3 minutes

Wisconsin Examiner
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U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said at an event Tuesday in Madison that if elected governor he’d return the state’s current budget surplus to taxpayers while also cutting property taxes, eliminating taxes on tips and overtime and overturning Gov. Tony Evers’ 400-year school funding increase while also increasing the rate at which public schools are reimbursed […]

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Wisconsin Examiner
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U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said at an event Tuesday in Madison that if elected governor he’d return the state’s current budget surplus to taxpayers while also cutting property taxes, eliminating taxes on tips and overtime and overturning Gov. Tony Evers’ 400-year school funding increase while also increasing the rate at which public schools are reimbursed […]

(The Center Square) – White House officials urged a group of state attorneys generals to partner with the Trump administration to combat fraud in welfare programs and hold fraudsters accountable. “One of the things we’ve realized in combating fraud is that the resources of the federal government, while vast, can be supplemented and aided by a lot of the people who know best what’s happening in their states, which is the attorneys general represented here today,” Vice President J.D. Vance, head of the White House’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, said Tuesday. “[W]e’re protecting two classes of victims here: We're protecting the American taxpayers who shouldn't have their money stolen by fraudsters, and of course we’re protecting the people who need these services,” Vance added. “[A]ll of our fellow Americans have been taken advantage of by fraudsters, and the task force is here to stop it.” The Trump administration, which recently charged 15 people in Minnesota of stealing tens of millions of dollars from Medicaid, specifically wants states to focus on Medicaid fraud. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, a member of the task force, told the Republican attorneys general present Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be conducting a “thorough review” of states’ Medicaid fraud control units. Ferguson claimed that “huge groups of people in this country” are responsible for “hundreds of billions” in welfare fraud, which he called “one of the most pressing problems this nation confronts.” “Fraud is bleeding these programs dry,” he added. “Unless fraudsters believe that there will be consequences attached with attacking America’s benefits programs, they will keep doing it. Our fraud detection systems will stop much of it, but cannot stop it all. The only way to defeat the fraudsters is by making sure that they know, every single one of them, that if they try to commit fraud, they will be pursued, arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.” The Government Accountability Office found that 15 federal agencies together made at least $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025, with improper Medicaid payments amounting to $37 billion. Improper payments are not necessarily fraudulent. GAO estimated that since 2003, federal agencies have improperly paid out at least $3 trillion via benefits programs. In recent months, the Trump administration has deferred or blocked billions in program funding due to fraud concerns, including $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California and $1.4 billion in home health and hospice funding nationwide. It has also targeted billions in "fraudulent or delinquent” pandemic-era loans and $60 million in allegedly fraudulent student loan applications, as well as launched an investigation into $6.3 billion in suspected fraudulent government contracts. Every Democratic attorney general declined to attend the Tuesday meeting, writing in a response letter that the “short notice does not match the spirit of collaboration that has long defined our joint efforts with federal partners.” “With appropriate notice and a genuine opportunity for engagement, we would welcome the chance to participate in a future meeting and contribute to a productive dialogue,” they added. Instead, the group hosted its own virtual meeting later that day on combatting government program fraud. Vance argued that addressing fraud “should not be a partisan effort.” “Everybody should care about fraud, everybody should care about rooting out fraud, everybody should care about saving the American taxpayers’ money,” Vance said. “And importantly, everybody should care about actually protecting the programs that only work and are only properly funded if the money funding those programs isn’t being stolen by fraudsters.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who also attended the meeting, claimed that fraud levels are so high that rooting out all program fraud would close the federal deficit. “I believe, based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, that we could balance the federal budget if the only dollars that went out of the Treasury went to individuals who are properly, lawfully, correctly eligible to receive them,” Miller said. “And that ultimately is going to be what we have to do as a country.” The amount of fraud in government programs would have to be more than eight times GAO’s improper payments estimate in order for Miller’s statement to be true. The federal deficit for the past two years has teetered around $1.8 trillion and is projected to hit $2 trillion by the end of the current fiscal year.

