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Recount ordered after three-vote difference in Colorado GOP primary for 58th district
(The Center Square) – Colorado Democrat Secretary of State Jena Griswold ordered a recount, required under state law, in the Republican primary race for House District 58 in the southwest corner of the state. Larry Don Suckla received 6,488 votes in the primary, three more votes than Republican opponent J. Mark Roeber’s total of 6,485. Colorado statutes require a recount when the vote differential in the race is within 0.5%...
Asylum seekers moved out of Kent encampment into taxpayer-funded apartments
(The Center Square) – More than 90 asylum seekers who have spent the last six weeks in an encampment along Central Avenue in Kent have been moved into apartment homes. Dozens of others remain at the camp on the King County-owned property adjacent to State Route 167 and the Econo Lodge hotel. “So far, LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute) has housed 93 people from the Kent location,” a spokesperson from...
Sloped roof unsafe for snipers, Secret Service says
(The Center Square) – The sloped roof where a would-be assassin took aim at former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania wasn’t safe enough for snipers. This is a reason for not posting someone there, U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle said in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday. “That building, in particular, has a sloped roof at its highest point,” she said. “And so,...
Michigan forestry industry reaches all-time high
(The Center Square) – Michigan's forest products industry has hit an all-time high, according to recent data from the Department of Natural Resources. At a record $26.5 billion in total output, the forest industry supported 88,275 jobs in 2022. “Although the number of people directly employed in the industry decreased by 3.6%, all other economic indicators show significant growth,” Jagdish Poudel, a DNR forest economist said. ...
New poll shows Trump leading in 'battleground' Virginia
(The Center Square) — Another pre-shooting poll conducted before the New York Times/Siena College poll, whose results were released Monday, shows President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump flip-flopped, with Trump leading Biden by 3%. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Summer 2024 Commonwealth Poll, conducted between June 24 and July 3, revealed 39% of respondents indicating they would vote for Trump if they had to vote then and 36% saying they would vote for Biden. The Times/Siena College poll, conducted in the days just prior to...
Report: Housing is less affordable due to red tape in Illinois
(The Center Square) – A new report found that Illinois had the third-worst rate in the nation for building new housing units in 2023, with the main culprit being over regulation. Illinois Policy Institute found that government regulations account for nearly $70,000 of the $292,000 median home price in the state. Researcher Ravi Mishra said that is preventing new housing construction and aggravating a housing shortage, leading to higher prices...
Mayes pushes FEMA to prioritize fires, heat
(The Center Square) – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to place a higher priority on wildfires and high temperatures. Mayes sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and FEMA Chief Counsel Adrian Sevier co-signed by 13 other attorneys general around the country to push for "extreme heat and wildfire smoke events" to be considered allowable reasons for a disaster declaration, citing the Stafford Act. Specifically, they want wildfire smoke incidents to qualify for the Fire Management Assistance Grant....
Illinois town evacuated when reservoir dam topped after six inches of rain
(The Center Square) – Several inches of rain led to the evacuation of the south-central Illinois town of Nashville on Tuesday as water flowed over a nearby reservoir. “… the Nashville Reservoir dam was overtopped, flooding downstream and forcing an evacuation of residents in the affected area downstream,” according to a statement from the Washington County, Ill., Emergency Management Agency. The agency alerted residents of Nashville at 8:24 a.m. of...
Democrats rally to delay Biden's nomination: Report
(The Center Square) – A new effort is reportedly underway among Democrats to delay the Democratic presidential nomination process for President Joe Biden, the latest move within the Democratic Party to reconsider Biden as the party’s nominee after his disastrous debate performance at the end of June. The New York Times first reported the letter, which was reportedly written by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and is being sent around to Democrats for their signature. ...
Smith plans to appeal judge's dismissal of Trump's classified documents case
(The Center Square) – Special counsel Jack Smith could appeal a judge's controversial decision to toss out the charges that accused former President Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents. The Department of Justice authorized the special counsel to appeal Judge Aileen Cannon's decision dismissing the case to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have...
Illinois governor blasts Trump's VP selection
(The Center Square) – In the wake of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Gov. J.B. Pritzker resumed his attacks on the GOP nominee and also his choice for vice president. Trump unveiled his vice presidential choice just two days after surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania Saturday. Pritzker was at an unrelated press conference Tuesday when he was asked to comment on Trump’s running mate Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. ...
Menendez found guilty of federal bribery charges
(The Center Square) — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has been found guilty of 16 counts of bribery and other charges in his federal corruption trial. On Tuesday, a New York City jury found the lawmaker guilty of accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes in exchange for wielding his influence to benefit foreign governments and a trio of businessmen. Menendez, 70, and his co-defendants, New Jersey businessmen...
Abbott campaign breaks fundraising record with over $51 million cash on hand
(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott, who is not running for any office this year but whose campaign is continuing to raise money for Republicans, broke a fundraising record in the last reporting period. Abbott’s campaign raised more than $29.6 million in the last reporting period “from every corner of Texas,” his campaign said in a statement on Tuesday. Texans for Greg Abbott cash on hand is now over...
Trump Jr slams Democrats, praises his father at RNC event
(The Center Square) – Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of The Trump Organization and former President Donald Trump's son, praised his father as a "fighter" during a talk Tuesday. When asked by journalist Mike Allen about his opinions on Donald Trump’s recently announced Vice Presidential running mate, Sen. J. D. Vance, Trump Jr. praised Vance and added that he thought that Vance embodied 'the American dream.' Trump Jr. has...
Rhode Island judge clears path for shoreline access lawsuits
(The Center Square) — A Rhode Island judge says a law expanding public access along the state's coastline amounts to unconstitutional taking of private property without compensation. The decision by Superior Court Associate Justice Sarah Taft-Carter was included in a ruling rejecting a motion from Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha to dismiss a pair of lawsuits against the state challenging the year-old law, which will allow the litigation to proceed. ...
Republican National Convention features five Michigan speakers
(The Center Square) – As many as five Michigan residents are scheduled to speak at this year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, former gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson, Macomb businessman Benjamin Joseph and Rev. Lorenzo Sewell are all on the speaking list. Rogers, Johnson and Sewell are expected to speak later this week, while James and Joseph gave their speeches Monday...
Report: Wisconsin’s August amendments could have big impact
(The Center Square) – Wisconsin voters are being asked whether the state lawmakers who currently write the state budget should have any say in how billions of dollars in federal money are spent. There will be two constitutional amendments on the ballot in August, both look to give the legislature some say in how federal money is spent. A new report says it’s a limited, and little-covered question that could have a big impact on Wisconsin’s budget going forward. ...
CenterPoint asks Houstonians to help keep linemen safe after ongoing violent attacks
(The Center Square) – CenterPoint Energy is asking Houstonians to help keep linemen safe after ongoing violent attacks against them have occurred while trying to restore power to millions of people impacted by Hurricane Beryl. CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells posted a video describing the threats linemen were experiencing. The company evacuated over 100 linemen working restoration Saturday “due to shots that were fired at our crews,” with law enforcement reportedly making one arrest. ...
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