The Spectrum & Daily News
U.S. faces ‘human rights emergency,’ group says
One year into the second Trump administration, the United States has quickly eroded human rights safeguards, according to Amnesty International. The nonprofit released a report Jan. 20, the anniversary of President Donald Trump retaking office, saying...
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‘VERY DISAPPOINTING’
CHICAGO – In Chicago’s workingclass Pilsen neighborhood, a 1960s-era oil-fired power plant rises up from an industrial lot behind Dvorak Park, which in warmer weather is packed with children climbing on its colorful playground and zooming down...
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Greenland
Trump also posted a doctored image that showed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sitting in the White House’s Oval Office next to a map showing Greenland and Canada as American territory. He posted a separate AI image with him planting...
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Federal probe into Good questioned
First Amendment groups are concerned that the federal government’s investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis will have negative implications for free speech. The concern follows New York Times reporting that the Department of...
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Farm economy shows widening cracks
CHICAGO – Across the U.S. Farm Belt, these have become depressing times. Farmers are facing another season of low prices, high costs and difficult decisions about how – or whether – to keep operating. Banks are cutting off some growers just as they...
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Trump releases health insurance framework
WASHINGTON – Facing pressure to address affordability concerns, President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass a series of measures aimed at lowering drug prices and health insurance costs as he unveiled a long-awaited health care plan that is...
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President threatens Insurrection Act in MN
President Donald Trump on Jan. 15 threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would give him power to deploy armed forces domestically, as tensions ratcheted up yet further in Minnesota following a second shooting involving a federal agent. The...
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ICE detention centers are expanding in U.S.
President Donald Trump’s second term has brought sweeping changes to immigration enforcement. One of the top takeaways: Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention has expanded dramatically, both in the number of people being held and the sites...
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MN faces obstacles to charge ICE agent
Many in Minnesota and across the country were outraged by the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration agent in a Minneapolis neighborhood and called for the agent to face charges. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who oversees the city’s...
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Polls: Venezuela invasion splits American opinion
President Donald Trump’s strike on Venezuela has evenly split the country: Republican hawks are cheering the Jan. 3 raid that dragged President Nicolás Maduro to New York to face criminal drug charges, while Democrats question whether constitutional...
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Trump foreign focus may hurt midterms
WASHINGTON – Even before the United States seized control of Venezuela and ousted its leader, some of President Donald Trump’s allies worried he was giving too much attention abroad while Americans made clear their top concern was the economy and cost...
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Maduro opponent vows to return Machado says opposition is ready to win in Venezuela
WASHINGTON – Venezuela’s main opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return home quickly, praising President Donald Trump for toppling President Nicolás Maduro and declaring her movement ready to win a free election. Trump appears,...
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AI to review Medicare claims in pilot program
A new Medicare program that uses artificial intelligence to review medical claims is set to launch in six states. Critics worry it will lead to patients being denied necessary care and more red tape for providers. The controversial new six-year pilot...
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Arizona traffic stops lead to deportations
On a heavily patrolled stretch of Interstate 10 south of Phoenix, people pulled over for having a cracked windshield or an object dangling from their rear view mirror have ended up in deportation proceedings. The stated goal of the traffic stops is to...
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Walz called to testify on Minnesota fraud scandal
Republicans in Congress have invited Tim Walz, Minnesota’s Democratic governor and Kamala Harris’ former running mate in the 2024 presidential election, to testify before lawmakers over the fraud scandal that has rocked his state. Rep. James Comer,...
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Americans are still feeling impact of Trump’s tariffs
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump had been in office less than three months when he slapped retaliatory tariffs on imports from dozens of countries, arguing the duties would benefit American companies that have been treated unfairly by foreign...
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Big events on calendar for 2026
As a new year dawns, many Americans are reflecting on 2025, a year marked by historic events including the inauguration of a president, the appointment of the first American pope, and major pop culture moments like the release of “Wicked: For Good” and...
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‘ The freedom to be unkind’
Alley Mills Bean approached the podium at a Los Angeles City Council meeting alongside council member Traci Park on a June day in 2024, Emmy in hand. She’d won it the previous year for her role as the hook-wielding serial killer Heather Webber on...
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Over 1M students homeless in U.S.