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The Center Square
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(The Center Square) – White House officials urged a group of state attorneys generals to partner with the Trump administration to combat fraud in welfare programs and hold fraudsters accountable. “One of the things we’ve realized in combating fraud is that the resources of the federal government, while vast, can be supplemented and aided by a lot of the people who know best what’s happening in their states, which is the attorneys general represented here today,” Vice President J.D. Vance, head of the White House’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, said Tuesday. “[W]e’re protecting two classes of victims here: We're protecting the American taxpayers who shouldn't have their money stolen by fraudsters, and of course we’re protecting the people who need these services,” Vance added. “[A]ll of our fellow Americans have been taken advantage of by fraudsters, and the task force is here to stop it.” The Trump administration, which recently charged 15 people in Minnesota of stealing tens of millions of dollars from Medicaid, specifically wants states to focus on Medicaid fraud. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, a member of the task force, told the Republican attorneys general present Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be conducting a “thorough review” of states’ Medicaid fraud control units. Ferguson claimed that “huge groups of people in this country” are responsible for “hundreds of billions” in welfare fraud, which he called “one of the most pressing problems this nation confronts.” “Fraud is bleeding these programs dry,” he added. “Unless fraudsters believe that there will be consequences attached with attacking America’s benefits programs, they will keep doing it. Our fraud detection systems will stop much of it, but cannot stop it all. The only way to defeat the fraudsters is by making sure that they know, every single one of them, that if they try to commit fraud, they will be pursued, arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.” The Government Accountability Office found that 15 federal agencies together made at least $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025, with improper Medicaid payments amounting to $37 billion. Improper payments are not necessarily fraudulent. GAO estimated that since 2003, federal agencies have improperly paid out at least $3 trillion via benefits programs. In recent months, the Trump administration has deferred or blocked billions in program funding due to fraud concerns, including $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California and $1.4 billion in home health and hospice funding nationwide. It has also targeted billions in "fraudulent or delinquent” pandemic-era loans and $60 million in allegedly fraudulent student loan applications, as well as launched an investigation into $6.3 billion in suspected fraudulent government contracts. Every Democratic attorney general declined to attend the Tuesday meeting, writing in a response letter that the “short notice does not match the spirit of collaboration that has long defined our joint efforts with federal partners.” “With appropriate notice and a genuine opportunity for engagement, we would welcome the chance to participate in a future meeting and contribute to a productive dialogue,” they added. Instead, the group hosted its own virtual meeting later that day on combatting government program fraud. Vance argued that addressing fraud “should not be a partisan effort.” “Everybody should care about fraud, everybody should care about rooting out fraud, everybody should care about saving the American taxpayers’ money,” Vance said. “And importantly, everybody should care about actually protecting the programs that only work and are only properly funded if the money funding those programs isn’t being stolen by fraudsters.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who also attended the meeting, claimed that fraud levels are so high that rooting out all program fraud would close the federal deficit. “I believe, based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, that we could balance the federal budget if the only dollars that went out of the Treasury went to individuals who are properly, lawfully, correctly eligible to receive them,” Miller said. “And that ultimately is going to be what we have to do as a country.” The amount of fraud in government programs would have to be more than eight times GAO’s improper payments estimate in order for Miller’s statement to be true. The federal deficit for the past two years has teetered around $1.8 trillion and is projected to hit $2 trillion by the end of the current fiscal year.

A Primeira Turma do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) decidiu nesta terça-feira (26) confirmar a decisão individual do ministro Flávio Dino que acabou com a aposentadoria compulsória como pena máxima a juízes condenados por faltas disciplinares graves, como venda de sentenças, corrupção, assédio sexual e moral, entre outras. O colegiado negou um recurso apresentado pela Procuradoria-Geral […] Fonte

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Brasil de Fato
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A Primeira Turma do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) decidiu nesta terça-feira (26) confirmar a decisão individual do ministro Flávio Dino que acabou com a aposentadoria compulsória como pena máxima a juízes condenados por faltas disciplinares graves, como venda de sentenças, corrupção, assédio sexual e moral, entre outras. O colegiado negou um recurso apresentado pela Procuradoria-Geral […] Fonte

Grocery store profits have risen by 200 per cent over the last decade. The post Fighter jets or affordable food – are public grocery stores really a thing! appeared first on rabble.ca.

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rabble.ca
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Grocery store profits have risen by 200 per cent over the last decade. The post Fighter jets or affordable food – are public grocery stores really a thing! appeared first on rabble.ca.

15 minutes

Amarillo Tribune
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Editor’s note: Amarillo Tribune staff sit through hours of public meetings every week so that you don’t have to. Here’s what you need to know about the Randall County Commission meeting on May 26, 2026, briefly explained in a few bullet points, but you can find our in-depth coverage further down the page. The Randall […] The post Need to Know: Randall County Commissioners’ Court, May 26, 2026 appeared first on Amarillo Tribune.

