WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 -- Hawaii has been identified as the highest-ranked US state for retirement, while Oklahoma comes last, according to a new study by home care agency 24 Hour Caregivers. The research compared all 50 states across air quality, life expectancy, violent crime, environmental quality, Medicaid spending, the share of residents aged 65 and over, and nursing home quality. Each factor was given equal weight before being combined into an index score out of 100. Hawaii leads with an index score of 84.0, more than seven points ahead of more ST

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- In response to a federal agency request for information, the following public comment letter was submitted electronically to the regulations.gov site. Our mission is to coalesce, inspire, and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education. September 28, 2026 Office of Head Start Attention: Director of Policy and Planning 330 C Street SW, 4th Floor Washington, DC 20201 Re: Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs, RIN 0970-AD30 To Whom It May Concern: The National Hea more ST

SANTA FE, New Mexico, Sept. 30 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release: * * * New Mexico's Water Standards Are Failing to Keep Pace With Oil and Gas Pollution State fails to address tens of thousands of spills, unidentified chemicals in considering new water quality standards and expanded use of fracking waste September 29, 2026 SANTA FE, N.M.-- WildEarth Guardians today urged New Mexico water regulators to confront a growing blind spot in the state's water quality program -- oil and gas companies are spilling millions of  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 -- Oklahoma has been ranked last among all 50 US states in a new retirement study, recording an index score of 15.7 out of 100. The analysis by 24 Hour Caregivers assessed seven factors associated with retirement conditions, including air quality, life expectancy, violent crime, natural environment, Medicaid spending, the share of residents aged 65 and older, and nursing home quality. Each factor was weighted equally before the results were combined into the final index. Oklahoma's result was the lowest in the study, with more ST

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 -- The Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act, originally introduced by Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury, D-New Mexico, on September 21, 2026, has been analyzed by the Congressional Research Service. The legislation aims to safeguard the Smithsonian Institution's independence from political influence and ensure the integrity of its mission in presenting American history. The act prohibits federal officials from imposing political viewpoints or altering content within the Smithsonian Institution based on personal or more ST

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 -- Texas ranks 48th among all 50 U.S. states in a new study examining retirement conditions, recording an index score of 22.4 out of 100. The analysis by 24 Hour Caregivers compared seven factors linked to retirement, including air quality, life expectancy, violent crime, natural environment, Medicaid spending, the share of residents aged 65 and older, and nursing home quality. Each factor was weighted equally before the results were combined. Oklahoma ranked 49th with 15.7, while Louisiana ranked 47th with 23.5. Hawaii led more ST

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 29 -- The following federal patents were awarded to inventors in California. *** Advanced OES Characterization ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Sept. 29 -- TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo, Japan has been assigned a patent (No. US 12749664 B2, initially filed April 10, 2023) developed by ten inventors Sergey Voronin, Albany, New York; Francisco Machuca, Fremont, California; Blaze Messer, Albany, New York; Yan Chen, Fremont, California; Ying Zhu, Fremont, California; Mihail Mihaylov, Fremont, California; Joel Ng, Fremont, California; more ST