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Green fundraising outpaces Morrow in superintendent race
(The Center Square) – Democrat Mo Green is raking in the donations in North Carolina’s election race for superintendent of public instruction. Green raised more than six times the amount of Republican opponent Michele Morrow in the second fundraising quarter. “Mo has made history in North Carolina: No other candidate for state Superintendent of Public Instruction has raised even close to this much before,” said Misti Williams, Green’s campaign manager,...
Illinois quick hits: Low-income families to get full child support amount
Low-income families to get full child support amount The Department of Healthcare and Family Services has announced that all child support collected on behalf of Illinois’ low-income families with children who are current or former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients will be passed through to the family and will no longer be retained by the state. As of July 1, any amount of child support that was collected and...
California EV sales down compared to prior year, leaving EV mandate in question
(The Center Square) - California battery-electric vehicle sales are stabilizing after peaking halfway through 2023 and entering steady decline. BEV sales peaked at 102,730 in the second quarter of 2023, bottoming out at 89,503 in the fourth quarter of 2023, before recovering to 101,443 in the second quarter of 2024. However, with BEV market share remaining in the same steady 21% range since the start of 2023, it’s unclear how the state is going to meet a new mandate for 35% of vehicle sales to be BEVs by model year 2026, which will start in 2025. ...
Lawmakers call for Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission challenge end
(The Center Square) — A superior court judge has denied a request to prohibit the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission from moving forward with its work while a lawsuit challenging its authority proceeds. Following Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker's ruling, two leading Republican state lawmakers are calling on Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Sherry Boston, Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jonathan Adams and Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams to drop their challenge. ...
Federal assistance approved for Missouri counties after severe weather in May
(The Center Square) – Residents in 10 southern Missouri counties will be eligible for individual assistance from the federal government after severe weather and flooding happened from May 19 to 27. Local governments and qualifying nonprofit organizations in specific counties also will be eligible for federal assistance. Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s request was made June 12 and his office announced the federal approval on Tuesday. The federal individual assistance...
Georgia schools superintendent says African American Studies course exists
(The Center Square) — While at least one Georgia school system said it won't be able to proceed with its planned Advanced Placement African American Studies course this school year, the state's school superintendent said a course is already on the books. "There has been an African American Studies course code in the catalog of state-funded courses since 2020," Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a Wednesday statement. "Districts using this course code will receive state funding. Should districts choose to do so, they...
Wisconsin DNR to repeal fisherman gun-ban rule
(The Center Square) – The rules will soon be changing for people who carry guns and go near the water in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on Wednesday announced the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has agreed to repeal its rule that essentially banned people from carrying a gun near any lake, river or stream in the state. The rule stated that no one can “[p]ossess or...
Hunter Biden wants gun conviction dropped after Cannon ruling
(The Center Square) – Hunter Biden wants his gun convictions dropped after a judge tossed out charges against former President Donald Trump in his classified documents case. A jury convicted Hunter Biden, the president's son, on three federal felonies in June. Hunter Biden faces up to 10 years in prison on the first two counts and five years on the third count. Hunter Biden's legal team has asked a judge...
$129 million from EPA flows to Colorado to decarbonize, cut climate pollution
(The Center Square) – Hundreds of millions of federal taxpayer dollars will be flowing into Colorado to reduce carbon emissions while the University of Colorado creates a high-ranking position for sustainability. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the state $129 million to improve air quality. The money will be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by expanding methane monitoring, investing in new methane capture initiatives, and incentivizing large commercial buildings to decarbonize, according to information from Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. ...
Lawmakers request Maricopa County shooting complex reopen
(The Center Square) – Two Arizona lawmakers are joining the chorus of people asking for the Joe Foss Shooting Complex in Maricopa County to reopen. The shooting range closed in June, which Republican Reps. Quang Nguyen and Selina Bliss say has led to frustration to those who have regularly gone to the range at Buckeye Hills Regional Park. "According to the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation, the reason for this...
