Leonne's Daily Post
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Tuesday, June 23
Federal judge blocks USDA-approved SNAP restrictions in Nebraska, four other states

A federal judge blocked USDA-approved SNAP restrictions in Nebraska and four other states, dealing a setback to food benefit limitations for low-income households.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
Pentagon seeks $80 billion from Congress for Iran War

The Pentagon is requesting $80 billion from Congress, primarily to fund ongoing military operations in Iran—a significant commitment amid broader defense budget discussions.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
Iran says no new commitments on nuclear sites after Vance says inspectors to be invited back

Iran has clarified that it made no new commitments on nuclear inspections following talks in Switzerland, tempering expectations set by earlier US diplomatic signals.

Continue reading at BBC News
Australia's coal and gas exports violate our human rights, group says in new UN case

An environmental group has filed a UN case arguing that Australia's continued approval of coal and gas exports violates citizens' human rights in a climate-focused legal challenge.

Continue reading at BBC Science
Following user outcry, AMD reinstates memory encryption in consumer CPUs

AMD has reversed course and will reinstate memory encryption in consumer processors after user backlash, a rare victory for consumer advocacy in the tech industry.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Report: Kennedy Space Center not ready for era of super heavy rockets

A new NASA report warns that Kennedy Space Center's aging infrastructure is buckling under demand from private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, threatening US space leadership.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
First the Kennedy Center, Now the Smithsonian

Trump's pressure campaign against the Smithsonian Institution has escalated beyond rhetoric, threatening the museum's editorial independence and sparking broader questions about political control of cultural institutions.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Trump Can’t Spin His Way Out of His Two Latest Crises

Trump's weekend attempts to manage crises—ranging from the Reflecting Pool's supposed vandalism to broader geopolitical tensions—reveal a president struggling with narrative control across multiple fronts.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
When falling housing prices are good news — and when they're not

Falling housing prices in Denver signal relief for renters, but economists caution that cheaper housing can be a red flag for economic decline—context matters enormously.

Continue reading at NPR Politics
How Trump's 'Complete and Total Endorsement' has reshaped the Republican Party

An NPR analysis reveals how Trump's endorsements have reshaped the Republican Party, with the president now backing candidates earlier and in safer races, concentrating power within the party.

Continue reading at NPR Politics
This man is a bus driver and grandfather. A Supreme Court ruling could reimprison him

Anthony Bailey, a bus driver and grandfather, faces potential reimprisonment due to a Supreme Court ruling that limits how prisoners can use compassionate release programs—a cautionary tale about judicial reversals.

Continue reading at NPR Politics
After losing jobs for posting about Charlie Kirk, some are getting 6-figure payouts

Several workers who lost government jobs for posting about conservative figure Charlie Kirk have won six-figure settlements, though their legal victories can't fully repair the professional damage.

Continue reading at NPR Politics
With Starfall, SpaceX eyes an edge in global cargo delivery from orbit

SpaceX is testing Starfall, a saucer-shaped reentry vehicle designed to deliver cargo from low-Earth orbit anywhere on the planet—a quiet but potentially transformative innovation.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Outrage rescued an important ocean research program. Crucial ones remain at risk.

Public outcry halted Trump administration plans to pull scientific instruments from the ocean, though numerous other crucial research programs remain at risk of funding cuts.

Continue reading at Grist
The Colorado River is vanishing — and the fixes are getting weird

The Colorado River crisis deepens as seven Western states consume more water than the river supplies, forcing policymakers to consider increasingly unconventional solutions.

Continue reading at Grist
Drowning deaths soar in France as Europe buckles in peak of heatwave

France is grappling with a surge in heatwave-related drowning deaths, with 40 people perishing since last Thursday as Europe endures peak summer heat.

Continue reading at BBC News
Montreal shooting leaves officer, civilian and suspect dead

A Montreal shooting has claimed the lives of a police officer, a civilian, and the suspect, marking the first such loss for the city's police in 24 years.

Continue reading at BBC News
Inquiry ordered after building fire kills 15 in north India city

A building fire in north India has killed at least 15 people, with survivors jumping from windows and rescue teams breaking through walls to save lives.

Continue reading at BBC News
10 years since Brexit: How the split broke British politics

A decade after the Brexit vote, Britain's political landscape remains fractured and its economic picture muddled, suggesting the promised liberation hasn't quite materialized as campaigners envisioned.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
Spider which uses spring trap to capture prey discovered in Australia

Researchers in Australia have discovered a spider that uses a spring-trap hunting mechanism—a previously unknown predatory strategy that allows it to hunt dangerous ants.

Continue reading at BBC Science
Polymarket's viral videos showed people winning big, but the bets were fake

A Wall Street Journal investigation found that Polymarket paid influencers to film fake bets on its platform, undermining the authenticity of viral success stories promoting the prediction market.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
GM installs robots at flagship EV factory after laying off 1,300 workers

General Motors is installing dozens of new robot arms at its flagship Detroit EV factory even as 1,300 workers remain laid off, intensifying debates about automation's role in manufacturing.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Tesla crash that killed a woman under US federal investigation

A Tesla crash that killed a woman in Texas is under federal investigation, with the driver claiming he was using the car's self-driving technology at the time.

Continue reading at BBC News
As the world warms, the risk of snakebites is rising

Climate change is expanding snakebite territory as warming temperatures push snakes into new regions, creating urgent public health challenges in places like Thailand.

