Now high-speed internet is finally reaching these remote places, but not through the telecom and cable companies. Instead, local power companies are more often the broadband suppliers — and to bring the service, they are borrowing techniques and infrastructure used to electrify the U.S. nearly a century ago. In some cases, rural municipalities are also using electrification laws from the early 1900s to obtain funds and regulatory permissions reserved for utilities.   read more

What could be scarier than a statue of Lucille Ball that was so hated it was dubbed "Scary Lucy"? Being the sculptor hired to replace it. "It was completely intimidating," said Carolyn Palmer, whose new Lucy is to be unveiled today in the actress's hometown. Dave Poulin's 2009 version was heavily panned for looking nothing like the comic actress. Poulin said he ended up receiving hundreds of angry emails and even death threats for his piece, blasted by critics for its zombie-like face.   read more

With an estimated 74.9 million baby boomers, the biggest market opportunity for startups is older Americans rather than hip millennials. As members of the generation that defined rock ‘n’ roll grow older, they are adding a wide range of goods and services to their lifestyles. New business ideas that cater to boomers are nearly endless, and include chefs, online dating sites and yoga instructors for people with health issues.   read more

The Constitution emerged as a best-seller after Muslim-American lawyer Khizr Khan flashed a pocket Constitution and offered to lend it to Trump at the Democratic Convention. “Have you even read the Constitution?” he asked Trump. To rapturous cheers, Khan fiercely attacked the billionaire businessman. Trump, Khan argued, was imperiling America's ideals with his smears of Muslims, women, judges and other groups. He urged Muslims, immigrants and all patriots "to not take this election lightly."   read more

It's a toothy giant that can grow longer than a horse and heavier than a refrigerator, a fearsome-looking prehistoric fish. To many, it was a freak, a "trash fish" that threatened sportfish, something to be exterminated. But the once-reviled predator is now being seen as a valuable fish in its own right, and as a potentially potent weapon against a more threatening intruder: the invasive Asian carp. Efforts are now underway to reintroduce the alligator gar from Illinois to Tennessee.   read more

Many communities have ended their red-light camera programs in recent years amid complaints that they are designed to raise money through tickets rather than to enhance safety. Some courts have sided with motorists against the programs. "Debates over automated enforcement often center on the hassle of getting a ticket and paying a fine," said IIHS's Adrian Lund. "It's important to remember that there are hundreds of people walking around who wouldn't be here if not for red-light cameras."   read more

Perhaps what the researchers found is evidence of a technological advance in political communication, of both parties exerting more partisan discipline in keeping all their members using the same language. But even if it’s just communications strategy that’s driving the polarization of language, it still matters. In a world of complex challenges, it’s hard to come up with constructive solutions when the decision-makers can’t even agree on what words to use in talking about them.   read more

Government scientists are seeking 1 million volunteers willing to share the innermost secrets of their genes and daily lives as part of an ambitious 10-year research project to understand the causes and cures of disease. Those selected will be asked to provide a detailed medical history and blood samples so researchers can extract DNA. They will also be asked to report information about themselves — including their age, race, income, education, sexual orientation and gender identity.   read more

The presenters of the iconic Woodstock Music Festival, noticing a similarity between its original logo and the one plastered around Cleveland for the RNC, are calling on the Republican Party to adopt changes to its platform that come in line with the festival’s message.   read more

Officials announced Thursday that some field tests had found THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, in the water in Hugo, Colorado, but they were awaiting the results of more definitive laboratory tests Friday which would also tell how much THC is in the water, if its presence is confirmed. State health officials say it’s too soon to know whether THC in the water would intoxicate people who drink it. Experts doubt adding raw pot to water would make it intoxicating.   read more

Snowden said he was concerned that cellphones and smartphones serve as tracking devices that automatically create electronic dossiers that give third parties, including governments, detailed information on location. As an example of the dangers of location data, he cited the mortar attack in 2012 by the Syrian government that killed Marie Colvin, an American journalist who was reporting in Homs, Syria, for The Sunday Times of London.   read more

Government lawyers argued that moving beyond two gender choices for passports would upend officials' ability to verify identities and backgrounds because of reliance on drivers' licenses and birth certificates issued by states offering only male and female gender options. Judge Jackson appeared exasperated at times, saying the State Dept. needs to catch up to a new era in which gender identification is not as clear as it was in the past. "A lot of things are changing in our world," Jackson said.   read more

Philadelphia hospitals will conduct an experiment that asks: When gunshot victims are being rushed to the ER, could paramedics do more to save them by doing less? It's an approach that could change practices at trauma centers across the country. And everyone in Philadelphia could become a study subject, though the biggest effect will probably be in the most violent neighborhoods — poor, mostly black sections where people are skeptical of essentially being experimented on.   read more

"Booking photos—snapped 'in the vulnerable and embarrassing moments immediately after [an individual is] accused, taken into custody, and deprived of most liberties'—fit squarely within this realm of embarrassing and humiliating information," Judge Cook wrote. "A disclosed booking photo casts a long, damaging shadow over the depicted individual." Despite the ruling, mug shots can still be released under a FOIA request if it serves the interests of the public at large.   read more

Overweight people lose a year of life on average and moderately overweight people lose 3 years. The excess risk of premature death is about three times as big for a man who gets fat as for a woman who gets fat. Carrying too much weight is now second to smoking as a cause of premature death in North America and Europe; smoking causes about a quarter of all premature deaths there while being too heavy now causes about 14 to 20 percent of such deaths.   read more

Eight million drivers engaged in bumping or ramming a vehicle on purpose or getting out of their cars to confront another driver. The most common behavior was purposely tailgating another vehicle. That translates to about 104 million drivers when spread over the national population of motorists. Nearly half of drivers reported yelling at another driver and honking their horn "to show annoyance or anger." About a third of drivers indicated they'd made angry gestures at another driver.   read more