FEMA tells court it is offering jobs back to employees who were let go in January
- FEMA has begun offering new appointments to term-limited CORE disaster workers whose contracts weren’t renewed in January, reversing the earlier decision.
- The move appears aimed at stabilizing FEMA’s surge workforce ahead of hurricane season and big events like the FIFA World Cup, and some staff have already been reinstated.
- A coalition of unions and local governments is still suing over the initial nonrenewals and says it will investigate the rehiring as the litigation continues.
What Spirit Airlines ticket holders need to know
- Spirit Airlines may halt operations amid bankruptcy, leaving travelers at risk — if you must travel, rebook ASAP.
- Other carriers (American, United, Allegiant, Frontier) say they'll help with rebooking/fare caps, but seats and “rescue fares” could be limited.
- Refunds are uncertain — use credit card disputes or travel insurance and don’t cancel yourself; wait for Spirit to cancel to preserve your recourse.
Travel
Business and Finance
May 2, 2026 at 12:28 AM
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After a fire torched their Nebraska ranch, anonymous donors came to their rescue
- A massive March wildfire (the Morrill Fire) burned 11,000 acres of Mike and Kayla Wintz’s ranch in Nebraska’s Sandhills, leaving cattle with no grazing land.
- Thousands of people — farmers, ranchers and truckers from across the country — have donated hay and supplies (about $80,000 in hay for the Wintzes), often anonymously.
- Local volunteers report convoys of hay, cheering schoolchildren, and ranchers insisting their neighbors get help first — a big outpouring of community and goodwill.
Disasters
May 2, 2026 at 12:03 AM
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Minnesota QB Drake Lindsey Arrested for Alleged Underage Drinking, Fake ID
- Minnesota QB Drake Lindsey was arrested in Fayetteville early Friday on alleged underage alcohol possession and use of a fake ID; he was booked, released on bond and has court dates in June.
- The Minnesota athletic department says it’s aware of the situation and will address it internally while players are on break after spring practice.
- Lindsey, a 20-year-old redshirt freshman, had a strong 2025 debut — started all 13 games, set a freshman program record for wins and threw for over 2,300 yards and 18 TDs.
Sports
Crime
May 1, 2026 at 10:40 PM
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Demand for the Mac Mini is surging — and Apple just raised the starting price from $599 to $799
- Apple bumped the Mac Mini entry price to $799 after the $599 (256GB) base model disappeared from its site; the $799 model comes with 512GB.
- Tim Cook says unexpectedly strong demand is being driven by AI and agentic tools — enthusiasts have been using Mac Minis for projects like OpenClaw.
- Apple expects it could take “several months” for supply to catch up, so availability and higher entry costs may persist.
Technology & Computing
Business and Finance
May 1, 2026 at 10:32 PM
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Smalltalk