The States

Trump's new government AI search engine, a Supreme Court win for voter roll verification, Pennsylvania's AI chatbot and license plate bills, a Detroit pastor's $540K nonprofit salary, and a push for open primaries nationwide on this episode of The States. America.gov AI search engine: The Trump administration launched america.gov, an AI chatbot pulling answers only from official government sources...

Government audit reveals up to $304B in annual tax fraud, diesel export ban debate, school cell phone bans under scrutiny, and Pennsylvania's legislature returns for its final 11 days on this episode of The States. Tax fraud audit: A GAO report estimates the federal government loses $116-$304 billion annually to tax fraud — 17-43% of the total tax gap — with no agency-wide IRS strategy to address...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, a Massachusetts federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting around $600 million in teacher-training funds. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has prompted donors to spend $38 million on her favorite charities and third-party organizations, in some cases from donor companies who had hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business bef...

Inflation's hidden tax effect, New York's #1 ranking for taxes and spending, an interview with Illinois Senate candidate Juliana Stratton, and Maricopa County's fight to end federal oversight on this episode of The States. Inflation & tax revenue: Orphe Divounguy explains why rising prices don't automatically mean a windfall for state governments — sales tax revenue rises with prices, but gove...

Trump-Xi state visit, a First Amendment fight over union dues at a "private" library, viral AI surveillance camera hearings, DEI funding rulings, and Glock-pattern gun ban litigation on this episode of The States. Trump-Xi state visit: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived for a multi-day state visit, with trade (a $202B U.S.-China deficit), AI competition, and allegations of Chinese election inter...

Corpus Christi LNG expansion, Michigan utility rate hikes, a $1.4B Allegheny County pension crisis, LA's behest payment investigation, and the two-speed housing market on this episode of The States. - LNG export expansion & Michigan energy rates: FERC released a draft environmental impact statement for a Corpus Christi LNG terminal expansion that could add 24 million tons/year in export capaci...

Trump slashes UN funding, a deep dive on Congress's broken budget process, nationwide data center battles, Georgia's $71M software overspend, and state Medicaid rankings on this episode of The States. - Trump cuts UN funding, addresses AI and Iran: President Trump announced a $1 billion cut to U.S. funding for the United Nations over six months, including 15% budget cuts and roughly 4,000 eliminat...

Fed's first rate hike since 2023, gas and diesel price surge, major DOJ gun rule changes, and the Michigan Senate race on this episode of The States. - Gas & diesel prices climbing: Regular gas near $4.43/gallon, diesel around $6.48, driven by Middle East tensions, Russia-Ukraine war, and flooding at an ExxonMobil refinery in Joliet, IL. GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan says relief may come if the Jo...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Missouri's congressional map again. Illinois is facing new lawsuits over the state’s digital ad tax and social media platform fee. The cost of operation Epic Fury continues to rise despite Congress never approving a dollar. A vaccine non-profit continues to raise pay for its executives even as it has lost millions of...

AI regulation debate, ATF suppressor ruling, California homelessness and high-speed rail spending, election integrity rankings, and more state policy news on this episode of The States. Shapiro calls for federal AI regulation (PA): Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed AI policy in Pittsburgh, pointing to Gecko Robotics as a model for ethical AI use. He says the federal government — and international cooper...

Fed raises interest rates for the first time in three years, gun rights groups take on state permit laws, CAIR blocks a Center Square reporter, and truckers get an emergency fuel-hauling waiver — all on this episode of The States. Today's stories: Fed Rate Hike: FOMC unanimously raises the federal funds rate a quarter point to 3.75%-4%. Economist Orphe Divounguy explains why it won't fix inflation...

Congress debates whether public employee unions are spending member dues on political causes their workers don't support, New York and the Trump administration clash over AI regulation while data center fights spread across three states, a Kentucky congressman moves to impeach the Secretary of Defense over the Iran conflict's cost and legal authority, an economist breaks down a labor market that's...

