Rep. Garret Nelson, R-Sutton, chased a black bear away from Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, in front of the Alaska State Capitol during a late-night encounter this week. “It was a real safari night,” Nelson said on social media. According to Coulombe, she was walking toward the Assembly Building, home to apartments used by legislators, when […]

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Alaska Beacon
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Rep. Garret Nelson, R-Sutton, chased a black bear away from Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, in front of the Alaska State Capitol during a late-night encounter this week. “It was a real safari night,” Nelson said on social media. According to Coulombe, she was walking toward the Assembly Building, home to apartments used by legislators, when […]

Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.This time will be different.At least that’s the hope of supporters of Proposition NN, a ballot measure to raise funding for schools. They launched a statewide “yes” campaign on Friday to raise support for the measure.The November ballot measure represents the fifth attempt in the last decade to ask Colorado voters to make tax changes that would raise more money for public education, among other things. Each of the three previous ballot measures were defeated. Another proposed measure in 2022 never made the ballot.The revenue from Prop NN would be used to increase teacher salaries, reduce class sizes, and invest in career and technical education. Extra revenue would also be used for other state spending.More than 100 supporters, who gathered in front of the castle-like West High School near downtown Denver, said they believe Coloradans have finally grown tired of underfunded schools. In recent years, lawmakers have wrangled steep budgetary cuts but continued investments in public education. However, state studies show Colorado needs billions more to adequately fund its schools. Joshua Duran, a shop teacher at Denver’s Skinner Middle School, said teachers across the state face hardships that he believes voters will find sympathetic. He works about 16 to 20 hours a week driving an Uber to supplement his teaching salary. He also works with his father in the summer installing custom cabinetry and remodeling bathrooms.That has meant long hours away from his family. The stress sometimes makes it difficult to do his best for his students, he said. The money from Prop NN would help pay his salary, but also go toward bettering instruction and resources in schools, he said.“I just feel like the mood is different this time,” he said. “We’ve been trying forever, but I think that the time is right.”Kevin Vick, president of the Colorado Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state, said their polling shows there’s support statewide to raise money for education. Other issues facing schools include high teacher turnover, teacher wages that aren’t competitive enough, and large class sizes, he said. “We think voters see that this is needed and it’s time,” Vick said.The union planned the measure, which lawmakers put on the Nov. 3 ballot.Prop NN asks voters to allow the state for 10 years to keep some or all of the revenue that would otherwise be refunded under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which caps government spending.A state legislative analysis shows the measure could raise billions more for schools. Like previous ballot initiatives, the measure faces opposition from many conservative leaders, some who have said the measure represents a hit to Coloradans’ wallet. And conservative groups, such as the Independence Institute, have called the measure a de facto tax increase because it cuts TABOR refunds.The measure is projected to reduce the TABOR refund of a taxpayer who makes $100,000 a year in 2027 by $28, or $56 for a joint filer, according to a draft legislative council ballot measure explainer.Parents and school board members at the Yes for Colorado Kids rally on Friday said they’ll work hard to help voters understand why Prop NN is needed, despite losing some of their TABOR refunds. Jeffco Public Schools parent Jen Wilson said she wants voters to know that her PTA has raised thousands a year to support her kids’ schools with classroom supplies and other materials. But next year, the schools still are scaling back mental health resources for kids, she said.“We had a shooting at our Evergreen High School last year,” she said. “I feel like if we had more mental health support and more adults in the schools, we wouldn’t be missing these things.”And Morgan County School Board President Nancy Hooper said she and others are committed to getting out the word about why this is needed for every school in the state.“We desperately need money and resources to take care of our students,” she said. “They deserve it.”Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