Continue reading at Grist
A Trump Ally’s Rise in Colombia Could Mean the End of Landmark Climate Policies

Colombia's apparent president-elect has vowed to expand fossil fuel extraction including controversial fracking, signaling a potential end to landmark climate policies in a country vital to global conservation.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Bellevue man gets prison sentence after plea in 2022 trafficking case

A Bellevue man received a three-to-five-year prison sentence for sex trafficking a 15-year-old foster child, underscoring the ongoing vulnerability of children in state care.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
Furman University implements TIND Digital Archive

Furman University has migrated to TIND Digital Archive, replacing older systems to provide faster, more intuitive access to institutional archives and special collections.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
NoveList Introduces Readers' Advisory Competencies Framework

NoveList has released a new Readers' Advisory Competencies Framework to help libraries systematically build staff expertise in connecting readers with books they'll love.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Executive Perspectives: A Conversation on the Future of the Library Technology Industry

An upcoming Executive Perspectives panel will explore how AI is reshaping library services, examining both the opportunities and genuine losses as automation increases.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Heritage University approaches FOLIO go-live with confidence

Heritage University's library is transitioning to FOLIO with confidence after struggling with its previous system's complexity—a testament to right-sizing technology for institutional needs.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Who Is the Real Kevin Warsh?

Kevin Warsh, the new Federal Reserve chairman, presents a puzzling contradiction: he recently suggested rate cuts but now signals inflation-hawk concerns, leaving observers guessing about his true policy direction.

Continue reading at The New Yorker
Monday, June 22
Alan Greenspan, architect of the modern American economy, dies aged 100

Alan Greenspan, the influential Federal Reserve chairman who shaped modern American economic policy for nearly two decades, has died at 100.

Continue reading at BBC U.S.
Myanmar army killed over 700 civilians in six months, UN says

A UN report documents over 700 civilian deaths at the hands of Myanmar's army in just six months, including 153 children, painting a grim picture of ongoing conflict.

Continue reading at BBC News
The Man Who Couldn’t Do It

Keir Starmer has become the sixth British prime minister to resign since 2016, underscoring the extreme political instability and rapid-fire leadership changes plaguing Westminster.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
What Happened to Tony Carruthers Is Horrifying

Tony Carruthers' execution in Nashville deteriorated into a medical nightmare as staff repeatedly failed to access his veins, raising harrowing questions about the ethics and competence of capital punishment procedures.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
What Will Happen to Birthright Citizenship?

As the Supreme Court considers a birthright citizenship case, the future of a constitutional principle established in 1868 hangs in the balance, with profound implications for American citizenship.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
The Election System Wasn’t Built for This

Maricopa County's election system, once built on cooperation and trust, is fracturing under new leadership chosen in 2024, raising concerns about whether democratic infrastructure can withstand partisan strain.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Nearly 1.5M people in Louisiana depend on this strip of marsh. But it needs saving.

The New Orleans Land Bridge—a narrow strip of marshland protecting hundreds of thousands of people from storms and floods—is disappearing rapidly and desperately needs restoration.

Continue reading at Grist
The Water Is Rising in Chesapeake Bay. Can Tangier Island Be Saved?

Tangier Island in Virginia is sinking as sea levels rise, prompting exploration of engineered solutions to save a disappearing community and its way of life.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
How a Tiny Texas River Agency Plans to Build the Largest Desalination Plant in the Country

A small Texas river agency is partnering with an Israeli desalination firm to build what could become the nation's largest desalination plant, representing a major infrastructure bet on water scarcity solutions.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
At least 13 killed and dozens injured after Qatar gas explosion

At least 13 people have been killed in a gas explosion at Qatar's main LNG processing site, described as a technical accident in a major industrial zone.

Continue reading at BBC News
A Dark Dimension Could Link Two of the Universe’s Great Unknowns

A fascinating proposal suggests that dark energy and dark matter—which together make up 95% of the universe—might be connected through a hidden dimension, potentially unlocking cosmic mysteries.

Continue reading at Quanta Magazine
Lucid lays off 1,500 workers in second big cut of the year

Lucid Motors is laying off approximately 1,500 workers—18 percent of its workforce—just three months after unveiling new vehicle platforms, signaling deepening financial troubles.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
America’s data center backlash is bipartisan — can it stay that way?

Data center regulation has become a rare bipartisan concern, with both Republican Texas Governor Abbott and Democratic New York Governor Hochul pushing back against unchecked tech industry expansion.

Continue reading at Grist
AI and tech are trying to influence the midterm elections

Tech companies and AI firms are spending heavily to influence midterm elections, reflecting competing visions of AI's future and the industry's deepening political fault lines.

Continue reading at NPR Technology
NHTSA investigating alleged Tesla Autopilot crash that killed woman in her home

Federal regulators are investigating a deadly Tesla crash in Texas where the driver claimed he was using Autopilot, raising ongoing questions about the safety of partial automation.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Amid Iran War, Africa Sees Growing Demand for Electric Motorbikes

Rising fuel costs from the Iran War have accelerated demand for electric motorbikes in Africa, inadvertently accelerating a green energy transition in the continent.

Continue reading at Yale E360
Environmental Defenders Remain Among World’s Most Targeted Activists

Environmental and Indigenous rights defenders remain among the world's most targeted activists, facing overlapping threats from governments, corporations, and criminal networks despite recent international court rulings in their favor.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Democrats’ Great Alaskan Hope

Democrat Mary Peltola has led in every poll for Alaska's Senate race despite being virtually unknown outside the state—a puzzle for national fundraising that speaks to her moderate, locally-rooted appeal.

Continue reading at The Atlantic