Open Newswire

Attorneys urge Kansas State Board of Education to include due process into decisions about accepting or rejecting federal grants to local school districts.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday kept in place a block on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport 176 Venezuelans in Northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. A majority of the justices found that President Donald Trump’s administration violated the due process rights of Venezuelans when the administration tried to deport […]

(The Center Square) - The controversial Harlem Nights casino resort in Las Vegas' Westside may face an uphill battle after a heated community hearing during which the city Planning Commission voted against it. Developers of the proposed resort, named after the 1989 film starring Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, said they aimed to promote the Westside’s local economy and pay homage to the area’s Black roots. But after a hearing Tuesday during which the commission rejected the project for its size and height, developers have some big questions to answer. They'll get their chance when, despite the panel's denial, the project goes before the Las Vegas City Council for review June 18. “The only place that does not have economic development with an engine to fuel its economy is the historical Westside,” said Bishop Derek Rimson, a citizen at the Planning Commission meeting. “I am in favor of this particular project simply because I think it is the engine that is needed to allow … our people to be able to have a thriving economy like our sisters and brothers on the suburban perimeter.” The famous Moulin Rouge casino, built in the 1950s, was in the historical Westside neighborhood. It was the first racially integrated casino in the U.S., and it allowed Black employees to work in higher roles than other casinos in Las Vegas at the time. Today, the Westside is still home to a large Black community, representing more than half of the neighborhood, but the area has seen economic stagnation in recent decades as much of the rest of the city has grown. After World War II, the area was home to a working class Black community that had been rejected from living in other Las Vegas neighborhoods. But the area has stagnated in recent decades. Median household income today is $25,000, while unemployment rates are typically two to three times higher than Las Vegas as a whole. Still, the Planning Commission recommended the City Council reject the proposed Harlem Nights plans. Members' argument centered around how the massive 22-story hotel resort would dominate the area and change its historical aspect, with the developers saying it would cost $450 million in total. Questions were also raised about the surrounding infrastructure’s ability to support the increased traffic. Despite the promises of economic prosperity and an investment of 10% of net profit from the project, some locals shared this concern. “Why did the owners go to everyone, and I mean everyone else – newspapers, new stations. They had luncheons, they went to breakfast prayers,” said Westside resident Cordelia Wallace Freeman. “But they did not even come to the homeowners who would be directly impacted in the immediate vicinity to garner our support. They went to everybody else but us. So it made me question, would this really be a benefit to us?” The initial Harlem Nights proposal was for a 60-story building, despite the area’s seven-story building limit. The updated proposal at the meeting was for three separate buildings – Harlem Nights Casino, the Jackson Hotel and the Westside Residence, with none exceeding 22 floors. Planning Commissioner Jennifer Taylor from Ward 6 suggested the developers go out and discuss their options. “Why don’t you take a minute to go outside and talk about what you can do?” Property owner Shlomo Meiri, who said he had owned the land for 15 years with diminishing value, became especially frustrated during the meeting. At one point he offhandedly said the developers would reduce the project to seven stories, but it is unclear if that will be followed through on. “I’m OK with it if you guys put this community down, because you already created the ghetto by building the freeway, and then by closing F street, and now by reducing the height,” Meiri told the committee. Later he said, “You don’t care about the community benefit.”

GREENBELT, MARYLAND — A federal judge said Friday the Trump administration has “pretty broadly” invoked the state secrets privilege to withhold information on its efforts — or, the judge indicated, a possible lack of effort — to return a wrongly deported Maryland man from a prison in El Salvador. President Donald Trump’s administration moved last […]

Utah’s rates on unemployment and job growth are surpassing national averages this year and the state has kept its top spot in economic outlook ranking. But, amid tariffs, and a dropping consumer sentiment, economists warn the state is entering risky waters. The state’s economy is outperforming other states, with jobs growing 2.1%, almost doubling the […]

WASHINGTON — Republicans suffered a major setback to their “big, beautiful bill” on Friday, when amid conservative objections the U.S. House Budget Committee failed to approve the measure, a crucial step in the process. In a 16-21 vote, Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Chip Roy of […]

Two lawsuits challenging three different voter-related laws passed during the 2025 Legislative Session were filed this month in Montana district courts, pushing back against a suite of bills Republican legislators have said are essential to preserve the integrity of the state’s elections. The Montana Federation of Public Employees on Monday filed a lawsuit alleging a […]

South Dakota will need a third more prison space than it has now by 2036, and lawmakers’ choice to pass a so-called truth in sentencing bill in 2023 is a major reason why. That’s among the takeaways from a new report on the state’s prison infrastructure that says the state would need to spend between […]

