Atlanta, GA

Columbus, OH

California State

San Diego, CA

Axios

Restaurant surcharges aren't leaving menus in California. Why it matters: Dining establishments have become more expensive for customers and owners, which fueled debates about legislation aimed at eliminating hidden fees tacked onto diners' bills. Driving the news: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed emergency legislation Saturday allowing restaurants and bars to charge...

Service fees are still on the menu at California restaurants

Georgia State

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Coffee County, GA

Douglas, GA

Daily Coffee Press

A 49-year-old woman from Douglas was recently arrested for allegedly submitting a life insurance policy for her ex-husband without his knowledge. According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office incident report, detectives met with a man on May 7 at the Coffee County Law Enforcement Center concerning a reported case of insurance fraud.

Georgia woman charged for allegedly filing life insurance policy application on ex-husband

Virginia State

Axios Richmond

Data: CDC; Map: Rahul Mukherjee/AxiosThe annual summer COVID wave has begun in Virginia.Why it matters: People congregating indoors to avoid extreme heat and upcoming July 4 travel are expected to drive up infections.Between the lines: Experts say this summer's surge could stay mild, but it still poses a risk, especially to immunocompromised people and other medically vulnerable residents.There's also the unknown role that the new so-called FliRT variants, which are accounting for the majority of infections, might play these next few months.Plus, cases are likely undercounted since not everyone gets tested.The big picture: Virginia is one of 39 states where cases...

COVID is on the rise again in Virginia

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NewSantaAna

The FBI has seen a rise in scams targeting timeshare owners. In this kind of scam, criminals con these part-time property owners into shelling out hefty sums of cash, all under false pretenses related to their timeshare properties.

FBI warns that Mexican cartels are targeting Americans with timeshare scams

Columbia, SC

Charlotte, NC

Axios Charlotte

Today, a memorial for USAir Flight 1016 stands at the new Charlotte Douglas Airport overlook. It honors the people who died on board the flight from Columbia, S.C. to Charlotte on July 2, 1994. Why it matters: "Airplanes don't fly nearly as much into thunderstorms as they used to, as a result of the accident," former Charlotte Douglas International Airport aviation director, Jerry Orr, said in 2004. Flashback: "The plane broke into three parts, and burst into flames," Charlotte Observer writer David Perlmutt wrote in 2004. Capt. Michael R. Greenlee equated the fall to "a rug being pulled out from...

USAir Flight 1016 crashed in Charlotte 30 years ago

Maryland State

Washington, DC

Axios DC

A bunch of new laws take effect Monday in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.Why it matters: Many will impact your daily life.Zoom in: Here are some of the most notable:D.C. ⬆️ Minimum wage increaseThe minimum wage is now $17.50, up 50 cents. The tipped minimum wage rises from $8 to $10 per hour as a result of Initiative 82, which gradually increases the base pay for tipped workers (hospitality and otherwise) to be in line with the city's minimum wage by 2027.💲 Pay transparencyNo more salary surprises — businesses must disclose pay rates and salary ranges on job listings, and employers...

The new DMV laws going into effect July 1

Des Moines, IA

Axios Des Moines

A team of cops will patrol Des Moines parks to issue fireworks citations over the Fourth of July this year for the first time since state lawmakers reversed an 80-year ban on them in 2017.Why it matters: Despite being illegal in DSM, annual forays of celebratory explosives have caused widespread damages to public property, including $20,000 in shattered downtown library windows.They also increase risks of fires or injuries and their noise can be problematic for people with PTSD and animals, chief Dana Wingert told City Council last year.State of play: DSM police received thousands of complaints about fireworks but have...

Des Moines officers will patrol parks for fireworks violators

Denver, CO

David Heitz

The mother of a Denver homeless man told the City Council Monday that city-sponsored services have failed her son. Barbara Hallick Yeomans made her remarks during public comment period of the City Council meeting. She said her son grapples with substance abuse and mental illness and repeatedly has been harassed by police. She said her son also suffered verbal abuse by a guard in the Denver County Jail. Yeomans said she heard the guard harassing her son over the phone.

Mother says Denver homeless services have failed her son

Florida State

Axios Miami

July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year in Florida, and with it, the onset of new laws recently signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.Why it matters: The laws will impact what Floridians can and can't do, including a ban on balloon releases, harsher penalties for street racing and new rules governing bear encounters.State of play: Nearly 180 new laws — and a $116.5 billion budget for 2024-25 — went into effect today.Among them was one of the more controversial bills impacting South Florida: HB 433, which prohibits local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers.The law, which...

Florida has new laws taking effect today, including ban on balloon releases

Chicago, IL

ShowPlace Icon in the South Loop shut down Sunday night. Why it matters: The theater, operated by Chicago-based Kerasotes Theaters, has served movie-goers on the near South Side since 2009. Its shuttering leaves only a handful of theaters left for the millions of people who live south of Roosevelt Road....

ShowPlace Icon abruptly closes in the South Loop

Arizona State

Axios Phoenix

Arizona allows the sale and use of some fireworks this week in celebration of the Fourth of July, but the rules are complicated and violating them could cost you.The big picture: Arizona only permits certain ground-based fireworks on a few days per year around Cinco de Mayo, Fourth of July, Diwali, Christmas and New Year's Eve.Violation fines vary by city but can run up to $1,500.State of play: The sale and use of fountains, spinners and sparkling wheel devices is permitted now through July 6. You must be 16 or older to purchase fireworks.Between the lines: Aerial fireworks, like rockets...

