Illinois State Rep Federally Indicted for Kickback Scheme | The States

Illinois State Rep Federally Indicted for Kickback Scheme | The States

Lawmaker indicted for wire fraud in Illinois, Texas utilities navigate challenges, Washington Attorney General Office staff emails, and Ph.D. Economist Orphe Divounguy discusses housing market. Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, were federally indicted on kickback and obstruction charges tied to campaign funds and taxpayer grants. The case has drawn scrutiny to Illinois' member initiative grant process, which Republicans say is prone to abuse. Illinois Minority Leader Tony McCombie joins to discusses the scandal and potential reforms. Also in this episode: National gas prices are averaging $3.84 a gallon, up slightly amid the Iran conflict but still near pre-conflict levels. The Energy Department finalized a $3.26 billion loan to expand Texas transmission lines and Texas won an injunction over illegally stockpiled wind turbine blades. Leaked emails show Washington Attorney General's Office staff arguing personal income isn't legally "owned" property, a stance tied to defending the state's millionaire's tax. The housing market remains flat, with new listings and sales holding steady compared to last year. Border Patrol in El Paso is warning rideshare drivers that human smugglers are using ride-hailing apps to coordinate illegal crossings. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he has major policy differences with a progressive New York primary winner over her past stances on prisons, borders, and deportation. Seattle Councilman Bob Kettle wants to shrink Mayor Katie Wilson's proposed transit sales tax hike from 0.15 to 0.05 percentage points. Illinois' Attorney General has paid over $2 million in three years to private law firms, some of which donated to his campaign, to fight lawsuits against the state prison system. Plus, America's Talking:   Texas - https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_adf64514-b510-45bc-a594-f7e18aff14e2.html Pennsylvania - https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_76bc8a4c-8754-44e0-8d60-1847594b0c5c.html Washington - https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_f8400f81-8206-4ac4-b833-c28e99d37a56.html Illinois - https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5a68910d-34e6-4c28-ab13-1a59e9a658d3.html   The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

North Carolina Is Using AI to Catch Government Fraud — Here's What It's Already Found | The States

President Trump says the U.S. will likely strike Iran again, casting doubt on the ceasefire and floating a new blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices jump over 6% following renewed U.S.-Iran tensions.   North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek discusses the work of the Auditor's Office including using AI to uncover wasteful spending, including a $61 million bridge project with no construction to show for it. Boliek also highlights DMV wait times cut 87% and Charlotte transit security findings following his office's audits.  Also in this episode: New Veteran Protection Index ranks Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas as top states for veteran healthcare and pension support; New Hampshire, Virginia, and Alaska rank lowest Social Security's OASI Trust Fund projected to hit insolvency in 2032, triggering a 22% cut to benefits for retirees, survivors, and disability recipients The Center Square's Madeline Shannon discusses how California will be impacted by   Congress debates trade deficits and exports across LNG, agriculture, and digital services; economists say deficits aren't a reliable measure of economic weakness Virginia court denies bid to consolidate four lawsuits against new semiautomatic firearms law, allowing cases to proceed separately Seven Illinois counties to vote on separating from Cook County; Minnesota's Board of Pardons draws DHS criticism over pardon tied to deportation case New York City Council advances 18.2% pay raise for elected officials, including a boost to the mayor's salary Plus, America's Talking:   Virginia - https://www.thecentersquare.com/virginia/article_bcfd1b35-3dd3-4325-af2b-a677650959df.html Illinois - https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_fc0c96c4-ce75-40b8-8292-4f5ae7c52b2d.html Minnesota - https://www.thecentersquare.com/minnesota/article_ab8b1383-259e-4a5c-a12f-03b84124c603.html New York - https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_york/article_4a358708-d748-4e4d-a068-3ac68af6d9f0.html The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Teachers Fired for Social Media Posts, Now Taxpayers Have to Pay Settlements | The States

