(The Center Square) – As campus protests intensify over the war between Hamas and Israel, so do the tensions between free speech and antisemitism at Pennsylvania colleges. On Thursday, the Penn Alumni Free Speech Alliance hosted Victoria Coates, former deputy national security advisor to former President Donald Trump, to talk about free speech and what the future holds. Meanwhile, two blocks away, Penn students began to construct a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,”...
(The Center Square) – One of Spokane Valley's most outspoken voices, City Councilmember Al Merkel, announced his bid for a seat in the Washington State Senate on Wednesday. Merkel, a relative newcomer to politics and a recent addition to Spokane Valley leadership, said that having grown up the child of foreign service officers, he's naturally attracted to service-oriented roles, and the Senate was the next step. "If you want to get something done, you can't just...
(The Center Square) – In what was supposed to be a routine tax renewal, the Maintenance and Operations Levy for Spokane County Fire District 9 appears headed toward failure after being in effect for nearly three decades. After the polls closed Tuesday night and ballots were counted, the levy was less than 1% shy of the 60% supermajority required to pass, sitting at 59.07%. In addition to the levy, another property-tax-funded levy fulfills the other 35 percent of...
(The Center Square) – Businesses in unincorporated parts of King County are bracing for a potential minimum wage increase, but some are urging the county council to adjust the legislation to a model that could save the local economy. Next month, the King County Council will vote on a proposed bill that would increase the hourly minimum wage in unincorporated King County to $20.29. That would tie the cities of Tukwila and Renton for the highest minimum wage in the nation. ...
Talking about poverty has historically stirred partisan tension and circular ideological debates. With more finger wagging than handshaking, leaders in neither America as a whole nor the city of Chicago have improved the livelihoods of those in poverty. Progressive extremists have flocked to solutions for helping the poor such as the Fight for $15 minimum wage hike and welfare expansions. But throwing more money at state or federal agencies hasn’t solved the problem. It has, in...
(The Center Square) – The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted 3-2 to restore net neutrality rules, reversing a repeal ushered through during the Trump administration. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should not be able to discriminate against different kinds of content by throttling connection speeds or offering paid priority. Just ahead of Thursday' vote, Democratic FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said internet access went...
(The Center Square) – Legislators believe Planned Parenthood hasn’t received any reimbursements from Missouri for two years, and a bill headed to Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s desk will make that permanent. House Bill 2634, passed by the House on Wednesday, would make it illegal for public funds, including Medicaid reimbursements, to be paid to abortion facilities or affiliates. In the past, courts have overturned the funding requirement when attached to state budgets. ...
(The Center Square) - The wild horses won't be kept away from North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park after all, according to U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. The National Park Service is abandoning its plan to remove the horses, which have roamed through the park for decades, the senator said Thursday. “These wild horses are emblematic of President Theodore Roosevelt’s time in North Dakota, a formative experience that shaped his presidency and lasting...
(The Center Sqquare) – As legislators return for the final weeks of session, the budget will be top of mind, but there may also be more tax credits to consider. At a recent Senate Revenue Committee, a tax credit for the music industry was discussed. State Sen. Sara Feignholtz, D-Chicago, said it’s needed, especially after the pandemic. “This sort of sector of musicians really suffered and is still lagging in their recovery,” she told the Senate Revenue Committee....
(The Center Square) – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is working with U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, to urge the U.S. Treasury to make it easier for states to facilitate the return of mature U.S. Savings Bonds. Freichs said at a news conference in Chicago that the Illinois Treasurer’s Office has an unclaimed property and missing money department where they take money that was maybe forgotten in an old savings account, and they put that money back into the pockets of those...
(The Center Square) – Washington state aims to have fast charging electric vehicle ports every 50 miles across the entire span of its 2,633 mile road system, and 3 million total in both public and private charging ports. However, these efforts to electrify the state's transportation sector could be undermined by copper wire thefts that have already hit newly-installed charging stations in various locations, leaving the chargers unusable and costing taxpayers. It’s...
(The Center Square) – The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is concerned an ordinance approved by the Chicago City Council paves the way for security zones around the Democratic National Convention this summer. With the DNC slated to be held at the United Center beginning Aug. 19, residents and businesses in the area face contending with “buffer zones” set to be installed across the neighborhood. The same holds true for parts of the South Loop, where various event...