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Amarillo Tribune
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Editor’s note: Amarillo Tribune staff sit through hours of public meetings every week so that you don’t have to. Here’s what you need to know about the Randall County Commission meeting on May 26, 2026, briefly explained in a few bullet points, but you can find our in-depth coverage further down the page. The Randall […] The post Need to Know: Randall County Commissioners’ Court, May 26, 2026 appeared first on Amarillo Tribune.

15 minutes

Outras Palavras
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Reunidos em SP, ativistas e pensadores alertam: país ainda fala em “ajuste fiscal”, enquanto mundo recupera papel indutor e planejador do Estado. Reviravolta geopolítica abre janela, mas Lula precisa oferecer futuro convincente. Documento propõe esboço de programa nacional The post Eleições: A agenda necessária ao Brasil appeared first on Outras Palavras.

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Outras Palavras
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Reunidos em SP, ativistas e pensadores alertam: país ainda fala em “ajuste fiscal”, enquanto mundo recupera papel indutor e planejador do Estado. Reviravolta geopolítica abre janela, mas Lula precisa oferecer futuro convincente. Documento propõe esboço de programa nacional The post Eleições: A agenda necessária ao Brasil appeared first on Outras Palavras.

16 minutes

法國國際廣播電台
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歐洲多國周二傳召俄羅斯大使,以對莫斯科威脅轟炸基輔並敦促外國大使離開烏克蘭首都予以警告。與此同時,歐盟與50多國在聯合國揭露莫斯科威脅基輔外國使節的行徑。

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法國國際廣播電台
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歐洲多國周二傳召俄羅斯大使,以對莫斯科威脅轟炸基輔並敦促外國大使離開烏克蘭首都予以警告。與此同時,歐盟與50多國在聯合國揭露莫斯科威脅基輔外國使節的行徑。

16 minutes

法国国际广播电台
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欧洲多国周二传召俄罗斯大使,以对莫斯科威胁轰炸基辅并敦促外国大使离开乌克兰首都予以警告。与此同时,欧盟与50多国在联合国揭露莫斯科威胁基辅外国使节的行径。

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法国国际广播电台
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欧洲多国周二传召俄罗斯大使,以对莫斯科威胁轰炸基辅并敦促外国大使离开乌克兰首都予以警告。与此同时,欧盟与50多国在联合国揭露莫斯科威胁基辅外国使节的行径。

(The Center Square) – For the second time this month, Shreveport officials are utilizing an assertive communications approach to reassure residents that the city’s water remains safe to drink. The Shreveport Water and Sewerage Department is sending out notices in the mail this month that are required by state and federal regulations in reference to the city’s water quality violation that occurred in June 2025. The issue was caused by a temporary equipment malfunction at the water plant during a “brief period” last year, which was repaired shortly after it was found. Water sample results returned to normal, the city said in a statement. The violation stemmed from a spike in trihalomethanes or THM, a byproduct that forms when chlorine and other disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter in drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA regulates total THMs by setting a maximum contaminant level, which the city exceeded during the malfunction. THMs are common in surface drinking water systems, like lakes and reservoirs, according to the EPA. To resolve the issue, the city has since added backup parts and safeguards to help prevent a recurrence. “This is not a new issue or new violation. The notice is required because federal regulations calculate compliance using a rolling annual average, even though sample results returned to normal long ago,” the city said, adding that customers have already received three previous notices about the same issue. The violation was included as one part of Shreveport's failing grade issued by the Louisiana Department of Health. At a press conference earlier this month, Mayor Tom Arceneaux Arceneaux said the THM violation was unfairly calculated multiple times as a deduction on the state’s 2025 report card. Arceneaux pointed to aging infrastructure and administrative issues as core issues facing the city, rather than safety hazards.

