Loving County, in northwest Texas, may have the highest trouble-to-resident ratio in the United States. With sixty-four inhabitants, as of the 2020 census, the county is the least populated in the country. Control of its top elected positions-sheriff, judge, constable, county clerk-can be swung by a handful of votes. Many of those vying for power are related to, and estranged from, their opponents. Election results are regularly challenged by the losing candidate, sometimes repeatedly;
The truck that arrived ahead of schedule at Allyssa Canoy's home in Fairbanks brought enough heating fuel for the frigid winter months ahead - and a surprise bill for $2,600. Canoy and her two sons have checks arriving that will cover that expense and leave some money for the boys, too. Starting Thursday, Alaska plans to begin distributing to residents their annual dividend derived from the state's $83 billion oil wealth fund, a sort of bonus that Alaskans get for living in the state.
In 1953, the C.I.A. backed a coup that ousted Mohammad Mossadegh, restoring power to the monarchy of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah. This marked a significant turning point in U.S.-Iran relations, cementing the Shah as a steady ally while the U.S. benefitted from Iran's oil revenues.