Yearly Archives: 2024

Most registered voters, 59%, support a federal ban on transgender procedures such as puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgeries for minors, a new national poll found.

The strongest support for a federal ban came from registered Republicans (82%), while the lowest amount of support for it came from registered Democrats (36%). Independents polled offered majority support for a ban, with 56% in favor.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights between Oct.2-4 and surveyed 2,560 registered voters. The margin of error for the aggregate sample was ±2.1%.

According to the poll, although both sexes favored a federal ban on transgender procedures for minors, men were more likely to favor it, with 63% in favor compared to 56% for women. Among the ethnicities polled, “others” favored a ban the most at 63% compared to 61% for Whites. Of Black registered voters polled, 46% favored a ban, while 32% were opposed and 22% were not sure.

Among age demographics, the categories most in favor of a federal ban were 45-54 and 54-65, both of which polled at 61%, while 18-34 were the least in favor, albeit still at a 52% majority of them still supporting banning the procedures for minors.

Although voters with and without college degrees both favored a federal ban by more than 50%, those without degrees favored it more at 61%, while 55% of voters with a college degree supported a ban.

Voters with children supported a ban more than those without, at 61% to 52% respectively.

Geographically, rural voters favored a ban more than suburban or urban voters, at 64% compared to 57% and 58% respectively.

Regionally, the Northeast was least supportive of a federal ban, with 51% in favor. The South was the most supportive at 61%, while the Midwest favored it at 60%. Voters in the West favored a ban by 59%.

Transgender procedures on minors are now banned in 25 states, including states such as Ohio which, according to data from the nonprofit Do No Harm, was one of the top in the nation for procedures and procedures per capita. According to Do No Harm’s data, released last week, at least 13,994 transgender procedures were performed on minors across the U.S. between 2019-2023, The Center Square reported.

Do No Harm is a nonprofit group of physicians and other medical professionals that gets its name from the Hippocratic oath: "First, do no harm." According to its website, Do No Harm is "fighting to curtail the unscientific and individually harmful practice of so-called 'gender affirming care'" for children.

In an email to The Center Square, David Byler with Noble Predictive Insights, wrote that "on many issues surrounding trans rights and students or youth, the GOP has public opinion on their side. There’s a reason that, when you look at GOP ads, they are constantly hammering this and other related issues. And some prominent Democrats are pushing out moderate, rather than left, messages."

He added that "Republicans know that trans issues are a strong social issue for them – and after getting hit hard on abortion so many times since Dobbs, they want to make sure they’re pushing back and finding social issues that work for them."

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin saw a 2.1% increase in its general sales and use tax collections in the first quarter of the new fiscal year in numbers released Thursday.

The state collected more than $1.32 billion after collecting $1.29 billion during the same period last year. The numbers represent collections from July through September.

Overall, the state collected an adjusted amount of $4.15 billion in general purpose revenue during the first quarter, up from $3.97 billion in the first quarter of last fiscal year.

Wisconsin collected $21.3 billion last fiscal year, ending in June, after collecting nearly $21 billion the year before.

The numbers represent a continuation of a trend of slowed growth in sales tax revenue for the state in the post-COVID timeframe.

The state collected $2.73 billion in state sales taxes over the first five months of 2024, a 0.4% increase over the $2.72 billion in the same five months the year before, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum.

“The retail sector contributes the largest amount in sales tax revenues by far,” the group said in July. “In calendar year 2023, Wisconsin reported a total of $7.22 billion in sales tax revenues; $3.47 billion of that – or 48.0% – came from retail. Consequently, even though growth in the retail sector was limited (0.6%), that growth accounts for almost the entirety of sales tax revenue growth in Wisconsin during the first five months of 2024.”

Corporate taxes were up 2.8% year over year for the first quarter of the new fiscal year while excise tax was down 2.7% and individual income tax collections were up an adjusted 6.7%.

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a lawsuit for several parents of students against the Milwaukee Public School District for failing to provide the required 25 school resource officers in its schools.

Wisconsin’s Act 12 requires MPS to have 25 SROs in place by Jan. 1, 2024, during normal school hours.

