America's Talking

(The Center Square) - Several blue states appear set to lose electoral college votes while red states will make sweeping gains, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests. On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced a significant decrease in U.S. population growth, largely due to less international immigration. However, analysis of the census data revealed several noteworthy takeaways in domes...

(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall event in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. During a call for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a man stood up and yelled at Omar. He also sprayed an unknown substance on her with a syringe.  Support this podcast: https://secure.ane...

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate failed to advance a package of the six remaining federal funding bills Thursday, leaving less than 40 hours until the federal government partially shuts down. More than $1.2 trillion is at stake in the House-passed legislation, funding State-Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, and Homeland Security throughout...

(The Center Square) – Illinois diversity commissioners are paid tens of thousands more than other state boards but aren't required to work full time, allowing them to run a digital media company, freelance as a human resources contractor, teach and consult for universities, direct a play and run a business hosting Dungeons and Dragons games at bars, an investigation by The Center Square found. Law...

(The Center Square) – Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s decision to rescind former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47 does not immediately end state or local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to law enforcement officials and the order itself. Executive Order 47, issued by Youngkin in February 2025, required the Virginia State Police and the...

(The Center Square) – Federal officials have made three arrests in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday morning church service in St. Paul. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi made two of the announcements Thursday morning, with a third announced Thursday afternoon. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code...

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal structure regarding Greenland is developing after he stepped back from threatened tariffs on European allies, which he previously linked to Denmark handing over control of the semi-autonomous Arctic island. Danish officials say Greenland's sovereignty is non-negotiable. Trump, however, asserts that an agreement is being worked on, b...

(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Senate sending a roughly $180 billion funding package to the president’s desk Thursday, Congress has now knocked out half of the annual appropriations bills funding federal agencies in fiscal year 2026. The three-bill minibus, which passed the House last week, grants full-year appropriations for the departments of Commerce; Justice; Energy; Interior; the Environ...

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases on transgender athletes participating in girls' and women’s sports. Advocates for state laws banning transgender participation said the definition of "sex" under Title IX will be central to a favorable ruling from the court. Little v. Hecox and B.P.J. v. West Virginia dealt with whether preventing transgender athletes from c...

The Center Square staff discuss federal scrutiny of Minnesota childcare fraud and increasing unrest in Minnesota. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the state attorney general were either “complicit” in the now-estimated $9 billion of social services fraud that has taken place in the state in recent years or “asleep at the wheel,” according to Republican Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. “How could they allow this massive fraud to go on for years? This is why we're here today. We must expose t...

(The Center Square) – Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty as he was arraigned in a New York court on Monday, facing federal drug and weapons charges. Maduro described himself as a “decent man,” claiming to be the president of Venezuela, despite the U.S. and dozens of countries contradicting him as a legitimate leader. “I am not guilty … I am a decent man. I am still the...

(The Center Square) – Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's congressional seat will be empty at least two months, likely three, as a special election already drawing 24 candidates will not take place until March 10. If a runoff is needed, April 7 would be the earliest the seat could be decided, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday. Georgia law requires winning candidates to recei...

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court will head into 2026 with numerous high profile decisions to issue. Transgender athletes, birthright citizenship, presidential firing power, tariffs and redistricting are several issues that hang in the balance of the high court’s decision making. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...

The Center Square staff discusses what to expect from Congress in 2026 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Center Square staff discuss Congress' accomplishments and challenges in the past year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Center Square reporters discuss President Trump's first year of his second term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Center Square staff discuss the developments in Trump's tariff policies throughout 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) -- Ohio's elected leaders have earmarked more than $16 million to commemorate the nation's 250th birthday next year – significantly more than some of the first U.S. states. And they have committed those funds over the course of five years to a commission that is outside of typical state oversight and that is spending significant amounts of money on projects that are not directl...

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act in a party line, 216-211, vote Wednesday, sending the bill to its likely demise in the Senate. The bill, which will almost certainly fail to reach the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, is Republicans’ alternative to extending enhancements to the Obamacare Premium Tax Credit. Congress temporarily expanded the...

(The Center Square) – In what is likely his final address to the nation of the year, President Donald Trump touted what he said were his accomplishments, and previewed some policies to come in the new year. The president spent a significant amount of time in his 18-minute address discussing affordability, which has taken center stage in recent weeks as he and Vice President JD Vance have been high...

(The Center Square) – The Trump administration has proposed $12 billion in federal aid to American farmers, with many undergoing what Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described as an economic crisis. The Department of Agriculture will deliver the aid through one-time direct payments under its new Farmer Bridge Assistance program, meant to carry farmers from their current struggles to a “golden...

(The Center Square) – U.S. House members advanced the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the must-pass annual Pentagon funding bill, in a 312-112 vote Wednesday. The roughly $901 billion compromise legislation, which now heads to the Senate, is $8 billion more than the White House requested, but $24 billion less than the Senate’s version of the bill.  Support this podcast: https://secure.ane...

(The Center Square) – Amid a national housing crisis, the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development produced guidelines encouraging property owners to forgo some fair housing practices to favor Afghan refugees, the Trump administration argues in a new directive terminating previous guidelines. The Center Square obtained a HUD directive from the Office of Fair Housing and E...

(The Center Square) – States that refuse to turn over data on food stamp recipients will lose all SNAP funding, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday. “If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding,” Rollins posted on X. “Let’s see which states stand for accountability and which are jus...