A round-up of news briefs from CT Mirror reporters about this week's happenings at the Connecticut General Assembly.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has chosen a state government veteran to be the new commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Dunleavy announced Thursday that he has selected Randy Bates, a former head of the department’s Division of Water. “Randy is uniquely suited to assume the role of commissioner-designee for DEC and continue to push […]

GREENBELT, MARYLAND — A federal judge said Friday the Trump administration has “pretty broadly” invoked the state secrets privilege to withhold information on its efforts — or, the judge indicated, a possible lack of effort — to return a wrongly deported Maryland man from a prison in El Salvador. President Donald Trump’s administration moved last […]

A recent study found surprisingly low levels of harmful microplastics in the sediments of Texas bays that are notorious for plastic pollution. This led researchers from the University of Texas at Austin to conclude the microplastics were being swept out to sea.  “They move around much easier than we thought,“ said study co-author Cornel Olariu, […]

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news. Indianapolis Public Schools must make the former Raymond Brandes School 65 building available to interested charter schools for a sales price of $1, a state appeals court ruled on Friday. But the district can sell the former Francis Bellamy School 102 building to a nonprofit that has since leased the space. The ruling ends a lengthy contested lawsuit over the state’s $1 law, which requires school districts to allow charter schools to buy closed buildings for $1. IPS has closed schools amid declining enrollment, while charter schools frequently struggle to find facilities in which to open or expand. But the fight over facilities may be moot in the future: A new state-mandated group, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, has been tasked with analyzing how IPS could share its buildings and transportation with charters. IPS sought relief from the law through a declaratory judgment in 2023, arguing that it was exempt due to revisions to state statute that lawmakers made that year. The change gave districts an exemption if they shared funding from voter-approved property tax increases meant to pay for operating or safety costs with “applicable charter schools.” IPS claimed it was exempt because it shared funds from its 2018 property tax increase. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, one of the parties the lawsuit was brought against, appealed the ruling. IPS, meanwhile, offered a lease agreement for School 102 with the nonprofit Voices, which works with youth and allows two other youth programs — New B.O.Y. and Inner Beauty — to use the second floor. State lawmakers in 2024 later tweaked state law to clarify that districts are only exempt if they share revenue from a ballot question in a resolution approved after May 10, 2023. In its opinion, the appeals court ruled that the trial court correctly found IPS exempt from the $1 law under the 2023 amendments. It also argued that retroactively applying the 2024 amendments to state law would violate the state constitution by “impairing the (school) Board’s contractual relationship with Voices.” But as for School 65, the court ruled that the school board failed to establish that applying the 2024 amendments retroactively “would violate any vested right or constitutional guarantee with respect to that building.” In separate statements, both IPS and the Mind Trust, which has helped launch charter schools in Indianapolis, applauded the ruling. “IPS is pleased with the court’s ruling and grateful to continue its efforts to responsibly engage community stakeholders and local organizations to ensure district buildings are re-purposed to serve the needs of the IPS community,” the district said in a statement. The Mind Trust said making School 65 available for sale is a win for students and families. “It is unfortunate that IPS chose to pursue this lawsuit almost two years ago when collaborative solutions to grow high-quality public school options existed,” said Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown. “We look forward to working expeditiously with proven, local charter operators that are interested in claiming unused and underutilized IPS buildings so these community assets can continue to be used for educational purposes.” Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

In September 2021, the New People party won enough votes to claim seats in the lower house of Russia’s parliament, despite being founded just 18 months earlier. For the first time in 15 years, five parties secured representation in the State Duma instead of the usual four. Created with the Kremlin’s backing, New People was designed to attract the liberal urban electorate. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the party has clung to its image as the home of so-called “common sense” voters. Its lawmakers avoid endorsing the war but also steer clear of opposing it. They campaign against migrants, advocate lifting bans on various social networks, and go to great lengths to transform their initiatives into viral sensations. Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev explains how New People’s liberal image clashes with its consistent support for the Kremlin’s key legislation.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday kept in place a block on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport 176 Venezuelans in Northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. A majority of the justices found that President Donald Trump’s administration violated the due process rights of Venezuelans when the administration tried to deport […]

The Trump administration has agreed to review the safety and efficacy of abortion pills, based on white papers funded by far-right organizations, which reproductive health experts say are unscientific and contradict decades of research showing low rates of serious adverse events for the most common form of abortion. But during a U.S. Senate hearing Wednesday, Health […]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday kept in place a block on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport 176 Venezuelans in Northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. A majority of the justices found that President Donald Trump’s administration violated the due process rights of Venezuelans when the administration tried to deport […]

