Economy

Researchers in a lab testing Harvard’s dual-mode solar device that can switch between heating and electricity generation

For the first time, a Harvard solar device is turning winter into heating and summer into electricity without sensors, switches or smart controls

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April 6, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Rendering of a California high-speed train on the tracks as the project moves into its track and systems phase

San Diego just changed the recycling game with new blue bins, and holdouts outside the system may be about to feel it where it hurts

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April 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
California high-speed train rendering crossing a long viaduct, illustrating the project’s move toward track and systems installation

California’s bullet train is no longer just a mega construction site, because track and systems are pushing the project into its most tangible phase yet

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April 6, 2026 at 7:11 AM
A set of Belavi solar-powered globe string lights hanging across a wooden patio fence at dusk, illuminating a backyard seating area.

Aldi just changed the backyard game with $10 solar string lights that may make expensive outdoor decor suddenly look unnecessary

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April 5, 2026 at 12:45 PM
A heavy-duty floating trash boom spanning the concrete Tijuana River Flood Control Channel, trapping a large accumulation of plastic waste and debris.

A border trash boom has already stopped more than 1,000 tons of waste, and the scale is exposing a pollution crisis the U.S. can no longer pretend is small

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April 4, 2026 at 3:45 PM
A scenic view of a redwood forest corridor in Northern California where an abandoned Northwestern Pacific Railroad track is being converted into the Great Redwood Trail.

A 300-mile route through redwood country is turning an old rail corridor into one of America’s wildest mega projects, with a scale hard to picture at first

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April 3, 2026 at 6:45 PM
A white United States Postal Service delivery truck parked on a residential street during a package delivery route.

USPS is about to add its first-ever fuel surcharge, and the move could change how millions of Americans feel about package delivery

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April 3, 2026 at 12:35 PM
A restored 1957 Ford 640 utility tractor in a field, showing a specific patch of bare steel on the fender where a hand has worn away the paint over decades.

He brought an old tractor back to life and preserved the worn-out mark left by his grandfather, turning a machine into something much harder to replace

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April 2, 2026 at 6:45 PM
An aerial view of the Puente Vehicular Nichupté under construction, stretching across the Nichupté Lagoon system to connect downtown Cancun with the Hotel Zone.

Mexico is about to open one of Latin America’s longest lagoon bridges, and Cancun’s new route could change how millions reach its hotel zone

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April 1, 2026 at 12:30 PM
A frustrated manager reviewing a corporate HR policy document in a modern office setting, representing the pitfalls of poorly drafted workplace incentives.

He demanded a 10% raise over a workplace language policy, and the real problem was that management wrote the rule loosely enough to trap itself

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April 1, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Kirk and Jacob McKinney, the Gen Z founders of Junk Teens, standing in front of their professional junk removal truck in Massachusetts.

What looked like a dirty side hustle for students is now a multimillion-dollar junk business, proving Gen Z may be finding money where others see waste

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March 31, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Raw red meat sitting inside a thin, translucent plastic grocery bag on a refrigerator shelf, demonstrating improper storage.

Keeping raw meat in a plastic bag may be ruining it faster than you think, and the fridge habit almost everyone repeats could be hurting flavor and safety

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March 30, 2026 at 6:45 PM
A Guinness World Record attempt showing a continuous line of 1,291 cheesesteaks stretching through the Terminal B-C concourse at Philadelphia International Airport.

TSA agents got more than airport thanks in Philadelphia, after a 365-meter cheesesteak record turned one terminal into the wildest food line in travel

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March 30, 2026 at 7:45 AM
SA security officers at a busy airport checkpoint during a federal funding lapse, representing the workforce at the center of the Musk-Trump standoff.

Musk says he will pay TSA workers as Trump pushes ICE toward airports, turning one aviation crisis into a bigger fight over control and trust

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March 29, 2026 at 10:15 AM
A digital display at the entrance of Disneyland Paris showing a notification that the parks have reached maximum capacity and are no longer admitting guests.

Disney families arrived for a dream day and were turned away at the entrance, as one dreaded sign erased plans before the magic even began

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March 28, 2026 at 6:00 AM
A crowded TSA security checkpoint at a major U.S. airport during a period of high traveler volume and staffing shortages.

They kept fast airport screening for millions of travelers, but quietly cut off a special privilege for lawmakers, and the decision is turning a routine airport perk into a political weapon

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March 27, 2026 at 10:35 AM
A portrait of Valerie Lockhart, a former Morgan Stanley professional, highlighting the personal toll of long-term unemployment and the rising cost of living.

Morgan Stanley laid her off, then 500 job applications, months without hot water and a GoFundMe turned one Wall Street setback into a brutal warning about how fast a family can unravel

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March 26, 2026 at 6:45 PM
The exterior of the historic Stephen and Harriet Myers House, part of the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany, New York.

Trump’s grant cancellation hit an Underground Railroad museum, and the legal fight now threatens to redraw the limits of public funding for Black history

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March 26, 2026 at 10:35 AM
A digital graph showing a downward trend in U.S. initial jobless claims for March 2026 amid rising energy prices.

U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly fell despite global uncertainty, but one hidden detail suggests the labor market may not be as strong as it looks

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March 25, 2026 at 7:45 AM
A digital display at a U.S. gas station showing prices approaching $4.00 per gallon during the March 2026 energy crisis.

Rising gasoline prices are already hitting U.S. household finances, and the pressure on family budgets is expected to get even worse in the coming weeks

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March 24, 2026 at 6:30 PM