Gas and diesel prices hit record highs after a Joliet, Illinois refinery outage, a taxpayer-funded vaccine nonprofit raises executive pay while posting multi-million dollar losses, a coalition of states sues over a new immigration "public charge" rule, Illinois's digital ad tax faces a legal challenge, and the White House Fraud Task Force announces new suspensions tied to Paycheck Protection Progr...

A federal school choice tax credit set to benefit 120 million taxpayers, an ATF clarification on silencer repairs, the ongoing fight over Missouri's congressional map, and a Fed decision preview are covered on this episode of The States. Ahead of a January 2027 deadline, 31 states have opted into the federal Education Freedom Scholarship Program while 19 states and Washington, D.C. have not. Patri...

The 25th anniversary of September 11th, highlights from day two of the GOP's midterm convention, continued fallout over Illinois's vacant legislative inspector general position, and an economics breakdown of President Trump's price promises are covered on this episode of The States. Ceremonies marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville...

On this episode of The States, Supreme Court gun ban arguments, one year since Charlie Kirk's assassination, a Georgia child welfare agency's cell phone surveillance tools, the GOP's midterm convention, and how 9/11 reshaped airport security. Ahead of December 2 oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court over state and local AR-15 bans, Michael O'Neill of the Landmark Legal Foundation discusses an a...

On this episode of The States: California's largest state employee union moves toward a strike vote, a new report grades states on public-sector worker freedom, 9/11's 25th anniversary brings both remembrance and political controversy, a Center Square investigation finds the LA Opera collecting millions in taxpayer grants alongside millions in executive pay, and FIRE releases its latest college fr...

Today on The States: DHS marks 25 years since 9/11 with its budget nearly quadrupled and no financial system Congress can verify, a House Oversight investigation examines DEA agents allegedly letting fentanyl shipments through in New Mexico, the U.S. Supreme Court sets a December 2 date for the biggest gun rights case since Bruin, New York City rolls out new restrictions on AI use in schools, Ever...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, A majority of American voters think antisemitism is on the rise compared to a few years ago, according to a new poll. American voters across the political spectrum are divided on whether the rise of Democratic Socialists within the Democratic Party is a sign of positive change or creeping extremism, new polling shows. Louisiana school officials are...

Today on The States: an Illinois state lawmaker and her husband seek to delay their federal fraud trial until after the election, Americans for Prosperity talks about a socialist convention in Chicago, a look at what state credit ratings actually tell taxpayers, Michigan's citizen-only voting ballot initiative officially fails while a new state grant fraud scandal emerges, Everyday Economics exami...

Today on The States: newly unsealed search warrants reveal a criminal investigation into alleged voter fraud, Open Secrets breaks down how much license-plate camera company Flock has spent lobbying Congress and state legislatures, a federal court ruling raises questions about suppressor and short-barreled rifle regulations, Louisiana lawmakers and school officials clash over a proposed property ta...

Today on The States: Lancaster County Board Vice Chairman Josh Parsons disputes Pennsylvania's characterization of two "measles-associated deaths," a new poll shows most voters want data center approval left to local governments, the ATF confirms a ransomware breach of an investigative database while facing pressure from both gun-rights advocates and state attorneys general, The Center Square repo...

Today on The States: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani stands by Brad Lander amid a DSA rift over Israel policy, Governor Hochul and DHS Secretary Mark Mullen clash publicly over counterterrorism funding and sanctuary city policy, National Taxpayers Union's Andrew Wilford breaks down the legal fight over New York and Rhode Island's second-home taxes, Everyday Economics examines what the Fed chair's Ja...

The battle over mail-in voting heads back to court as 25 states challenge a Trump administration rule requiring additional scrutiny and tracking of election-related mail. Meanwhile, the federal government is cracking down on fraudulent CDL schools and commercial drivers who fail English proficiency and safety requirements. On this episode of The States, Greg Bishop also breaks down new polling sho...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, Attorneys general across the United States are using a range of strategies to withhold 2024 emails discussing a longstanding plan to file lawsuits against the second Trump administration prior to his re-election. A coalition of education and union groups sued the Trump administration, seeking to block a rule that would impose time limits on visas fo...