Los Angeles County has reached a record-setting $4 billion tentative settlement to resolve more than 6,800 sexual abuse claims, marking the largest financial settlement in the county’s history. Announced Friday, the agreement would settle decades of lawsuits from individuals who allege they were sexually abused or mistreated while in the county’s foster care system or Read More…
(The Center Square) – Boeing earned a contract to build the U.S. Air Force’s top air dominance fighter, the F-47 and the service has plenty of options to base operational squadrons both in the U.S. and overseas. The sixth-generation aircraft is intended to replace the Air Force’s existing top fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and Read More…
In a significant move for the cryptocurrency and banking sectors, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced on Friday that U.S. banks can engage in certain cryptocurrency-related activities without seeking prior approval from the regulator. The FDIC clarified that as long as these activities are legally permitted and banks manage their risks appropriately, they do Read More…
(The Center Square) – Live Nation Entertainment, the events giant that operates Ticketmaster, is fighting to hold on to practices that states and the federal government allege are anti-competitive and hurt both fans and musicians. The company recently lost its bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials said the potency of illicit fentanyl pills is declining, but half remain powerful enough to kill with a single dose. DEA officials made the announcement at the National Family Summit on Fentanyl this week. For the past three years, DEA has invited families who have lost a loved Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Defense’s annual audit once again resulted in a disclaimer. That means the federal government’s largest agency – with a budget of more than $840 billion – can’t fully explain its spending. The disclaimer this year was expected. And it’s expected again next year. The Pentagon previously said Read More…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that Israel’s airstrike on Iran last month targeted a specific element of Tehran’s nuclear program, while also damaging its defense and missile production capabilities. In a speech to the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu stated, “It’s not a secret. There is a specific component in their nuclear program that was Read More…
(The Center Square) – President-elect Donald Trump on Monday confirmed reports that he is planning to declare a national emergency because of the “invasion” of the southern border and use the military to close the border. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton posted on social media about the reports, a post that Trump shared to his Read More…
(The Center Square) – Noncitizens, including those in the country illegally, are committing crimes, and they’re being charged, imprisoned and convicted for them in Texas. A new report by the Texas Department of Public Safety highlights the extent of criminal charges, it says, not “to allege that foreign nationals in the country illegally commit more Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today condemned new guidance issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (45X), labeling it a “cynical and desperate attempt to get votes before the election.” Daines’ remarks came after the Treasury made minor adjustments to its draft guidance, which he had previously criticized for Read More…
(The Center Square) – Following Florida, Texas sued the Biden-Harris administration Tuesday after requesting citizenship status information about registered voters in Texas, and not receiving it from federal agencies as required by law. Last week, a coalition of attorneys general, including from Florida and Texas, called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report Wednesday saying that the Biden-Harris Administration spent nearly a billion dollars promoting COVID-era messaging, much of which turned out to be untrue or misleading. The Congressional report examines the $900 million spent by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines, along with several Republican colleagues, has formally challenged new guidance from the Biden administration that they claim undermines religious protections and poses risks to women’s safety in the workplace. In a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the senators Read More…
(The Center Square) – More than 525,000 illegal border crossers were reported in California in fiscal 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. This excludes those who illegally entered and evaded capture, known as gotaways. CBP doesn’t publicly report gotaway data. The Center Square first reported gotaway data in 2021 after obtaining it Read More…
(The Center Square) – The surge of undocumented immigration in the U.S. strains resources far beyond the border, leaving many areas grappling with mounting pressures on social services. This includes hospitals that face the cost of uncompensated care. Uncompensated care refers to services provided without payment, such as charity care and unanticipated bad debt. Federal Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a bid brought by Washington State Republican Party Chair Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, to stop the state from issuing financial impact statements on three initiatives on the Nov. 5 ballot. The three measures are Initiative 2109, to repeal the state’s capital gains tax; Initiative 2117, to Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Pritzker administration continues to deny the state is losing population. During a panel discussion about pensions with the Better Government Association this week, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar was asked about the state’s economic trends, including population decline. “There has never been more people living in the state of Illinois than Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking fire for its increased focus on migrants, and diversity, equity and inclusion policies while its response to recent hurricanes is under scrutiny. Many Americans assume FEMA is only focused on helping respond to disasters, but a closer look at FEMA’s recent internal documents, spending, Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Dec. 4 in a case challenging a bill that prohibits gender-affirming surgeries and treatments for minors. Senate Bill 1 passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2023 and signed by Gov. Bill Lee would have taken effect on July 1, 2023. The American Civil Read More…
(The Center Square) – The federal government spent $1.8 trillion more than it collected in tax revenue in fiscal year 2024, according to figures released Friday by U.S. Treasury Department. Congress has run a deficit every year since 2001. In the past 50 years, the federal government has ended with a fiscal year-end budget surplus Read More…
Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was arrested for driving under the influence in Franklin, Tennessee, on Thursday night, according to reports from WGN. Authorities say the 41-year-old Cutler was involved in a minor traffic accident after allegedly rear-ending another vehicle. Police noted that he appeared to be slurring his words and refused to take field Read More…
40% were performed in just four states: California, New York, Washington and Ohio (The Center Square) – Sex reassignment procedures and surgeries on children have gained national prominence in recent years, and half of U.S. states now have laws passed either restricting or banning them. Newly released data provided by the nonprofit Do No Harm indicates Read More…