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The Center Square
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(The Center Square) – For the second time this month, Shreveport officials are utilizing an assertive communications approach to reassure residents that the city’s water remains safe to drink. The Shreveport Water and Sewerage Department is sending out notices in the mail this month that are required by state and federal regulations in reference to the city’s water quality violation that occurred in June 2025. The issue was caused by a temporary equipment malfunction at the water plant during a “brief period” last year, which was repaired shortly after it was found. Water sample results returned to normal, the city said in a statement. The violation stemmed from a spike in trihalomethanes or THM, a byproduct that forms when chlorine and other disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter in drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA regulates total THMs by setting a maximum contaminant level, which the city exceeded during the malfunction. THMs are common in surface drinking water systems, like lakes and reservoirs, according to the EPA. To resolve the issue, the city has since added backup parts and safeguards to help prevent a recurrence. “This is not a new issue or new violation. The notice is required because federal regulations calculate compliance using a rolling annual average, even though sample results returned to normal long ago,” the city said, adding that customers have already received three previous notices about the same issue. The violation was included as one part of Shreveport's failing grade issued by the Louisiana Department of Health. At a press conference earlier this month, Mayor Tom Arceneaux Arceneaux said the THM violation was unfairly calculated multiple times as a deduction on the state’s 2025 report card. Arceneaux pointed to aging infrastructure and administrative issues as core issues facing the city, rather than safety hazards.

El Senado de Carolina del Norte aprobó un proyecto de ley que propone una enmienda a la Constitución estatal para establecer que el derecho de las personas a trabajar no puede ser negado ni limitado por ser miembro o no a un sindicato, organización o asociación laboral. La entrada ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? was first posted on mayo 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm.©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org

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Enlace Latino NC
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El Senado de Carolina del Norte aprobó un proyecto de ley que propone una enmienda a la Constitución estatal para establecer que el derecho de las personas a trabajar no puede ser negado ni limitado por ser miembro o no a un sindicato, organización o asociación laboral. La entrada ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? was first posted on mayo 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm.©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org

El Senado de Carolina del Norte aprobó un proyecto de ley que propone una enmienda a la Constitución estatal para establecer que el derecho de las personas a trabajar no puede ser negado ni limitado por ser miembro o no a un sindicato, organización o asociación laboral. La entrada ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? was first posted on mayo 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm.©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org

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Enlace Latino NC
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El Senado de Carolina del Norte aprobó un proyecto de ley que propone una enmienda a la Constitución estatal para establecer que el derecho de las personas a trabajar no puede ser negado ni limitado por ser miembro o no a un sindicato, organización o asociación laboral. La entrada ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. ¿Qué cambiaría la nueva enmienda constitucional sobre el derecho al trabajo en Carolina del Norte? was first posted on mayo 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm.©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org

21 minutes

法国国际广播电台
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据德国广播电台报道,德国海外商会(AHK)驻华机构呼吁德国联邦经济部长卡特琳娜·赖歇(基民盟CDU)加强与中国政府的对话。赖歇预计将于周三抵达中国首都北京,并将在周四访问中国南方工业重镇广州。根据德国经济部消息,除德国企业多年来一直抱怨的竞争劣势外,中国针对稀土等原材料实施的出口限制,也将成为会谈的重要议题。

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法国国际广播电台
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据德国广播电台报道,德国海外商会(AHK)驻华机构呼吁德国联邦经济部长卡特琳娜·赖歇(基民盟CDU)加强与中国政府的对话。赖歇预计将于周三抵达中国首都北京,并将在周四访问中国南方工业重镇广州。根据德国经济部消息,除德国企业多年来一直抱怨的竞争劣势外,中国针对稀土等原材料实施的出口限制,也将成为会谈的重要议题。

21 minutes

法國國際廣播電台
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據德國廣播電台報道,德國海外商會(AHK)駐華機構呼籲德國聯邦經濟部長卡特琳娜·賴歇(基民盟CDU)加強與中國政府的對話。賴歇預計將於周三抵達中國首都北京,並將在周四訪問中國南方工業重鎮廣州。根據德國經濟部消息,除德國企業多年來一直抱怨的競爭劣勢外,中國針對稀土等原材料實施的出口限制,也將成為會談的重要議題。

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法國國際廣播電台
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據德國廣播電台報道,德國海外商會(AHK)駐華機構呼籲德國聯邦經濟部長卡特琳娜·賴歇(基民盟CDU)加強與中國政府的對話。賴歇預計將於周三抵達中國首都北京,並將在周四訪問中國南方工業重鎮廣州。根據德國經濟部消息,除德國企業多年來一直抱怨的競爭劣勢外,中國針對稀土等原材料實施的出口限制,也將成為會談的重要議題。

22 minutes

Iowa Capital Dispatch
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With the June 2 primary a week away, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Tuesday that Iowa state officials are working with federal offices and the National Guard to ensure election integrity. Pate was joined by officials from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as well […]

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Iowa Capital Dispatch
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With the June 2 primary a week away, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Tuesday that Iowa state officials are working with federal offices and the National Guard to ensure election integrity. Pate was joined by officials from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as well […]

Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court has suspended a deportation order against Roman Golikov, an anti-war activist who had been denied asylum and was facing return to Russia. Svetlana Utkina, a former municipal deputy from St. Petersburg now living in Finland, reported the development to TV Rain on May 26.

