Two of Kroger’s most significant modernization efforts have, until recently, been discussed largely in isolation. One is the rollout of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) — the digital price tags now installed in roughly one in four of the company’s stores nationwide, which let prices be changed instantly from a central computer. The other is Kroger’s fast-growing data and retail-media business,...
June 24, 2026
‘Ghost Students’ and AI Bots Are Draining Federal Financial Aid. Here’s How Big the Problem Has Become
Across the United States, colleges are discovering that a growing share of the people on their class rosters do not exist. Known as “ghost students,” these are fraudulent or stolen identities used by individuals and organized crime rings to enroll in online courses, claim federal financial aid, and disappear once the money is disbursed. The scheme has grown rapidly as...
Independent “Rape Gang” Report Renews Scrutiny of British State’s Role in Decades of Child Sexual Exploitation
A privately funded inquiry led by independent Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe has reignited debate over how British institutions — including police forces, local councils, and successive governments — responded to organised child sexual exploitation, commonly referred to as the “grooming gangs” scandal. The 219-page document, titled The Rape Gang Inquiry Report, was released on the social platform X on...
Crumbl’s 186-Gram ‘Dirty Soda’ Draws Scrutiny Over Sugar Content and Health Effects
Just as a wave of public-health pressure pushes American consumers and food companies toward lower-sugar, less-processed products, the dessert chain Crumbl Cookies has introduced a beverage moving in the opposite direction. A line of customizable “dirty sodas” sold by the chain has drawn public attention after one option was reported to contain 186 grams of sugar in a single 32-ounce...
Why California Is Still Counting Votes — and Whether the Delays Reach the 2026 Midterms
Eleven days after California’s June 2 primary, election officials in the nation’s most populous state were still counting ballots. The slow pace drew national attention, a federal review of ballot counting in Los Angeles County, and renewed political attacks on how the state runs its elections. The episode revived a recurring question: is California’s lengthy count a problem unique to...
How Race and Jury Selection Shaped the Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial
A Collin County, Texas, jury convicted 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony of first-degree murder on June 9, 2026, in the 2025 stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, then sentenced him the following day to 35 years in prison. The verdict closed a trial that had drawn national attention for more than a year, much of it focused on the races of those...
Collapse of Alexandra Lozano Immigration Law Leaves Tens of Thousands of Clients Facing Uncertain Status
A high-volume immigration law firm that built a national following on the promise of “legal miracles” has shut down, leaving questions over the immigration cases of tens of thousands of clients. Luz Legal — formerly known as Alexandra Lozano Immigration Law — announced its permanent closure in June 2026, weeks after its founder surrendered her law license rather than contest...
SpaceX’s Record IPO Hands a Capital-Gains Question to Washington and the States
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) began trading on the Nasdaq on Friday under the ticker SPCX, capping the largest initial public offering on record. Shares priced at $135 the night before, opened at $150 and closed near $161 — a gain of roughly 19% — valuing the rocket-and-satellite company at about $2.1 trillion. The offering raised approximately $75 billion. Beyond...
FDA Gene-Editing Approvals Open a New Therapeutic Market as Companies Position and Regulators Weigh Safeguards
In December 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first medicine built on CRISPR gene-editing technology. The decision did more than clear a single treatment. It established that a therapy which rewrites a patient’s DNA could move through the same regulatory pathway used for conventional drugs, and it signaled to investors, hospitals and biotechnology firms that a long-promised...
How Barnes & Noble Became One of America’s Fastest-Growing Brick-and-Mortar Retailers
After nearly two decades of shrinking, Barnes & Noble is opening stores again at a pace it has not matched in a generation. The bookseller plans to open roughly 60 new U.S. locations in 2026, matching its 2025 total and following about 57 openings in 2024 — more new stores in a single year than it added across the entire...