(The Center Square) – Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters are now officially facing trespassing charges for demonstrations at Arizona State University in April. The 68 protesters were charged with “criminal trespass” as a third-degree misdemeanor, which is the lowest level, for allegedly participating in the encampment on the Tempe campus’s Old Main lawn that ended up Read More…
(The Center Square) – An Afghan citizen released into the U.S. less than 10 days after the Biden-Harris deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was arrested for plotting an Election Day terrorist attack on American soil. The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced charges were brought against 27-year-old Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that it will make tele-emergency care available nationwide to improve fast access to virtual emergency care for those enrolled in VA health care. The expansion of care, which was tested in recent months, has shown promise for veterans, helping more than 61,182 callers with a Read More…
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is facing backlash after stating that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has exhausted its funds for disaster relief, while billions have reportedly been spent on housing and supporting migrants across the country. As Hurricane Helene wreaks havoc on the South and East, many are expressing frustration over FEMA’s perceived Read More…
(The Center Square) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill joined a 20-state coalition to question the American Academy of Pediatrics practices with child gender dysphoria. In a letter, originally written by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, the AGs put the organization on notice for possible violations of state consumer protection statutes over its standards on Read More…
(The Center Square) – A coalition of small businesses are calling on Congress to make the 20% small business tax deduction permanent. Small business leaders visited Washington, D.C. this week to call on lawmakers to pass the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, a bill that would prevent the expiration of a small business tax credit Read More…
(The Center Square) – Lawfully issued congressional subpoenas are not subject to interference from the White House or its appointed leaders of departments, North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx said Friday. The Republican bidding for an 11th term in the Beltway chastised Education Secretary Miguel Cardona for “repeatedly” trying to interfere with the work of the Read More…
(The Center Square) – Three Mile Island came out of retirement on Friday, exactly five years after mounting economic pressure and shifting energy demand forced the infamous Pennsylvania nuclear generation plant to shut down. Constellation Energy announced that Microsoft will buy 835 megawatts of energy from the facility to power the company’s data centers spread Read More…
(The Center Square) – As Americans struggle with high inflationary costs, paying record high grocery costs and energy bills, Congress continues to allocate billions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund services for illegal border crossers living in U.S. cities. Prior to the last budget funding showdown in March, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Read More…
This week marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. Hostilities intensified following two days of deadly attacks attributed to Israel, which caused casualties among civilians in Lebanon. For nearly a year, the two sides have exchanged fire along the Lebanese-Israeli border, often stepping back from the Read More…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested an “unlawfully present” Salvadoran national charged with 11 counts of sex crimes against a child in Nantucket. Elmer Sola, 49, was taken into custody on September 10 in Nantucket. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. Sola was indicted by a Read More…
(The Center Square) – The federal government borrowed $1.9 trillion in the first eleven months of fiscal year 2024, including $380 billion in August, a startling amount as federal watchdogs sound the alarm on spending. Those borrowing figures come from the the latest Monthly Treasury Statement from the Treasury Department. Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee Read More…
(The Center Square) – Concerns over free speech on college campuses have intensified since the war in Gaza began last October, according to a new report. The study shows a growing decline in students’ trust in their institutions’ commitment to protect First Amendment rights, with low-performing schools failing to provide clear policies on free expression. Read More…
A 60-year-old Wells Fargo employee, Denise Prudhomme, was discovered deceased in her cubicle on August 20, four days after she was last seen scanning into the Tempe office. Authorities were alerted by on-site security who suspected Prudhomme was dead. She was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m. that day. Prudhomme last scanned into the Wells Fargo Read More…
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers discovered 17 migrants hidden inside a cloned semi-trailer in rural southwest Texas on Thursday, potentially saving their lives as temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The semi-truck, which had fraudulent markings resembling those of the popular Lowe’s home improvement chain, was driven by a man from Mississippi. He now Read More…
(The Center Square) — New York City could save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars by moving local elections to even-numbered years to align with federal and state elections, according to a new report. New York’s Independent Budget Office report found that the city could save up to $42 million by making the switch. It Read More…
(The Center Square) – A coalition of states led by Kansas has sued the Biden-Harris administration to block the federal government from providing free health care through the taxpayer-funded Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, to foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court Read More…
(The Center Square) – Pro-Palestine protesters shut down a major Los Angeles freeway during the height of rush hour, leading California Highway Patrol to detain several protesters. The protest of several dozen individuals, the organizers for which include pro-Palestinian Jewish organization IfNotNow Los Angeles, started at around 9:00 a.m., which is peak rush hour. Protesters, Read More…
A recent agreement facilitated by Beijing to unify Palestinian factions has sparked controversy, with experts accusing China of aligning with terrorist organizations in the Middle East. The deal, announced on July 23, involves 14 Palestinian factions, including Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. The accord aims to end internal divisions and form Read More…
This month, stargazers are in for a celestial treat as the Perseid meteor shower makes its annual appearance. Known for its spectacular displays, the Perseids are set to light up the night sky during the warmest nights and early mornings of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The 2024 Perseid meteor shower promises to deliver Read More…
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has filed a brief asserting that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity does not impact the criminal case against former President Donald Trump. The July 24 filing states that the Supreme Court’s decision “has no bearing on this prosecution” and does not warrant overturning the jury’s Read More…
A former senior director of fiscal services for the Magnolia School District has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $16.7 million from the district, federal officials announced Thursday. Jorge Armando Contreras, 53, was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $16,694,942. Contreras, who held his position with the district—serving Anaheim and Read More…