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Patrick: Obama is seeking his fourth term in office
(The Center Square) – Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says former President Barack Obama is running for a fourth term in response to President Joe Biden announcing he isn’t running for reelection and is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. “Obama is seeking his 4th term as president,” Patrick said in a social media post. “The June debate was a hit job on Biden by his own party; humiliating him was step one to run him out. There was no need for Biden...
Maryland literacy policy in the works
(The Center Square) - Maryland’s venture to create and implement a statewide comprehensive literacy policy is underway, but State Board of Education President Joshua Michael says the board won’t consider adoption until at least September. Maryland’s journey with literacy policy has been long and winding, involving a patchwork application of the science of reading principles in some school districts and not others. But in January, the board passed a resolution calling for “statewide adoption and implementation of literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading...
Poll: Voters, parents opposed to AI in schools over cheating concerns
(The Center Square) – The majority of likely voters say artificial intelligence shouldn’t be in schools because it makes it too easy to cheat, new poll results show. The Center Square Voter’s Voice Poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights found that over two-thirds of likely voters say they think AI should stay out of schools. The recent poll of nearly 2,300 likely voters found that 68% agreed with the statement...
Less than half of WA families who qualify for new tax credit are applying
(The Center Square) – Washington state officials say they are on track to meet the goal of having 50% of eligible families applying for and receiving a tax credit for moderate- and low-income families by this time next year. The Working Families Tax Credit is an annual tax refund for Washington residents worth up to $1,255, depending on income level and the number of qualifying children in a household. According...
WA utilities prepare public for possible power shutdowns to prevent wildfires
(The Center Square) – Puget Sound Energy and other utility companies in Washington state are preparing for the possibility of cutting the power in high-risk wildfire conditions. It has been a relatively quiet start to the fire season across Washington so far, though a large fire, called the Pioneer Fire is burning about 30,000 acres along the northeast side of Lake Chelan in central Washington. The goal of what is...
SPD interim chief calls for hiring process changes as staffing woes continue
(The Center Square) – Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr informed members of the Seattle City Council of the department's continuing staffing woes, saying she is seeking changes to the hiring process to include a larger pool of recruits. The city planned to hire 65 officers through June of this year. Instead, the department has only managed to hire 21 officers, 68% less than planned, according to a presentation to the Seattle Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. The Seattle Police Department originally projected 120 hires for...
Indiana Dems help Harris become presumptive nominee
(The Center Square) – Vice President Kamala Harris may still face a challenge for the Democratic presidential nomination, but she now has the support of Indiana’s party leaders. During a virtual meeting, the 88 delegates from the state party who were previously pledged to President Joe Biden agreed to back Harris’ bid for the party’s nomination. Biden initially won the entire slate of delegates thanks to his victory in the...
Higher gas prices hurt everyone's bottom line, even the gas station owner's
(The Center Square) — When motorists see how much it costs to fill up their cars, they might be quick to share their complaints with someone like Shan Nanji. However, the co-owner of the Chevron gas station on N. Peachtree Road off Interstate 285 in Dunwoody is feeling the pinch like everyone else. "To be honest, with gas prices going up and [the] cost of everything going up, business has...
Grassley, Cortez Masto want Senate confirmation of Secret Service directors
(The Center Square) — U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., filed a bill that would require Senate confirmation of Secret Service directors and impose a 10-year term limit. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday, a day after a House committee grilled her over security at a Butler, Penn. event where former President Donald Trump was shot in an assassination attempt. "President Trump's brush with death...
Stadium options grow for NFL's Chiefs as they review Missouri, Kansas proposals
(The Center Square) – The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs told his team to focus on one game at a time during a visit to training camp this week, but multiple stadium issues are gaining his attention. During a press conference at the team’s training camp at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph, Clark Hunt, chairman and chief executive officer of the Chiefs, acknowledged the team is reviewing multiple options after renewal of a sales tax for 40 years was defeated by Jackson County...