“I think MPS needs to take their input from the parents and put those safety resource officers in the school,” MPS parent Charlene Abughrin said in a statement. “Otherwise, it’s just reckless and dangerous behavior left unchecked. No discipline, no consequences. What are we teaching our kids?”

The WILL lawsuit cited several times this year when the SRO requirement was publicly discussed at board meetings or by district leadership, which acknowledged the requirement has not been met.

“The actions and inactions of the board and the statements of these board directors all make clear they are aware of their plain duty under state law, but are deliberately not complying with, the requirements of Act 12,” the lawsuit says.

Wisconsin will be sending an estimated $174 million to communities in 2025 for Act 12 personal property aid.

“Failing to provide SROs has left students vulnerable and has forced Milwaukee police officers—through 9-1-1 calls—to pick up the slack when schools need assistance,” WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel said in a statement. “MPS’ failure to follow this law harms the entirety of Milwaukee by not only disregarding the safety of students but also by draining the resources of MPD that are needed elsewhere.”

Washington state is among the 10 states in the nation where gender reassignment procedures performed on minors occur the most, according to data from Do No Harm, while Seattle’s Children’s Hospital was listed among the top hospitals in the nation.

Do No Harm is a nonprofit group of physicians and other medical professionals that gets its name from the Hippocratic oath: "First, do no harm." According to its website, Do No Harm is "fighting to curtail the unscientific and individually harmful practice of so-called 'gender affirming care'" for children.

The group’s database shows that from 2019-2023, in Washington state there were 772 puberty or hormone blockers patients and 330 gender reassignment surgery patients age 17 and younger, making it third in the nation for total state patients for gender reassignment treatment on minors.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 1.68 million Washington residents under the age of 18, putting the rate of gender reassignment at one per 1,564 minor residents.

Do No Harm defines puberty blockers as “synthetic hormones which are used to postpone puberty in children” and gender reassignment surgery as “a cosmetic medical procedure meant to alter a person’s appearance to look like or mimic the opposite sex; these procedures cannot change a person’s sex. Types of sex reassignment surgeries include procedures such as ‘top surgery,’ ‘bottom surgery,’ and facial feminization/masculinization surgeries.”

According to the nonprofit’s database, the number of patients for both puberty blockers and surgeries increased from 2019 to 2022, but fell dramatically in 2023; however, both remained at levels above 2019.

The most prominent medical location for gender reassignment treatment was Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, which between 2019-2023 had a total of 246 hormone puberty blocker patients and 50 surgery patients. A total of $1.4 million was billed for these services, though this data does not include patients who paid partially or fully out of pocket.

Seattle Children’s Hospital has a gender clinic and describes itself as “the only pediatric academic medical center with fellowship-trained plastic surgeons who provide gender-affirming surgery in our region," though genital surgeries are restricted to those 18 or older.

"For other surgeries, timing depends on many factors, like the patient’s stage of puberty and how surgery fits with the rest of their gender-related healthcare,” the website states. “A typical age is mid-teens or older."

According to its website, they accept new patients ages 9 to 17.75 “at the time of referral who have already started puberty,” while those 17.75 or older and patients who have not yet started puberty are “directed to community resources.” Parental or guardian consent is required for treatments unless the patient is an emancipated minor.

The gender clinic also partners with the hospital’s autism center “to coordinate care for children and teens with autism and related social challenges.”

Earlier this year, doctors from Seattle Children’s Hospital released a paper arguing that “withholding GAC (gender affirming care) is harmful to children and amounts to state-sanctioned medical neglect and emotional abuse.”

Also earlier this year, Seatle Children’s Hospital reached a settlement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after his office sought to obtain medical records from the hospital under the suspicion it was providing gender reassignment services to minors traveling from Texas, where those services are prohibited. As part of the settlement, the hospital withdrew its business license from Texas.

The Family Policy Institute of Washington is a religious organization that "serve as the bridge between culture and government – interfacing with churches, pastors, government leaders, and media to articulate a clear vision for healthy families in our state."

CEO and President Brian Noble told The Center Square that the number of gender reassignment procedures "are actually lower than I thought they would be," but also said "one of the things that I believe that is causing great anxiety within our young people is to remove the foundation of the scientific evidence of who they are. It’s not surprising to me that the Covid lockdown produced the harvest of certain people questioning their gender.”