WASHINGTON – After T’Roya Jackson discovered the paint in her apartment gave her daughter lead poisoning, she and her children moved out. They couch-surfed for a while before moving into a homeless shelter over the summer. The hair stylist began...
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Regenerative farming making a comeback
At Troon Vineyard, in southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley, Garett Long has turned composting into an art form, using it to support soil microbes and eliminate the need for petroleum-based fertilizers. When Andrea Malmberg and her husband, Tony, bought...
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U.S. hits Islamic State in northern Nigeria
President Donald Trump said on Dec. 25 that the U.S. military had attacked Islamic State targets in Nigeria, claiming the group had been targeting Christians. In a post on Truth Social, the president said he directed the military to launch a “powerful...
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Trump may be repeating Biden mistake on economy
Americans might be experiencing a bit of déjà vu after watching President Donald Trump trying to cheer up the country amid national anxiety about the cost of living. During a 20-minute speech from the White House on Dec. 17, Trump plowed through a...
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New Epstein files spotlight Trump
References to president found in latest release Josh Meyer USA TODAY WASHINGTON – Former President Bill Clinton had his moment in the spotlight on Dec. 19 when the first batch of the Epstein files were released. On Dec. 23, it was sitting President...
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Federal agents pull back in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – President Donald Trump vowed this year to flood San Francisco with federal agents – and even soldiers – to crack down on crime. Instead, his administration has quietly taken law enforcement away, leaving the city with less help to fight...
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‘FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE’
LONDON – The West’s push to build a homegrown magnets supply chain to reduce its reliance on China – led by massive U.S. backing for Nevada-based MP Materials – is running into a critical problem: the scarcity of so-called heavy rare earth...
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Data: Venezuela not a major source of deadly fentanyl
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and his top aides have justified lethal military strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats from Venezuela, by accusing Venezuela and alleged criminal networks operating on its soil like the Cartel de los Soles of...
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Brown shooting suspect found dead
PROVIDENCE, RI – Though the suspect connected to the deadly Brown University attack and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor was found dead in New Hampshire, the questions and fallout have only begun. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez...
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Best and worst times to drive, fly for the holidays
The final stretch of holiday travel for the year is upon us, and it’ll be a busy one. For the winter holidays between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, around 122.4 million Americans are expected to travel – exceeding last year’s 119.7 million and setting a new...
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Tariff inflation less than expected
Millions of American consumers have been waiting for President Donald Trump’s tariffs to spark a dramatic rise in consumer prices, pushing the inflation rate into the red zone. They’re still waiting. The annual inflation rate reached 3% in September,...
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FBI seeks leads in Brown shooting
A search in Rhode Island rolled into its fourth day Dec. 16 as federal and state officers pursued a suspect who opened fire during a final exam at Brown University, killing two, injuring nine and leaving no obvious indication of a motive. The widening...
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‘SEEING PEOPLE AS PEOPLE’
When Elizabeth Dalzell’s daughter Liesl complained of severe pain in her left shoulder in June by using sign language, it began a nearly monthlong odyssey through New Jersey’s health care system before the young woman with multiple disabilities...
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Skiing with the best
With more than two hundred resorts across the western U.S. and Canada, choosing where to ski can be an overwhelming task. Ski Magazine tries to help with that each year, annually naming the top ski resorts in each region of North America. Its 2026 top...
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Summit explores school bus safety
WASHINGTON – At a packed conference room in the nation’s capital, dozens of people gasped as they watched a video monitor playing a terrifying, yet common scene: Cars speeding past kids as they approached their school bus. “Horrible,” one person said...
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Trump: Oil tanker seized ‘for a very good reason’
The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid a monthslong buildup of military forces surrounding the country, President Donald Trump confirmed Dec. 10. “As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of...
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Private firms snap up mobile home parks
One of America’s most affordable paths to homeownership is slipping away. At manufactured home parks – sometimes called trailer parks or mobile home parks – rents are rapidly rising due to large-scale buyouts by private equity firms. Although private...
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Survey: Kirk killing had chilling effect
A new survey conducted in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September is providing new insight into how college students – and those at Utah Valley University, where the conservative activist was killed – view free speech on campus. The...
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KFF: Most want health care subsidy extension
About a quarter of Americans enrolled in Obamacare health plans said they would go without insurance in 2026 if COVID-era government subsidies are not extended past this year and premium payments double, a poll by health-research firm KFF found. The...
