North Dakota is the flat-heartland state known for vast prairies, the Missouri River, and the final frontier of rural America.
Gen Z’s weekends have shifted from nightlife to home as financial strain, burnout, and loneliness rise. A Harris Poll shows over half feel lonely on typical weekends, with 49% lacking enough in-person friends and 65% turning to smartphones for social life. Wellness and affordable, low-key activities are replacing traditional nightlife, with renters and women hit hardest by costs.
The multistate Salmonella Javiana outbreak has been traced to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. The outbreak spans 27 states with 345 infections and 36 hospitalizations; Chipotle and Qdoba have removed the peppers from affected restaurants. Health officials say there is no ongoing risk after product removal. The CDC, FDA, and Coast Citrus are coordinating recalls and investigations.
A government report details how years of rising prices and high-volume pediatric gender care have drawn investigations into hospital billing and patient outcomes. The analysis notes lawmakers are pressuring providers to justify treatments and codes used for minors.
A multi-state outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts has infected at least 55 people nationwide, including four hospitalizations. Cases are linked to Minnesota grower Everything Sprouts and its Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. FDA and CDC are coordinating testing and monitoring, with recalls and safety reviews ongoing.
Justus Kelley has won Miss USA 2026, becoming the first married woman, first mother, and the first contestant in her 30s to win the pageant as the 75th edition crowns her in Miami. The Virginia native uses the platform to champion foster care and reflects on her family’s dedication.
The FDA has identified new Cyclospora cases in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, bringing total illness to 11,458. Investigations center on lettuce from a Taylor Farms farm in central Mexico. Officials say recalls are complete and monitoring continues, with hospitalizations near 922 this year.
The US Army has awarded an $11.26 million contract to TERN to deploy AI-based navigation and vehicle health systems that can operate offline, providing independent positioning when GPS is disrupted. The system preloads a local map, works offline, and updates when connections return, with cybersecurity considered. The move aims to reduce GPS vulnerability on the battlefield.
A fossil from 324 million years ago suggests insects had more legs than today and may reshape understanding of early arthropods during the hexapod gap.
President Donald Trump has spoken by phone for one hour with Vladimir Putin after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv. The Kremlin has said both leaders discussed possible steps to end the war in Ukraine and praised the envoys' diplomacy, while Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities have resumed.
President Donald Trump has said the US war with Iran will end immediately after the November midterm elections and has predicted oil prices will tumble once voting is over. His comments have come as Brent crude has climbed above $100 a barrel, attacks around the Strait of Hormuz have intensified and US gas and diesel prices have risen.
Trump has pledged a $5,000 dividend for every American if Republicans retain control of Congress; the plan faces legal, fiscal and political hurdles and is criticized by experts and opponents as economically risky.
Legislation to make AI data centers pay for grid upgrades has stalled after a Senate objection, while House supporters say the measure is a modest step to shield ratepayers from higher bills amid rising AI infrastructure costs.
Two adopted sisters, separated as babies, have discovered each other after a baseball-style rocommend?; the fire answer: They found each other during a Montana softball tournament when a teammate noticed the striking resemblance. Their mothers share names and birth hospital, confirming the bond. The siblings are now building a family connection across 400 miles.
Arizona State University has placed head coach Greg Powers on leave as an independent review into the August outdoor workout collapse of player Matthew Mayich continues. An interim coach has not yet been named; the university is coordinating with a former chief justice to lead the investigation, with findings due by early December.
Barbara Bush has donated to James Talarico’s Texas Senate campaign while Neil Bush backs his nephew’s opponent, Ken Paxton. The endorsements reflect a rare fissure within a prominent Republican family ahead of the November midterms as polling shows a tight race in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
Dale Brown has died at 90. LSU announced his passing, and he would have turned 91 soon. He led LSU to two Final Fours, produced NCAA stars, and left a lasting imprint on Louisiana basketball despite an NCAA probe in the late 1990s.