Open Newswire

An especially noteworthy 2026 primary election has come and gone, and there were a lot of important and high-profile outcomes – some expected and some surprising. Topping the list of predicted results were the outcomes in the Democratic and Republican U.S. Senate primaries, where former Gov. Roy Cooper and GOP party official Michael Whatley cruised […]

Gov. Josh Stein asked the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a $1.4 billion spending measure to address the state’s most urgent issues, making the case that last week’s election results show North Carolinians want the legislature to deliver “critical public services.” North Carolina has not passed a full budget in more than two years, […]

(The Center Square) – A Michigan House oversight subcommittee report is warning that weaknesses in the state’s food assistance system could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in federal penalties unless reforms are implemented. The report from the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on State and Local Assistance Programs examined how the state administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. It identified gaps in verification, security and administration which open it up to fraud. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jason Woolford, R-Howell, said the investigation was intended to evaluate whether Michigan’s public assistance programs are operating effectively and protecting taxpayer funds. “Oversight in government is a critical check for the people, because it ensures they are well-served by transparent and efficient government services and programs,” Woolford said in a statement. “We need to root out any waste, fraud and abuse in these systems to help benefits get to those who truly need them.” About 1 in 7 Michigan residents receives food assistance, and the state spent more than $3.2 billion on the program in fiscal year 2024, according to the report. It also found that the state’s application system for welfare, MiBridges, relies heavily on self-attestation and back-end verification rather than requiring documentation upfront. “The problem is not just fraud, it is also systemic error,” the report stated. In addition to SNAP, that system manages: • The Family Independence Program: a cash assistance program for low-income families. • Medicaid. • The Women, Infants, and Children Benefits Programs. • The Child Development & Care Benefits Programs. • State Emergency Relief Programs. During a committee hearing last year, Woolford walked through the application process with a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services official to highlight the limited information required to submit an application for welfare benefits. According to the report, the only required information for a food assistance application includes a first and last name, address and phone number, along with a number if an applicant self-identifies as a noncitizen. The report also noted the MiBridges application portal cost more than $16.8 million to develop. While state investigators prevented more than $300 million in attempted fraud in fiscal year 2024, the report said more needs to be done to prevent fraud: namely adding more security features such as chip-enabled MiBridge cards. Fraud and incorrect payments are only part of the potential cost to taxpayers, as Michigan’s high SNAP payment error rate could also trigger additional federal penalties. Under federal changes to SNAP funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states with higher payment error rates will be required to cover a larger share of benefit overpayments and administrative cost. Michigan’s error rate averaged above 10% under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, according to the report. The rate must fall below 6% to avoid all federal penalties, while anything above 6% is based on a sliding scale. That means states with higher error rates will receive a higher penalty. “When the October 1, 2027, implementation date kicks in, federal law will allow states to choose between the FY24 and FY25 error rates for use in determining the state match requirement,” the report said. If the state’s fiscal year 2024 error rate of 9.53% is used for federal calculations, Michigan could face a penalty of roughly $320 million. The fiscal year 2025 error rate has not yet been released. “We are coming up on a very expensive reckoning, and it’s going to cost taxpayers,” Woolford said. “If this is the best Michigan can do as far as error rate, the state will pay a $320 million penalty.” The subcommittee recommended several policy changes, including requiring more upfront information from applicants, converting Bridge cards to chip-enabled cards, requiring photo identification and signatures on cards, and requiring the state to participate in a federal data-sharing program designed to prevent individuals from receiving benefits in multiple states. Lawmakers also recommended prohibiting out-of-state purchases with Michigan Bridge cards and requiring the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to provide monthly quality-control reports to the Legislature when error rates exceed federal thresholds. Several bills have already been introduced in the Michigan Legislature to implement some of the recommendations.

Enhedslisten har udsendt sit valgmateriale herunder en løbeseddel, der har undergået en bemærkelsesværdig forvandling fra v.1 til v.2. Indlægget Enhedslisten: Fra ’ En rød regering’ til ’Et Danmark du har råd til’. blev først udgivet på Solidaritet.

Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) has introduced or reintroduced a form of the bill four times over the past five years.