Reports: Potential running mates get vetting materials from Harris campaign
(The Center Square) – Vetting for potential candidates to run alongside Kamala Harris in her bid for president is underway, with a number of prominent elected Democrats under consideration, according to published reports. A Tuesday afternoon report by the Wall Street Journal said the Harris campaign sent vetting materials to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. ...
Defendant doesn't want to be tried with Madigan in corruption case
(The Center Square) – A defendant in the upcoming federal prosecution of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wants his own trial separate from Madigan. Defendant Michael McClain, a former state lawmaker and ComEd lobbyist known for his close association with Madigan, has filed a request to sever his trial from Madigan's because Madigan's defense team plans to blame McClain for any wrongdoing. "McClain respectfully seeks severance of his case...
Spokane City Council declines resolution supporting enforcing homeless camping law
(The Center Square) – The Spokane City Council on Monday declined an opportunity to call on the police department to commit to enforcing a voter-approved law banning camping in much of the city. The city council deferred Councilmember Jonathan Bingle’s resolution indefinitely, meaning it might not see the light of day again, despite so many taking issue over the lack of enforcement regarding Proposition 1. Last November, 75% of those...
Some Democrats turn focus to gun restrictions after Trump assassination attempt
(The Center Square) – Some U.S. House Democrats are calling for federal gun restrictions after the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Throughout a U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday, Republicans and Democrats called for Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign, which she did Tuesday. She did so after the committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, and Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, formerly called...
Oregon receives $197 million for green energy projects from EPA
(The Center Square) - The United States Environmental Protection Agency (will provide Oregon with $197 million from the taxpayer-funded federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program.“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement. “When I was Speaker of the House, I fought for ambitious GHG reduction goals. This investment is not only an affirmation of Oregon’s collective efforts to combat climate change, but a significant down payment on our ability to meet our reduction goals with a statewide approach. I want to thank Oregon’s congressional delegation for...
Harris focuses campaign on the future of democracy at first rally in Wisconsin
(The Center Square) – In her first campaign rally since receiving President Joe Biden’s endorsement, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed voters in Milwaukee, urging them to rally around her campaign to stop Donald Trump and protect their freedoms. The rally marks Harris’ 10th visit to Wisconsin since becoming vice president, and her fifth visit this year. Harris lived in Madison, Wisconsin, for a short time during her childhood. Harris spoke...
New Mexico preserves Medicaid coverage for thousands of children
(The Center Square) - New Mexico will reinstate Medicaid coverage for about 21,000 children this month. The New Mexico Health Care Authority announced that it will give these children's families a second chance to renew their healthcare coverage, according to a press release from the department. “Keeping children covered was one of our biggest priorities as the Public Health Emergency ended,” Kari Armijo, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Health...
Illinois quick hits: Flood clean kits available; unclaimed property auction
Flood clean kits available Residents of Nashville, Illinois, will be able to collect cleanup kits from the American Red Cross this week to help with flooding recovery efforts. Last week, multiple inches of rain fell, leading to flash flooding in Nashville and the surrounding area. Local emergency officials warned of an imminent dam failure and evacuated over 200 residents. ...
Stanton condemns pro-Palestine protests at district office
(The Center Square) – Pro-Palestine protesters took over Congressman Greg Stanton’s district office in Mesa, Arizona, on Monday. Clips of the protest went viral, as the chants included controversial slogans including “Judaism yes, Zionism no” and “Israel has got to go,” according to a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. The Democratic lawmaker condemned the demonstration and said he was “disgusted by the anti-Semitic, inflammatory language that was...
Reports: Convicted New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to resign
(The Center Square) — Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez will resign next month after being found guilty in a federal bribery and corruption trial, according to multiple published reports. Menendez will step down effective Aug. 20 after telling staff and sending a resignation letter to senate leaders and Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday, several media outlets are reporting, citing unnamed sources. Menendez, 70, was convicted by a New York City jury...
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