The new free speech lessons for the University of Wisconsin’s next freshman class will not just be about speaking your mind.
UW President Jay Rothman told regents during meeting in Milwaukee he is planning a new curriculum for new students about both sides of the right to freedom of speech.
Read the full story
More Republican state officials are calling on Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to investigate the “pay to play” allegations involving the Hobbs administration and Sunshine Residential Homes.
Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, has already opened an investigation triggered by a letter from Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope after the Arizona Republic story broke with the allegations that the group home company got better daily pay rates per child after donating around $400,000 to Hobbs’ campaign, inaugural fund, and the state Democratic Party. Mitchell, a Republican, also said she may open an investigation after the Auditor General’s office reached out to her.
Read the full story
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Hialeah on Monday to announce $1.25 billion for teacher salary increases.
DeSantis said the funds for teacher salary hikes are earmarked in the budget over the next five years and pointed out that Florida has ranked tops overall in education by U.S. News and World Report for the past two years.
Read the full story
The first meeting of the task force Preserving Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program was held Monday, with many of its members and those in attendance raising their voices or holding back tears as they spoke.
“I thought VMSDEP was a formal thank you to the families of veterans, the Gold Star families,” said one attendee, the wife of a retired marine. “I am so sorry that we cost you too much,” she said, choking back tears.
Read the full story
Hearings to give $350 million in one-time taxpayer funds to communities around Ohio begin Tuesday in the Ohio Senate.
Lawmakers created the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund when they passed the state’s two-year budget last June. This is the beginning process of spending the $350 million the Senate and House expect to allocate over the next month.
Read the full story
Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to take a step back from possibly investigating an alleged “pay for play” scheme involving Gov. Katie Hobbs and Sunshine Residential Homes.
Mayes’ criminal division has an investigation open, but the Auditor General’s Office and Mitchell are also coordinating a possible investigation after the auditor general reached out to Mitchell’s office.
Read the full story
A federal judge has sentenced a former assistant Atlanta city attorney to prison following her conviction on charges she fraudulently applied for and received Paycheck Protection Program loans.
In December, a jury convicted Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of money laundering and three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Robertson to seven years and three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Read the full story
Tennessee has $144 million for education freedom scholarships that won’t be spent and will deposit an additional $100 million in the budget set to go into place for July 1.
Sycamore Institute, a non-partisan public policy research institute, recently published an analysis of what changed from Gov. Bill Lee’s initial proposed budget to the $52.8 billion budget that passed the Tennessee Legislature.
Read the full story
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents continue to seize record amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, weapons and ammunition at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.
Seizures in the month of May continued the trend of agents catching alleged smugglers attempting to bring drugs into the U.S. and weapons to Mexico. Cartel and gang operatives have a pattern of smuggling people and drugs into the U.S. and weapons, ammunition, cash and other contraband using stolen cars, to Mexico, law enforcement officials told The Center Square.
Read the full story
More fentanyl is coming across the southern border disguised as prescription pills, according to a new study that notes the “number and size of fentanyl seizures is increasing in the U.S.”
A study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy suggests the shift in distribution trends puts “a wider population at risk for unintentional exposure to fentanyl.”
Read the full story
Fanatics Sportsbook was fined $50,000 in Tennessee for allowing eight people who were on an in-app self-exclusion list to place bets during that exclusion. Zen Sports received a $60,000 for not maintaining a high enough balance in its reserve account to cover outstanding bets and obligations.
The issue was self-reported by Fanatics and the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council agreed with the fine, which worked out to eight violations with a Level 2 fine of $6,250 apiece.
Read the full story
Former Border security leaders serving under multiple presidents and whose careers span decades in law enforcement say President Joe Biden’s “border security” announcement Tuesday won’t secure the border but instead will facilitate more illegal immigration, bringing in another two million people into the country illegally a year.
