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WEST TAMPA — The two upset legislative victories by Democrats in Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties last week came in part because the candidates received considerable support from independents and Republicans who crossed party lines. Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly says that’s the only way he can win in November, so he’s actively courting those […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — After successfully completing the gauntlet of registration paperwork, Kenny Smith smiled and posed for pictures with his grandchildren who had waited patiently by his side as he filed for legislative office. The 68-year-old Gore resident filed to challenge sitting state Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, for the Republican nomination to represent Senate District […]

(The Center Square) – Candidates in the race for California treasurer and a Democratic lawmaker reacted this week to a plan to keep state tax dollars from paying for federal immigration operations. State Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced County, announced a plan in recent weeks to keep California taxpayers' money from supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state. The plan is part of Caballero’s platform as she runs for treasurer, according to her campaign website. Caballero’s “ICE Out Plan” keeps state bond money from supporting immigration raids, detention centers and other activities from ICE. The proposal also blocks the state from financing companies or organizations that are involved in immigration enforcement or detention, and the plan require those groups to follow the state’s sanctuary laws. The plan also keeps California from investing in companies that own or operate private detention centers, among other aims. Caballero and her staff did not respond to The Center Square's request for comments. However, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had opinions this week about Caballero’s plan to keep California taxpayers’ dollars from paying for ICE operations in the state. “As someone who spent a career enforcing the law, I don’t have patience for politicians who campaign on ideas that are already unconstitutional,” Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, told The Center Square this week, answering a question via a text message. “It wastes everyone’s time, all just to boost themselves out of obscurity in a statewide race.” In her run for treasurer, Caballero is running against two fellow Democrats: Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and current California Board of Equalization member Tony Vasquez. Retired businesswoman Jennifer Hawks, a Republican; David Serpa, a businessman and author, also a Republican, and Glenn Turner, a Green Party candidate, are all also running for state treasurer, according to the list of candidates for the June 2 primary from the Secretary of State’s office. Under California law, the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will move on to the Nov. 3 general election. Serpa, the only candidate to respond to The Center Square on Friday about Caballero’s ICE Out plan, said that while he had not read the plan, he believes that since ICE is a federal agency, it should be federal tax dollars that pay for ICE operations in California. “I don’t believe that the state should be involved in a lot of things the state is involved in,” Serpa said, but added he doesn’t think a plan to protect state taxpayers' dollars is a waste of time. “The federal government should be concentrated on what the federal government is supposed to be doing, and one of those things is primarily immigration and protecting our borders,” Serpa told The Center Square Friday. “States’ money doesn’t need to be spent in this way.” One Democratic lawmaker also expressed an opinion about Caballero’s effort to withhold state taxpayer dollars from supporting ICE operations. “ICE is terrorizing our communities,” Assemblymember Lis Ortega, D-Hayward, told The Center Square, answering a question via a text message this week. “Californians don’t support that. So why would we pay for it?” According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. illegal immigrant population jumped to 14 million in 2023 after two years of growth. The first half of 2024 saw record growth in the country’s illegal immigration numbers, but slowed toward the end of the year. The year 2025 saw a decrease in the country’s immigrant population, mostly due to increased enforcement leading to more deportations and fewer protections for illegal immigrants under the Trump administration, the Pew Research Center reported. About 1.8 million people in California are illegal immigrants, according to numbers published in 2024 by Pew Research Center. ICE did not respond to The Center Square's request for comment before press time on Friday.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a pair of bills Friday that would have exempted overtime pay and cash tips from state income taxes. Assembly Bill 461 would have matched a temporary federal income tax exemption on overtime that would apply to the extra pay received for working overtime up to $12,500 per year for an individual or $25,000 per year for joint filers. The exemption is targeted at middle-income residents and is phased out for those making an adjusted gross income between $150,000 and $275,000 as an individual or $300,000 to $550,000 as a joint filer. “My position has always been that when we provide tax relief, it should be real, responsible, and targeted to the middle class and working families who need it,” Evers said in his veto message. “Unfortunately, I must veto this bill in its entirety because I object to this bill changing the tax code in a way that will treat Wisconsin workers who earn similar wages differently just because of their classification as salaried or hourly workers. “A salaried worker who earns $35,000 (and is not eligible to earn overtime compensation) should not pay a different amount in taxes from an hourly worker who earns $35,000 through working overtime. We should focus on creating a fairer tax code that provides real, responsible tax relief that supports rather than divides working Wisconsinites.” Senate Bill 36 would similarly had created an exemption for up to $25,000 in cash tips from state income tax. “I am vetoing this bill because I object to the Legislature effectively ceding control over the direction of state tax policy to Congress by connecting the proposed state tax deduction for tips to any change in the federal deduction, regardless of what is best for Wisconsin,” Evers wrote in his veto message. “We should not be at the whims of a Republican-controlled Congress that has no problem gutting basic necessities and services like food and access to healthcare just to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. “Wisconsin should retain control over the parameters of a potential income tax deduction for tips so we can modify the policy based on what makes the most sense for Wisconsinites.”

