Opinion
Opinion: When the Local Paper Closes, a Town Loses More Than Its Headlines
I have covered Washington for two decades, but the most important reporting in America happens at school board meetings nobody else bothers to attend.
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The Long Form — Essays and features worth an evening
This week’s line
The most important reporting in America happens in towns like yours — slowly, and then all at once.
U.S.
Sun Belt Metros Gain 1.4 Million Residents in a Year as Growth Shifts South and Southwest
New population estimates show fast growth in metro areas across Texas, Florida, the Carolinas and Arizona, while several large Northern…
U.S.
Airports Brace for Record 3.1 Million Travelers a Day Over the Holiday Week
Federal screeners, airlines and airports are adding staff and flights ahead of what is projected to be the busiest holiday…
U.S.
Mississippi River Bridge Reopens in Iowa After 3-Year Rebuild, Ending 40-Mile Detours
A rebuilt four-lane bridge linking Iowa and Illinois carried its first traffic Friday, restoring a key route for commuters, farmers…
U.S.
Western School Districts Add Air Purifiers and Smoke Days as Wildfire Haze Cuts Into Class Time
From Oregon to Colorado, districts are installing air filters, setting smoke rules for recess and planning remote lessons as wildfire…
U.S.
Winter Storm Tests Plains Power Grid as 2 Million Customers Face Subzero Nights
Grid operators across the central U.S. called on reserve plants and asked residents to conserve power as an arctic storm…
U.S.
Firefighters Contain Warehouse Blaze on the East Side; No Injuries Reported
More than 80 firefighters spent the night battling the four-alarm fire, which sent smoke across three neighborhoods.
§ 02A story in three partsPage A3
Three places, one country
Kansas
Farmer-Owned Co-op Rescues Rural Kansas Hospital Days Before Its Planned Closure
A cooperative backed by 2,300 local farmers, businesses and families has taken over a 25-bed hospital in western Kansas, keeping its emergency room open for a region the size of Connecticut.
Read the storyThe national parks
National Parks Lean on 4,000 Seasonal Volunteers as Ranger Ranks Shrink Ahead of Busy Year
With permanent staffing down about 12 percent in a decade and visits near record highs, parks are leaning on volunteers and seasonal hires to keep trails open.
Read the storyThe Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast Cities Stockpile Generators and Rehearse Evacuations as Hurricane Season Peaks
From Corpus Christi to Pensacola, local officials have expanded shelters, staged supplies and tested new alerts ahead of the most active stretch of hurricane season.
Read the story
Opinion
Opinion: The Case for Rereading Your Favorite Books
Why the books we return to change more than we do.
Opinion
Opinion: It’s Time to Give the Four-Season School Calendar a Serious Look
A calendar with shorter summers and regular breaks through the year could curb learning loss and teacher burnout. Districts should test it before dismissing it.
Opinion
Opinion: Free Transit for Teenagers Is a Bargain Cities Can’t Afford to Skip
Fare-free bus and train passes for students cost little, pay off in attendance and jobs, and build the riders transit systems will need for decades.
Opinion
Opinion: Keep Main Street Walkable — Slow the Traffic Down
A 20 mph limit downtown would cost drivers seconds and give the street back to people.
§ 04The mastheadPage A5
Our writers
★ Featured writer
Marcus Bell
Marcus covers Congress, campaigns and the statehouses. Before Washington he spent eight years reporting on state politics in Ohio.
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