“The border will never be ‘shut down’ under this executive action but rather serve to legalize an unjustified level of open borders that will further perpetuate the chaos and lawlessness we’ve experienced during the entirety of the Biden Administration,” former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan told The Center Square. “The proposed action will, at a minimum, allow more than one million illegal aliens to be released into the county annually, along with another one million inadmissible aliens being allowed to fly into interior airports within the U.S.,” referring to the CBP One app that allows migrants to apply for entry remotely.
Read the full story
Public school districts in Ohio could soon have access limited to school-issued computers used by students and monitoring students’ web-browsing activity during non-school hours.
A bill that recently unanimously passed the Senate and began hearings in the House would also prohibit technology providers from using educational data to market or advertise to students.
Read the full story
A Georgia state lawmaker who says she was silenced when she switched parties last year convened a hearing to showcase how social media companies can de-platform people to manipulate messaging.
Rep. Mesha Mainor, R-Atlanta, said she called the “First Amendment, Free Speech Rally” at the Georgia State Capitol to showcase what she sees as a lack of respect for dissenting opinions.
Read the full story
Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will each receive $28.7 million in funding through the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization plan in fiscal year 2024.
The funding comes through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which put $11.3 billion in funding for the program over 15 years. In total, six states and three tribes will receive a combined $130 million.
Read the full story
More people died in Western countries than expected for three consecutive years amid the COVID-19 pandemic, despite containment measures and vaccines, according to a new study.
The study, published in BMJ Public Health, found more research is needed to determine why more people died than expected, a metric called excess mortality.
Read the full story
Georgia officials approved $16.9 million in loans and grants for five transportation infrastructure projects across the state
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and the State Road and the Tollway Authority Board of Directors approved the funding from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank. The latest round of funding includes the fourth-largest loan amount in the program’s history.
Read the full story
In the wake of recent protests on college and university campuses in Ohio and nationwide, an Ohio senator wants to make rioters pay for property damages while breaking the law.
Senate Bill 267, which is awaiting a committee assignment, would also stop government officials from interfering with law enforcement officers during a riot.
Read the full story
by Carly Moran Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave another $10 million toward the Michigan Semiconductor Talent and Technology for Automotive Research, a private-public partnership that wants to make the Great Lakes State a leader in electric car innovation. The MSTAR initiative was launched a year ago and has developed a portfolio of projects. Partners include semiconductor company KLA, Belgium-based imec, the University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College and General Motors. “At imec, we bridge industry and academia to develop new technologies that improve people’s lives,” Luc Van den hove, president and CEO of imec, said. “We are thrilled to begin joint research with the University of Michigan, on their Ann Arbor campus, and grateful for the state’s support for the MSTAR initiative and Gov. Whitmer’s leadership. By combining the strengths of our research organizations, we can accelerate technological innovations for the automotive industry, making vehicles safer and more sustainable.” Through the $10 million initiative, MSTAR hopes to expand to train the current and future workforce in chip manufacturing, collaborate with K-12 schools and implement current innovations toward electric car technology. “Michigan put the world on wheels, and we need to do the work to ensure we stay at the forefront of innovation and…
Read the full story
Some Pennsylvania legislators want to give tourism activity a boost, adding a formal process for municipalities to develop specific areas.
The idea is that formalizing tourism improvement districts could give towns a way to levy a hotel tax to fund marketing and brand development.
Read the full story
Experts on artificial intelligence raised concerns about the implications of AI’s rapid growth at a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. Tuesday.
The American Enterprise Institute hosted a series of panel discussions surrounding the deployment of AI. Panelists discussed safety protocols, workforce development and regulatory initiatives.
Read the full story
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has “Executive Deputy Directors” running state agencies, lost in court on Wednesday. Hobbs has used the tactic to avoid more nominees being rejected by the Republican-led Senate Committee on Director Nominations.
The Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County said the current leaders of these agencies are “de facto” and “in violation of Arizona law.” Thirteen agency leaders are considered EDDs; however, Hobbs is not obligated to give nominations for directors to the committee just yet as arguments on that will be in late July or early August, according to Capitol Media Services.
