North American Community Hub Statistics
The Trump administration is considering requiring some people applying for green cards from outside the United States to post a refundable bond that could reach $100,000. The proposal would place a major financial condition on legal immigrants who complete their applications through U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. No final policy has been announced, and the … Read more
Shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to 1,644 Cyclospora cases in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The finding provides the first strong explanation for part of the sharp rise in cyclosporiasis cases that we reported earlier in July. The evidence is substantial, but the investigation is not finished. … Read more
A meteorite that tore through the roof of a New Jersey home has turned out to be far more scientifically valuable than anyone realized on the afternoon it landed. Researchers examining the recovered fragments found amino acids, carbon-bearing compounds and evidence of ancient salty water. The findings do not show that the meteorite carried life, … Read more
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Lipfendra, a pill that can produce a large reduction in LDL cholesterol. The prescription medicine was developed by Merck and is the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor approved in the United States. Lipfendra is the brand name for enlicitide, a drug previously known as MK-0616. The approval gives patients … Read more
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has presented 23 proposals that could change how tenants find apartments, report unsafe conditions and pursue landlords who fail to make repairs. The proposals are contained in the administration’s 67-page “Rental Ripoff Recap,” which followed a series of public hearings in all five boroughs. City officials recorded testimony from … Read more
Generative AI can summarize cases, draft arguments, revise writing, and answer legal questions within seconds. Such tools are already changing higher education and legal practice. University of Chicago Law School began reviewing its policies soon after ChatGPT became publicly available in late 2022. An AI committee was formed in early 2023, followed by new guidance, … Read more
U.S. educators are reviving handwritten tests, closed-device classrooms, oral defenses, and live demonstrations because generative AI can produce polished homework without proving that a student learned the material. That’s the main reason why The American Federation of Teachers now wants to ban AI in elementary schools. Nowadays, the goal is less about banning technology than … Read more
Canada is facing a serious surge in wildfire activity, with more than 800 active fires reported nationwide on July 15. Dozens of new fires appeared in a single day, and some of the most aggressive burning is now concentrated in western Ontario. The smoke is spreading through Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and New York before moving … Read more
Several selective U.S. colleges are reducing or eliminating supplemental essays for the 2026–27 admissions cycle. University of Miami, Tulane University, Washington University in St. Louis, and UNC–Chapel Hill are among the institutions changing their requirements. Cornell University removed its university-wide essay but kept prompts assigned by individual undergraduate schools. Fewer essays may reduce stress and … Read more
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that could make daylight saving time permanent and end the practice of changing clocks twice a year. Lawmakers approved the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14 by a vote of 308 to 117. The bill received support from Republicans and Democrats. It now goes to the Senate, … Read more