Login | January 07, 2026
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Local
AI agents arrived in 2025 – here's what happened and the challenges ahead in 2026
(THE CONVERSATION) In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own.
While researchers have studied ... (full story)
State
How a fast-moving $50 cash relief program buoyed needy families when SNAP payments were paused
Finances already looked tight for Jade Grant and her three children as she entered the year's final months.
"Everyone's birthday is back-to-back," the 32-year-old certified nursing assistant said. "You have holidays coming up. You have Thanksgiving. Everything is right there. And then, boom. No (food) stamps." ... (full story)
Supreme Court clarified rqmts for granting civil stalking protection orders
To grant a civil stalking protection order, a court must find only that a person seeking the order believes an offender will cause mental distress if encounters continue, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled recently.
In a 5-2 decision, the Supreme Court resolved competing interpretations by Ohio courts of R.C. 2903.211, a law allowi ... (full story)
Ancient meditation practices find new life in modern religious communities across America
On most Monday nights, the sanctuary of All Saints Episcopal Church — with its vaulted ceilings, stone arches and stained-glass windows — seamlessly transforms into a space of quiet contemplation.
It's in this Gothic Revival church in Pasadena, California, that Betty Cole, a longtime Zen practitioner and "card-c ... (full story)
Public release of Epstein records puts Maxwell under fresh scrutiny amid her claims of innocence
NEW YORK (AP) — Days after Ghislaine Maxwell asked a judge to immediately free her from a 20-year prison sentence, the public release of grand jury transcripts from her sex trafficking case returned the spotlight to victims whose allegations helped land her behind bars.
The disclosure of the transcripts as part of the Just ... (full story)