Read the full story
When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness.
So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jack Rader, R-Effort, and R. Lee James, R-Seneca, defended the power of zoning officials.
Read the full story
Several Georgia study committees will explore various agricultural issues facing the Peach State, including the potential impact of sustainable aviation fuel.
The Senate Advancing Forest Innovation in Georgia Study Committee, created by Senate Resolution 786, will examine how public policy can encourage continued investment in facilities that create sustainable manufacturing components, practices, energy sources and other high-demand products derived from Georgia’s forest products.
Read the full story
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wants to stop the sale of ancient Jewish texts and books at the nation’s first permanent Jewish institution of higher learning in Cincinnati.
Yost filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent Hebrew Union College from selling copies of the Talmud and other ancient books after the school expressed interest in parting with them to offset growing deficits.
Read the full story
Arizona Democratic Reps. Analise Ortiz and Oscar De Los Santos were found in violation of the House’s “standards of order and decorum.”
The Center Square reported in April that protests among Democratic lawmakers broke out on the House floor after one of the efforts to vote on the 1864 abortion law repeal was shot down.
Read the full story
After two decades at war with the Taliban, the U.S. government is now sending millions of taxpayer dollars to the terrorist group.
The Taliban resumed power in Afghanistan immediately after the chaotic and deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops earlier in the Biden administration.
Read the full story
U.S. House Republicans passed legislation Wednesday to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction, but a battle over abortion, sexuality and other issues may sink the bill.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 features $378.644 billion in spending.
Read the full story
While demand for electricity is set to significantly increase by 2040, planning is not in place to increase electricity production to meet those estimates, according to a new report from Clean Energy Grid related to PJM Interconnection.
PJM coordinates wholesale energy movement for 65 million people through parts or all of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Read the full story
President Joe Biden’s proclamation limiting the number of asylum seekers each day at the southern border sparked a range of reactions from politicians and groups in Arizona.
Biden said the United States will not allow people to claim asylum if the average daily number of those seeking asylum passes 2,500 average in a week, according to the White House. According to the Department of Homeland Security, some exceptions include those with “exceptionally compelling circumstances” such as a “victim of a severe form of trafficking,” those facing extreme medical or safety threats and “unaccompanied children.” DHS also says that those who use the CBP One app will also be considered exempt from the limit.
Read the full story
The Atlanta City Council has unanimously approved a more than $2.7 billion fiscal 2025 budget, which officials termed “historic.”
The spending plan, passed as the city grappled with a series of water main breaks, is roughly 8.8% more than the fiscal 2024 budget the council adopted and about 9.2% higher than the actual fiscal 2023 budget.
Read the full story
Georgia’s attorney general wants a federal agency to lift its ban on cell phone jammers that bars state officials from using the devices to block contraband cell phones in jails and prisons.
The Federal Communications Commission currently bars cell phone “jammers” within prisons and jails, a prohibition Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office said extends to state and local governments. Carr made his request to reconsider the prohibition in a Tuesday letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Read the full story
Arizona lawmakers passed the “Secure the Border Act” on Tuesday, and it will now head to the ballot. It passed with 31 Republicans and 29 Democrats voting along party lines.
The resolution will be on the ballot for voters to have the final say on the act, which includes proposals ranging from making illegally crossing the border a state crime to stronger laws related to illicit fentanyl and e-verify. The Tucson sector is considered a hotbed for migrant encounters, according to federal government data.
Read the full story
President Joe Biden will officially be on the Ohio general election ballot without a national virtual roll call vote and foreign nationals cannot fund state ballot issue campaigns.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the two bills passed in last week’s special legislative session into law Sunday. Both contain emergency provisions that allow them to take effect immediately.
Read the full story
Florida officials are seeking feedback from the public about the Florida Energy Rebate programs currently under development.
