CNBC’s Quality-of-Life List Raises Eyebrows CNBC has released its list of the 10 worst states to live in for 2026, and the ranking landed about as quietly as a bowling ball in a library. The outlet, through reporter Scott Cohn, said it scored all 50 states using data on crime rates, air quality, health care, child care cost and availability, inclusiveness of state laws, and reproductive rights. That mix produced a bottom ten of Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, Georgia, Utah, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Whatever one thinks of the formula, it is clear the recipe includes more than potholes and paychecks. It also measures culture-war policy choices, because apparently “quality of life” now comes with a committee-approved moral checklist. The Political Pattern Is Not Hard to Spot All 10 states on CNBC’s worst list voted for President Trump in 2024, which is the kind of coincidence that tends to make people check the fine print. The list quickly drew fire online from critics who argued that CNBC’s standards appear to punish conservative states for having conservative laws. That does not mean every state on the list is perfect. No state is. Anyone who has dealt with a DMV knows…

Preliminary Findings Released The DC Medical Examiner’s Office has released preliminary findings following the sudden death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Graham died Saturday night at age 71. According to a statement from his office, the preliminary examination listed “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.” In plain terms, that points to a tear in the body’s main artery connected to underlying cardiovascular disease. Officials also noted that the death certificate remains pending while toxicology and microscopic testing are completed. Once those tests are finished, the certificate will be updated to reflect the official cause and manner of death. Emergency Call Described Chest Pains Audio from the 911 call indicated Graham had chest pains before going into cardiac arrest at his Washington, DC, home. Authorities have not suggested foul play, and Fox News reported that it is not suspected. The FBI is assisting local authorities, which is not unusual in a high-profile death involving a sitting U.S. senator. At this stage, the public record points to a medical emergency, with final confirmation still awaiting the standard testing process. Graham’s family, staff, colleagues, and constituents now face the loss of a major political figure who spent decades in…