(The Center Square) - California leaders implored Congress to maintain the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s tax cuts and tax-deferred Opportunity Zones, citing the program’s success in transforming the California city of Stockton and noting the substantial tax savings created for the average Californian. The TCJA is set to expire by the end of 2025, meaning if Congress does not renew the cuts, Americans would face major tax increases, and the loss of Opportunity Zones — governor-nominated economically distressed Census tracts where investors can defer or eliminate federal taxes on capital gains. Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian advocacy group, and The LIBRE Initiative, which says it is the nation’s largest center-right Latino group, held an event Thursday evening in Stockton with the city's former mayor, Kevin Lincoln, on the importance of maintaining the TJCA, and possible negative consequences for Californians if Congress fails to renew the cuts by the end of the year. “Stockton’s 19 Opportunity Zones cover nearly 90,000 residents — about 28% of our city,” Lincoln told The Center Square. “During my time as mayor, we saw these zones drive new downtown investment, create jobs and support community-led efforts in South Stockton.” According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, OZ investments totaled $82 billion between 2019 and 2022. “If Congress fails to renew these tax cuts, California families could see their federal tax bill increase by over $3,000, and the state could lose more than 100,000 jobs,” said AFP Western Region Director Heather Andrews to The Center Square. “AFP-California is amplifying the voices of Californians, urging Congress — and especially Rep. Josh Harder — to make these tax cuts permanent.” An earlier study from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation found the typical California tax filer’s taxes would rise $3,769 if the TCJA expires. A bill to extend the TCJA at first advanced in Congress, but stalled earlier Friday as Republicans concerned about the bill’s impact on federal deficit blocked the bill, which would add between $3.3 trillion to $4.1 trillion to the $37 trillion national debt over the next decade alone. Moody’s Ratings, an international credit ratings agency, also downgraded the United States’ debt Friday from its AAA rating — the highest possible — to Aa1, citing the growing federal debt load and sustained deficits. “This one-notch downgrade on our 21-notch rating scale reflects the increase over more than a decade in government debt and interest payment ratios to levels that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns,” said Moody’s in a statement. “Over the next decade, we expect larger deficits as entitlement spending rises while government revenue remains broadly flat. In turn, persistent, large fiscal deficits will drive the government's debt and interest burden higher.” While Moody’s did downgrade the nation’s federal debt, it did raise the nation’s credit outlook from negative to stable, suggesting further downgrades are not yet on the horizon. Moody’s also noted that the national debt rating ceiling is still AAA — meaning that sufficient action could result in a ratings improvement in the future.

(The Center Square) – A comprehensive report on King County’s homeless population reveals job loss is the leading driver of homelessness in the region. The report is based on data from King County’s 2024 Point in Time (PIT) count, which revealed that the majority of homeless people in the region (45%) cited job loss as the cause of their current homelessness, followed by eviction from their last stable home (9%). Only 5% of unhoused people cited mental health issues for why they became unhoused and 47% reported that they abuse substances. Last year’s PIT count had the highest recorded number of homeless people in King County with 16,385. The 2024 tally represents a 22.6% increase in the total number of homeless people in King County between 2022 and 2024. KCRHA Communications Director Lisa Edge told The Center Square that the agency’s findings are supported by other research that shows economic conditions drive homelessness rates. Not only are people losing housing due to job loss and evictions – most of them were stably housed in King County beforehand. According to a supplemental survey in the report, 490 out of 821 respondents (59.7%) reported that they were last stably housed in King County. Seattle-based public policy think tank Discovery Institute painted a different picture with its data. According to the institute’s 2024 survey of people living in both temporary shelters and transitional housing in Seattle, 49.7% of people first began experiencing homelessness outside of Seattle or King County and 86.6% were born outside of the region. The Center Square reached out to Caitlyn McKenney, research fellow and program coordinator for Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty, who co-authored the report for comment on the PIT comprehensive report, but did not receive a response before publication. The comprehensive report’s data supports KCRHA’s housing-first approach to end homelessness, which prioritizes building more units of affordable housing. KCRHA has previously stated that a plan to increase housing capacity in King County to needed levels could potentially cost $450 million to $1.1 billion per year. According to the latest PIT report, for every shelter bed in King County, more than two people are waiting.

Its phenomena have long confounded analysts. Predictions have been shattered by a wild reality. Imbalances reach extreme levels. Yes, we are talking about the Venezuelan economy. Our latest video does not solve all the mysteries, but it does lay out some of the key elements to understand the Caribbean nation’s economic struggles, the root causes... The post The Venezuelan Economy in a Nutshell appeared first on Venezuelanalysis.