Новым верховным лидером Ирана (рахбаром) официально назван Моджтаба Хаменеи, сын предыдущего верховного лидера Али Хаменеи, убитого в результате авиаудара в самом начале американо-израильско-иранской войны 28 февраля.

If your child were sick and there might be a cure, wouldn’t you want to try it? It may be flu season, but there is another contagion lurking in our schools’ halls. While this illness has no vaccine, injecting kindness back into schools may offer protection and even save lives. Bullying is among the most […]

Na capital federal brasileira, a violência sexual se consolidou como o indicador mais alarmante da violência contra mulheres no último ano. Dados da Secretaria de Estado de Segurança Pública do Distrito Federal (SSP-DF) revelam que 2025 terminou com 1.020 ocorrências de estupro e estupro de vulnerável contra meninas e mulheres, representando uma média de quase […] Fonte

La abogada Carla Fernández, quien representa a condenados por violaciones a los derechos humanos recluidos en Punta Peuco y Colina I, aseguró que colaboró en la redacción del polémico proyecto impulsado por el senador de RN Francisco Chahuán, que propone permitir el cumplimiento alternativo de penas para reos geriátricos. En conversación con BioBioChile, la jurista … Continua leyendo "Abogada de reos de Punta Peuco confirma que colaboró con proyecto de conmutación de penas de Chahuán" The post Abogada de reos de Punta Peuco confirma que colaboró con proyecto de conmutación de penas de Chahuán appeared first on BioBioChile.

«Наразі пріоритет партнерів і вся увага – ситуації навколо Ірану, і через це зустріч, яка планувалася на цей тиждень, за пропозицією американської сторони відкладається», – сказав Зеленський

En el actual panorama donde las redes sociales y los streams tienen fuerte presencia en el cotidiano, no es difícil para quienes cuentan con más seguidores en aquellas plataformas autoproclamarse indebidamente como inventores de algo. The post Corte Chilenero: del "underground" a la marca comercial appeared first on BioBioChile.

El futuro ministro de Vivienda y Urbanismo, Iván Poduje, arremetió contra el actual ministro de la cartera, Carlos Montes, después del acto de cumplimiento del Plan de Emergencia Habitacional (PEH), acusando “mentiras” de la actual administración. Mediante su cuenta de X, el arquitecto publicó un registro en el que señaló: “Este video es para responder … Continua leyendo "Poduje arremete contra Montes tras cumplimiento del PEH: "Omite lo que heredó del presidente Piñera"" The post Poduje arremete contra Montes tras cumplimiento del PEH: "Omite lo que heredó del presidente Piñera" appeared first on BioBioChile.

Esquerda venceu eleições legislativas da Colômbia neste domingo (8) Fonte

Chile necesita recuperar una conducción fiscal seria y predecible, que haga recobrar la confianza en la gestión de las finanzas públicas y pueda ser el pilar de un Chile que recobre el dinamismo económico. The post La responsabilidad fiscal no puede seguir esperando appeared first on BioBioChile.

رئیس جمهوری آمریکا می‌گوید رژیم حاکم بر ایران با تعیین پسر علی خامنه‌ای به عنوان رهبر جدید مرتکب «اشتباه بزرگی» شده است.

Беларускі дасьледнік, выкладчык Карлавага ўнівэрсытэту ў Празе Аляксандар Паршанкоў ведаў Георгія Галенчанку асабіста. Гісторык, які вярнуў Скарыну сапраўднае імя, памёр ва ўзросьце 89 гадоў у Беларусі.

Petrolierele care tranzitează Strâmtoarea Ormuz ”trebuie să fie foarte atente”, a avertizat luni purtătorul de cuvânt al Ministerului iranian de Externe, Esmail Baghaei, citat de CNBC.

Distintas intervenciones y cortes de tránsito se registrarán entre los días 10 y 12 de marzo, debido a las actividades que están relacionadas con el cambio de mando presidencial. A partir de este martes a las 15:00 horas, habrá cortes y desvíos en el centro de Santiago, concretamente en el perímetro del Palacio de La … Continua leyendo "Este martes comienzan los desvíos en Santiago por el cambio de mando: revisa los mapas" The post Este martes comienzan los desvíos en Santiago por el cambio de mando: revisa los mapas appeared first on BioBioChile.

