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Mike Madigan, a former state Democratic Party chair, had been the longest-serving chamber leader in U.S. history. A jury has found him guilty of multiple counts in a wide-ranging bribery scandal.
We should hold students to higher expectations and give them the support they need, and we need to give teachers the resources to do their job well. Two state lawmakers who started out as teachers have some insights.
Local officials should go on the offense to protect important initiatives that have benefited all of us. In particular, they can enlist businesses that see the benefits of their own diversity initiatives.
Gov. Landry’s office says he made the move because the state is having trouble finding and keeping qualified employees.
The compromise ends a two-week feud over a bill GOP lawmakers passed last month that largely stripped DeSantis of his immigration enforcement powers.
The lawsuit was filed by 22 states known for being powerhouses of biomedical research, including Massachusetts, California, Maryland and New York.
Homelessness in Miami-Dade County has fallen to an 11-year low thanks to new shelters, a state law banning public sleeping, and other measures.
Laurie Daiger, a 73-year-old woman in Washington State, whose credit card was repeatedly charged for political donations without her awareness. Daiger had donated to President Trump's campaign, but had not realized she had been charged repeatedly by Elect Common Sense, a political action committee associated with Bill Spadea, a GOP candidate for governor in New Jersey. Donors are sometimes misled by fine print that leads to recurring charges. (Politico — Feb. 10, 2025)
Percentage of public-sector employees who say student loan debt affects their decisions when considering job offers, with about a third of public-sector employees with student debt saying they perceive it as a barrier to their career advancement and 23 percent reporting negative work morale.
Most red states are looking to reduce property tax burdens, which have increased along with home values. Finding ways of replacing lost revenues for locals remains a challenge.
This outbreak feels different from any other, farmers say. Egg producers and industry groups are begging for a new prevention strategy.
In most cases, a lack of funding and difficulties implementing new technologies were at the root of their problems, prosecutors said.
Demand for their services is expected to rise, but local clinics worry about the potential impact of Medicaid cuts at the federal level that could cause people to lose access to health care.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading the panel, says her subcommittee will not target Social Security or Medicaid benefits, but instead focus on fraudulent payments “going to dead people” and “criminal rings around the world.”
The number of Venezuelans who stand to lose their Temporary Protected Status under Donald Trump, who announced late last month that he would cancel an extension of the TPS program for Venezuelans in the U.S. In the Miami suburb of Doral, Venezuelans have been some of the president’s biggest supporters. Their feelings about these latest policies remain varied and complex – but some have grown to fear they may have to leave the country. (Washington Post — Feb. 9, 2025)
Tim Shanahan, a literacy expert and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, speaking about a study investigating the efficacy of a “Core Knowledge” curriculum. Core Knowledge is a curriculum based on the idea that children who know more facts tend to be able to read better. In the study, 20 schools were assigned to replace some “read aloud” time with units on plants, farming and Native Americans. The results found that the children who received the Core Knowledge lessons did better on tests of the topics and words taught in the lessons, compared to children who were not given the Core Knowledge lessons. (The Hechinger Report —Feb. 10, 2025)
Policing can be reimagined without compromising public safety, argues Minneapolis’ chief of police.
New Mexico stands out as an exception, leading to skyrocketing rents and home prices.
Trump repealed a Biden order calling for protection against bias. While companies welcome deregulation, some are concerned about the administration's six-month timeline to reshape guidelines.
The business group has sided with solar developers in multiple court cases and supports efforts to overhaul a state law that lets townships and counties block siting decisions.
Five states allow firing squads but Idaho could become the first to use it as the primary method of execution.
A Florida Republican, discussing the possibility that Casey DeSantis will run to replace her husband Ron next year, when the governor is term-limited. Rep. Byron Donalds, a close ally of President Trump, has openly talked about running, but many donors and GOP operatives are hoping that Casey DeSantis will run and say that scenario is becoming increasingly likely. Last year, she said, “When people start talking about, ‘Oh, you know, you should run,’ that’s because Gov. DeSantis is a rock star and that’s because people are so proud of everything that he’s done for this state.” (NBC News)
A tense fight over party control of the Minnesota House ended with a power-sharing agreement this week. But hard feelings could remain.
Solutions include funding the federal agency properly, requiring states to share a larger burden of the responsibility and removing barriers to resilience.
GOP state Rep. Rachelle Smit, a former local clerk, continues to spout false claims about the 2020 election. She’s now the chair of the Michigan House’s newly renamed Election Integrity Committee.
A reentry program near Waco, Texas, has proven successful. Not only does every participant come out with a job, but their recidivism rate is 73 percent lower than incarcerated women throughout the state as a whole.
At stake in a case from Oklahoma is whether the court will expand the boundaries of government aid to faith-based institutions. It would be a sea change in education law.
Kentucky state Sen. David Yates. He supported the personal income tax cut approved by legislators on Wednesday but warned that if income taxes keep getting cut and revenues decline, other forms of taxes will have to increase. (Associated Press)
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