(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu in March and European prices reached $18.50 MMBtu, creating a $16 to $17 premium over the domestic Henry Hub natural gas price. Current month Henry Hub natural gas futures prices on April 2 settled at $2.80 per million Btu. At the same time, U.S. natural gas held in storage April 2 stood at 1,865 billion cubic feet, which is 5.4% higher than at the same time in 2025 and 3% above the five-year average of 1,811 billion cubic feet, as domestic prices remained low relative to global benchmarks. LNG production at state-owned QatarEnergy halted March 18 after an Iranian strike damaged its facilities, taking about 17% of global output offline. The company said the outage could cut output by more than 12 million metric tons per year for up to five years. In Texas, the start of operations at the Golden Pass LNG terminal, a joint venture between Exxon Mobil and QatarEnergy, along with a ramp up of a production unit at Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christ LNG, are expected to lead to record-high U.S. output in the months ahead. The U.S. Department of Energy in mid-March authorized Venture Global’s LNG export facility in Plaquemines Parish Louisiana for an immediate 13% increase in export capacity, bringing an additional 450 million cubic feet per day to global markets. Other export terminals like Sabine Pass and Cameron LNG operated beyond their normal capacity in March. Cheniere Energy CEO said at the CERAWeek Conference in Houston on March 25 that his company is doing “whatever it can” to increase production. "We're looking at our maintenance schedules really hard, but at the end of the day, we have to be safe and we have to be reliable. We don't want to sacrifice anything to get that last drop out," Fusco said. While CEOs like Fusco are running existing plants at maximum rates to sell at historically high prices to buyers in Europe and Asia, the limits of export infrastructure such as pipelines keeps most U.S.-produced gas as home, preventing domestic prices from skyrocketing. The Energy Department’s weekly Natural Gas Updates for March showed about 105 vessels carrying LNG left Louisiana in March while about 47 vessels departed from Texas. Another 10 ships combined sailed from export facilities in Maryland and Georgia in the month, the data shows. Europe remained the largest buyer of U.S. LNG in March, taking 7.49 million tons or about 64% of total domestic exports, according to LSEG data. Analysts at London-based Energy Consultancy Rystad said in a recent report that the United States has become the marginal global LNG producer with the prices of global benchmarks in Europe and Asia increasingly tied to trade at the Henry Hub in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. “Therefore, the cost of marginal LNG supply is bound to fluctuate with the price of Henry Hub, implying that a rise in Henry Hub will also lead to a rise in global LNG prices, as we’ve seen so far in 2026,” Rystad Energy said in a recent report. The record-breaking pace of shipments from Louisiana export facilities in March will add about $2 million to revenues from state severance tax collections on natural gas production, according to an analysis by The Center Square. The current severance tax rate of 10.52 cents per thousand cubic feet of production will likely reset higher when the 202-2027 fiscal year begins on July 1. Louisiana's export facilities handled roughly 1.8 million more metric tons in March 2026 than in the same month in 2025, when the severance tax rate was 9.8 cents per thousand cubic feet.

Two US air strikes on April 2 destroyed part of a key highway bridge connecting Tehran to the city of Karaj to the west. In a post on X.com, Iran's foreign minister condemned attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, while US President Donald Trump wrote that more strikes of this kind would follow.

En una era donde todo parece efímero desde las relaciones hasta las identidades, la reaparición del catolicismo entre jóvenes de la Generación Z no es un fenómeno superficial, sino una señal profunda de época.

Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free Atlanta newsletter here.The Georgia Legislature ended its session late Thursday, passing several bills aimed at shoring up the state’s health workforce and approving a public health budget that calls for little new spending.HIV prevention drugs and birth control will be easier to get, with pharmacists allowed to prescribe them, and the state’s school day cellphone ban will be extended to high schools, among the bills sent to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. Some health advocates were disappointed that lawmakers did not create a certification for community health workers. “The need for community health workers across Georgia remains urgent — they are essential to expanding access to care and supporting our communities,” said Natasha Taylor, deputy director of nonprofit Georgia Watch, who has advocated for the bill for several years. “It is deeply disappointing that the Senate chose not to advance the bill for the third year in a row.”Here’s a summary of other public health action:Budget includes expansion of maternal home visitsThe legislature approved a $933 million budget for the Department of Public Health for fiscal 2027, which starts in July. It’s a slight decrease from last year. It includes $429 million in state funds, with $483 million coming from federal sources. The budget includes $3.7 million more for the state’s maternal and infant home visiting program, which seeks to help at-risk pregnant women and infants with medical and social services. The program will expand to an additional 33 counties, serving most of the state. Four states, four strategies: Lessons for Georgia’s public health reviewLawmakers hope this will help improve Georgia’s maternal and infant health outcomes. One-fifth of Georgia mothers do not receive adequate prenatal care, and the state’s rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality are higher than the national rates, according to the March of Dimes. The budget also includes an increase of $750,000 to help pay for the core staff who operate the Trauma Recovery Center and an additional $500,000 for the Office of Cardiac Care to make grants to hospitals. Improved leave benefits for public health employeesThis bill, sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor, a Thomasville Republican, would allow county public health employees who move to the state health department to retain their accrued leave time. It grew out of a recommendation from a House study committee that looked at improving public health in Georgia. The measure passed unanimously in the House and Senate and now heads to Kemp. Allowing pharmacists to prescribe HIV prevention drugs and birth control This measure allows pharmacists to prescribe a group of HIV prevention drugs called PrEP and PEP. The goal is to increase access to the drugs and reduce the state’s high rate of new infections, as well as the cost of HIV care, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, told Healthbeat. While there are some details still to be worked out about how pharmacists will be compensated for their work, advocates hailed the bill as an important step toward increasing access to the drugs. A separate bill will allow pharmacists to dispense birth control pills and injectable contraceptives without prescriptions. Initially, patients can receive up to a three-month supply, followed by a 12-month supply on subsequent visits. It will take effect on Jan. 1 if Kemp signs it. Creating a pathway for foreign-trained doctors to practiceAfter this measure failed to get the needed votes last year, Republican Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah doctor, sponsored the bill this year and successfully shepherded it through. The bill creates a pathway for doctors trained abroad who meet a lengthy list of requirements to practice in Georgia, first on a provisional license and eventually on a full license. They must agree to practice in underserved areas during the process. If signed by Kemp, Georgia will join a growing list of states, including neighboring Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina, with similar provisions. Advocates say it could help address the state’s physician shortage and increase the number of doctors who can provide culturally sensitive care to the state’s increasingly diverse population. Easing recovery for nurses, counselors struggling with substance use This bill creates an “alternative to discipline” program for nurses who struggle with substance use. The bill comes in response to nurses’ feedback that the current disciplinary system prevents them from seeking early help for addiction because it is public and punitive and can stop them from working. The bill establishes a system in which nurses can seek help while they continue to work and are monitored by the nursing board. It sets up a parallel system for counselors and social workers. Such systems already exist for pharmacists, dentists, and doctors, Rep. Ron Stephens, a Republican pharmacist from Savannah who sponsored the bill, told Healthbeat. Advocates hope it will keep more nurses and counselors in the workforce as the state faces a shortage. The measure heads to Kemp for his approval. Extending cellphone ban to high school Last year, the legislature enacted a “bell to bell” cellphone ban for students in grades K-8, set to take effect this summer. Some schools and districts have already implemented the ban and provided positive feedback about its impact on student mental health and learning. In response, Rep. Scott Hilton, a Peachtree Corners Republican, introduced a bill to extend that ban to high school. The bill passed and goes to Kemp for approval. It would take effect starting with the 2027-28 school year. Bill to certify community health workers failsThe House public health study committee report published last year noted Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine have trained more than 1,500 community health workers in the past two years, but they remain “an under-utilized workforce” because they struggle to find employment. Advocates have urged legislators to create a community health worker certification to regularize and increase respect for the profession. However, the bill this year failed to pass for the third time. The measure had gained the support of a Senate committee but failed to get a needed floor vote. Advocates had hoped a certification process would help with the goal of getting insurers to reimburse providers for CHW services. Public health cleanup bill becomes mired in controversy, fails to passMarietta Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick sponsored a bill to clean up obsolete language relating to the administration of public health. Brought at the request of DPH, it failed to pass after it became attached to two controversial proposals. On the Senate side, Democrats in February attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would have called on the state to expand Medicaid, a move Republicans have long resisted. That amendment was voted down and the bill passed unanimously. It then required House approval, where lawmakers attached language that would have allowed the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to be sold over-the-counter after a separate bill with the same proposal failed to gain traction. A House committee approved the version of the bill with the ivermectin language added. The bill also picked up a measure to review whether insurers were following Georgia’s mental health parity laws. The lengthy bill was sent to the House floor, where it was approved on the last day of the session on a mostly party line vote. However, that left no time for the Senate to vote on the new version of the bill, meaning it ultimately failed to pass. Rebecca Grapevine is a reporter covering public health in Atlanta for Healthbeat. Contact Rebecca at rgrapevine@healthbeat.org.