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Record lows loom as frosty air sweeps in
December is off to a chillier than typical start for much of the country. Just in time for a weekend of holiday festivals and parades, more frosty temperatures will blanket much of the northern and eastern regions of the country, potentially with some...
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AI could worsen school inequalities
Today’s teachers find themselves thrust into a difficult position with generative AI. New tools are coming online at a blistering pace and being adopted just as quickly, whether they’re personalized tutors and study buddies for students or lesson plan...
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‘I wish this country supported artists’
Being an artist is not viewed as a real job. It’s a sentiment I’ve heard time and again, one that echoes across studios, rehearsal halls and kitchen tables – a quiet frustration that the labor of making art rarely earns the legitimacy or security...
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Centuries-old seashells tell history of habitats
During a day at the beach, it’s common to see people walking up and down the shore collecting seashells. As a paleontologist and marine ecologist, we look at shells a bit differently than the average beachcomber. Most people dig up shells in the sand...
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2026 results are key for JD Vance’s future
WASHINGTON – Vice President JD Vance has a lot riding on the November 2026 midterm elections. He is seen as the front-runner to be the next Republican nominee for the White House, yet he faces the more immediate challenge of being one of his party’s...
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Millions may forgo health care coverage
Dawn Wheeler followed every twist and turn of the government shutdown. In some ways, she said, she felt as if her life were on the line. • The 59-year-old from Edwardsville, Kansas, is one of millions of Americans who buy health insurance through the...
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Trump vows further migrant crackdown
President Donald Trump said Nov.27 that U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, of the West Virginia National Guard, died after being shot the previous day in an ambush near the White House, a shooting that drew claims from his administration of Biden-era...
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Comey, James not in clear just yet
Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James scored major legal victories Nov. 24 when a judge determined the prosecutor who brought charges against them was serving unlawfully. But the win doesn’t mean they’re in the...
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Black Friday crowds to find fewer deals
NEW YORK – Unprecedented numbers of Americans are expected to hit stores this Black Friday, but they are likely to curtail their spending as they find fewer bargains from tariff-hit retailers. Marking the biggest turnout ever for the five-day stretch...
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Shutdown delayed heat assistance
Even though the record-long federal government shutdown has ended, funding for the energy assistance program that helps millions of low-income families heat their homes has yet to come through. The funding that is typically distributed to states by...
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Banned books being judged by their covers
Over the past decade, a growing movement to restrict access to books in public schools and libraries has spread across the country. Every year, there are hundreds of attempts to challenge or ban books, targeting thousands of titles. h According to the...
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Newly released Epstein emails mention Trump
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker, wrote that President Donald Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of his victims and “knew about the girls,” according to emails House Democrats released Nov. 12. The...
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Senate approves plan to end shutdown
WASHINGTON – The Senate approved a deal late Nov. 10 to end the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, putting Congress on the brink of resolving a weeks-long fight that has disrupted flights and halted food stamps for millions of Americans. In a...
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Shutdown appears closer to ending
WASHINGTON – The longest-ever government shutdown is on the verge of ending, as food aid benefits are in limbo and flight cancellations and delays disrupt travelers. The U.S. Senate on Nov. 9 took the first big step toward voting on a bipartisan deal...
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Can Democrats keep Latinos in the fold?
WASHINGTON – A year after former Vice President Kamala Harris suffered colossal losses to President Donald Trump, Democrats on Nov. 4 roared back, sweeping gubernatorial, mayoral and local elections from coast to coast. Those wins, in part, were...
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Churches champion social issues
Federal officers recently shot the Rev. Jorge Bautista with a pepper ball at close range, sending him reeling, with orange powder caking his face and clothing. A month earlier, Presbyterian pastor David Black was hit in the head with a pepper ball...
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SNAP disruptions could hurt grocers
Like the millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, retailers are bracing for the effects of reduced or delayed funding to a program that typically injects billions of dollars into the U.S. economy each month. The...
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Silicon Valley ‘warlord’ gets Pentagon’s attention
NEW YORK – “I’m a warlord now, (expletive)!” Steven Simoni, wearing a $4,000 Celine track suit unzipped to reveal a bare chest and a silver chain, was holding court at a recent film premiere in the East Village of Manhattan, joking with a reporter...