(The Center Square) – Spokane Valley Republican Sen. Leonard Christian is not backing down from comments on the Senate floor last week that drew condemnation from some in his own caucus, including the other four Republicans in the 4th Legislative District. Debating legislation to eliminate a program for people with developmental disabilities as well as a history of violent behavior, Christian argued “we’re putting rapists in with retarded people.” In a Sunday interview with The Center Square, Leonard said when his staff looked into the details of Substitute House Bill 1390, he was troubled by the goals of the legislation. SHB 1390, as amended by the Senate, repeals the Community Protection Program and removes all related statutory references effective Jan. 1, 2027. The Developmental Disabilities Administration must develop and implement a plan to transition all CPP participants into other services or programs by Dec. 31, 2026, with the goal of providing less restrictive options. “If they weren’t developmentally disabled, they’d be in jail for what they did,” Christian told The Center Square. Supporters of the bill to repeal the program argue there is an inconsistent admittance policy and contend it restricts the civil rights of the participants. “I asked my staff if the bill was going to put these sexually violent folks in with the community that's vulnerable, who probably don’t even know what's happening to them and who don’t quite have the ability to fight back,” Christian explained. When his staff confirmed that was the intent of the bill, Christian said he began praying about how to respond. “I get the fact that the program is very restrictive, and in some cases, it really needs to be amended,” he explained. “But there [are] some folks in there who are convicted of some pretty heinous crimes.” He shared that as the bill moved forward, it wasn’t getting the attention he felt it deserved and he knew he would have to say something when it came to the Senate floor. “I knew it was just going to get buried. They’ve got the votes,” Christian said of majority party Democrats. “How do I draw attention to this incredibly important topic? And what would you do if somebody you loved was going to be sexually assaulted? You’d pull out all the stops. You’d do everything you can in your power. I came to Olympia to protect the people. And that's where I came at deciding to cause a little trouble on the floor.” He said he never meant to disrespect anyone by using the word “retarded.” “It was to get some attention from the mainstream media on how horrible this bill was, and to say if you had the choice between a hurtful word and physical harm,” Christian said. “It was, was no-brainer.” After Christian’s comments on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, rose to speak. “I am so emotional at this moment because I cannot believe a member of this body would feign outrage about caring for disabled people after using such an offensive term that is wildly unacceptable in our society today,” she said. Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, referenced Christian’s comments as the Senate took to the floor Thursday. “There were some comments made during that debate that, frankly, I found offensive … I was frankly saddened to hear them spoken,” he said. Christian told The Center Square Braun did not inform him before they went to the floor that he was going to make those comments, but said he respects that members feelings and the need to respond to his comments. Republican representatives from Spokane and Spokane Valley also issued a statement condemning what they termed “inflammatory and insensitive comments” made by Christian. Reps. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, Jenny Graham, R-Spokane, Suzanne Schmidt, R-Spokane Valley, and Rob Chase, R-Spokane Valley wrote, “We were deeply disappointed to hear the language used during floor debate in the Senate this week regarding individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "The term used is widely recognized as offensive and hurtful. It does not reflect the respect and dignity that every person deserves, nor does it represent the values we strive to uphold in public service.” The went on to say, “This would be likened to making child molesters be kindergarten teachers. I mean that should be the word picture that comes to your mind. That's just that bad of an idea. And I just knew at that point, we must do something. Protect your community. And these people are under the care of Washington state. And I tell you, we haven't had a real good record of taking care of these people.” Christian said he has received some emails and phone messages condemning his use of the word, but he has also received many comments thanking him for bringing attention to the bill, including an email from someone who has worked with individuals in the CPP. "I'm glad you had the guts to be as direct as you were and I am saddened by the performative politics of the people claiming to be offended by your verbiage,” the email said. “The people I used to work with were child predators who very deservedly needed to stay in the program … thank you for standing up and being the voice of reason regarding this."

A Paraíba agora tem um mestre de maracatu: Marcílio Alcântara, do Maracatu Quilombo Nagô, criado em 2023, no bairro de Mangabeira, em João Pessoa. Marcílio foi consagrado durante o Carnaval de 2026, no dia 16 de fevereiro, na noite dos Tambores Silenciosos, em Recife (PE), pelo Mestre Chacon Viana, do Maracatu Nação Porto Rico. E […] Fonte