The States

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, The California Capitol Annex Project is costing taxpayers at least $1.1 billion, but there’s only so much lawmakers are allowing the public to know about it. Democratic senators are advancing a series of proposals to tax America's wealthiest households, with supporters projecting trillions in new federal revenue but critics aren't so sure. As studen...

Federal prosecutors say a massive Medicaid and childcare fraud scheme in Minnesota stole more than $90 million from taxpayers, marking what officials describe as the largest autism fraud case ever charged by the Department of Justice. Investigators allege defendants billed for services never provided, paid kickbacks to parents, and used taxpayer-funded programs to finance luxury purchases includin...

Illinois lawmakers are raising questions about highly paid diversity commissioners and outside consulting work after new disclosures tied to the state’s $6 million Commission on Equity and Inclusion. Critics say the agency’s reported contracting progress may be misleading while the number of certified minority- and women-owned businesses eligible for state contracts has sharply declined amid ongoi...

Student walkouts tied to immigration protests, growing concerns over civics education and classroom activism, and billionaire tax proposals in Congress.  For The Center Square Daily host Esther Wickham looks at schools seeing a sharp increase in student demonstrations connected to immigration enforcement and deportation policies. According to data highlighted by education researchers, school prote...

Private nonprofit universities pay leaders millions of dollars, Louisiana students surpass pre-pandemic levels in reading and math, and a bill to protect the elderly from fraud languishes in Illinois legislature. Top private nonprofit universities that receive government funding pay some of their top leaders millions of dollars and one even received a $20 million longevity bonus, an investigation...

Protestors oppose transgender athletes in girls’ sports, President Donald Trump’s visit to China, and state budget debates. California’s debate over transgender participation in girls’ sports intensified as protesters gathered outside a California Interscholastic Federation event in Southern California, calling for changes to policies that allow athletes to compete based on gender identity. Speake...

Paid family leave debates, 'dark money' accusations in Georgia primary, and new rankings on state transparency are all shaping the political conversation ahead of the 2026 midterms.  In today’s episode of The Center Square Daily, Greg Bishop highlights Georgia’s high-stakes Republican gubernatorial primary, where Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson are locked in one of the most expens...

The fight over congressional maps is intensifying across the country after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana’s congressional districts reopened the debate over race, representation, and political power. On today’s The Center Square Daily, Greg Bishop breaks down how states including Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, and Illinois are responding as lawmakers and advocacy...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, The Tennessee General Assembly voted on a new congressional map on Thursday, a day after protestors attempted to disrupt committee meetings. National teachers unions have spent over $1 billion on political activity and advocacy since 2015, according to a new report by Defending Education. A  new report  from the Commonwealth Foundation concludes Pen...

The Department of War launches a website dedicated to UFO information and Minnesota Republicans call on Congress for help in their investigation of Feeding Our Future and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's relationship to it.  On this episode of The Center Square Daily, host Greg Bishop looks at a new batch of UFO and UAP-related files released by the Pentagon, including military videos, astronaut audio recor...

The taxpayer costs of the Fulton County case against President Trump, Tennessee's redistricting efforts, and Illinois considering a billionaires' tax.  On today's episode of The Center Square Daily, Johnny Edwards lays out his investigation into how much taxpayer money was spent on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ failed racketeering case against President Donald Trump. Months after th...

Teacher union political spending, primaries in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, and Virginia's tax incentives for data centers holds up state budget.  On today's episode of The Center Square Daily, Esther Wickham looks at a new report from Defending Education that found the nation’s largest teachers unions—the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association—have directed more than $...

The Supreme Court declines a major gun case, energy costs rise, the national debt hits 100% of GDP, and Illinois schools face a federal probe. On this episode of The Center Square Daily, host Greg Bishop breaks down the top national and state-level stories impacting taxpayers across the country. We begin with news from the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear a case involving an Indiana gun...

On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map Wednesday, ruling that the state relied too heavily on race when it created a second majority-Black district. Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown defended his staff's discussions with lawmakers over the millionaire's tax, saying it was appropriate to give legal advice and disa...

President Donald Trump signals possible U.S. troop reductions in Europe, gas prices surge nationwide amid the Iran conflict, and Illinois legislature debates face masks for employees.  On this episode of The Center Square Daily, we break down the top national and state-level stories impacting taxpayers across the country. We start with Trump’s comments on potentially pulling U.S. troops from Germa...

Jim Talamonti hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of today's top headlines including no-cash bail in Illinois and a redistricting decision out of the U.S. Supreme Court. Illinois lawmakers from both parties are calling for changes to the SAFE-T Act after a fatal shooting involving a Chicago police officer, intensifying debate over pretrial release policies, electronic monitoring and wh...

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...