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Meduza
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Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court has suspended a deportation order against Roman Golikov, an anti-war activist who had been denied asylum and was facing return to Russia. Svetlana Utkina, a former municipal deputy from St. Petersburg now living in Finland, reported the development to TV Rain on May 26.

The Trump administration had given Maine a deadline of Friday to rescind its policy denying immigration authorities covert license plates. The state didn’t budge, leaving the threat of a lawsuit lingering.  Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had received a request from federal authorities for undercover license plates a week before U.S. Immigration and Customs […]

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Maine Morning Star
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The Trump administration had given Maine a deadline of Friday to rescind its policy denying immigration authorities covert license plates. The state didn’t budge, leaving the threat of a lawsuit lingering.  Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had received a request from federal authorities for undercover license plates a week before U.S. Immigration and Customs […]

23 minutes

The Center Square
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(The Center Square) – NASA unveiled nearly $1 billion in new moon base contracts Tuesday as its top official called for less reliance on taxpayer funding and a faster path to putting astronauts on Mars. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Tuesday that America's space program shouldn't be "perpetually funded by taxpayers," even as the agency announced nearly $1 billion in new moon base contracts as part of NASA's effort to establish the first permanent human outpost beyond Earth and prepare for crewed missions to Mars. The agency awarded contracts to Blue Origin, Astrolab, Lunar Outpost and Firefly for lunar landers, rovers and drones. Blue Origin was selected to deliver the lunar terrain vehicles to the surface under a contract valued at $188 million, with an option period worth an additional $280.4 million based on performance. Astrolab received a $219 million contract and Lunar Outpost a $220 million contract to build the rovers themselves, according to a NASA official at the briefing. Firefly was selected to deploy NASA's MoonFall hopping drones, designed to scout landing sites, search for water ice, and establish communications networks around the moon base, though NASA did not disclose the contract's value. NASA announced three initial Moon Base missions, with a fourth wave of awards expected in the coming months. Moon Base One, slated for launch no earlier than fall 2026, will use Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to deliver payloads to the lunar south pole. Moon Base Two, planned for later in 2026, will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo including a rover to mature lunar terrain vehicle operations. Moon Base Three, also planned for 2026, will fly on Intuitive Machines' Nova-C Trinity lander carrying scientific instruments and payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Isaacman cast the moon base as a proving ground for Mars, saying it would be better to master the skills for deep space exploration when four days from Earth rather than months away. The moon base will unfold in three phases, with the first running through 2029 and focused on cargo delivery and lunar surface technology testing. Phase two will introduce permanent infrastructure, including a power grid, and phase three will culminate in what NASA projects as a permanent human presence spanning hundreds of square miles at the lunar south pole. NASA's Artemis architecture relies heavily on commercial partnerships – a model Isaacman said is intended to eventually shift portions of lunar transportation and infrastructure away from direct federal funding. The moon base is designed to support NASA's broader Artemis program, which successfully sent four astronauts on a crewed lunar flyby mission in April during Artemis II. Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, is targeted for launch in mid-2027. NASA is working with both Blue Origin and SpaceX on lander concepts for that mission. The space agency provided no total cost estimate for the broader Moon-to-Mars program. NASA previously described the lunar base initiative as a $20 billion effort over seven years, but agency officials Tuesday offered no total projected cost for the broader Moon-to-Mars campaign. NASA's acting inspector general testified before Congress in January 2024 that the Artemis program alone was projected to exceed $93 billion through 2025. The inspector general also estimated the SLS/Orion system would cost at least $4.2 billion per launch for the program's first four missions, excluding about $42 billion in formulation and development costs accumulated over the previous decade. The Government Accountability Office has designated NASA's acquisition management a high-risk area for more than three decades, citing the agency's persistent challenges limiting cost growth and schedule delays on its most complex programs. Agency officials offered no updated accounting of taxpayer spending on the lunar-orbiting Gateway station NASA paused earlier this year as it redirected resources toward surface infrastructure. A 2021 contract for Gateway's living quarters alone was valued at $935 million. When asked Tuesday how NASA planned to fund the expanded moon base program, Isaacman pointed to a $10 billion appropriation from the Working Families Tax Cut Act, fiscal year 2026 appropriations and the president's 2027 budget request. He did not provide a total cost estimate for the full Moon-to-Mars program or say what spending ceiling, if any, exists for the effort. Tuesday's briefing marks the latest milestone in a program whose costs have drawn scrutiny since its inception. NASA announced the $20 billion moon base plan in March, and in January said it planned to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 to support Mars missions — also without a cost estimate. A NASA spokesperson said at the time that funding for the nuclear project was part of ongoing agency budget work. Tuesday's briefing offered no update on that figure either. The briefing comes amid significant uncertainty over NASA's budget. The White House has proposed cutting the agency from $24.4 billion to $18.8 billion – a 23% reduction – while the House has advanced legislation keeping funding flat. The Republican chairman of the House Science Committee said the White House proposal "simply" could not support Trump's own exploration goals. Meanwhile, NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget request shows $2.6 billion still allocated for Gateway through 2029 under the Working Families Tax Cut Act, even as the agency publicly redirected those resources toward the moon base. The Senate is expected to take up its own NASA spending bill in June. The funding uncertainty comes as the United States and China race to land astronauts on the moon. Isaacman told lawmakers in April that the competition would be decided "in months, not years," and warned that China aims to reach the lunar surface before the end of the decade. NASA reorganized its mission directorates earlier this month to accelerate the effort, consolidating its human spaceflight and space operations offices and naming Carlos García-Galán, moon base program manager within the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, to lead the effort. NASA envisions a future where astronaut crews arrive at the lunar surface twice a year, with mission durations increasing as lunar infrastructure expands — until, García-Galán said, "we're permanently here and we're not giving it up." What that future will ultimately cost American taxpayers, no one at Tuesday's briefing would say.

