The Trump administration has made shrinking the size of the federal government one of its central policy priorities during President Donald Trump's second term. Through executive orders, hiring restrictions, agency reorganizations, and workforce reductions, the administration says it aims to reduce government spending, improve efficiency, and make federal agencies more accountable to elected leadership. According to data analyzed by the Government Accountability Office and th

The United States continues to face one of its most significant long-term fiscal challenges as the national debt approaches $40 trillion. According to the U.S. Treasury, total public debt now stands at roughly $39.5 trillion, reflecting years of government borrowing to finance military operations, entitlement programs, emergency spending, infrastructure investments, and interest payments on existing debt. The national debt has grown under administrations from both major polit

Since founding SpaceX in 2002, Elon Musk has framed the company's ultimate purpose in strikingly ambitious terms: making humanity a multi-planet species. In 2026, that goal faces its first real test, as a rare planetary alignment opens a narrow launch window that could determine how seriously to take the timeline Musk has long promised. The vehicle at the center of it all is Starship. Standing over 400 feet tall when fully stacked, it's the largest and most powerful rocket ev

Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback will remain on Florida's August 18 primary ballot after Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank rejected a legal challenge from rival candidate and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who argued the 31-year-old failed to meet the state's seven-year residency requirement for governor. Collins' lawsuit, filed in June, centered on Fishback's ties to Washington, D.C., including a 2020 D.C. voter registration, mortgage paperwork on a Washington co

Hollywood has witnessed an unexpected success story in 2026 with the breakout horror film Obsession. Produced for a reported budget of just $750,000, the independent thriller has become one of the year's biggest box office sensations, earning more than $425 million worldwide and proving that original storytelling can still compete with blockbuster franchises. Directed by 26-year-old filmmaker Curry Barker, Obsession tells the story of a young man whose desperate wish to win o

Not long ago, the idea of building data centers in orbit sounded like science fiction. In 2026, it's an active, well-funded race — and February marked a genuine milestone: the first month in history where multiple orbital data center operators simultaneously ran production workloads in space. The leading players and their approaches vary widely. Starcloud, a Redmond, Washington-based startup formerly known as Lumen Orbit, has the strongest claim to real operational hardware.

Rising along the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, The Dalí Museum is one of the world's premier destinations for admirers of surrealist art. Home to the largest collection of works by Spanish master Salvador Dalí outside of Europe, the museum attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and has become one of Florida's most celebrated cultural landmarks. The museum first opened in 1982 after collectors A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse spent decades assembli

For decades, humanoid robots capable of doing real work were a science-fiction staple more than an economic forecast. That's changed fast. In 2026, humanoid robots have moved from lab demonstrations to actual factory floors — but the honest answer to when they'll be competent and plentiful enough to meaningfully disrupt the U.S. job market is: sooner than skeptics expected, later than the hype suggests, and unevenly across industries. Where things actually stand right now. As

The phrase "second civil war" has become a fixture of American political conversation, fueled by polarization, viral warnings, and no shortage of alarmist headlines. But when researchers who actually study civil conflict for a living are asked the question directly, their answer is far more measured than the discourse around it suggests. The scholarly bar is high — and the U.S. doesn't meet it. Academic definitions of civil war typically require a state-based conflict between

Downtown Missoula's dining scene has a fresh new addition with the arrival of Sumac Cafe, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and a full coffee and tea program. Located at 111 North Higgins Avenue in the former Red Bird location, the café has quickly attracted attention for its fresh ingredients, house-made pita, and modern take on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant's menu emphasizes colorful, ingredient-driven dishes th

Tampa's political scene is unusually active this summer, driven by a public clash between Mayor Jane Castor and the Tampa City Council over the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium project — and an already crowded field forming for the 2027 race to succeed her. The Rays stadium dispute. Tensions boiled over this week after the Tampa City Council and the Community Redevelopment Agency took votes on Thursday, July 23, that complicated the path forward for a proposed $2.3 billion ballpark an

Just a few years ago, NFT art was the story of the decade — million-dollar auction sales, celebrity collections, and breathless predictions that digital ownership would reshape the entire art world. In 2026, the picture looks starkly different. The numbers tell the story bluntly. Art NFT trading volume has collapsed roughly 93% from its 2021 peak of $2.9 billion, falling to just $23.8 million by early 2025. The top 20 most-traded art NFT collections from 2021 have, on average

Tampa artist Jason Skeldon, better known by his artistic alias "SKEL," has built a reputation as one of the Bay area's most recognizable contemporary pop artists. Known for his vibrant colors, street-art influences, and bold cultural commentary, Skeldon has transformed a passion for painting into a nationally recognized brand while remaining deeply connected to the Tampa community. Originally from Las Vegas, Skeldon has spent most of his life in Tampa, where he developed his

Although the 2028 presidential election is still more than two years away, speculation about potential candidates is already underway. Neither major party has an officially declared field, but several governors, senators, and administration officials are widely viewed as possible contenders as they travel the country, raise campaign funds, and increase their national profiles. On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance remains one of the most closely watched figures. As

For generations, ghostwriting was considered the literary equivalent of an apprenticeship. Young writers, often unknown and unpublished, took on anonymous assignments to earn a living while learning the craft. They wrote memoirs for celebrities, business books for executives, and autobiographies for public figures—collecting a paycheck while waiting for the day their own names would appear on a book cover. Ghostwriting was often viewed as a steppingstone, something writers di

For several years, a series of bodies recovered from Austin's Lady Bird Lake has fueled speculation that a serial killer may be targeting people near the city's popular Rainey Street entertainment district. The rumors have spread widely across social media, podcasts, and true crime communities, prompting concern among residents and visitors alike. Many of the victims were young men who disappeared after nights out in downtown Austin before later being found in or near the lak

On the morning of February 20, 2025, in the quiet town of Carrollton, Georgia, a 5-year-old girl found her mother and stepfather unresponsive in their bed and alerted her older sister, then-16-year-old Sarah Grace Patrick. Patrick called 911. First responders arrived at the family's home on Tyus-Carrollton Road to find Kristin Brock, 41, and her husband James "Jamie" Brock, 45, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. There were no signs of forced entry, and the murder weapon was n

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known collectively as The Minimalists, help millions of people rethink their relationship with material possessions. Since launching their podcast in December 2015, the two — described by The New Yorker as "sincere prophets of anti-consumerism" — have built one of the most listened-to shows in the genre, now joined by cohost T.K. Coleman. Their story began with an unlikely origin: a friendship that started in fifth grade, long before

The Tampa Bay area has become one of Florida's most vibrant destinations for art, blending world-class museums, independent galleries, colorful public murals, and a growing community of local artists. From downtown Tampa to St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the region's creative culture continues to attract collectors, tourists, and aspiring artists alike. St. Petersburg has earned a national reputation as the cultural heart of Tampa Bay. The city is home to renowned institution

With Governor Ron DeSantis unable to seek another term because of term limits, Florida voters are preparing for one of the state's most significant gubernatorial elections in years. The open seat has drawn candidates from both major parties, setting the stage for a race that could influence Florida's political direction for the next four years. Republicans enter the campaign hoping to extend their control of the Governor's Mansion after years of electoral success statewide. A