Stories from United States

Virginia is increasing investments in free public preschool services. New analysis indicates many four-year-olds still lack access to these programs. The report was presented by Megan Pauley of VPM news.

Australia has committed $3 billion to increase United States shipbuilding capacity, a move viewed with admiration by the White House. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull suggested the financial contribution may need to increase as the enterprise unfolds. He noted the $3 billion figure was part of an optimal pathway but indicated there may be a rationale for further participation. The United States must build an average of 2.3 submarines per year to meet obligations under the AUKUS deal. Current production rates are estimated at 1.1 submarines per year. Democratic Congressman Joe Courtney stated he is confident the U.S. will meet delivery deadlines by 2032. The production increase is required to compensate for ships being handed over to Australia.

The CW's sports programming, including college football, NASCAR, and wrestling, will move to the ESPN app for streaming. This transition expands the sports offerings available on the ESPN platform.

Brown-Forman has announced changes to its distributor network within U.S. control states.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that women currently hold more US payroll jobs than men. This shift represents a closing of the historical gender gap in employment. The report was discussed on KIRO FM Seattle. Women occupied the majority of employment positions in Uruguay in 2025, reaching the highest rate of female employment. Uruguay's employment rate closed at 60% in 2025, with an unemployment rate of 7%. The country also saw 26,000 new jobs created. A dirigente nacionalista, Valeria Ripoll, stated that the government was favored by the PICNTE during the International Workers' Day event.

Proponents of a new tax in California claim to have secured enough signatures to place the measure on the November ballot. A petition for a wealth tax targeting billionaires has collected at least 1.5 million signatures in California. Petition circulators have been active in public parks and near grocery stores to gather support. Unions have invested millions of dollars into gathering signatures for a California billionaire tax ballot measure. Volunteers have been collecting signatures at locations such as farmer's markets and grocery stores across the state. The initiative has gained momentum, prompting a reaction from billionaires late last year ahead of a January 1 deadline. The source noted that billionaires did not respond well to the movement. Taxpayers in California may be required to declare the value of all property and assets under a proposed wealth tax.

Kelly Blue Book released its annual Best Resale Value Awards naming 10 vehicles that retain value better than 95% of all other models. The Toyota Tacoma leads the list, retaining 63% of its resale value over five years.

Georgetown University announced that New England Patriots legend Tom Brady and former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will serve as commencement speakers. The announcement was made by WBUR. Mayor Muriel Bowser will serve as the keynote speaker for this year's commencement ceremony. Bowser is also scheduled to receive an honorary degree during the event. Other honorary degree recipients include former Disney CEO Bob Iger. The university also noted the late gospel singer Richard Smoll as a recipient. The university did not specify the name of the institution. Howard University selected Washington D.C. Approximately 3,000 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees will be awarded during the ceremony.

The number of people receiving SNAP benefits has decreased by 4 million. This change was reported as a headline development regarding SNAP program shifts. The number of recipients for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has decreased by 4 million nationwide. This drop follows the passage of the OBVA bill in July 2025, which introduced new eligibility restrictions and additional work requirements. SNAP is the largest food aid program in the United States. Approximately 3.4 million recipients were lost between August 2025 and January 2026. The information was cited from a Newsweek article. Initial drafts of the bill projected that approximately 2.5 million people would lose benefits once all changes were implemented. Higher bureaucratic burdens on recipients are expected to further reduce the number of people receiving benefits.

Mexican artist Julieta Venega is scheduled to perform at the Summer Stage in Central Park this summer. She will appear during the Alternative Music Conference (AMC) on Wednesday, July 29. Venega will share the stage with Venezuelan artist Lazo and DJ Ana María Zaire.