The program still awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Energy. Florida has been allocated $346 million to assist residents in reducing energy costs by improving their home’s energy efficiency through qualified upgrades, retrofits and high-efficiency appliances.
Read the full story
Milwaukee’s school superintendent is out of a job, but the city’s school board did not fire him.
Superintendent Keith Posley reigned early Tuesday morning after a marathon school board meeting.
Read the full story
A lithium company celebrated the opening of a new research center in Tempe last week.
Arizona Lithium, which is hoping to further the “The Big Sandy” lithium mining project in northwestern Arizona, opened the center intending to research “extraction of lithium” methods for the local deposit as well as the Prairie Project in Canada, according to a news release from the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Read the full story
Tennessee will make it a felony for a minor to access an adult content website without age verification starting Jan. 1.
Gov. Bill Lee recently signed the bill into law, making the offense a class C felony and making the entity liable for damages, including attorney’s costs and court fees.
Read the full story
As the California exodus continues, a new migration trend is occurring, with southeastern and Appalachian states taking the top spots as inbound migration destinations, according to new reports.
According to a new Consumer Affairs 2024 Migration Trends report, “California’s mass exodus continues to ensue,” with the South and Southeast region of the country being the “hottest regions for people moving.”
Read the full story
East Palestine, Ohio, residents are a step closer to federal funds that would create a long-term study on the health impacts of the Norfolk Southern train derailment that happened nearly 16 months ago.
The East Palestine Health Impact Monitoring Act recently passed the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions with bipartisan support.
Read the full story
A study has yielded mostly positive results on the initial phase of Richmond, Virginia’s guaranteed income program.
The University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income Research recently released a report on the city’s first cohort of participants in its pilot guaranteed income program.
Read the full story
Southern Arizona could be getting a new military project soon.
The United States Air Force is planning to add its third Special Operations Command “power projection wing” at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.
Read the full story
The federal debt continues to climb to unprecedented levels, but the “actual, true” debt is higher if the Treasury weren’t being drained, a national economist says.
Citing Bureau of the Fiscal Service data, E. J. Antoni, Ph.D., an economist at the Heritage Foundation, argues that as the federal debt increases, the “true daily deficit” is being masked by the amount of cash being drained from the U.S. Treasury by Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen.
Read the full story
The federal government announced a pair of airport grants for Georgia, including money for an airport in middle Georgia and a statewide grant program.
The funding is part of nearly $187 million in taxpayer-backed grants for 90 airport-related projects in 34 states that the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday. The funding was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which some call the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Read the full story
Pending home sales in April fell 7.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors.
All four U.S. regions registered month-over-month and year-over-year declines.
Read the full story
Tennessee contractors can now hire third-party inspectors instead of having local governments inspect the project.
The law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, requires fees charged by a local government for third-party plans, examination, inspection, review or permit packaging to be the same charged by the local government to perform the same service.
Read the full story
Nearly $30 million in taxpayer-funded grants are going to 17 Ohio local organizations to grow access to affordable housing across the state.
The money is the first round of the state’s new Welcome Home Ohio program, which is expected to spend $100 million over two years to help landbanks buy, rehabilitate or build residential properties for income-eligible people.
Read the full story
Pennsylvania’s aging population means more residents will be at risk of elder abuse.
That’s why lawmakers want to rework some rules to make it easier for banks to flag suspicious activity and alert law enforcement or trusted loved ones.
Read the full story
Georgia could see a more than $1 billion reduction in how much federal money it receives for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 includes a $30 billion reduction in SNAP funding. The group pointed to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finding that Georgia would see a nearly $1.1 billion reduction over a decade.
Read the full story
The likely vote on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would make it a right to have an abortion in Arizona has garnered national attention, including from a top congressional Democrat.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, who visited Arizona on Thursday and held a brief roundtable with Congressman Greg Stanton, The Center Square reported.
Read the full story