(The Center Square) – Three lawmen killed in the line of duty, and five others wounded by gunfire caused an outpouring of reponses throughout North Carolina on Monday evening. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve a warrant in Charlotte. A marshal and two state Department of Adult Correction officers lost their lives, four members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were injured, and an officer with an assisting agency was also injured, according to published reports and a social media post from the Police Department. One of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers was ..read more

(The Center Square) – There seems to be some confusion among certain state agencies about workers who received exemptions from WA Cares, Washington’s mandatory long-term care benefit program. The program is paid for by 58 cents out of every $100 earned deducted from their paychecks. WA Cares provided a one-time opportunity for people to opt out, if they could show they had private long-term care insurance in place before Nov. 1, 2021. This opt-out provision is no longer available to new applicants. Elizabeth New, policy analyst and director of the Centers for Health Care and Workers Rights at ..read more

Outkast. Strictly for editorial purposes. No copyright Infringement intended Let it be known that Outkast shook up the Hip Hop world on April 26th, 1994, with their debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Not because it was just another rap album with good rhymes and good beats, but because in a time when the culture’s eyes focused on East Coast VS West Coast, the duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000 took everyone on a tour guide through Hip Hop southern life that would reshape music. The Trip Southernplayalistic’s intro is a voyage ride guided by Peaches, who smoothly speaks of Atlanta metropolitan ..read more

(The Center Square) – Voters in 13 legislative districts have been moved into new districts for 2024, following an unsuccessful request for a stay in the case of Palmer v. Hobbs. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied the request in a ruling on April 2. The case is now back in the 9th District Circuit Court of Appeals. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik adopted a new Washington state legislative map to create a majority-Latino voting district in central Washington. Lasnik’s decision to redraw the 15th Legislative District comes after his ruling in August 2023 in Palmer ..read more

(The Center Square) – Democrat legislators have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which would establish a new, fully integrated agency to deliver transit service throughout northeastern Illinois. At a news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there will have to be changes made to the transit system to address a funding cliff and how to better operate the transit systems in the region. “I like that there is creativity coming out of the General Assembly. I also think we need to make sure we are listening to other organizations, including the CTA, who ought to be coming forward ..read more

(The Center Square) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation doubling annual paid parental leave for state employees and school personnel, including teachers. Previously, state employees could take three weeks or 120 hours of paid parental leave during a 12-month “rolling” period following a child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. However, House Bill 1010 increases the paid leave to six weeks — or 240 hours. “This significant legislation demonstrates our commitment to supporting working families across Georgia and promoting work-life balance to ensure that parents have the suppo ..read more

(The Center Square) – A Cave Junction, Oregon, man recently got sentenced to federal prison for over 14 years for illegally possessing methamphetamine and 12 firearms while under state supervision. William Thomas Gillespie, 39, received a 173-month federal prison sentence and five years’ supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “With Mr. Gillespie’s lengthy criminal record involving drug distribution, illegal firearms, and flight from supervised release, this significant sentence is well warranted,” Jonathan Blais, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of ..read more

(The Center Square) – Whitman County residents are up in the air over a proposed wind farm that would cost approximately $300 million to build. The Whitman County Board of Commissioners held meetings on Monday to discuss the project and hear community members’ pleas to protect their landmark. County Planner Alan Thomson said an extensive process would ensue once applications are filed. The proposed Harvest Hills Wind Project could provide power to 90,000 homes for 25 to 30 years as part of the state’s goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2045. The company spearheading the controversial proje ..read more

(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania’s declining working age population foreshadows trouble ahead. Legislative Republicans, however, say they’ve developed a package of education bills to keep the state’s youth within its borders and boost the economy. The program, called GrowPA, was announced earlier this month as a way to deal with workforce shortages, high college costs and the struggle of lagging behind other states. “We are facing a series of connected challenges: a struggling workforce, rising education costs, declining enrollments in many of our institutions — all perpetrated by some seri ..read more

(The Center Square) – The Biden administration’s plan to delay a national ban on flavored tobacco products announced more than two years ago left Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine disappointed. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration announced in April 2022 its plan to ban menthol and flavored cigarettes and cigars but has yet to take action. The administration said recently it would again delay the plan because of large feedback and attention. “This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil righ ..read more