Ten years after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, young Americans — LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ alike — still dream of saying “I do.”

Thirty-four years ago today, on August 21, 1991, the people of Latvia reclaimed their freedom. After decades of Soviet control, the Latvian parliament declared independence from the USSR — even as tanks rolled through the streets of Riga.

A staggering 80% of U.S. adults say Republican and Democratic voters not only disagree on policies—but also can’t agree on basic facts, according to Pew Research Center’s latest survey. This overwhelming bipartisan consensus reflects a deepening crisis in American civic life: even our understanding of truth has become partisan.

On the morning of August 7, 1974, the impossible happened in lower Manhattan. At 7:00 a.m., Philippe Petit stepped off the edge of the South Tower of the World Trade Center — and onto a wire.

In classrooms across the country, public school teachers are grading papers by day — and stocking shelves, serving tables, or freelancing by night. According to new Pew Research analysis, about 1 in 6 full-time public school teachers held a second job during the 2020–21 school year. And it wasn’t just summer work. Roughly 17% of teachers worked a non-school job during the school year, a rate nearly four times higher than the national average for all U.S. workers.

The U.S. Department of the Interior was created on March 3, 1849—but its impact is still unfolding.

On July 31, 1964, Ranger 7 became the first American spacecraft to successfully photograph the Moon up close. Just 17 minutes before crashing into the lunar surface, it transmitted over 4,300 stunning images—crystal-clear glimpses of the Moon that helped pave the way for the Apollo missions and, five years later, Neil Armstrong’s famous steps.

Fox News, launched in 1996, isn’t just a cable channel—it’s a political powerhouse. Loved by some, distrusted by others, its influence on U.S. media and politics is profound. Pew Research’s latest data highlights just how central Fox is to the modern information divide.

On this day in 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in United States v. Nixon that President Richard Nixon had to turn over secret Oval Office recordings to a federal court. The decision would lead directly to his resignation just 16 days later.

Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program, currently covers about 1 in 5 Americans. Designed to serve low-income individuals, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities, Medicaid is a cornerstone of the U.S. healthcare system. As of January 2025, 71.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid, with another 7.3 million in CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program).

Before the EPA existed, rivers caught fire. Smog choked cities. Factories dumped toxins into streams without consequence. There were no national standards for air or water—and no federal agency to enforce them.

Americans are largely skeptical of the GOP’s sweeping budget and tax legislation — the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — currently under Senate consideration after passing the House in May. The bill is a top priority for President Trump, but the public response is mostly negative.

Her name was Wisława Szymborska.

She grew up in Poland under fascism and then communism — regimes that demanded loyalty, silence, and propaganda.

In the 1970s, America had a corruption problem — and it wasn’t just at home.

After Watergate, investigators uncovered something deeper: more than 400 U.S. companies had secretly paid hundreds of millions in bribes to foreign officials.

In the last decade, younger Americans have begun to rethink parenthood — not because they don’t value family, but because of what it now costs to raise one.

On July 2, 1908, Thurgood Marshall was born.
He would go on to change the course of American history.

On July 2, 1908, Thurgood Marshall was born.
He would go on to change the course of American history.

Last week marks three years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
A constitutional right — gone.
A generation of women — told our bodies are up for debate.
And since June 24, 2022, the attacks haven’t stopped.
But neither have we.

New Pew data reveals what the headlines don’t: most Americans — across red and blue states — still support legal abortion.

What Is “Congressional Authorization for War”?
…and why does it matter right now?