He added that “this report is about minors. We’re talking about nonadults who can’t even drink a beer or get a tattoo making these decisions.”

Seattle Children's Hospital did not respond to request for comment on Do No Harm's data or its nationwide ranking.

The State Attorney General's Office also did not respond to request for comment on the effects of gender reassignment procedures on youth mental health; the AGO recently filed a lawsuit against TikTok claiming that it is harmful to youth mental health.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde said in a 2012 interview that he was in favor of raising the retirement age for Social Security, something that is the focus of a new political ad from incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

Hovde clarified his thoughts to the Milwaukee Press Club and on social media this week with a statement saying that his proposal won’t impact those nearing retirement or currently receiving Social Security.

Instead, his proposal applies only to those under the age of 40 because the Congressional Budget Office predicts that Social Security will have negative cash flow by 2033.

“If we don’t act now, Social Security will no longer be able to pay out full benefits,” Hovde wrote.

Hovde added he has never proposed to cut Social Security either, instead proposing to put Social Security in a trust so it cannot be used for other government spending.

“This should have happened from its beginning,” Hovde wrote. “For decades, Congress has treated Social Security like a piggy bank, pulling from it to fund their pet projects. This has to stop.”

Baldwin and Hovde have a scheduled debate at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 in Madison.

Hovde spent plenty of time Tuesday discussing national debt and ending overspending by the federal government.

He did, however, say that he is for spending federal funds to replace lead pipes, a topic that President Joe Biden was in Milwaukee discussing on Tuesday. Biden announce the Environmental Protection Agency is supplying $2.6 billion to replace lead lines.

“Reality of it is, there’s not a lot of lead pipes anymore because typically a pipe will erode over a particular amount of time and they replace them,” Hovde said. “So I think it’s making … trying to act like it’s a bigger issue.

“The amount of lead pipes in this country are very small, but I think we should get rid of all of them.”

The Wisconsin Policy Forum wrote in 2023 that there are more than 150,000 lead service lines in Wisconsin, affecting at least 92 communities in the state. The group said that 37,000 lead lines were replaced or turned off between 2018 and 2023.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will send an estimated $1.56 billion to local governments in shared revenue in 2025.

That total includes $770 million for county and municipal aid, $281 million for supplemental county and municipal aid, nearly $174 million for Act 12 personal property aid, $98 million for exempt computer aid, $97 million for utility aid, nearly $76 million for personal property aid on locally assessed machinery and tools, $58 million in expenditure restraint incentive program aid and $10 million in video service cable provider aid.

The estimates include a $23.6 million increase in county and municipal aid based on last year’s sales tax collections.

“I’m excited to see how the results of our historic shared revenue increases are going to help support communities and families across Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said. “We’re helping make sure our local communities can meet basic and unique needs alike, including investing in fire and emergency services, fixing local roads, expanding affordable housing and transportation, ensuring kids and families have clean and safe water and parks, supporting local public health and libraries—whatever those needs may be.”

The shared funds are mainly general, unrestricted aids that can be used for any activity approved by the local government.

The supplemental county and municipal aid cannot be used for administrative services and must be used for law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical services, emergency response communications, public works, courts and transportation.

The Act 12 funds start in 2025 and are meant to compensate local governments for manufacturing personal property becoming tax exempt.

Former President Donald Trump holds a slight edge over rival Vice President Kamala Harris when it comes to the issues voters are most concerned about: inflation and illegal immigration.

That's according to the results of The Center Square's Voters' Voice Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, and released Wednesday. The poll is one of only six national tracking polls in the United States.

Harris is gaining ground on Trump on the third top issue: the economy and job, thought Trump still holds the trust advantage among voters.

Likely voters are more concerned about inflation (47%) and illegal immigration (40%) than the economy (32%). Other top issues for voters were abortion rights (26%), crime (22%), climate change (18%), healthcare access (18%), government corruption (16%) and national debt and government spending (14%).

David Byler, of Noble Predictive Insights, said Harris has largely gotten a pass on inflation, an issue voters associated more closely with President Joe Biden.

