortionist for Planned Parenthood while overseeing it for the state.

October 21, 2025

Indiana University fires student newspaper adviser who refused to suppress news articles

Indiana University Bloomington has eliminated the print edition of its student newspaper and fired its adviser after he refused to prohibit news coverage during Homecoming Weekend.

October 20, 2025

Civil rights complaint says HHS grants violate Trump administration bans on racial preferences

Three Department of Health and Human Services grant programs are violating Trump administration bans on racial preferences in federal funding for higher education, according to a complaint filed with the agency's Office of Civil Rights.

October 20, 2025

D.C. officials say more than 100 attractions remain open during the federal shutdown

The federal government shutdown has closed the National Zoo and Smithsonian museums, but D.C. officials say dozens of attractions remain open for business.

October 17, 2025

White suburbanites bear brunt as unemployment surges from Trump-era federal job cuts in D.C. area

Trump administration layoffs of federal workers have driven up unemployment faster among affluent White suburbanites than Black residents in the D.C. area, inverting longstanding trends, a demographic analysis shows.

October 16, 2025

Catholic University dismantles Israeli-flagged memorial to victims of Hamas terror attack

The Catholic University of America has dismantled an Israeli-flagged memorial to victims of the Hamas terror attack for violating a campus ban on foreign banners.

October 15, 2025

Weight loss, Alzheimer’s drugs fuel premium spike; insurance costs on track for 8.5% rise

Health insurance premiums are poised to rise quickly due to more Americans using pricey new drugs for weight loss and cognitive disorders, industry insiders say.

October 15, 2025

Newsom vetoes bill allowing social media companies to be sued for users’ threats

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have allowed victims of violent online threats to hold social media companies responsible in court. The governor told members of the state Senate on Monday that he considered it "premature" to address a recent surge in virtual harassment by opening the state's lucrative tech companies to multimillion-dollar lawsuits.

October 13, 2025

Study finds workers still calling in sick more often than before COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. workers are still calling in sick more than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published Friday.

October 10, 2025

D.C. businesses expect prolonged economic slump as federal layoffs unfold

D.C. businesses are investing less in the local economy as they anticipate a prolonged financial downturn driven by federal worker layoffs, the D.C. Policy Center reported.

October 9, 2025

Texas authorities arrest 8 more ‘fake doctors’ in illegal abortion clinic investigation

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced the arrests of eight more "fake doctors" in a widening crackdown on illegal abortion clinics in the Houston suburbs.

October 8, 2025

Participation in Arkansas’ school voucher program surges 157%

Students who entered Arkansas' school voucher program rocketed by 157% in its second year, a new report shows.

October 8, 2025

College rankings lose relevance as Trump reshapes higher education

College rankings are losing relevance due to policy changes under the second Trump administration, higher education insiders say.

October 8, 2025

Ethics board fines former DCPS superintendent for taking nearly $170,000 from favored vendor

A former D.C. Public Schools instructional superintendent has been fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to accepting nearly $170,000 in undisclosed "consulting fees" from a vendor she favored in professional development contracts.

October 6, 2025

Half of U.S. medical schools flouting Trump DEI ban; rating report finds revolt of 67

Nearly half of U.S. medical schools continue to operate diversity, equity and inclusion offices in defiance of Trump administration policies, a new report says.

October 6, 2025

Nebraska becomes the first state to adopt new federal school choice tax credit

Nebraska became the first state this week to opt into a federal tax credit for donations to private school scholarship funds serving low-income children.

October 3, 2025

Gallup: Confidence in media hits new low of 28%

A Gallup poll finds only 28% of adults trust the media to report news "fully, accurately and fairly," a record low since the company first surveyed the issue in 1972.

October 2, 2025

D.C. finance chief cites tax hikes for improved revenues as the District struggles

Pandemic-era tax increases led to "significantly higher-than-expected revenue" for the District in the fiscal year that ended on Tuesday, D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee reported.

October 2, 2025

California bill holding social media accountable for online threats awaiting governor’s signature

A bill awaiting California Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature would allow victims of online violent threats to sue social media companies as malicious conspirators.

October 1, 2025