Sixteen attorneys general, led by Ohio AG Dave Yost, called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide voter registration information to states, particularly when it relates to citizenship status.
The AGs “raise grave concerns that by failing to work with States to verify voter registration information, your office has failed to discharge its duty ahead of a national election,” the letter to Mayorkas states.
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A coalition of 24 states, led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, have signed a brief against a federal electric truck mandate.
On March 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rolled out a new electric truck mandate to increase sales of electric semitrucks from 2027 through 2032.
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After weeks of chaos surrounding the Georgia State Election Board, a judge blocked its order requiring all ballots be counted by hand.
Judge Robert McBurney of the Superior Court of Fulton County issued the stay on Tuesday, just weeks after the Election Board first approved the measure. He said the additional step of counting ballots by hand as well as electronically would lead to “administrative chaos.”
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Wisconsin has 78 drop boxes currently in use throughout the state as opposed to 500 in the 2020 presidential election, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Those are the communities that have registered the drop boxes with the state, according to Wisconsin Administrator of Wisconsin Elections Commission Meagan Wolfe.
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The largest retail group in the country says it expects consumers to spend more this holiday season, but the growth in sales will be slower than last year.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) said its 2024 forecast shows winter holiday spending is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023.
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A new national poll shows a majority of Americans support school choice measures that would allow families to use taxpayer funds to attend a private school.
The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights found that over two-thirds of the more than 2,200 likely voters polled support giving families choices using public funds.
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Maricopa County is adding more funding the ongoing effort to increase Arizona’s trades workforce.
The county has already spent $12 million on the program, but the Board of Supervisors recently cleared another $500,000 to be spent on it in hopes of bolstering sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and construction in the Phoenix metropolitan area, according to a news release.
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Milwaukee Public Schools are missing another deadline for the financial report that was due to the state last year.
MPS and the state’s Department of Public Instruction said they hope to have the report finalized by Thanksgiving.
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Over 6,000 “noncitizens” could be added back to Virginia’s voter rolls if the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of groups advocating on behalf of immigrants prevail in their lawsuits against the commonwealth.
A pair of lawsuits filed against the state target Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 35, which aims to increase election security. However, the cases are focused on the commonwealth’s ongoing efforts to clean voter roll logs, specifically “noncitizens” registered to vote.
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After taxpayers spent more than $200 million on highway landscaping in the previous fiscal year, a report says Florida lawmakers might need to consider a cap on that spending.
Florida Taxwatch analyzed the Florida Department of Transportation’s spending on highway landscaping, which can provide benefits such as erosion reduction, safety enhancements and support of local ecosystems.
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A vast majority of voters want policies and procedures in place to guarantee the integrity of elections, according to new polling.
That includes 86 percent of those surveyed who agree that election officials should have access to all necessary information to verify that the number of ballots cast matches the number of voters, and 85 percent who say that election officials should verify the accuracy of the information they receive before signing off on certifying election results. Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and Independents support the proper verification of voting.
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Most registered voters, 59 percent, support a federal ban on transgender procedures such as puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgeries for minors, a new national poll found.
The strongest support for a federal ban came from registered Republicans (82 percent), while the lowest amount of support for it came from registered Democrats (36 percent). Independents polled offered majority support for a ban, with 56 percent in favor.
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A legal challenge to new reporting requirements for small business owners, potentially costing them $73.1 billion over a decade, has begun with a request for preliminary injunction in a federal courtroom in Texas.
The National Federation of Independent Business, in a hearing, is seeking to stop the reporting requirements in the Corporate Transparency Act from implementation on Jan. 1.
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The Georgia State Election Board has faced backlash and lawsuits over the last few months, especially after passing a number of election rules just weeks before Election Day.
The Republican-majority board had a win this week though when a Fulton County judge dismissed a lawsuit on Wednesday put forward by Democrats.
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Ohio voters could be asked to renew for the fourth time a state bond program that grants taxpayer funds to local communities for infrastructure projects.
Reps. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, and Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, plan to introduce legislation to continue funding what they call vital public works projects.
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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that her administration has not reached out to anybody that they would like to see fill the upcoming state Supreme Court vacancy.
“We’re looking for someone who is committed to the independence of the court, and we have not specifically reached out to anyone,” Hobbs said at a media availability on Thursday.
However, the choice will ultimately be hers to make.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $93 million to Wisconsin business owners to install solar panels and other renewable energy projects in rural pockets across the state.
The grants come after the USDA already allocated $27 million to Wisconsin businesses in June for the same purpose.
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Despite slight easing, finding employees continues to be a major issue for small businesses in Ohio.
The National Federation of Independent Business showed in its September jobs report that 34% of small business owners nationally continue to report job openings they can’t fill.
That’s a better number than in previous months, but NFIB Ohio State Director Chris Ferruso thinks business owners are still working to end the year strong.
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Michigan families relying on the Family Independence Program can now stay on welfare for a longer period of time after a new law took effect Tuesday.