"What you see now is a much tighter race between Harris and Trump than it ever was between [Trump] and Biden," he said. "Biden was largely blamed for rising prices and for rising inflation."

Despite being the vice president during Biden's term, when inflation spiked to a 40-year high, voters are more optimistic about Harris, Byler said.

"Bottom line was that voters aren't holding Harris quite as responsible for inflation as they held Biden, and this is one of her big points of improvement over Biden as a candidate," he said. "[Harris] is improving on Biden's numbers against Trump on economic issues like inflation and like taxes, and that's a big explainer for why she's got the Democratic base back and why this has gone from Trump winning the popular vote to Harris narrowly leading."

After the U.S. Supreme Court sent the abortion issues back to the states with the Dobbs decision, Republicans lost some interest in the abortion issue, at least compared to other priorities, Byler said.

"So immigration is really one of the key salient social issues with an economic angle to it as well," he said.

Trump has made illegal immigration a top priority for his campaign as he seeks a second term in the White House. He has called Harris' border policies soft and blamed her for an influx of people from other countries, more than 14 million since Biden-Harris took office, The Center Square reported. Trump has also promised tough border policies and mass deportations.

Trump never succeeded on mass deportations during his first term. On both issues, Congress will have its say, which could blunt or block Trump's policies if the former president is re-elected, depending on who controls the U.S. House and Senate.

Illegal immigration has gotten more attention as border states such as Arizona and Texas have sent busloads of migrants to cities around the country. Texas has bused more than 102,000 migrants to sanctuary cities including New York, Chicago and Denver, among others.

Harris opposed many border security measures Trump implemented, including building a border wall. As "border czar" under Biden, and as the administration reversed many of Trump's security measures, Harris has overseen a massive surge in illegal immigration.

Total illegal border crossings surpassed 14 million from the beginning of their term through September, by far a record compared to any other administration, The Center Square reported. Since replacing Biden at the top of the ticket, Harris now says those who illegally cross the border should face "consequences." She now also says she supports building a border wall, a reversal from her past position.

Noble Predictive Insights conducted the poll from Oct 2-4, 2024. The sample included 2,560 respondents comprised of 1,135 Republicans, 1,162 Democrats, and 263 True Independents (Independents who, when asked if they leaned toward one of the major parties, chose neither). Of the full sample of registered voters, 2,290 were qualified as “likely voters.”

The poll weighted each party – Republicans, Democrats, and True Independents – independently. Additional weighting variables include age, region, gender, education, and race/ethnicity.

The margin of error was +/- 1.9% for registered voters and +/-2.1% for likely voters.

Former President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that he would not debate Vice President Kamala Harris amid speculation that the two could have one last faceoff before Election Day on Nov. 5.

Trump's comments come the same day that Fox News invited both candidates to debate at the end of this month, just days before voters head to the polls, though much early voting is already underway.

"This would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments," Fox News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace and Vice President of Politics Jessica Loker wrote in a letter to both campaigns.

Harris had previously publicly said she wanted to debate Trump on CNN, and Trump said that he had previously attempted to have a Fox News debate with Harris. Now, neither will happen.

“I won the last two debates, one with Crooked Joe, the other with Lyin’ Kamala,” Trump wrote in all capital letters online. “I accepted the Fox-News invitation to debate Kamala on September 4th, but she turned it down.”

The news comes as The Center Square Voters' Voice poll released this week shows that Harris holds a slight lead over Trump nationally, 49% to 47% with likely voters.

However, that same poll shows Trump making inroads with Black and Hispanic voters.

Because the race is so tight, it will likely be decided by a handful of swing states.

According to Real Clear Politics’ polling, Trump is leading in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, but his narrow leads are within the margin of error for most polls.

Harris has a slight lead in Wisconsin and Nevada, also within the margin of error, making the race a toss-up.

Trump touted his running mate’s debate earlier this month, where U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, faced off against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“J.D. Vance easily won his debate with ... Tim Walz, who called himself a knucklehead!” Trump said. “I am also leading in the polls, with the lead getting bigger by the day - and leading in all swing states. The first thing a prizefighter does when he loses a fight is say that he ‘demands a rematch.’ It is very late in the process, voting has already begun - there will be no rematch! Besides, Kamala stated clearly, yesterday, that she would not do anything different than Joe Biden, so there is nothing to debate.”

