They made a material that doesn’t exist on Earth. That’s only the start of the story.

It sounds like the plot of a science fiction movie: humans are destroying the Earth, gouging huge scars in its crust, and polluting the air and the ground as they mine and refine a key element essential for technological advance. One day, scientists examining an alien meteorite discover a unique metal that negates the need

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Mississippi’s Missing Search Warrants Prevent Scrutiny of No-Knock Raids

No-knock warrants authorize police to burst into someone’s home unannounced. Search warrants are supposed to be filed at the courthouse, but they’re missing from many of Mississippi’s justice courts.

Public defender Merrill Nordstrom walked into a Mississippi federal courtroom in May 2021 ready to challenge the no-knock search warrant behind her client’s arrest.

It had

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The Ultimate Newbie’s Guide To Marijuana

In this modern age of marijuana, what happens to the part of the plant that doesn’t get you high? There are many options.
Endless time, money and thought go into exactly what to do with marijuana buds once they are ripe for the picking. There are ever-evolving methods of extraction, and always a new and … Read the rest

7 Best Marijuana Strains For Overall Good Health And Disease Prevention

The ongoing pandemic awoke an important discussion that people haven’t had for a while; how to boost the immune system. People are popping vitamins and eating citrus fruits in a bid to protect themselves from the virus, while some folks have been looking into marijuana as well.

But are there strains that protect against … Read the rest

Nearly Four Out of Five Patients Drop or Reduce Opioids After Using Medical Weed

Evidence to support the theory that medical cannabis can replace or reduce opioids continues to pile up. The majority of patients in a study—79% or nearly four out of five—reported “cessation or reduction in pain medication use” after beginning a regimen of medical cannabis.

The large sample size study was published online September 27 in … Read the rest

Big Chip in US-China Crisis

For the U.S., it is unthinkable that semiconductor behemoth TSMC could one day be in territory controlled by Beijing, writes Maria Ryan. One aspect of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan that has been largely overlooked is her meeting with Mark Lui, chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC). Pelosi’s trip coincided … Read the rest

Why People Put Ice Cubes In Their Bong

Newbies or cannabis connoisseurs alike can benefit from adding ice to a bong. It’s a simple and literally free way that you can elevate your bong experience. Here’s how.

Bongs are a legendary way to get high. In fact, bongs are an iconic marijuana paraphernalia that has been around for decades. They come in a … Read the rest

Joe Manchin’s Price for Supporting the Climate Change Bill: A Natural Gas Pipeline in His Home State

To accommodate the West Virginia senator, Democratic leadership agreed to legislation streamlining permits for the often-stalled Mountain Valley Pipeline and removing jurisdiction from a court that keeps ruling against the project.

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Mountain State Spotlight. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like

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The Judge Who Illegally Jailed Children Is Retiring. The Candidates to Replace Her Have Different Approaches.

After a Nashville Public Radio and ProPublica investigation, a Tennessee judge said she was retiring. The candidate who takes her job will have to restore confidence in the system.

For two decades, Judge Donna Scott Davenport oversaw the illegal arrests and detentions of more than a thousand children in her Rutherford County courtroom.

Her decisions

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Agricultural and Pesticide Interests Seek to Appeal Recent Ruling that Bees can be Protected by California’s Endangered Species Act

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—On Thursday, July 7, 2022, a consortium of agricultural and pesticide interests filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court seeking to appeal a recent unanimous ruling by California’s Third District Court of Appeal that determined that four species of imperiled native bumble bees are eligible for protection under the California Endangered … Read the rest