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Chalkbeat
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Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.This time will be different.At least that’s the hope of supporters of Proposition NN, a ballot measure to raise funding for schools. They launched a statewide “yes” campaign on Friday to raise support for the measure.The November ballot measure represents the fifth attempt in the last decade to ask Colorado voters to make tax changes that would raise more money for public education, among other things. Each of the three previous ballot measures were defeated. Another proposed measure in 2022 never made the ballot.The revenue from Prop NN would be used to increase teacher salaries, reduce class sizes, and invest in career and technical education. Extra revenue would also be used for other state spending.More than 100 supporters, who gathered in front of the castle-like West High School near downtown Denver, said they believe Coloradans have finally grown tired of underfunded schools. In recent years, lawmakers have wrangled steep budgetary cuts but continued investments in public education. However, state studies show Colorado needs billions more to adequately fund its schools. Joshua Duran, a shop teacher at Denver’s Skinner Middle School, said teachers across the state face hardships that he believes voters will find sympathetic. He works about 16 to 20 hours a week driving an Uber to supplement his teaching salary. He also works with his father in the summer installing custom cabinetry and remodeling bathrooms.That has meant long hours away from his family. The stress sometimes makes it difficult to do his best for his students, he said. The money from Prop NN would help pay his salary, but also go toward bettering instruction and resources in schools, he said.“I just feel like the mood is different this time,” he said. “We’ve been trying forever, but I think that the time is right.”Kevin Vick, president of the Colorado Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state, said their polling shows there’s support statewide to raise money for education. Other issues facing schools include high teacher turnover, teacher wages that aren’t competitive enough, and large class sizes, he said. “We think voters see that this is needed and it’s time,” Vick said.The union planned the measure, which lawmakers put on the Nov. 3 ballot.Prop NN asks voters to allow the state for 10 years to keep some or all of the revenue that would otherwise be refunded under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which caps government spending.A state legislative analysis shows the measure could raise billions more for schools. Like previous ballot initiatives, the measure faces opposition from many conservative leaders, some who have said the measure represents a hit to Coloradans’ wallet. And conservative groups, such as the Independence Institute, have called the measure a de facto tax increase because it cuts TABOR refunds.The measure is projected to reduce the TABOR refund of a taxpayer who makes $100,000 a year in 2027 by $28, or $56 for a joint filer, according to a draft legislative council ballot measure explainer.Parents and school board members at the Yes for Colorado Kids rally on Friday said they’ll work hard to help voters understand why Prop NN is needed, despite losing some of their TABOR refunds. Jeffco Public Schools parent Jen Wilson said she wants voters to know that her PTA has raised thousands a year to support her kids’ schools with classroom supplies and other materials. But next year, the schools still are scaling back mental health resources for kids, she said.“We had a shooting at our Evergreen High School last year,” she said. “I feel like if we had more mental health support and more adults in the schools, we wouldn’t be missing these things.”And Morgan County School Board President Nancy Hooper said she and others are committed to getting out the word about why this is needed for every school in the state.“We desperately need money and resources to take care of our students,” she said. “They deserve it.”Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Parts of South Texas ravaged by flooding this week have logged a steep rise in rainfall intensity over recent decades, federal data show.  The latest official dataset, published in 2018 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), increased estimates of benchmark rainfall events by 30 to 40 percent in the region west of San […]

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Inside Climate News
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Parts of South Texas ravaged by flooding this week have logged a steep rise in rainfall intensity over recent decades, federal data show.  The latest official dataset, published in 2018 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), increased estimates of benchmark rainfall events by 30 to 40 percent in the region west of San […]

20 minutes

Santa Barbara News Press
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The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society invites the public to its free monthly meeting on Saturday, July 18, featuring the Mission Canyon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Five DAR members will present “Our Patriot Ancestors,” sharing their ancestors’ stories in 18th-century costume – including an authentic hooped gown – and bringing […] The post Daughters of the American Revolution presents patriot ancestor stories appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

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Santa Barbara News Press
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The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society invites the public to its free monthly meeting on Saturday, July 18, featuring the Mission Canyon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Five DAR members will present “Our Patriot Ancestors,” sharing their ancestors’ stories in 18th-century costume – including an authentic hooped gown – and bringing […] The post Daughters of the American Revolution presents patriot ancestor stories appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

21 minutes

Arizona Mirror
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The Arizona Secretary of State is not required to allow public comment on new versions of the state’s elections rulebook, the state’s highest court wrote in a Friday opinion that explained an order the court issued nine months prior.  In the October order, the Arizona Supreme Court said that the state’s Election Procedures Manual, which […]

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Arizona Mirror
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The Arizona Secretary of State is not required to allow public comment on new versions of the state’s elections rulebook, the state’s highest court wrote in a Friday opinion that explained an order the court issued nine months prior.  In the October order, the Arizona Supreme Court said that the state’s Election Procedures Manual, which […]