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(The Center Square) – NASA unveiled nearly $1 billion in new moon base contracts Tuesday as its top official called for less reliance on taxpayer funding and a faster path to putting astronauts on Mars. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Tuesday that America's space program shouldn't be "perpetually funded by taxpayers," even as the agency announced nearly $1 billion in new moon base contracts as part of NASA's effort to establish the first permanent human outpost beyond Earth and prepare for crewed missions to Mars. The agency awarded contracts to Blue Origin, Astrolab, Lunar Outpost and Firefly for lunar landers, rovers and drones. Blue Origin was selected to deliver the lunar terrain vehicles to the surface under a contract valued at $188 million, with an option period worth an additional $280.4 million based on performance. Astrolab received a $219 million contract and Lunar Outpost a $220 million contract to build the rovers themselves, according to a NASA official at the briefing. Firefly was selected to deploy NASA's MoonFall hopping drones, designed to scout landing sites, search for water ice, and establish communications networks around the moon base, though NASA did not disclose the contract's value. NASA announced three initial Moon Base missions, with a fourth wave of awards expected in the coming months. Moon Base One, slated for launch no earlier than fall 2026, will use Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to deliver payloads to the lunar south pole. Moon Base Two, planned for later in 2026, will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo including a rover to mature lunar terrain vehicle operations. Moon Base Three, also planned for 2026, will fly on Intuitive Machines' Nova-C Trinity lander carrying scientific instruments and payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Isaacman cast the moon base as a proving ground for Mars, saying it would be better to master the skills for deep space exploration when four days from Earth rather than months away. The moon base will unfold in three phases, with the first running through 2029 and focused on cargo delivery and lunar surface technology testing. Phase two will introduce permanent infrastructure, including a power grid, and phase three will culminate in what NASA projects as a permanent human presence spanning hundreds of square miles at the lunar south pole. NASA's Artemis architecture relies heavily on commercial partnerships – a model Isaacman said is intended to eventually shift portions of lunar transportation and infrastructure away from direct federal funding. The moon base is designed to support NASA's broader Artemis program, which successfully sent four astronauts on a crewed lunar flyby mission in April during Artemis II. Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, is targeted for launch in mid-2027. NASA is working with both Blue Origin and SpaceX on lander concepts for that mission. The space agency provided no total cost estimate for the broader Moon-to-Mars program. NASA previously described the lunar base initiative as a $20 billion effort over seven years, but agency officials Tuesday offered no total projected cost for the broader Moon-to-Mars campaign. NASA's acting inspector general testified before Congress in January 2024 that the Artemis program alone was projected to exceed $93 billion through 2025. The inspector general also estimated the SLS/Orion system would cost at least $4.2 billion per launch for the program's first four missions, excluding about $42 billion in formulation and development costs accumulated over the previous decade. The Government Accountability Office has designated NASA's acquisition management a high-risk area for more than three decades, citing the agency's persistent challenges limiting cost growth and schedule delays on its most complex programs. Agency officials offered no updated accounting of taxpayer spending on the lunar-orbiting Gateway station NASA paused earlier this year as it redirected resources toward surface infrastructure. A 2021 contract for Gateway's living quarters alone was valued at $935 million. When asked Tuesday how NASA planned to fund the expanded moon base program, Isaacman pointed to a $10 billion appropriation from the Working Families Tax Cut Act, fiscal year 2026 appropriations and the president's 2027 budget request. He did not provide a total cost estimate for the full Moon-to-Mars program or say what spending ceiling, if any, exists for the effort. Tuesday's briefing marks the latest milestone in a program whose costs have drawn scrutiny since its inception. NASA announced the $20 billion moon base plan in March, and in January said it planned to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 to support Mars missions — also without a cost estimate. A NASA spokesperson said at the time that funding for the nuclear project was part of ongoing agency budget work. Tuesday's briefing offered no update on that figure either. The briefing comes amid significant uncertainty over NASA's budget. The White House has proposed cutting the agency from $24.4 billion to $18.8 billion – a 23% reduction – while the House has advanced legislation keeping funding flat. The Republican chairman of the House Science Committee said the White House proposal "simply" could not support Trump's own exploration goals. Meanwhile, NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget request shows $2.6 billion still allocated for Gateway through 2029 under the Working Families Tax Cut Act, even as the agency publicly redirected those resources toward the moon base. The Senate is expected to take up its own NASA spending bill in June. The funding uncertainty comes as the United States and China race to land astronauts on the moon. Isaacman told lawmakers in April that the competition would be decided "in months, not years," and warned that China aims to reach the lunar surface before the end of the decade. NASA reorganized its mission directorates earlier this month to accelerate the effort, consolidating its human spaceflight and space operations offices and naming Carlos García-Galán, moon base program manager within the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, to lead the effort. NASA envisions a future where astronaut crews arrive at the lunar surface twice a year, with mission durations increasing as lunar infrastructure expands — until, García-Galán said, "we're permanently here and we're not giving it up." What that future will ultimately cost American taxpayers, no one at Tuesday's briefing would say.

