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Iowa's fetal heartbeat law goes into effect Monday
(The Center Square) – A law banning abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected will take effect on Monday, a judge ruled. Gov. Kim Reynolds called it a "victory for life." “As the fetal heartbeat law finally takes effect, our work will continue to strengthen a culture of life in Iowa," the governor said in a statement. "I remain deeply committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood,...
WisGOP calls Harris Biden's sequel
(The Center Square) - Wisconsin Republicans blasted Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of her visit to Milwaukee on Tuesday as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, saying a Harris administration would continue the same policies as the current one. In a media call by the Republican Party of Wisconsin that featured U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil and Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming, all three tied Harris to current inflation rates and the border crisis – an issue she was tasked to handle...
DeSantis: Florida's tough-on-crime policies are necessary
(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the Florida Sheriffs' Association Summer Conference on Wednesday and said the Sunshine State does not allow criminals to run amok. DeSantis pointed out that in other states, leadership is cutting police resources and are allowing illegal migrants to form criminal gangs that loot businesses with no consequences. "CNN of all places was investigating illegal aliens that would create criminal rings,...
Conservative lawmakers, activists want Homeland Security's Mayorkas to resign, too
(The Center Square) - U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and other conservatives are calling on Alejandro Mayorkas, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, to resign in the wake of the resignation of the head of the Secret Service. Hawley made his remarks in the wake of the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle on Tuesday as the director of the U.S. Secret Service. Cheatle was lambasted for vague answers before the Congressional Oversight Committee Hearing on Monday related to security failues before the attempted...
New York Republicans blast Hochul over prison closures
(The Center Square) — New York Republicans are blasting Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to close several state prisons, saying the move will cost jobs and jeopardize public safety in the facilities. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced last week that it plans to close Great Meadow Correctional Facility and Sullivan Correctional Facility. The state agency said it is offering jobs to the affected correctional employees and is providing local officials more than three months' notice ahead of the closures. ...
Democrats praise Biden and Harris, slam Project 2025 during news conference
(The Center Square) – House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu slammed former President Donald Trump and praised President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during a news conference at Capitol Hill on Tuesday after their weekly caucus meeting. Aguilar praised Biden at the start of the conference. “President Biden served as the beacon of hope throughout the world to ensure that we put patriotism...
Biden announces televised Wednesday evening address on 'what lies ahead' for him
(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden released a vague statement Tuesday morning raising more questions than answers about his health and future in the White House. “Tomorrow evening at 8 PM ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people,” Biden wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter Tuesday morning. Biden's short statement...
Op-Ed: Don’t buy the media lies about crop production
One of the mainstream media’s favorite pastimes in recent years has been trying to scare the pants off everyone by suggesting that climate change is decimating crop production around the world. They are either lying intentionally, or mistaken. However, in either case, there is some journalistic malpractice going on, as well as a notable failure of logic. We have all seen the stories, the favorites of the media usually have to do with foods that are popular semi-luxury items, depending on where you live, like...
Cruz: A presidential nominee has never dropped out this close to the election
(The Center Square) – A presidential nominee has never before dropped out of a presidential race this close to an election, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said after twice predicting that President Joe Biden would drop out of the race. On Sunday, a statement was posted on X with an electronic signature of President Joe Biden stating he was not running for reelection. He has not made a public appearance since, but is scheduled to Wednesday night. ...
Illinois state senator speaks after alleged threat against state representative
(The Center Square) – An Illinois state senator is thanking law enforcement after a DeKalb man was arrested for an alleged assassination threat against a member of the Illinois House. The alleged threat against state Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, came just days after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13. The incident led to the postponement of a DeKalb Senior Health Fair, which Keicher...
Secret Service chief resigns after Trump assassination attempt security failures
(The Center Square) – U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday after she was widely criticized over security lapses at the campaign event where former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. The news comes the day after a hearing before the House Oversight Committee where lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called on Cheatle to resign and blasted her for the Secret Service’s failings around the shooting of Trump. ...
Illinois quick hits: Wildfire smoke drifts into state; Cheatle resigns from Secret Service
Wildfire smoke drifts into state Smoke from several wildfires burning in the western U.S. and Canada is now drifting across Illinois. Light smoke combined with unhealthy ozone concentrations is creating unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, especially in northern Illinois. So far, this year’s fires are a fraction of the size of the blazes that broke out across Canada last year, contributing to numerous days of significant particulate matter pollution. ...
Cooper, for the moment, brushes against long absence
(The Center Square) – North Carolina has been two decades without a representative on a major party’s ticket for president, and 155 years since it last had a native son in the White House. Gov. Roy Cooper is the newest name to get close to either, having become one of a handful of favorites to be chosen by Vice President Kamala Harris as running mate for Democrats in a chaotic summer election season. Just over three weeks from a debate that raised health concerns, President...
Child sexual abuse material update lapses into law
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Saturday he allowed an incomplete bill to pass without his signature that replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” in existing state law. While Shapiro said he “fully supports” the proposal’s intent, his choice comes down to clarity. Further definitions for child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, are not elaborated, meaning schools and libraries will have to parse out what material qualifies when crafting internet use policies. ...
U.S. home sales drop 5.4% as median prices hit all-time high of $426,900
(The Center Square) – Sales of existing homes in the U.S. fell 5.4% last month while median prices jumped 4.1% to set a new all-time high at $426,900 – the second straight month it reached an all-time high and the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains. Existing-home sales slumped 5.4% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.89 million. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales also fell 5.4% from one year ago. ...
Vance rallies in Virginia, focuses on manufacturing and energy
(The Center Square) – Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance drew on his Appalachian upbringing to connect with supporters at a rally in Virginia on Monday night, focusing on the region’s depleted manufacturing industry, fentanyl and surging immigration crisis. Vance, senator from Ohio, stopped earlier in the day in his Ohio hometown. He was announced on the ticket with former President Donald Trump one week to the day earlier. Vance...
Tennessee tax collections $555M short of original budgeted estimates
(The Center Square) – Tennessee is now $555.2 million behind its initial budgeted tax collections through the first 11 months of the fiscal year. But revised estimates will likely allow the state to remain above the revised estimated – lowered by $798.4 million – approved by the Tennessee Legislature on April 18. The totals come as the state collected $2.3 billion in taxes and fees in June, $31.5 million below...
Wisconsin per-pupil spending up over past decade
(The Center Square) – Public schools in Wisconsin are spending nearly $1,000 more per-student than a decade ago, despite falling enrollment and flat test scores. The latest spending information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shows public schools in the state spent $17,697 per-student in 2022. That’s down from the $18,088 in 2020, but about $1,000 more than what schools were spending in 2011. Will Flanders with the Wisconsin...
Ohio delegates pledge to Harris; Democratic lawmakers voice support
(The Center Square) – Ohio’s Democratic political leaders are lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris. According to the Ohio Democratic Party, late Monday night, the state’s Democratic delegates to the upcoming national convention voted overwhelmingly to pledge support to Harris. Also Monday night, Democratic lawmakers released a letter endorsing Harris for president. “Ohio Democratic...
MDOT starts three new road repair projects this week
(The Center Square) – Road projects in three southern counties started this week, as the Michigan Department of Transportation looks to maximize work during the warmer months. A portion of I-196 in Allegan County is getting resurfaced, M-553 in Marquette County is getting resealed and I-75 in Oakland County is will have concrete patched. The closures are a part of a broader $20.1 million in road repairs. In Allegan, $3...
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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.
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