(The Center Square) - Ballot boxes opened Friday as voters consider renewing a 0.2% Spokane Transit Authority sales tax, while the agency continues to spend less and generate more than it had budgeted. If approved, the sales tax, worth about $30 million annually, would continue to cost taxpayers 2 cents on every $10 spent until 2048. It is the only portion of STA’s 0.8% sales tax rate currently subject to voter approval, and STA has completed all but one of the projects it had planned since its passage in 2016. The STA Board of Directors and finance team claim they need the 0.2% sales tax to maintain service levels and implement their Connect 2035 plan. On Thursday, however, CEO Karl Otterstrom presented data to the officials showing June sales tax collections were 3% above the 2026 budget year-to-date. “We did expect growth over last year,” Otterstrom said, “but this is stronger than anyone predicted.” He expects to end the year with a $208 million fund balance, compared with the budget's $204 million projection. That balance was about $50 million when voters passed the tax, according to past budgets. The board has budgeted drawdowns on those reserves for years, but it repeatedly comes out on top. Otterstrom says that STA plans to move about $100 million in cash to a capital projects fund in 2027. “How would it work if the funds came in more favorable?” Zack Zappone, an STA board member who also sits on the Spokane City Council, asked STA’s Chief Financial Officer Robert Hamud on Thursday. Hamud responded, noting that any additional tax revenue would go to reserves or expanding services. The Spokane City Council, Spokane County Democrats and a political action committee called Yes for Buses have come out in support of the sales tax renewal, along with other regional officials. They say it could help secure federal funding for another upcoming project, but not everyone is on board. Mike Allen, a former STA board member, wrote the ballot statement opposing the sales tax renewal. “Before asking for more taxes, deploy the money already collected … voters should expect proof that current revenues and reserves are insufficient,” Allen wrote, highlighting STA’s healthy fund balance. STA revenue exceeded budget by $5.4 million as spending came in $9.3 million under budget in 2025. Former Spokane City Council president Ben Stuckart argued in a social media post that STA deserves the extra $30 million in annual revenue as a reward for “being a good steward of [public] resources.” “STA followed through on time and under budget on all of their projects after the last levy vote,” he posted Tuesday. “This is NOT a tax increase. Vote yes, pay the same and keep expanding service!” Spokane County Commissioner Al French, who sits on the STA board, told the Spokesman-Review that he won’t support the tax renewal. The Spokane Business Association, Downtown Spokane Partnership and Alan Nolan, a Republican running for a seat in the state House, have also come out in opposition. SBA President Gavin Cooley has noted that while STA plans to end 2026 with a $204 million to $208 million fund balance, it started 2026 with $249 million. He says the agency budgets so conservatively that, from 2016 to 2025, STA recorded cumulative positive budget variances totaling $319.5 million. “Taxpayers don't realize that that's what's happening. They're not paying for what they think they're paying for,” Cooley told The Center Square in April. “They're actually paying for increasing reserves.” Voting will continue through Aug. 4.