Free speech settlements, population shifts, unemployment trends, and AI safety legislation.   The Center Square's Kim Jarrett joins to discuss the University of Tennessee's board voting in June to pay $1.9 million to settle with a professor fired last September over a personal social media post about Charlie Kirk's death; the board cited cost savings and didn't address the free speech questions raised. A former Oglethorpe County, Georgia teacher reportedly received $300,000 and an Austin Peay University professor got $500,000 while keeping his job, both over Kirk-related posts. A Perry County, Tennessee man spent a month in jail over a Facebook meme before receiving an $830,000 settlement with FIRE's help.   Also in this episode: Texas, Florida and North Carolina lead the nation in gains of prime working-age residents (18-54), while New York, California and Illinois posted the largest losses over the past five years. Analysts project New York could lose 2 congressional seats and California up to 4 after the 2030 census, while Texas and Florida are projected to gain roughly 4 seats each. The unemployment rate fell to 4.2% from 4.3%, but leisure and hospitality lost 61,000 jobs — the sharpest monthly drop since the pandemic — tempering optimism about the headline number. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed what he calls the nation's first and most protective AI safety law, requiring risk mitigation frameworks, mandatory annual third-party audits, and 24-72 hour incident reporting. An AI industry group source says Illinois' law closely mirrors California's SB-53 except for the added third-party audit requirement, which he warns could disrupt the national standard other states were converging on. North Carolina's $34.4 billion budget includes $1 billion for Medicaid and $208.5 million for a new children's hospital, and awaits Gov. Josh Stein's signature. Arizona's SNAP payment error rate rose to 10.8% in FY25, putting the state on track for a roughly $200 million federal penalty if it doesn't fall below 6% by 2028. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $100 million in public safety grants for police technology upgrades during a visit to Nassau County, a competitive GOP-held county. A California appeals panel ruled Los Angeles didn't need voter approval for a SoCalGas franchise fee surcharge, rejecting the argument that it functioned as an illegally imposed tax. Plus, America's Talking:   North Carolina https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_cc6c44d3-054f-4b22-bdd0-b3279dd13f2c.html Arizona - https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_ecf534a4-9a01-4d6a-b9df-9e766e0b99cb.html New York - https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_ecf534a4-9a01-4d6a-b9df-9e766e0b99cb.html California - https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_073af88f-0e86-53ea-85b4-2904c211922b.html The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Report: U.S. College Graduates Went on to Lead Chinese Defense, Surveillance Firms | The States

Government Accountability Office estimates billions lost to fraud, U.S. colleges educating Chinese state-linked executives, egg price fixing lawsuit, the end of DOGE, and Michigan passes a state budget. Sam Shulman, Director of Research at Strategy Risks, joins to discuss a report examining Missouri State University's MBA pipeline for Chinese state-linked executives. The program trained over 1,500 students over more than two decades. Graduates went on to lead Chinese defense and surveillance firms like AVIC and iFlytek. Estimated taxpayer cost of the program totals $54 million. Also in this episode: - A 2024 GAO report estimates the federal government loses $233–521 billion annually to fraud. - The Biden administration once called that estimate "not plausible," but the Trump administration now backs it. - None of the GAO's three fraud-prevention recommendations have been fully implemented. - The DOJ reached a proposed settlement with egg producers Cal-Maine, Hickman's, and Versova. - The companies allegedly manipulated egg price quotations. - The settlement includes donating over 53 million eggs to food banks in 17 states. - The Department of Government Efficiency will not issue a closing report after it officially ended July 4th. - Some question the success of the department after it failed to deliver the ambitious savings promised when it started. - Michigan missed its July 1 budget deadline for the second year in a row. - Lawmakers ultimately passed a roughly $80 billion budget after a marathon session. - Republicans criticized the process for lacking transparency. - Democrats highlighted new child care funding and Medicaid protections in the plan. - Wisconsin is projected to have a $2.7 billion surplus tied to inflation-driven sales tax collections. - North Carolina's governor is weighing whether to sign the state budget and other pending bills. - Arizona's congressman marked the one-year anniversary of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." - A new report finds rural hospitals at risk of closure in California, Texas, and Kansas. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Late Mail-in Ballots To Be Counted | Weekend Edition

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision on Monday, ruled that states can accept and count mail-in ballots received after the federal Election Day. American voters overwhelmingly support their country’s founding ideals – yet the majority also believe that the U.S. is failing to live up to them, according to new polling.  About half of Americans are confident about the future of democracy in the U.S., with political affiliation and support for Trump or Harris being the most significant demographic divides. And with inflation remaining a concern, how is it impacting the cost of your independence day barbeque? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.