(The Center Square) – Site Selection magazine recently featured New Mexico’s agreement with Maxeon Solar Technologies to construct a solar cell manufacturing plant in Albuquerque on its 2023 Top Deals in North America list. The list released last week put the $1 billion Maxeon project in Mesa del Sol at 17th among the top deals in 2023, according to the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “New Mexico’s deal with Netflix was honored by Site Selection in 2021, and now, with Maxeon, the state has a strong track record of recruiting global companies that will have a significant economic i ..read more

Vice President Kamala Harris continued her Economic Opportunity Tour on Monday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. At the event, she announced new government grants for auto supply companies. “I am proud to announce we are investing $100 million in small and medium-sized auto supply companies, many of which are Black-owned and based right here in Michigan. These grants will allow businesses to upgrade production and production lines to produce parts for electric vehicles. I am also pleased to announce the launch of a new program that will match government ..read more

(AURN News) – The White House has responded to the widespread protests at U.S. college campuses that lasted nearly two weeks in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations inundated several universities, notably Columbia and the University of Texas. The White House addressed the campus unrest last Friday, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stating that decisions over police presence rest with the institutions themselves.  “We also believe and it is important that all Americans can peacefully protest within the law,” Je ..read more

(The Center Square) – It’s probation and a fine for the former Milwaukee election manager who mailed three fake ballots during the 2022 election. A Milwaukee County judge sentenced Kimberly Zapata to a year of probation and a $3,000 fine. The judge rejected the idea Zapata was a whistle-blower who was trying to expose a flaw in Wisconsin’s voting system. “I think you had legitimate means to go about solving an issue that you identified, and I think you took a shortcut,” Judge Kori Ashley said at Zapata’s sentencing. Zapata mailed three fake military ballots to Republican State Rep. Janel Bran ..read more

(The Center Square) – Spokane is expanding renter protections again, this time with an ordinance that could ensure a tenant’s right to air conditioning. Last month, the City Council joined other municipalities by passing an ordinance that increased the notice period before raising rent to a minimum of 120 days. Now, an ordinance proposed by Council President Betsy Wilkerson takes a step further. If passed, the Heat Health & Safety Ordinance would guarantee a tenant’s right to install and use a “portable cooling device” of their choice, provided that its use does not violate building code ..read more

(The Center Square) – A Tennessee law that will match a lawsuit filed by the state against the NCAA has gone into effect. Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law and now Tennessee law allows prospective students to hire an agent and eliminates fair market value limitations on athlete pay. Senate Bill 709 also prevents athletes from suing coaches over playing time and impeding their potential earning power due to coaching decisions. The bill comes after Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office received a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and its NIL rules in February on claim ..read more

(The Center Square) – Women in Pennsylvania may soon benefit from new protections that prioritize wage transparency and change the way maternity leave impacts earning potential. And, it would apply to hourly minimum wage workers too. The legislation approved along party lines in the House of Representatives on Monday would amend the Equal Pay Act to ban sex and race discrimination, as well as mandate equivalent pay for “comparable” work. Employees who take family or medical leave wouldn’t lose seniority designed to keep their pay on par with their colleagues, either. It’s an important distinc ..read more

(The Center Square) – The Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging all of the state’s residents to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. The Fire Marshal wants Oregonians to create defensible space to increase the odds that their homes will survive wildfires, according to a press release from its office. People living in certain parts of the state may receive a $250 payment for getting a free OSFM defensible space assessment. Those eligible for payment can find out more by visiting www.oregondefensiblespace.org. Three hundred fifty-two public employees are trained to give such an assessme ..read more

(The Center Square) – Big pay raises and more days off are on the table for teachers in Chicago Public Schools. The Chicago Teachers Union wants members to get a minimum raise of 9% annually and up to 45 days off during the school year. Mailee Smith, senior director of Labor Policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said the union’s terms include teachers taking up to a year off to work for the CTU Foundation or in municipal government. “Having teachers outside the classroom is not what is best for students. This is a union power play to gain workers for their own pet projects, while guarante ..read more

(The Center Square) – The Ohio House could take up a bill this week that would force clear language on ballots for potential property tax increases and stop school districts from using individuals to challenge tax assessments. House Bill 344 could be on the House agenda when it meets Wednesday after it passed the chamber’s Ways and Means Committee on a Republican-majority 10-6 party-line vote. Sponsors say voters can sometimes be confused when a school district places either a new, replacement or renewal levy on the ballot. The bill would require ballot language to point out what had been pai ..read more