Senate Bill 932, sponsored by state Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, extends the time families can receive cash assistance through the FIP from four to five years.
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American small business uncertainty hit an all-time high and optimism remains low just weeks before Election Day, according to the latest survey.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses on Monday released the survey, which showed small business uncertainty rose last month to the highest level ever recorded by NFIB.
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Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday that $100 million in state-funded loans are available to help counties affected by Hurricane Helene.
The program, dubbed Helene Emergency Assistance Loans, or HEAL, is funded by TennCare Shared Savings, the governor said. Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties can opt-in to the no-interest loans.
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Recovery in Florida continued Friday morning following Wednesday’s overnight strike of Hurricane Milton that left 12 dead and millions without power.
Reports vary on the number killed, from as low as eight to as many as 14. An estimated three dozen tornadoes were part of the destructive force of high winds along with significant flash flooding.
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The Common Sense Institute’s “Inflation Misery Index” said that inflation continues to have a stinging impact on Arizonans’ wallets.
According to the report, Arizonans spend $9,996 more each year compared to 2019. When adjusted for the usually expected 2% inflation yearly, it’s still a $6,276 difference. The report adds that 24% of the average Grand Canyon State’s household income was eaten up by inflation, or roughly $25,000.
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Ohio’s average mortgage rate is the 12th highest in the nation, according to a new report.
Personal finance website WalletHub, a for-profit business, also says a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September will have little impact on rates in the coming months because markets had previously accounted for it.
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Twenty-five Republican governors want to know how many illegal foreign nationals have been flown into their states by a Biden-Harris administration plan they argue is burdening their residents and creating an unsafe environment.
Those being flown in have arrived through more than a dozen parole programs created by U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The governors only inquired about one: the CHNV parole program, created to fast track previously inadmissible citizens of Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela moving into the country.
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Residents in six East Tennessee counties affected by Hurricane Helene will be able to vote absentee or in person, but some of the polling places may be different, according to Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
Early voting begins next week for the Nov. 5 election.
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Mobilization for hurricane is larger for Milton than any previous in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said from Lake City on Wednesday.
State officials say 6,000 Florida National Guard soldiers and 3,000 from other states await storm rescue and recovery efforts, along with 34 search and rescue aircraft and 500 tactical vehicles. Hurricane Milton is forecast for landfall Wednesday night into Thursday.
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Republican local election officials and clerks from across Michigan reassured voters that the electoral process in Michigan is safe, secure, and transparent on a virtual press call Tuesday.
In the briefing hosted by the nonpartisan coalition Michigan Partnership for Secure Elections, county clerks outlined the extensive steps taken to secure local elections, including poll worker training, public inspections of voting machines, public audits and election day oversight.
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The Wauwatosa School District is asking voters to approve a pair of referendums worth $124.4 million on the Nov. 5 ballot.
But a taxpayer advocacy group believes the district, with declining enrollment, should “right-size” its current budget rather than using a referendum to spend more taxpayer money. The group pointed toward a second planned referendum in 2026 as part of a cycle of tax increases that it believes needs to end.
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Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown continues to hold a slim lead over Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, according to a new poll.
The Bowling Green State University and Public Policy Research Network poll of 1,000 likely voters shows Brown leads Moreno 49%-45%. Brown has won each of his last six campaigns by at least 6 points.
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Florida’s Tampa Bay area could face record storm surge flooding from Hurricane Milton as officials try to clean up debris from Hurricane Helene before Milton makes landfall late Wednesday night.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said crews will continue to work 24 hours a day to pick up debris in affected areas from Helene until Wednesday when it is no longer safe to continue. A record 15-foot storm surge is forecast in Tampa Bay.
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Stoppage of Georgia’s abortion law banning abortion after six weeks has been stayed by the state Supreme Court, giving time for the attorney general’s appeal to be heard.
The General Assembly passed a ban on abortion after six weeks, or when a fetal heartbeat is detected, in 2019. Once the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, returning authority to the states, the law took effect.
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Republican lawmakers on Monday ratcheted up the investigation into billionaire George Soros’ purchase of a wide swath of U.S. radio stations.
Soros is a major donor to Democratic and liberal causes whose purchase of American radio stations just before the election raised eyebrows and drew Congressional inquiry.
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Professional sports teams and government officials promise tax revenue benefits when taxpayer subsidies are used to build new or renovation stadiums and arenas.
But those benefits consistently do not come to fruition, according to a report from the Tax Foundation.
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A new report published by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security states that “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” represent a “persistent terror threat to America.”
It identifies more than 50 cases in 29 U.S. states between April 2021 and September 2024, including dozens of attempts to provide material support to Islamic designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), ISIS, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, with individuals receiving military type training from ISIS and Hezbollah, and committing fraud.
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A substantial majority of Ohio voters want to change the way the state draws political districts based on a new poll.
The Bowling Green State University and Public Policy Research Network poll of 1,000 likely voters shows 60 percent favor Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove the redistricting process from political leaders and replace them with a 15-member independent commission.