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UPS cargo jet crashes in fireball on Nov. 4
LOUISVILLE – The death toll in a catastrophic airplane crash that sent a UPS cargo jet into a ball of flames the evening before had risen to nine early Nov. 5 as authorities continued searching for others and investigating the cause, officials...
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‘He was much more than vice president’
WASHINGTON – Richard Bruce Cheney was the most powerful and the most controversial vice president in American history. Cheney, 84, died surrounded by family members on the evening of Nov. 3, of complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular...
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Big questions hang over off-year elections
Election Day has arrived. Democrats are trying to bounce back from their 2024 thumping, while Republicans are working to blunt the typical momentum for the party out of power as voters hit the polls Nov. 4 for contests that show the mood of the...
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California set to vote on redistricting efforts
California voters on Nov. 4 will play a big role in deciding which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s time in office. Citizens of the nation’s most populous state are weighing in on...
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Trump crackdown upends life in cities
In Chicago, federal agents rappelled from Black Hawk helicopters onto an apartment building. In Portland, Oregon, masked officers clashed with protesters wearing inflatable animal costumes. In the nation’s capital, police set up checkpoints and troops...
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Trump eyes filibuster to break deadlock
WASHINGTON – As the shutdown drags on, President Donald Trump is urging Senate Republicans to go around Democrats to break an impasse with growing ramifications, with millions of Americans poised to lose federal food assistance. Trump called for an...
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Lawmakers scramble to salvage SNAP benefits
WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown enters one month with no end in sight, federal lawmakers and state officials are scrambling to blunt the pain of missing services such as the first lapse Nov. 1 in food assistance since the program was...
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NEXT-LEVEL DEDICATION
The proof of Max Ellinger’s Costco fandom is his only tattoo, inked on his right arm. It’s the Kirkland Signature logo – the Costco house brand for everything from rotisserie chicken to laundry detergent. Ellinger got it in 2019 after a friend...
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Jamaica is facing likely devastation
Potentially catastrophic Hurricane Melissa, now the strongest tropical cyclone of 2025 globally, killed at least seven people as it approached Jamaica. The storm intensified as it approached the island nation: As of the morning of Oct. 28, Melissa was...
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Government shutdown will affect SNAP benefits
The 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will go without their benefits come Nov. 1 because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, according to a new message from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SNAP,...
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Food banks brace for surge amid shutdown
WASHINGTON – Cynthia Kirkhart, the CEO of Facing Hunger Foodbank in Huntington, West Virginia, has already had to explain to customers this year why the organization is rationing bags of potatoes. The food bank has had to shrink its allotments as...
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‘No Kings’ organizers seek to sustain activism
In Cave Creek, Arizona, progressive activists held a happy hour and food drive in the days after the “No Kings” rallies. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, activists sponsored a Halloween-themed protest near the offices of local members of Congress. In...
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Persistent inflation up again last month
Inflation rose again in September, revealing the persistence of rising prices as the job market showed signs of cooling and consumers begin to think about the holiday season. Consumer prices increased 3% from a year earlier, slightly up from 2.9% in...
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U.S. ‘Bibisitters’ aim to save Gaza truce
JERUSALEM − His vice president said the trip was not about being a babysitter. His top diplomat said the visit was simply intended to make sure everything was “coming together” in the right way. His son-in-law said it was about working toward...
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Birds bounce back
When I started bird-watching as a teenager, a few years after the first Earth Day in 1970, several species that once thrived in my region were nowhere to be found. Some, like the passenger pigeon, were extinct. Others had retreated to more remote, wild...
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LOSING A LIFELINE
For the first time in U.S. history, there are more Americans over 62 than under 18. With the national workforce getting older every year, many economists argue that having people keep working longer than they used to would help maintain a robust labor...
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Ceasefire hangs in the balance
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s top messenger, Vice President JD Vance, will travel to Israel to try to rein in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while seeking to prevent the collapse of a week-old peace deal hailed as a coup for the United...
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‘No Kings’ drew 7M, organizers say
Millions of people turned out nationwide on Oct. 18 to protest actions by the Trump administration and celebrate their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Organizers estimated that 7 million turned out for the protests. More than...
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LGBTQ+ adults fearful, survey finds
MILWAUKEE – Abigail Swetz had served as executive director of Fair Wisconsin, the only statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights and political advocacy group, for just four months before the panicked emails started flooding in: Will I be flagged in a database? Can...
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