House Republicans file impeachment articles, resolutions condemning Harris on border
(The Center Square) – Several House Republicans have taken action to hold accountable Vice President Kamala Harris for her failures as “border czar,” a role President Joe Biden designated in March 2021. One congressman filed impeachment charges, four filed a resolution condemning her “failure to secure the United States border.” On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., filed two articles of impeachment against Harris, the second time he’s done so....
Cooling woes at apartment complex spur demand from Arizona attorney general
(The Center Square) – An apartment management company is under fire for seemingly leaving residents out to dry amid scorching summer heat. Attorney General Kris Mayes sent Buenas Communities LLC a cease and desist over one of their buildings allegedly failing to solve the cooling issues for roughly 400 units at Buenas on 32nd. Mayes is giving them a deadline of Friday at 5 p.m. to fix the problems. Specifically,...
'Barbarism and Civilization:' Israeli Prime Minister addresses Congress amid war
(The Center Square) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon during a crucial time in the ongoing war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Netanyahu thanked the U.S. for its support, spoke at length about the suffering of the hostages and their families as well as the “barbarism” of Israel’s enemies, and promised to bring the hostages home. “We meet today at...
King County awarded $50 million EPA grant to implement clean energy efforts
(The Center Square) – King County Executive Dow Constantine on Tuesday announced a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to go toward efforts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and construction throughout the Puget Sound region. The funding comes from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act. “Through the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is partnering with states and...
Whitmer signs bill modifying medically frail parole options into law
(The Center Square) – Severely health-compromised prisoners in Michigan will have more care placement options under a new law signed by the governor Tuesday. “This aligns with Gov. Whitmer’s prioritization of criminal justice reform by promoting humane treatment for corrected individuals, which can lead to better outcomes for both prisoners and the broader Michigan community,” the governor’s office said in a statement. The new law addresses implementation issues of the...
Conservative activist targets Harley-Davidson after John Deere, Tractor Supply
(The Center Square) – A week after John Deere announced policy changes related to conservative activist Robby Starbuck publicizing their corporate policies related to diversity, equity and Inclusion and pride event sponsorship, Starbuck began publicizing the actions of another company: Harley-Davidson. Starbuck wrote that CEO Jochen Zeitz has led the company to go “totally woke” while supporting the equality act to allow transgender individuals access to female locker rooms and forcing 1,800 employees to do virtual LGBTQ+ training. ...
Florida to provide $7.2M for workforce training at St. Petersburg College
(The Center Square) — Florida officials are appropriating taxpayer funds for workforce training to create new job opportunities for residents. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced new workforce training opportunities in St. Petersburg on Wednesday and noted Florida's success since taking office, including its top ranking in education and job creation. DeSantis announced that St. Petersburg College will receive $7.2 million to establish a semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and machine learning training...
AI industry challenges discussed by Wisconsin legislative committee
(The Center Square) – Wisconsin lawmakers, technology experts and industry leaders met Wednesday to discuss how the state can encourage artificial intelligence innovation and workforce adaption, while still having legal guardrails to protect consumer privacy. In the first meeting of Wisconsin’s Legislative Council Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence, the bipartisan group spent more than two hours hashing out how regulatory legislation should deal with AI. Matthew Friedel,...
Despite reports, Pritzker denies being contacted about running for vice president
(The Center Square) – Despite national reports that he has been sent vetting materials about becoming Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it isn’t so. President Joe Biden announced Sunday he would not seek reelection and instead endorsed Vice President Harris to be the Democratic Party's nominee. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pritzker was one of six possible candidates the Harris campaign reached out to this week...
FBI director grilled over assassination attempt investigation
(The Center Square) – Members of Congress grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray Wednesday over details of the FBI’s investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Wray's testimony at a House Judiciary Committee hearing comes as the FBI faces criticism over unanswered questions surrounding the agency's handling of the ongoing investigation into the recent shooting at a Trump campaign rally earlier this month. The Secret Service has also...
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