Open Newswire

OKLAHOMA CITY – The executive director of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust is expected to leave the agency April 24. Julie Bisbee, who has served as TSET’s executive director since 2019, said that she voluntarily submitted her resignation. She said conversations about severance are ongoing. “What this agency has built over 25 years is something […]

About $511.5 million for transportation needs — including traffic lights, sidewalks and bridges — is on the May 2 ballot.

In a busy campaign week, national Democrats weigh in on New Mexico races, minor parties eye campaigns and a Democratic Socialist seeking office is "permanently suspended" from the state party.

Attorneys representing Jarius Brown, a man who was beaten to the point of hospitalization by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office in September 2019, are accusing the Louisiana State Police (LSP) of helping to cover it up.

Gov. Tony Evers announced Friday that he had signed two executive orders to begin offering commutations, a reduction of a criminal sentence by the governor’s authority to grant clemency. Even though Evers has granted a record number of pardons, a form of forgiveness that reinstates some rights, during his tenure — over 2,000 — he […]

In a speech to what he called "the single largest gathering of American farmers that the White House has ... ever had," President Donald Trump distorted the facts on the estate tax, soybean exports and more. The post Trump Fumbles the Facts with Farmers appeared first on FactCheck.org.

An Iowa nurse who has repeatedly faced allegations of stealing from patients is now facing disciplinary charges from the Iowa Board of Nursing. Jessica Renee Williams, 48, of Des Moines is charged by the board with pleading guilty to, or being convicted of, a crime that is either related to the profession of nursing or […]

(The Center Square) – Texas again added jobs in January and again outpaced the national job growth rate, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Texas Workforce Commission. The federal government shutdown caused compiling and publishing the data to be delayed. Unlike previous months, and for the first time in recent history, Texas did not break its own job records in multiple categories. Texas also reported job losses in its civilian labor force and high unemployment rates in several metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). Texas added 40,100 nonfarm jobs over the month of January and hit a new historic high of 14,379,500 total jobs. Over the year, Texas added 112,200 jobs for an annual nonfarm growth rate of 0.8%, outpacing the national growth rate by 0.6%, the TWC said. “Texas is where free enterprise flourishes and opportunity abounds,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “That is why Texas is a magnet for innovative businesses seeking to invest with confidence and grow jobs across diverse industries. With the Best Business Climate in America and record new funding for our schools, high-demand career training, and critical infrastructure, there is no state better positioned to sustain growth.” Texas’ civilian labor force totaled 15,955,200 in January after losing 3,400 jobs over the month. Over the year, Texas’ gained 152,000 civilian jobs, according to the data. “Texas employers continue to spur our state’s economic momentum, adding more than 40,000 jobs across a wide range of major industries,” TWC Chairman Joe Esparza said in a statement. “TWC remains committed to supporting Texas’ pro-growth policies and world-class talent pipeline that make Texas the best place to do business.” The construction industry reported the largest private sector over-the-month job increase in January after adding 11,800 jobs. The construction industry also posted an annual growth rate of 3.4%, the highest of any major industry. The Leisure and Hospitality and Private Education and Health Services industries each added 10,300 jobs over the month; Professional and Business Services added 10,200 jobs, according to the data. “The growth we're seeing in sectors like Construction and Leisure and Hospitality is promising, but we need to ensure these jobs translate into real opportunities for Texas workers,” TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Trevino III said in a statement. “That's why TWC's focus on apprenticeship programs and initiatives like the Jobs and Education for Texans grant is vital, providing the training and resources Texans need to succeed in these growing fields and build lasting careers.” Texas’ not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.5% but is less than the national rate of 4.7%. Un employment rates for several MSAs in Texas were among the highest in recent history and nearly as high as those reported during the COVID-19 lockdown era. Eagle Pass MSA’s unemployment rate was 9.8%, followed by Brownsville-Harlingen’s 7.2%, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s 6.9% and Beaumont-Port Arthur’s 6%. Of Texas’ 30 MSAs, six were below 4%. Amarillo MSA reported the lowest rate of 3.3%, followed by Midland’s 3.4% and San Angelo’s 3.5%.

As machine learning and artificial intelligence programs have advanced over the past decade, Iowa State University researchers — alongside national and international colleagues — have likewise expanded efforts to use those tools in aiding farmers with finding solutions to their pest problems and in teaching the next generation how to go even further. Pest-ID, an […]

Voters in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls are expected to make the final decision on the $27 million budget at the polls April 28.

Падзеі 4 красавіка ў Беларусі, сьвеце, гісторыі.

