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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. ...
Missouri governor on people attending events: We forget they're at risk, too
(The Center Square) – After signing dozens of books at a children’s education venue in Chesterfield, Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson acknowledged increased security after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. “Since I’ve been governor, there have been numerous threats, some real and some not real,” Parson told reporters on Thursday. “But they’re out there. So you have to deal with that and you’ve got to make sure that you do everything you can to stay safe. And I just want to make...
IFO: Pennsylvania to hit budget deficit next year
(The Center Square) – After a budget deal passed in the Capitol, a Pennsylvania state agency warns that the surplus will be depleted next year. The $47.6 billion budget, slightly less than Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $48.3 billion proposal that Republicans called “a budget of unicorns and rainbows,” will increase spending by $2.7 billion, including more than $1 billion for education. But the Independent Fiscal Office is warning that the general...
Job losses mount for social media posts after assassination attempt
(The Center Square) – Explained as an attempt at dark humor following the attempted assassination of a former president, a social media post from a police officer in North Carolina has brought small town attention for all the wrong reasons. Former President Donald Trump survived in Bulter, Pa., last Saturday. It’s anybody’s guess if Brandon Richardson’s career with the Tarboro Police Department does, too. The tide of exits is rising. ...
Senate Republicans call on Durbin to investigate Trump assassination attempt
(The Center Square) – All Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee have called on its chair, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to hold a hearing on the circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. Led by Ranking Member Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, they asked Durbin to hold a hearing to call U.S. Department of Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and Federal Bureau of Investigations Director Christopher Wray as witnesses. ...
Kemp outlines breakdown of $1.5B transportation infrastructure spend
(The Center Square) — Georgia plans to spend about 40% of the $1.5 billion in additional transportation funding lawmakers approved on increasing the Georgia Department of Transportation's capital construction program. In January, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced a plan to include an additional $1.5 billion in the state's amended fiscal 2024 budget for the Georgia Department of Transportation for projects that "directly help move commuters and freight." According to state...
One million Floridians have been disenrolled from Medicaid since 2023
(The Center Square) — Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows over one million Floridians were disenrolled from Medicaid since 2023, primarily for administrative reasons. As of July 12, over 24 million U.S residents. have been disenrolled from Medicaid. The federal government asked states to provide continuous Medicaid coverage to those enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if their circumstances changed, making them ineligible for coverage. ...
Illinois adopts carbon capture and storage regulations
(The Center Square) – Carbon dioxide pipeline projects will face new scrutiny and regulations under legislation signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday. The Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act creates standards for the burgeoning carbon capture and storage industry. Included in the measure is a two-year moratorium on the construction of CO2 pipelines in Illinois, joining only California with a ban...
Poll: Trump leading Biden in Midwest swing states
(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump leads President Biden by 3 points in Michigan and 5 points in Wisconsin, according to the results of a new Emerson College poll. The poll, conducted July 15-16, surveyed about 1,000 likely voters per swing state. Democrats for the Next Generation sponsored the poll, which has a +/-3% margin of error. It was released Thursday, the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. ...
Colorado directing millions for training to increase number of healthcare workers
(The Center Square) – Colorado is awarding $18 million in grants to increase training for health care workers as it faces a predicted deficit of 3,000 physicians by 2030. Legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Democrat Gov. Jared Polis provided the funding to 17 organizations for 23 programs throughout the state. Senate Bill 22-226 provided $61 million for programs to educate, train, recruit and retain health care workers. The appropriation was from the state's Economic Recovery and Relief Cash fund,...
VIDEO: Illinois Republicans discuss election integrity, Secret Service investigation
(The Center Square) – Outgoing Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy, U.S. Rep. Darin Lahood and other state GOP leaders answered questions about election integrity, the Secret Service's handling of the security detail at the campaign event Saturday where former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet and another man was killed, and other issues Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Tracy's last days is Friday, the day after the convention ends. He will be replaced by Kathy Salvi, who unsuccessfully tried to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022. The full video can be viewed above.
Report: Tennessee among top states with people in financial distress
(The Center Square) – More people in Tennessee face financial distress than in nearly every other state, according to a new report. The study by the personal finance website WalletHub, a commercial finance website, compared the states across nine metrics. Included were the average credit score, change in number of bankruptcy filings between March 2023 and March 2024 and the share of people with accounts in distress. “Measuring the share...
Denver to spend $57.5 million a year in hopes of ending homelessness by 2026
(The Center Square) – The city of Denver plans to spend $57.5 million a year on its All In Mile High program that has a goal to house homeless people. This is according to the agenda items discussed at the July 15 City Council meeting. The city of Denver is considering approving a cash transfer of $6.5 million from the Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Revenue Fund to the Homelessness Resolution...
Op-Ed: Occupational licensing reform could bloom in Louisiana
Louisiana is a state that few can rival. The culture, the food and passion for enjoying life, a state embodied in the phrase laissez les bons temps rouler or let the good times roll. This cherished mindset is what makes Louisiana so special and a good place to call home. But for a state where people value personal freedom, the government continues to enforce unnecessary restrictions that hold people back. ...
Fed: 3.8 million illegal immigrants could enter U.S. in 2024, affecting wage growth
(The Center Square) – A new report from a Federal Reserve branch says 2024 could see millions of illegal border crossings. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco estimates that 3.8 million undocumented immigrants will enter the U.S. in fiscal year 2024 at January’s rates, and notes its contrast with the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate in January that 3.3 million total immigrants will enter the country in the same time frame. ...
Ohio crisis line handles 14,000 contacts monthly
(The Center Square) – A hotline established to combat suicide in Ohio received nearly 340,000 communications in the two years since its launch. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the two-year statistics for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, saying the service has grown to provide more call centers than any other state. DeWine said, “988 is saving lives. The lifeline is providing free, around-the-clock support to Ohioans in crisis by connecting...
Progressives, conservatives push to eliminate 'corporate welfare' with stalled measure
(The Center Square) – A bill that’s not advancing would, according to proponents, make the grant administration process more equitable. A state senator called Senate Bill 2791 a "good bill." Senate Bill 2791 never made it out of the Spring legislative session, but proponents say it would even the playing field for small businesses seeking grants in Illinois, by requiring that at least 50% of the dollar value of all economic incentives that are awarded are channeled toward businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. ...
Illinois lab expands Advanced Photon Source with federal funds
(The Center Square) – Thanks to federal taxpayers, Argonne National Laboratory has rededicated its Advanced Photon Source for X-ray research. The federal government provided $815 million for the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne, which is located southwest of Chicago in Lemont, Illinois. U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary Geri Richmond said that with expanded capabilities, the APS will continue to set the bar for X-ray research. ...
Vermont sued by ACLU over ‘illegal’ opioid report changes
(The Center Square) — Vermont is facing a lawsuit alleging the state's top health official illegally altered a report detailing how to spend tens of millions of dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers. The lawsuit, filed by the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, seeks records from the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee that the group claims were "wrongfully withheld" by the Vermont Department of Health and challenges the Scott administration’s "behind-closed-doors alteration" of the panel’s recommendations to the state Legislature. ...
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