Columbus
The Center Square
Spokane County affordable housing proving unaffordable for providers
(The Center Square) – With providers unable to pay their bills under current insurance rates and increased costs, Spokane County is considering forgiving almost $2.3 million in affordable housing debts. The Spokane County Board of County Commissioners discussed writing off the unpaid debt and reducing the interest rates on other loans to 0% during Tuesday’s briefing session. However, the county is also considering whether to allow the providers to continue despite the lack the payments. ...
Op-ed: Is Atlas shrugging in California?
The working title for the Ayn Rand classic “Atlas Shrugged” was “The Strike.” Rand wanted to show what the world would be like if the competent, the rational, the men and women of excellence walked away from their work. It was a “rebellion of the unrecognized and often persecuted creative heroes who bear the rest of the world on their shoulders.” It was “the mind on strike.” Are we seeing something similar happening in California? Business owners and company executives aren’t disappearing while the world...
Unemployment dips again in Arizona
(The Center Square) – The unemployment rate in Arizona continues to stay below the national average. The seasonally adjusted rate of 3.3% in June was 0.1% lower than May 2024, even though the U.S. rate was 4.1% compared to 4%. This is a new record low based on how employment numbers have been measured since 1976, as May's numbers were touted as such. The top-gaining sectors were financial activities, which...
SPD fires officer heard laughing about death of 23-year-old
(The Center Square) – A Seattle police officer who was found to have made crude comments about a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a Seattle police vehicle in January 2023 has been terminated by the department. Public outcry arose after the Seattle Police Department released footage showing Seattle Police Officers Guild Vice President Daniel Auderer on a phone call confirming the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, who was hit and killed by a marked Seattle police vehicle going 74 mph in an intersection. ...
WA Tribes getting tens of millions for flood recovery, relocation
(The Center Square) – Native American tribes across Washington state are set to receive tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to address flood risk and other issues related to climate change. This week, at a remote meeting in Taholah, Wash., staff members from the Washington Department of Commerce and Gov. Jay Inslee announced $52 million for native tribes, including the Quinault Indian Nation on the Pacific coast of the Olympic Peninsula. ...
VIDEO: Calls for Secret Service director to resign grow with investigations underway
(The Center Square) – As Congress prepares to investigate security failures around the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump last week in Pennsylvania, members of Congress from across the country say Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle must resign immediately. Cheatle, a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, is under fire after the attempted assassination of Trump. While Trump came away from the shooting with a wounded ear, one spectator died and two others were critically injured. ...
VIDEO: Meuser defends local police response at Trump rally shooting
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Secret Service, not local police, bears responsibility for the unmanned roof where a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. on Saturday. So says Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, who represents the commonwealth’s ninth congressional district that stretches roughly 200 miles south from the northeastern New York border to Harrisburg. “Come on, the Secret Service is...
Appeals court issues injunction stopping student loan cancellation plan
(The Center Square) - An appeals court approved an injunction Thursday that stops President Joe Biden from implementing his latest student loan forgiveness plan. Biden introduced the plan in April, months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down another effort to forgive student loans. The plan would have exempted additional income from payment calculations and decreased the maximum percentage of discretionary income used to calculate monthly payments from 10% to 5%. ...
California deploys firefighting taskforce to Oregon as wildfires blaze
(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed 80 firefighters and 15 fire engines to Oregon following a request for assistance from Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek as tens of thousands of acres burn. According to the latest Oregon state government data, there are currently 95 active fires and over 332,000 acres have burned within the last week. A combination of triple digit weather and lightning storms that brought over 1,000 lightning strikes in the past week have driven the state’s fires to critical levels. ...
Weakened version of health care non-compete limitations becomes law
(The Center Square) — Among a flurry of bills signed into law recently, Pennsylvania has taken a step in reducing the barriers created by non-compete agreements in health care. But the law in effect is a watered-down version of what was proposed in the General Assembly. “It’s a C+,” said Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, who introduced House Bill 1633. “There’s a significant amendment that diluted the impact of the bill. But it clearly remains a step forward with more work to do.” ...