گفت‌وگو با حسن نایب‌هاشم درباره سرکوب و بازداشت شهروندان ایران زیر سایه جنگ

Anthony Federline, the stepfather of a 12-year-old homeschooled girl found dead last month, has been charged with first-degree sexual assault.

گفت‌وگو با حسن هاشمیان و جعفر هاشمی درباره ادامه حملات جمهوری اسلامی به سراسر خاورمیانه و مواضع کشورهای منطقه در مورد ادامه جنگ

Idaho Democratic legislative leaders say the Republican supermajority Legislature cut some state services to the bone to fix a self-inflicted budget issue.  Democrats told reporters at a press conference Friday that the 2026 legislative session, which ended Thursday, was characterized by deep budget cuts to fix problems they said were created by the preceding years […]

Federal regulators are moving to add microplastics to a list of drinking water contaminants marked for research, funding and possible regulation in the future. The post EPA flags microplastics as “priority” contaminants in drinking water appeared first on The New Lede.

L.A. Metro's Board and California Democrats have repeatedly asked for funding to temporarily acquire and run an additional 1,750 buses to meet the demand for the 2028 Games.

Lançamento de documentário marca os 12 anos da invasão das Forças Armadas no Complexo da Maré Fonte

Robo a una pareja en Iquique terminó con el asaltante abatido por Carabineros tras intentar quitarle el arma a uno...

Au Mali, l'armée malienne et ses supplétifs russes de l'Africa Corps ont mené cette semaine des opérations dans les cercles de Goundam, Bintagoungou et Gargando, région de Tombouctou. De nombreuses sources locales rapportent des exécutions sommaires de civils et des destructions attribuées à l'armée malienne. Les jihadistes du Jnim sont notoirement actifs dans ces zones, où ils ont revendiqué une attaque contre un véhicule militaire ce vendredi 3 avril.

The post Española students, others working on glove to treat Parkinson’s disease appeared first on Searchlight New Mexico. Project leaders hope others can replicate the high-tech wearable glove, which was developed using open-source software. The post Española students, others working on glove to treat Parkinson’s disease appeared first on Searchlight New Mexico.

ძლიერი წინააღმდეგობისა და ხანგრძლივი შეფერხებების მიუხედავად, უკვე ფორმას იღებს იესოს მონუმენტი, რომელსაც ერევნის მახლობლად დგამენ და რომელიც „მსოფლიოში უდიდესი“ უნდა გახდეს. უკვე ცნობილია მისი დასრულების ახალი თარიღიც.

ပြည်တွင်းစစ်ကြောင့် ယူအေအီးနိုင်ငံ ဒူဘိုင်းမြို့မှာ ဟိုတယ်ဝန်ထမ်းလုပ်နေရသူမြန်မာတစ်ဦးနဲ့စကားပြောထားပါတယ်။