Attorney General William Tong is investigating the online gaming platform Roblox, which counts millions of children as users.

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CT Mirror
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Attorney General William Tong is investigating the online gaming platform Roblox, which counts millions of children as users.

Tyrrell County Manager David Clegg watched closely last week as lawmakers debated the merit of a constitutional amendment to limit the rate at which local governments’ can increase property taxes. Clegg says voter approval of a levy limit will rob the tiny, rural county of 3,000 residents of desperately needed tax revenue.  With a budget […]

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NC Newsline
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Tyrrell County Manager David Clegg watched closely last week as lawmakers debated the merit of a constitutional amendment to limit the rate at which local governments’ can increase property taxes. Clegg says voter approval of a levy limit will rob the tiny, rural county of 3,000 residents of desperately needed tax revenue.  With a budget […]

O artista visual gaúcho Amaro Abreu inaugurou a exposição “Vida Paralela” no espaço Cero Once em Barcelona, Espanha. O grafiteiro apresenta na mostra um convite para cruzar a fronteira entre o real e o imaginário, reunindo obras que conversam com a natureza, o subconsciente e os universos invisíveis. Ali, ele cria paisagens poéticas carregada de […] Fonte

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Brasil de Fato
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O artista visual gaúcho Amaro Abreu inaugurou a exposição “Vida Paralela” no espaço Cero Once em Barcelona, Espanha. O grafiteiro apresenta na mostra um convite para cruzar a fronteira entre o real e o imaginário, reunindo obras que conversam com a natureza, o subconsciente e os universos invisíveis. Ali, ele cria paisagens poéticas carregada de […] Fonte