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Inside the neighborhood living on the edge of America’s tech frontier
Residents of Statesboro Place in Loudoun County, Virginia, say the construction and operation of nearby data centres have replaced a quiet suburban setting with industrial buildings and a persistent mechanical hum. Their experience highlights the local costs of the AI infrastructure boom, as communities weigh data centre growth against noise, changing views and residents’ sense…
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Liberal stronghold set to adopt eye-popping minimum wage amid business exodus
Seattle’s minimum wage will increase to $22.14 per hour in 2027, continuing an inflation-adjustment policy implemented in 2025 that requires all employers to pay the same minimum. The measure has coincided with significant business closures and declining employment, as restaurant and retail establishments struggle with higher labour costs. Proponents argue the increase is necessary given…
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A ‘freaked out’ US food industry is hitting back at Maga – with social media influencers
Major US food and agriculture corporations are funding a coordinated campaign to counter Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again movement, according to investigations by the Guardian and Documented. The initiative, known as “Growing a Healthier America” (GAHA) and operated through the industry-funded Center for Food Integrity, deploys social media influencers to reshape public…
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US faces another major Middle East troop withdrawal, but threat remains
The US military is scheduled to end its mission in Iraq on Wednesday, closing an operation that began with the 2003 invasion and later focused on defeating Islamic State (ISIS). The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement with Baghdad, made before the US-Iran conflict began; the article says the changed security situation raises questions about how…
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‘Lost’ medieval castle found hiding in plain sight after professor spots telltale clues
Medieval archaeology professor Tadhg O’Keeffe at University College Dublin has discovered that Roebuck Castle, a medieval fortress believed lost for centuries, survives largely intact within a Victorian-era building on the university’s campus. The announcement revealed that approximately 70–80% of the original castle structure remains concealed beneath Victorian plaster and modern alterations, despite extensive renovations including…
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“For the first five minutes, it’s euphoria. During the last five minutes, it’s hostile – they’re throwing quarters at our dicks!” Tom Morello looks back on Rage Against The Machine’s infamous naked protest at Lollapalooza ’93
Rage Against The Machine staged a silent, naked protest at Lollapalooza in Philadelphia on 18 July 1993 to oppose music censorship and defend First Amendment rights. Tom Morello has recalled the event, which turned the band’s debut appearance before a huge festival crowd into a deliberately provocative political statement. The four members stood onstage for…
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How Israeli Checkpoints Choke Palestinian Life in the Occupied West Bank
The article describes how Israeli military checkpoints and roadblocks across the occupied West Bank restrict Palestinians’ movement and disrupt everyday life. Drawing on reporting and interactive mapping, it shows how the barriers can make routine journeys difficult and unpredictable, affecting access to work, school, healthcare and family. The article focuses on a network of checkpoints…
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Online Turkish Supermarket UK: How Britain’s Kitchens Rediscovered Turkish Cooking
Turkish ingredients have become more common in British home cooking, as established Turkish, Kurdish and Turkish Cypriot communities and curious home cooks seek the foods they know or have discovered abroad and online. The article argues that online grocery delivery is helping move Turkish cooking beyond a speciality associated with particular neighbourhoods and making authentic…
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Johnny McDaid backs Ed Sheeran amid Macklemore tour controversy
Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid publicly praised Ed Sheeran amid criticism of how Sheeran’s US Loop Tour handled the removal of rapper Macklemore. At the 2026 BMI London Awards, McDaid called Sheeran a “rare combination of genius and integrity”, describing him as a brother and crediting him with teaching him about songwriting and himself. The row…