South Carolina transportation officials divide additional transportation funding
(The Center Square) — South Carolina transportation officials have approved updates to the state's bridge program, deciding how to allocate $200 million in additional money state lawmakers approved. The South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission directed half the $200 million in one-time funding to bridges on secondary roads. The remaining $100 million will go toward bridges on primary and interstate routes. The move comes one day after federal officials announced...
Mayor dodges loan questions, says state 'owes' public schools
(The Center Square) – Mayor Brandon Johnson is not ruling out a loan to cover a Chicago Public Schools deficit of $500 million. There is no official answer on how the mayor will fill the budget gap, after he rejected cuts proposed by CPS administrators. “I have not changed my mind about investing in our children. I will never change my mind,” Johnson said. ...
Two of 100 counties escaping North Carolina drought
(The Center Square) – Agricultural damaging drought continues in North Carolina, though rain in the past week has helped. Still, Columbus County in the southeast and Yadkin in the northwest are listed in extreme drought, according to the state’s Drought Management Advisory Council. Severe drought grips all or parts of 26 other counties spread across the state and 49 more have moderate drought. That’s 77 of 100, and 21 of...
Michigan takes to the skies with multi-million dollar drone investment
(The Center Square) – Michigan invested more than $6 million toward researching drone technology across the state. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist announced four different Advanced Aerial Mobility projects will receive a total of $6.25 million in funding. BETA Technologies, Michigan Central, Skyports and Traverse Connect are all recipients of the drone research money. “These investments create high-tech jobs, grow cutting-edge businesses, and enhance quality of life for our residents,” Gilchrist...
Illinois quick hits: State unemployment rate hits 5%; Decatur Public Schools adopt new phone policy for students
Illinois unemployment rate hits 5% The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that unemployment increased to 5 percent. The May revised unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. The national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in June, up slightly from the previous month. The number of unemployed workers in the state was 327,900, up over 3 percent from the prior month, and up nearly 19 percent over the same month one year ago. ...
Former Las Vegas City Council member indicted in charity fraud scheme
(The Center Square) – A former Las Vegas City Council member has been indicted for what the Department of Justice called an alleged charity fraud scheme. Federal authorities said in a news release that 53-year-old Michele Fiore solicited donations to build a statue honoring Las Vegas police officers killed on the job. "Fiore allegedly promised donors that '100% of the contributions' would be used towards the creation of this statue,"...
Biden taking medication after coming down with COVID-19
(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden continues his work in the White House, but is "still experiencing mild upper respiratory symptoms associated with his recent COVID-19 infection," the White House physician said Thursday. Dr. Kevin O'Connor wrote in a letter Thursday that Biden is taking Paxlovid, a medication used to treat COVID-19. The latest news on Biden's health comes as Democrats continue to question his viability as the Democratic nominee. The health issue comes as Biden looks to project strength following a series of public gaffes and a disastrous first debate against former President Donald Trump. The doctor said Biden does not have a fever and his vital signs remain normal. "He will continue to conduct the business of the American people," O'Connor wrote.
New Mexico legislature to consider bills combating homeless encampments
(The Center Square) – The New Mexico state Legislature will take up a slew of proposals related to homelessness in Albuquerque starting this week at a special session called by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The governor visited downtown Albuquerque on Monday, three days ahead of the special session, to highlight the issues this is causing the area. "You can't walk on the sidewalk," Lujan Grisham told KRQE at a press...
Smith appeals dismissal of Trump's classified documents case
(The Center Square) – Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a notice of appeal after a judge tossed out charges related to former President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents. The two-page notice said Smith planned to appeal Judge Aileen Cannon's decision to dismiss the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Cannon dismissed the classified documents-related criminal case against Trump on Monday because she said...
Hobbs visits Watch Fire scene after $400,000 allocated for assistance
(The Center Square) – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is visiting the scene of the Watch Fire on Thursday after $400,000 in state funding was allocated to help in the disaster’s aftermath. Although the fire in eastern Arizona had been extinguished after burning over 2,000 acres, 13 homes were lost this past week as a result, according to the Arizona Republic. The fire primarily impacted residents living on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. ...
The Center Square
43K+
Posts
616M+
Views
The Center Square reports on state- and local-level government and economic news. A taxpayer sensibility distinguishes our work from other coverage of state and local issues.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.