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Former head of Secret Service, TSA head explains ‘failure’ at Trump shooting
(The Center Square) – Former head of the U.S. Secret Service and founding administrator of the Transportation Security Administration John Magaw told The Center Square Monday that there was a “failure” to properly secure the rally where former President Donald Trump was shot Saturday. In the aftermath of the shooting, which left a rally attendee and the shooter dead and the former president injured, Magaw and other security experts laid out a litany of questions and concerns including a lack of drone usage, why officers...
Maine GOP pushes for voter ID requirement
(The Center Square) — Supporters of requiring photo identification to cast ballots in Maine's elections are making a push to put the question before the state’s voters in November. A proposal, spearheaded by the state's Republican Party and a conservative political action committee, calls for putting a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot that would require voters to show ID to cast ballots in federal, state and local elections. Backers...
Gallego slams Secret Service for failing to protect Donald Trump
(The Center Square) – A progressive member of Congress wants answers after someone nearly took former President Donald Trump's life this past weekend. U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., penned a letter to Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the U.S. Secret Service, expressing many concerns after the assassination attempt at Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Law enforcement agencies confirmed that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump in the ear, narrowly...
Noem says budget surplus will be used for prison construction
(The Center Square) - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Monday she plans to us an $80.7 million budget surplus to offset prison construction costs. The $80 million surplus includes $24.3 million, which was above the forecast for fiscal year 2024 and $56.4 million saved by reductions in state government spending, according to Noem. “South Dakota makes common sense decisions based on small government, low taxes, and spending within our...
Georgia announces $238.8M for transportation projects in May
(The Center Square) — State transportation officials said they awarded 15 projects totaling $238.8 million in May 2024. The largest project is roughly $122 million to widen and reconstruct six miles of State Route 20 in Forsyth County from Post Road to east of North Corners Parkway. With the May projects announced, transportation officials said the state has awarded $2.4 billion in construction contracts for fiscal 2024. Concurrently, a new...
Activists, lawmakers protest proposed rate hikes by water utilities
(The Center Square) – More than 1.5 million Illinois consumers may soon be paying a lot more for water. According to the Citizens Utility Board, Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water customers are affected by proposed rate hikes, which could cost households nearly $30 a month. Illinois State Rep. Dagmara Avelar said inflation has made everyday costs burdensome, especially for lower and fixed-income households. ...
County Sheriff: Brown’s public safety tax will make Spokane more dangerous
(The Center Square) - The City of Spokane and Spokane County are going head to head at the ballot this November, each hoping to pass its own tax measure. Illegal drug use, homelessness and violent crime are among the top concerns to public safety in both Spokane and unincorporated areas of Spokane County. The jails and juvenile facilities are all dated, underfunded and at capacity for the most part, leaving a lack of options. ...
New pre-shooting poll shows narrow lead for Biden in Virginia
(The Center Square) — The New York Times/Siena College poll just released results from a voter survey taken before the Trump rally shooting, showing President Joe Biden leading former President Donald Trump by just a few percentage points. The results are causing more chatter about the role Virginia could play in the upcoming election since Biden won Virginia by 10% in 2020. Prior to a May poll by Roanoke College that showed the presidential candidates tied 42%-42%, Virginia was considered reliably blue for Biden –...
Donald Trump officially the GOP presidential nominee
(The Center Square) – Long the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump's delegates made it official on Monday, the first day of the Republican National Convention being held this week in Milwaukee, Wis. Trump received the 1,215 delegates needed to officially secure the nomination. Also on Monday, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, was selected by Trump to serve as his vice presidential running mate. Trump has several challengers in the Republican primary, but one by one they dropped out of the race as the former president secured victor after victory. This is a developing story and will be updated.
New Phoenix lawmaker to replace Terech to be appointed soon
(The Center Square) – Legislative District 4 is expected to get a new Democratic lawmaker in the coming weeks, even though the session is now over. Kelli Butler, Karen Gresham and Eric Meyer were the three individuals chosen by precinct committeemen in the district that covers parts of northeast Phoenix last week, according to the Arizona Republic. Butler and Gresham are already running together with Sen. Christine Marsh as the Democratic slate in what’s one of the most competitive districts in the state. ...
Trump picks Ohio's J.D. Vance for vice president
(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump picked U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, to serve as his vice president should Trump beat President Joe Biden this November for another term in the White House. Trump revealed his choice on Truth Social in a statement. "After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position...
Report finds decrease in number of victims of commercial sexual exploitation
(The Center Square) — A new report from the Florida Legislature’s research arm found a significant decrease in the number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the Sunshine State, but some services still sorely need improvement. The Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability published its annual report on the sexual exploitation of minors in Florida and the data shows there has been an 11% decrease overall since 2020 in child victims of exploitation. ...
Michigan politicians respond to Trump assassination attempt
(The Center Square) – Michigan politicians from both sides of the aisle took to social media this weekend to show support for former President Donald Trump following an attempted assassination at a campaign rally. Trump’s upper ear was pierced by a rifle’s bullet during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, narrowly missing his forehead. Since then, many voices have come forward to condemn the murder attempt, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan GOP Chairman Pete Hoekstra. ...
Chicago homeless camp closes before Democratic convention
(The Center Square) – Chicago officials have shut down a homeless encampment ahead of the Democratic National Convention. The tents are gone from the site off the Dan Ryan Expressway south of Roosevelt Road. The people who lived there have been offered housing until Aug. 31 in a former hotel on the Near North Side. Patricia Nix-Hodes, of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said it is critical that the...
$311M in family leave pay sent to 62,000 Colorado workers in first six months
(The Center Square) – Approximately $311 million was distributed to 62,000 workers who filed claims under Colorado’s new Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program since payments started in January. Colorado became the first state to establish a partial paid-leave program when voters passed Proposition 118 in November 2020. The initiative allows all Colorado workers to obtain up to 12 weeks of paid leave to take care of themselves or their families during circumstances keeping them from working. Those experiencing pregnancy or childbirth complications can receive...
Trump limits field ahead of afternoon vice president announcement
(The Center Square) – It won't be North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, but former President Donald Trump's pick for vice president could be announced this afternoon. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., were told they were not selected, according to multiple media reports. That puts a lot of attention on Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, ahead of the announcement, but no...
Illinois trucking companies push back against Biden’s EPA standards
(The Center Square) – The owner of an Illinois-based trucking company says the latest EPA emissions standards for trucks are implausible. The new rules state that 30% of heavy-duty vocational trucks would need to be zero-emission by 2032. The EPA calculated that new electrified trucks would save operators a total of $3.5 billion in fuel and other costs from 2027 to 2032, paying for themselves in two to four years,...
Illinois tries to expand automatic voter registration as SAVE Act passes U.S. House
(The Center Square) – Illinois voter integrity groups warn non-citizens that registering to vote in federal elections is a felony. The warning comes after U.S. House Republicans passed the SAVE Act to increase protections. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the measure if it passes the Senate and reaches his desk. House Republicans passed the SAVE act, which seeks to require proof of citizenship when a voter casts a ballot in a federal election. Currently it is illegal for a non-citizen to vote in...
WA officials propose focus on America's shortcomings for its upcoming 250th birthday
(The Center Square) – Planners of Washington state's participation in a national celebration of the 250th anniversary of America's founding want to put heavy emphasis on some of the country's darker history, including underrepresented voices. Members of Washington's America250 committee met to get an update on plans for the semiquincentennial celebration of the founding of the country to take place July 4, 2026, commemorating and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. ...
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