Know the fireworks laws in Arizona this Fourth of July

It's the season of the bear in D.C. — and we don't just mean the chaotic TV show, but bears, plural: real, furry, pawin-through-the-trash bears.The big picture: A slew of recent DMV black bear sightings have made headlines: A bear — which neighbors quickly nicknamed "Otis" — was spotted in Brookland in May, and there have been several reported bear sightings in Maryland.Last month, a bear was hit and killed on I-395 in Arlington, and the body of a bear was found illegally dumped in Arlington after it was hit and killed on I-66.Last year, the local internet lost it...

What's up with all the DMV's recent bear sightings

Axios Chicago

Chicago's minimum wage for tipped workers jumps today from $9.48 to $11.02 per hour. Why it matters: It's the first tangible benefit of the One Fair Wage ordinance, which was passed last year to close the pay gap between tipped and non-tipped workers.The regular minimum wage jumps to $16.20.Yes, but: The new rule is causing concern among some restaurant owners and confusion among consumers.How it works: Each year the city's tipped minimum wage will grow by 8% until it matches the regular minimum wage in five years.Currently if workers' wages plus tips don't bring them to the regular minimum wage...

New tipped minimum wage draws mixed predictions

The HD Post

CALIFORNIA – Governor Gavin Newsom announced, June 28, that 1,700 first-generation homebuyers have been conditionally approved for the Dream For All (DFA) Shared Appreciation Loan program.

CalHFA issues all 1,700 vouchers for down payment assistance program

Salt Lake City, UT

Axios Salt Lake City

Independence Day is Thursday and there are a few places to watch free fireworks and drone shows in Salt Lake City.Salt Lake BeesWhen: Thursday 6–8pmWhere: Smith's BallparkAdmission: $37 per adult; $28 per childFireworks at The GatewayWhen: Thursday 10pmWhere: Olympic PlazaSalt Lake City Drone ShowWhen: Friday 8–10:30pmWhere: Jordan Park

Where to watch Fourth of July fireworks and drone shows in SLC

Axios Nashville

Extreme heat is pushing Metro trash pickups an hour earlier.State of play: Starting Monday, the city's curbside trash and recycling pickups will begin at 6am rather than 7am to allow crews to shift more of their work outside of the hottest times of the day.Metro Waste Services is urging residents to make sure their bins are in place the night before.The big picture: Dangerous heat has pummeled the nation for weeks now, and hot conditions aren't going anywhere. July, which is typically the hottest month of the year, could be even hotter than usual, according to an outlook from the National Weather Service.

Trash pickups shift earlier

Nashville, TN

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center's negotiations with Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration for a new venue on the East Bank have hit an apparent hiccup.A sticking point is how to divide millions of dollars in infrastructure costs.State of play: O'Connell's administration is already offering to give TPAC the property adjacent to the new Titans stadium for free and charge the arts nonprofit virtually nothing in annual rent.O'Connell's top development aide Bob Mendes told the Metro Council earlier this year the infrastructure costs would be divided among Metro, TPAC and chief developer The Fallon Company.Zoom in: The estimated long-term infrastructure costs for...

TPAC's deal with Metro needs "additional time"

Minnesota State

Minneapolis, MN

When Dean Anderson signed a long-term lease to open a low-dose THC shop in Southwest Minneapolis in April, he had hopes to eventually turn the store into a full-scale marijuana dispensary. Yes, but: His future is looking much less certain these days following what he's calling a "bait and switch"...

Minnesota THC shop owners upset over new dispensary licensing rules

San Francisco, CA

Axios San Francisco

The annual summer surge of COVID-19 infections has begun in San Francisco.Why it matters: In addition to the spread of new variants, people congregating indoors to avoid extreme heat and an extremely busy July 4 travel period are expected to drive up infections.Threat level: While experts expect this summer wave to remain mild, it's a reminder to remain vigilant, particularly among those who are medically vulnerable.By the numbers: Cases are growing or likely growing in 39 states, according to the latest CDC data — including California, which has seen a surge in the levels of COVID discovered in human sewage....

COVID-19 summer surge his the Bay Area again

Missouri State

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CJ Coombs

The first time my family walked into a Ponderosa Steakhouse was in the late 1960s. It was new and the experience was great. Like other new restaurants, if the management doesn't stay on top, the quality of service can decline. The location we went to did change through the years, but in the beginning, it was great.

The 1960s: the Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses are still around in some states

Decatur, GA

Avondale Estates, GA

Scottdale, GA

Conley, GA

Clarkston, GA

Forest Park, GA

Ellenwood, GA

Pine Lake, GA

Smyrna, GA

Stone Mountain, GA

NewsBreak

Charted: Atlanta Public Schools' enrollment dips

Student enrollment at Atlanta Public Schools has dropped by 6% percent — amounting to over 2,600 students — from the 2019 to 2022 academic years, according...

Charted: Atlanta Public Schools' enrollment dips

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