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Advocates challenge Hochul over congestion pricing plan pause
(The Center Square) — Environmental and transit advocates are taking New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to court over her 11th-hour decision to put the brakes on the nation's first congestion pricing plan. A pair of lawsuits filed in the state Supreme Court on Thursday allege that Hochul acted illegally by pausing the $15 tolls on vehicles entering Manhattan's business district. The new charges were projected to generate some $1 billion a year for public transit upgrades. ...
Public forums being held on two Illinois water utilities’ proposed rate hikes
(The Center Square) – Public forums are being held around Illinois regarding rate hike requests from two water utilities. The Illinois Commerce Commission took input from the public on American Water’s proposed $152 million rate hike request at two forums this week. Responding to a request from AARP Illinois, the ICC scheduled five public forums on proposed private water increases this year. Jim Chilsen, communications director with the Citizens Utility...
Democrats want Georgia Medicaid expansion, but critics say it isn't free
(The Center Square) — As enrollment in a Georgia program offering Medicaid coverage to low-income Georgians remains low, some Peach State Democrats are reiterating their call for an outright expansion of Medicaid. Instead of a full Medicaid expansion, the state launched the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program on July 1, 2023. It provides coverage to Georgians between 19 and 64 in households with incomes up to the federal poverty level who are not eligible for "traditional Medicaid." ...
State, county, city announce 'leap of faith' quantum computing facility in Chicago
(The Center Square) – The State of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago have announced that the new Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park will be built on former U.S. Steel property on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The South Works site has been mostly dormant since the mill closed in 1992. In opening the announcement of the project Thursday, and to the backing by taxpayers, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called it a "leap of faith." ...
Biden signs Georgia-backed Federal Prison Oversight Act
(The Center Square) — President Joe Biden has signed legislation that backers say will improve safety in federal prisons and create enhanced oversight of the beleaguered system. H.R. 3019, the "Federal Prison Oversight Act," which Biden signed on Thursday, mandates that the Department of Justice's inspector general examine the Federal Bureau of Prisons' 122 facilities, offer recommendations to fix problems and assign each facility a risk score. Higher-risk facilities would be subjected to more frequent inspections. ...
Pritzker works to clarify whether he’s being vetted for Harris running mate
(The Center Square) – Questions persist around whether Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is or is not being vetted as a possible vice presidential candidate for Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden announced Sunday he was not seeking reelection. He later endorsed Vice President Harris to be the nominee. Democratic leaders, including Pritzker, followed suit with endorsements of Harris. Alongside the names of Democratic governors from several other states, Pritzker’s name was...
Broadband authority OKs $20M for laptops
(The Center Square) — The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority voted Thursday to spend $20 million on more than 14,000 laptops to grow internet access in the commonwealth. The unanimous vote allows the Authority to award between 20 and 200 laptops to libraries, schools, municipalities and other groups. So far, 130 groups have applied to the program and applications are open through August 19, said Julia Brinjac, digital equity program manager...
Illinois quick hits: Congress members file MINES Act; conservation police applications sought
Congressmembers file MINES Act A bipartisan proposal has been brought forth by some Illinois members of Congress to unveil the federal government’s efforts toward preventing coal mine collapses. The Monitoring, Investigating, Navigating and Explaining Subsidence Act was brought forth by U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro. It would require the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to provide a report to...
'Statesman' praised for his leadership as president
(The Center Square) – “Leadership” by a “statesman,” Democratic North Carolina political leaders say, was evident when President Joe Biden gave an Oval Office address. Seventy-eight hours of silence to the nation he leads since Sunday’s awkward exit for reelection ended Wednesday night with President Joe Biden speaking to Americans. The state's Democrats heaped praise on his presidency; Republicans since Sunday have offered prayer for his health, criticism for his administration, and one after the address called his words hypocritical. ...
Sen. Grassley: Bodycam footage of Trump shooting shows delayed responses
(The Center Square) – Police body cam footage taken after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump shows local police discussing a possible remote-controlled device and questioning if it was a detonation device. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley released the footage from Beaver County, Pa. Emergency Services Unit on Thursday. The 28-minute video raises questions about a seemingly delayed response and a delay in communication between the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement officials, Grassley said. ...