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The Center Square
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(The Center Square) - Ballot boxes opened Friday as voters consider renewing a 0.2% Spokane Transit Authority sales tax, while the agency continues to spend less and generate more than it had budgeted. If approved, the sales tax, worth about $30 million annually, would continue to cost taxpayers 2 cents on every $10 spent until 2048. It is the only portion of STA’s 0.8% sales tax rate currently subject to voter approval, and STA has completed all but one of the projects it had planned since its passage in 2016. The STA Board of Directors and finance team claim they need the 0.2% sales tax to maintain service levels and implement their Connect 2035 plan. On Thursday, however, CEO Karl Otterstrom presented data to the officials showing June sales tax collections were 3% above the 2026 budget year-to-date. “We did expect growth over last year,” Otterstrom said, “but this is stronger than anyone predicted.” He expects to end the year with a $208 million fund balance, compared with the budget's $204 million projection. That balance was about $50 million when voters passed the tax, according to past budgets. The board has budgeted drawdowns on those reserves for years, but it repeatedly comes out on top. Otterstrom says that STA plans to move about $100 million in cash to a capital projects fund in 2027. “How would it work if the funds came in more favorable?” Zack Zappone, an STA board member who also sits on the Spokane City Council, asked STA’s Chief Financial Officer Robert Hamud on Thursday. Hamud responded, noting that any additional tax revenue would go to reserves or expanding services. The Spokane City Council, Spokane County Democrats and a political action committee called Yes for Buses have come out in support of the sales tax renewal, along with other regional officials. They say it could help secure federal funding for another upcoming project, but not everyone is on board. Mike Allen, a former STA board member, wrote the ballot statement opposing the sales tax renewal. “Before asking for more taxes, deploy the money already collected … voters should expect proof that current revenues and reserves are insufficient,” Allen wrote, highlighting STA’s healthy fund balance. STA revenue exceeded budget by $5.4 million as spending came in $9.3 million under budget in 2025. Former Spokane City Council president Ben Stuckart argued in a social media post that STA deserves the extra $30 million in annual revenue as a reward for “being a good steward of [public] resources.” “STA followed through on time and under budget on all of their projects after the last levy vote,” he posted Tuesday. “This is NOT a tax increase. Vote yes, pay the same and keep expanding service!” Spokane County Commissioner Al French, who sits on the STA board, told the Spokesman-Review that he won’t support the tax renewal. The Spokane Business Association, Downtown Spokane Partnership and Alan Nolan, a Republican running for a seat in the state House, have also come out in opposition. SBA President Gavin Cooley has noted that while STA plans to end 2026 with a $204 million to $208 million fund balance, it started 2026 with $249 million. He says the agency budgets so conservatively that, from 2016 to 2025, STA recorded cumulative positive budget variances totaling $319.5 million. “Taxpayers don't realize that that's what's happening. They're not paying for what they think they're paying for,” Cooley told The Center Square in April. “They're actually paying for increasing reserves.” Voting will continue through Aug. 4.

Russian women on the military register have been summoned to enlistment offices in large numbers since the start of the summer. Some are receiving summonses to military reserve training — something the law explicitly prohibits. Mediazona drew attention to the problem. The outlet’s journalists also spoke with three women who have dealt with enlistment offices in recent weeks.

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Meduza
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Russian women on the military register have been summoned to enlistment offices in large numbers since the start of the summer. Some are receiving summonses to military reserve training — something the law explicitly prohibits. Mediazona drew attention to the problem. The outlet’s journalists also spoke with three women who have dealt with enlistment offices in recent weeks.

25 minutes

Santa Barbara News Press
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A California developer trying to bring more housing to Goleta is seeing mixed success at the Design Review Board. While the design board unanimously approved one City Ventures LLC residential community on June 23, it sent another back to the drawing board on Tuesday for its “cookie cutter” like design. In the city of Goleta’s […] The post City Ventures housing developments see split success at Goleta Design Review Board appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

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Santa Barbara News Press
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A California developer trying to bring more housing to Goleta is seeing mixed success at the Design Review Board. While the design board unanimously approved one City Ventures LLC residential community on June 23, it sent another back to the drawing board on Tuesday for its “cookie cutter” like design. In the city of Goleta’s […] The post City Ventures housing developments see split success at Goleta Design Review Board appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

گزارش‌‌های مردمی منتشر شده در کانال تلگرامی وحید آنلاین از شلیک موشک از تبریز، خرم‌آباد، خمین، زنجان در حوالی ساعت ۲ بامداد شنبه ۲۷ تیر خبر می‌دهند. برخی از شهروندان در این مناطق گفته‌اند صدای انفجار شدیدی را حس کرده‌اند.

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صدای آمریکا
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گزارش‌‌های مردمی منتشر شده در کانال تلگرامی وحید آنلاین از شلیک موشک از تبریز، خرم‌آباد، خمین، زنجان در حوالی ساعت ۲ بامداد شنبه ۲۷ تیر خبر می‌دهند. برخی از شهروندان در این مناطق گفته‌اند صدای انفجار شدیدی را حس کرده‌اند.