Ce mardi 31 mars, un navire de Sea Shepherd France a percuté un chalutier de pêche au krill, l’Antarctic Sea, dans les eaux polaires. Coutumière des opérations « d’action directe », l’organisation revendique vouloir alerter sur les conséquences mondiales de cette industrie.

Florida A&M University President Marva Johnson reflected on her experience thus far as the university’s leader, particularly in light of widespread public pushback to her selection.  Johnson spoke Friday to the Capital Tiger Bay Club in Tallahassee.  “I know no university president has a 100% likability rate, but I’m hoping to try to make sure […]

戰爭打到第五個星期,伊朗幾乎完工的一座橋樑遭炸; 美國一架戰機被擊落,有消息說兩名飛行員中一人獲救，另一名飛行員的下落還沒有被找到。戰局十分緊張。法國《星期天日報》刊登一篇題為“中伊戰爭：特朗普的戰爭最終將惠及北京”的評論文章。文章表示，全球秩序重組，中國是一個穩定力量……但也是幕後操縱者。

战争打到第五个星期,伊朗几乎完工的一座桥梁遭炸; 美国一架战机被击落,有消息说两名飞行员中一人获救，另一名飞行员的下落还没有被找到。战局十分紧张。法国《星期天日报》刊登一篇题为“中伊战争：特朗普的战争最终将惠及北京”的评论文章。文章表示，全球秩序重组，中国是一个稳定力量……但也是幕后操纵者。

(The Center Square) - The Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee is postponing consideration of a bill to allow Medicaid recipients to choose "direct primary" care. Members voted 4-3 Thursday to delay action indefinitely on the House Bill 26-1096, the CO Medicaid Access to Primary Care Services bill, after public speakers told the committee they liked the legislation, but said some issues needed to be addressed. In February, the bill passed in the Colorado House by a vote of 40-22. The bill is designed to remove barriers in Colorado that prevent Medicaid members from accessing primary care providers. Direct primary care is an alternative form of care that does not accept insurance, including Medicaid, but it allows customers to pay a set monthly fee for access and appointments. Direct primary care is often conducted in smaller facilities with fewer patients and frequently characterized as a more intimate connection between doctor and patient. The option is more common in rural areas, where residents often have less access to primary care providers, according to the National Institutes of Health. Under the new bill, Medicaid still would not cover direct primary care, but Medicaid recipients could choose to pay for that kind of care out of pocket. The state's bipartisan bill is aimed at filling a gap in primary care for certain Medicaid members who lack reliable access to primary care covered by insurance, especially for residents in rural areas. The measure was postponed in the committee after a long series of public comments and several new amendments. “This bill could reduce both human suffering and long-term costs to taxpayers,” said Colorado state Sen. Janice Rich (R-7th District), who co-sponsored the bill, during the committee hearing Thursday. Multiple public speakers at the hearing expressed support for the intention of the bill, but opposed the legislation without certain amendments. “As currently drafted, the bill raises a few important concerns related to member confusion, care coordination, and affordability,” said Kevin McFatridge, executive director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans. “For example, without clear guardrails, there is a risk that members may not fully understand that direct primary care services are not covered by Medicaid and cannot be billed to the program,” said McFatridge. “This could lead to individuals paying out of pocket for services they already have access to and that are already covered.” All of the speakers in opposition expressed support or potential support for the 12 total amendments proposed during the hearing If HB26-1096 is reconsidered by the committee and passed, it will go to the full Senate for consideration.

The fire started Friday afternoon during a Santa Ana wind event.

Посольство США в Лівані попередило, що Іран та його союзні групи можуть спробувати атакувати університети в країні. «Іран та пов’язані з ним терористичні угруповання можуть мати намір атакувати університети в Лівані», – йдеться в попередженні безпеки на вебсайті посольства. – «Ситуація з безпекою в Лівані нестабільна та непередбачувана. Авіаудари, атаки безпілотниками та ракетні обстріли відбуваються по всій країні, особливо на півдні, в долині Бекаа та в деяких частинах Бейрута» «Якщо ви...

New state revenue data collected over a 15-year period by The Pew Charitable Trusts indicates New Hampshire has the fourth-worst trend of the 50 states for bouncing back revenue wise after the COVID-19 pandemic.

En medio de una misión histórica como Artemis II, hay una pregunta que, aunque parezca incómoda, es absolutamente clave: ¿qué pasa cuando un astronauta necesita ir al baño a cientos de miles de kilómetros de la Tierra?