King County Council to decide fate of youth detention center
(The Center Square) – Members of the King County Council are attempting to counter County Executive Dow Constantine’s plan to close the Judge Patricia J. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed Motion 2024-0104, opposing the closure of King County's youth detention center, and the council's Law and Justice Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to send the measure to the full council. Constantine has worked to transform the...
Trump, Harris nearly tied nationally in new poll
(The Center Square) – Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris is nearly tied with former President Donald Trump in national polling, according to the latest survey results. A New York Times/Sienna poll released Thursday shows a near tie between Trump and Harris. The poll was conducted July 22-24, after President Joe Biden left the race, and reports Trump leads Harris 48% to 47% in the poll of likely voters and 48% to 46% among registered voters. ...
Feds disrupt jet ski powered human smuggling network
(The Center Square) – Federal authorities busted a human smuggling operation powered by jet skis along the California coast. Nineteen alleged members of a human smuggling organization were charged for coordinating the smuggling of dozens of unauthorized migrants into the United States from Mexico, mostly aboard personal watercraft on the Pacific Ocean. Nine of the 19 are in custody. A grand jury returned an indictment against 14 members and a...
California Governor Gavin Newsom issues order to clear out homeless encampments
(The Center Square) - California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to remove homeless encampments from state property, citing new legal authority under a recent United States Supreme Court ruling. Critics on the left wondered where the removed homeless would go and questioned the effectiveness of periodic “sweeps” that could soon see encampments return to the same location. California Republicans, who had proposed similar policies before, questioned why Newsom didn't act earlier. “Agencies and departments subject to my authority shall adopt policies, generally consistent...
Press secretary defends Biden dropping out of the presidential race
(The Center Square) – White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended President Joe Biden’s decision to step out of the 2024 presidential race and emphasized that Biden wants to "unite the country" during a press briefing Thursday. The briefing was held following Biden's address to the nation Wednesday night discussing his decision to not run for reelection. Biden said he plans to finish out his current term as president during...
Chicago officials brief security plan for DNC delegates, protestors, non-citizens
(The Center Square) – The goal of officials for next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago is safety for residents and visitors alike. Security is being coordinated between the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, agencies with the state of Illinois, Cook County and Chicago officials from police and fire departments and the Office of Emergency Management. The overall taxpayer cost for the DNC next month and last week’s Republican National Convention is $150 million, or $75 million for each convention. ...
Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday will start on July 29
(The Center Square) — Florida families will be able to take advantage of an upcoming sales tax holiday as they prepare their children for the new school year. Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Thursday to highlight the Back-To-School sales tax holiday, which will last two weeks beginning on July 29. "This is an opportunity to save real money…it will allow you to save money on the most important...
Avian flu infections lead Colorado to mandate weekly testing of dairy operations
(The Center Square) – All herds of commercial dairy cows will be required to submit weekly samples from tanks to test for avian flu, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The state confirmed 47 dairy herds with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the most in the country and the only state with more than five cases. The state reported 23 livestock herds were quarantined in early July. The state’s dairy industry accounted for approximately $1.3 billion in 2022 revenue. ...
Beshear embraces attack dog role as he remains a VP candidate
(The Center Square) – It remains to be seen whether Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will become the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential candidate. Nonetheless, the two-term elected leader and one of the more popular governors in the country has already embraced becoming a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The latest proof came Thursday afternoon during his regular weekly press briefing. The conference featured a larger-than-normal contingent of reporters, and before taking questions, Beshear told them his only comment about the vice-presidential selection process was...
Poll: Trump leading Harris 44%-42% in Pennsylvania
(The Center Square) – A recent survey of 600 likely voters shows former President Donald Trump holds a 2-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania. The results, from North Star Polling Research, come amid swirling rumors that Gov. Josh Shapiro may join Harris on the ticket as her running mate – a choice that could boost her popularity in the commonwealth but cost her in Michigan and Wisconsin. ...
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