28 minutes

美国之音
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2026年国际足联世界杯星期日将迎来高潮,阿根廷队与西班牙队将展开对决,争夺这项足坛最高荣誉。阿根廷队在半决赛中以2比1击败英格兰队,从而挺进决赛;西班牙队则以2比0战胜法国队,成功晋级。回顾整个赛事,既有诸多精彩瞬间,也不乏一些令人遗憾的时刻。

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美国之音
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2026年国际足联世界杯星期日将迎来高潮,阿根廷队与西班牙队将展开对决,争夺这项足坛最高荣誉。阿根廷队在半决赛中以2比1击败英格兰队,从而挺进决赛;西班牙队则以2比0战胜法国队,成功晋级。回顾整个赛事,既有诸多精彩瞬间,也不乏一些令人遗憾的时刻。

محاصره دریایی جمهوری اسلامی و پیامدهای‌ اقتصادی آن

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محاصره دریایی جمهوری اسلامی و پیامدهای‌ اقتصادی آن

جنجالی‌ترین اتفاقات جام جهانی ۲۰۲۶ در برنامه کامبک صدای آمریکا

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جنجالی‌ترین اتفاقات جام جهانی ۲۰۲۶ در برنامه کامبک صدای آمریکا

واکنش‌ها به وعده‌های اندی برنهام، نخست‌وزیر جدید بریتانیا

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واکنش‌ها به وعده‌های اندی برنهام، نخست‌وزیر جدید بریتانیا

کمبود انرژی و آب در ایران؛ گفت‌وگو با امید شکری

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صدای آمریکا
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کمبود انرژی و آب در ایران؛ گفت‌وگو با امید شکری

32 minutes

Iowa Capital Dispatch
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A new report suggests Iowa’s agricultural industry is in a multi-year downturn that might not let up for a few more years, and experts are advising farmers to look back to the practices that got them through tough financial times a decade ago to weather the current storm. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State […]

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Iowa Capital Dispatch
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A new report suggests Iowa’s agricultural industry is in a multi-year downturn that might not let up for a few more years, and experts are advising farmers to look back to the practices that got them through tough financial times a decade ago to weather the current storm. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State […]

38 minutes

Oregon Capital Chronicle
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PORTLAND — A federal judge will determine by the end of August the future of Oregon’s nascent statewide recycling modernization law, meant to require product manufacturers and distributors to cover some of the packaging disposal costs Oregonians currently pay via municipal and specialty waste fees. “I truly have not made up my mind on what […]

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Oregon Capital Chronicle
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PORTLAND — A federal judge will determine by the end of August the future of Oregon’s nascent statewide recycling modernization law, meant to require product manufacturers and distributors to cover some of the packaging disposal costs Oregonians currently pay via municipal and specialty waste fees. “I truly have not made up my mind on what […]

Letter: Rent control is elder abuse
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38 minutes

Santa Barbara News Press
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I write as a 77-year-old lifelong Californian, born in 1949, the poor son of a farmer in Porterville, California. My mother was a school teacher. I followed in her footsteps as a school teacher myself, while working three and four jobs most of my life. I attended night school for years and earned five college […] The post Letter: Rent control is elder abuse appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

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Santa Barbara News Press
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I write as a 77-year-old lifelong Californian, born in 1949, the poor son of a farmer in Porterville, California. My mother was a school teacher. I followed in her footsteps as a school teacher myself, while working three and four jobs most of my life. I attended night school for years and earned five college […] The post Letter: Rent control is elder abuse appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.

In a strongly worded letter to federal prosecutors, Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke rejected the U.S. Department of Justice demand that he provide assurances by Friday that neither he, the Milwaukee Police Department nor any other city entity would enforce an ordinance prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing masks and concealing their identities. “The only […]

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Wisconsin Examiner
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In a strongly worded letter to federal prosecutors, Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke rejected the U.S. Department of Justice demand that he provide assurances by Friday that neither he, the Milwaukee Police Department nor any other city entity would enforce an ordinance prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing masks and concealing their identities. “The only […]

43 minutes

The Jersey Vindicator
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As unsheltered homelessness rises, advocates say cooling centers alone are not enough to keep people safe.

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The Jersey Vindicator
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As unsheltered homelessness rises, advocates say cooling centers alone are not enough to keep people safe.

45 minutes

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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US strikes on Iran widened early on July 18 from the Strait of Hormuz hotspot to multiple sites throughout central and southern Iran, including through the use of fighter jets, while Iran continued to pound US Gulf allies, as a fragile cease-fire further tattered.

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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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US strikes on Iran widened early on July 18 from the Strait of Hormuz hotspot to multiple sites throughout central and southern Iran, including through the use of fighter jets, while Iran continued to pound US Gulf allies, as a fragile cease-fire further tattered.