The States

Esther Wickham hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country.  On today’s show, we examine concerns over taxpayer dollars in the San Francisco Unified School District being used for Pride Month events and LGBTQ+ materials. What supporters call inclusion, critics say is a focus on the wrong things as student test scores continue to drop...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country.  On today’s show, we look at President Trump’s White House visit with the royals, the irony of the visit as America approaches 250 years of independence, and how the nation’s founding fight over “no taxation without representation” still echoes in today’s tax debates. Washingto...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country.  On today’s show, we have a first hand account from The Center Square's D.C. Bureau Chief who was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night when the shooting occurred. We also look at renewed calls for gun control measures following this high profile shooting...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, Jill Underly, Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, did not attend a Wednesday morning committee meeting she was invited to about her department’s 2024 standards-setting conference in the Wisconsin Dells but representatives from her department insist it was not a public meeting. According to a group of Republican...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Houston officials have amended a city ordinance tied to immigration enforcement after pressure from Gov. Greg Abbott and the threat of lost state funding, raising broader questions about public safety policy, local control, federal cooperation and how immigrati...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country.  On today’s show, federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, while questions are being raised about the alleged misuse of donor funds and what the case could mea...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment that could reshape U.S. House representation and potentially affect majority control after the 2026 midterms, while legal challenges continue before the Virginia Supreme Court. We also look at a proposed Illin...

In today’s episode of The Center Square Daily, we look at the growing controversy over data centers as more and more are built around the country and localities raise questions about their impacts on communities. The Center Square's Investigative Reporter, Jared Strong, joins to discuss calls for the elimination of Illinois Diversity Commission and his attempts to question the commissioners.  And...

In today’s episode of The Center Square Daily, we look at energy prices after Iran reversed course on the Strait of Hormuz claiming it has closed the waterway and firing on cargo ships in the Strait. President of First There Foundation, Eric Lionheart, joins to discuss President Trump's executive order opening doors to reschedule certain psychedelic drugs and directing $50M toward research into th...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, the Center Square's Enterprise and Investigative unit looked into records of Atlanta non-profits receiving money to aid migrants but the city wanted hundreds of dollars to access the records. High school graduation rates have increased while student achievement across K-12 public schools has declined, raising concerns among education experts about a...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to decide whether individuals can carry firearms on public transportation. The Center Square's Enterprise and Investigative unit is busy looking into government spending of taxpayer dollars. A student at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego was suspended after posting a pro-Immigration and Customs Enforceme...

In today’s episode of The Center Square Daily, host Greg Bishop breaks down the biggest stories impacting taxpayers across the country. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced the results of a massive hospice fraud bust in Los Angeles County while other states continue to take a hard look at potential fraud in their government programs. We also dive into Former Illinois House Speaker M...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Greg speaks with The Center Square's D.C. Bureau Chief Sarah Roderick-Fitch on the ground in front of the White House about the latest on the Iran ceasefire. The Center Square's Art Kane joins to discuss the work of the Enterprise and Investigative Unit. Americ...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Greg looks at the ongoing economic impacts of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran as the nation waits to see what will come as Pres. Trump's 8 o' clock deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz ticks closer. The Center Square's Esther Wickham joins to d...

Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Greg looks at President Trump's threats to Iran if they don't open the Strait of Hormuz. The Center Square's Andrew Rice joins to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a challenge to Illinois' gun ban on public transportation, as well as other cases...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, Only 10 U.S. senators voted against the bipartisan housing bill that restricts large institutional investors from buying up single family homes and requires investors to sell build-to-rent homes within seven years. A bill that could switch Georgia to Atlantic Standard Time was still pending as the General Assembly approaches its final day, but one g...

Jared Strong hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Jared looks at Illinois' diversity commission coming under scrutiny by the Illinois Senate after The Center Square reported on the part time work and high pay of commissioners and the poor outcomes for the businesses they are meant to help. The Center Square's...

Jim Talamonti hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Jim looks at the debate in Illinois over who is really responsible for high property taxes. The Center Square's Christen Smith joins to discuss soaring water costs after private takeovers of utilities and steps Pennsylvania is taking to address the problem. R...

Esther Wickham hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, Esther looks at the biggest national headlines with Pres. Trump saying Iran is requesting a ceasefire and attending the Supreme Court oral arguments on birthright citizenship, and the nation gearing up for the first manned mission to the moon in 50 years. Th...

Esther Wickham hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country.  On today’s show, Esther looks at a nonprofit organization urging the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to reopen a civil rights investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging a race-based program violates federal law. The Center Sq...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, the shifts being caused by data centers and AI. California’s Merced City School District has spent over $900,000 on consultants for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to documents provided by Defending Education. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case to determine at what point an individual attempting to ent...

Host Greg Bishop talks to guests about the new income tax in Washington state, the latest Voters' Voice poll, scrutiny of funding for education programs for noncitizen students in the country illegally, the tightening of the economy, and more... Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, the U.S. Supreme court considers a variety of cases including ones dealing with gun rights, elections, and immigration. Many states are considering new policies affecting teachers’ ability to strike or participate in protests, and education officials and labor advocates continue to debate the legality of teacher strikes. A former Wisconsin prison wa...

Illinois is on heightened alert for public safety as the conflict in Iran continues, and gas prices, already high in the land of Lincoln, tick higher. A national debate over Title IX enforcement continues as the Trump administration investigates schools and universities that allow transgender students to compete in women's sports, and the U.S. Supreme Court continues to weigh a decision. Texas, Ar...

American colleges and universities have received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The Washington State House has passed a bill that terminates the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Firefighters’ Retirement System Plan 1, creates a new plan, and transfers $4.5 billion out of that plan. Democrats and environmentalists are sound...