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Although passengers will sometimes get their bottle of water thrown out going through airport security, one traveler had much bigger problems, according to an announcement from the Phoenix Police Department on Tuesday.
Phoenix PD airport officers arrested a woman headed to Atlanta for having 6 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, as well as 50,000 fentanyl pills in their checked bag. The Transportation Security Administration will scan bags that people decide to keep in the cargo hold of a plane during a flight, and authorities arrested the women at the airport once the drugs were discovered, according to a Facebook post from the department.
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Farmer pessimism about the economy is at its lowest in nearly a decade. That’s according to a recent survey conducted by the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture.
The Purdue University-CME Ag Economy Barometer Index for September was at 88. That’s down 12 points from the August survey and 25 from July’s results. It’s also down 18 points from where the index was a year ago, with growers’ concerns for both the future and present leading to steep drops in both subcategories.
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American voters are one month out from election day, and some new developments threaten to upset the close race.
According to Real Clear Politics’ polling average, the two candidates are nearly tied in several key swing states.
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A week after Hurricane Helene devastated eastern Tennessee, state officials say they are still following leads on 27 missing persons reports.
The latest update from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says more than 500 calls were fielded by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations missing persons hotline. At least 27 of those are still active leads, but the number does not represent the number of unaccounted individuals, the agency said.
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The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Friday that votes for an open primary ballot initiative will be tabulated, upholding the trial court ruling that even though almost 40,000 signatures were deemed invalid, any litigation was “moot” as the proposition had already been printed on the ballot.
“We are disappointed in the ruling of the court on this matter,” said Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “Our organization proved that the special interest groups attempting to hijack Arizona’s elections systems lacked the minimum number to qualify for the ballot to even be considered by voters in November.”
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Ohio’s largest school district will resume busing more than 100 charter and private school students next week as a lawsuit continues over its transportation changes.
Columbus City Schools sent a letter to those parents who rejected payment instead of busing and requested mediation, saying new routes will be added and transportation will resume while the mediation process is ongoing.
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Seattle employees making the minimum wage will see a mandatory raise starting next year, making them the highest paid minimum wage workers in the country.
Starting at the beginning of 2025, all employers regardless of size will be required to pay their employees at least $20.76 an hour.
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A minimum of 1,525,210 foreign nationals illegally crossed the Southwest U.S. border in fiscal 2024, according to preliminary data The Center Square exclusively obtained from a Border Patrol agent on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The data excludes Office of Field Operations data, gotaway data (those who illegally entered and evaded capture), and northern border apprehension data, meaning the overall number is likely much higher.
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Ohio would need $1,600 from every taxpayer in the state to pay off all of its bills, a figure worse than a year ago, according to a new report released Thursday.
Ohio ranked 28th and was given a “C” grade with a $1,600 burden per taxpayer in Truth in Accounting’s Financial State of the States report.
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Two bills awaiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature would unionize the home caregiver field in Michigan by creating a replica of a state council that voters overwhelmingly repealed in 2012.
Senate bills 790 and 791 would create the Home Help Caregiving Council, which would classify home caregivers as employees of the state rather than employees of the person they care for. This would allow the Service Employees International Union to collect dues out of caregivers’ Medicaid subsidies for the purposes of collective bargaining.
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Twenty-three years after Islamic terrorists used airplanes to conduct the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, the federal agency created to protect Americans from national security threats “cannot ensure they are keeping high-risk noncitizens without identification from entering the country.”
The potentially high-risk noncitizens are being flown on domestic flights without identification, creating a public safety risk, according to the latest Office of Inspector General report assessing several federal agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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by J.D. Davidson Three of four bills targeting rising property taxes in Ohio have been sitting in committees for more than a year without a vote or public opposition. And Ohio lawmakers have no plans to return to work until mid-November. That has Democratic leaders at the Statehouse pushing for immediate action. “House Democrats and local leaders have been fighting to lower property taxes and create a fairer system that doesn’t constantly rely on property owners to pick up the tab,” said House Minority Leader Allison Russo (pictured above), D-Upper Arlington. “We can lower our property taxes, reduce costs, and still support essential services by ensuring the state pays its fair share and returns more of our tax dollars to our community. It’s time for the state legislature to take action; Ohioans need help now.” Three of the four bills have bipartisan sponsorship, including the most recent – House Bill 645 that would give a $1,000 property tax rebate and $1 billion in tax relief to more than 1.3 million homeowners and renters after their tax payments exceed 5% of their income. That bill was recently introduced and has not been assigned to a committee. Three others, however, have…
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is now reportedly heading up the investigation into any wrongdoing by Wausau Mayor Doug Diny related to his removal of a ballot drop box that was not yet in use.
Diny told WISN-TV in Milwaukee that he worked with someone from Wausau’s maintenance department over the weekend to return the drop box, which was then opened to the public on Monday.
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Wausau’s ballot drop box has returned.
City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde announced an official drop box was secured outside of Wausau City Hall after a box was previously removed from the spot before it was in use by Mayor Doug Diny.
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