Author: Reporter

When severe weather hits the United States, there are ways people across the country can prepare for the potential impact of hail, rain, damaging wind, and more. Tornadoes can take down power for thousands of people, cause catastrophic property damage and kill. The U.S. sees about 1,200 tornadoes each year. Experts say watching forecasts and knowing the meaning of different stages of warnings are key to safety. Here is what to know about the causes for these storms, and the alerts for watches, warnings and emergencies. WHAT CAN CAUSE A TORNADO? The large areas of low atmospheric pressure that...

Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. The force is enormous — it makes up nearly 70% of the universe. And it is powerful — it is pushing all the stars and galaxies away from each other at an ever faster rate. And now scientists are getting a little closer to understanding how it behaves. The big question is whether this dark energy is a constant force, which scientists have long thought, or whether the force is weakening, a...

Most adults catching a flight in the U.S. starting May 7 will be required to present a passport or an upgraded state-issued identification card that meets federal REAL ID standards. The requirement is 20 years in the making, but not everyone is ready for it. Officials in at least one state have requested another extension before enforcement begins. Here is what you need to know: WHAT IS REAL ID? It is a driver’s license or other state-issued ID that meets security requirements mandated in a 2005 law passed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Obtaining...

Head Start centers across the U.S. have received nearly $1 billion less in federal money compared with this time last year, and a lag in funding this week has caused some preschool classrooms for low-income children to close. At the same time, the Trump regime has asked Congress to eliminate all future funding for Head Start, a move that would cut early education for more than half a million of the nation’s neediest children and child care for their families. The federal government has distributed $1.6 billion for Head Start from Jan through April, compared with $2.55 billion issued...