The debates have covered a range of issues from immigration to abortion to foreign relations to housing and more.

Notably, energy issues have received less attention in these debates, despite polling showing voters consider costs and energy an important issue.

A Morning Consult/API poll obtained first by The Center Square showed the majority of Americans want to hear more from the candidates on energy issues.

“Americans overwhelmingly want a candidate who will stop the war on American energy as energy costs have soared nearly 30 percent and families have lost more than $4,691 since Harris and Biden took office,” Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Center Square.

“If Kamala becomes president, prices would spike even higher – she was a proud supporter of the Green New Scam and has promised to ban fracking and kill good paying energy jobs in Pennsylvania and across the heartland,” Leavitt added. “President Trump is the only candidate who will make America energy dominant again, protect our energy jobs, and bring down the cost of living for working families."

While Harris in the past has said she supported banning fracking, since she has become the Democratic presidential nominee, she says she no longer supports such a ban.

Newly released federal inflation data shows that prices rose faster than expected last month, putting more pressure on Americans’ budgets.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday released its Consumer Price Index, a key marker of inflation, which showed that CPI rose 0.2% in September.

While inflation rose more than expected last month, the year-over-year inflation of 2.4% in this latest data is much lower than the major spike in inflation in recent years.

The data comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut last month, a sign that the Fed believes inflation is under control enough to lower rates, and thereby boost the economy.

“Disinflation continues, but anyone who thought the Fed was going to lower rates by another .50 basis points in November is dead wrong,” Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group in Richmond, said in a statement. “When interest rates aren’t high enough to lower growth, they aren’t high enough to stifle inflation completely either. The Fed will lower rates, but at a measured pace from here.”

Much of the increase was driven by an increase in rent costs.

The data also showed a jump in food prices of 0.4%, the biggest increase since January of this year.

“Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month,” BLS said. “The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.8 percent in September as the index for eggs increased 8.4 percent. The fruits and vegetables index increased 0.9 percent over the month, following a 0.2-percent decline in August. The index for other food at home rose 0.2 percent in September and the index for cereals and bakery products increased 0.3 percent. The dairy and related products index increased 0.1 percent over the month, while the nonalcoholic beverages index was unchanged in September.”

Eating out became 3.9% more expensive in the last year.

Meanwhile, experts say the deadly hurricanes hitting the U.S. right now are impacting the job market.

“Initial jobless claims jumped to 258,000 in the week ending October 5, above the 230,000 consensus forecast or Comerica’s forecast of 250,000,” Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank “This is the first claims report showing the impact of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 26.”

(The Center Square) – Twenty-five Republican governors want to know how many illegal foreign nationals have been flown into their states by a Biden-Harris administration plan they argue is burdening their residents and creating an unsafe environment.

Those being flown in have arrived through more than a dozen parole programs created by U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The governors only inquired about one: the CHNV parole program, created to fast track previously inadmissible citizens of Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela moving into the country.

According to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, 530,000 CHNV parolees were released into the country in the past year, in addition to 813,000 foreign nationals processed into the country from all over the world through a CBP One app. Attorneys general from multiple states sued to stop them, arguing they are illegal. The U.S. House impeached Mayorkas for them and other actions they argue created the border crisis.

The 1.3 million inadmissables released into the country are among nearly 14 million illegal border crossers reported since fiscal 2021, the greatest number under any administration in U.S. history.

In a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the 25 governors described how the CHNV parole program negatively impacted their communities and expressed bewilderment over no communication provided about their “arrival times, duration of residency, legal status, and location.”

The influx and lack of communication “has created considerable confusion and alarm among local officials and the general public. In the absence of direction from DHS, law enforcement and municipal leaders have often been left to rely upon news reports and social media posts to determine size and location of incoming migrant populations in order to assess what impact they may have on already limited government services including local public schools,” they said.

“The apparent dumping of migrants into our cities and small towns with no advance notice has not only sowed mistrust and fear among the public, but it has also placed the migrants themselves at potential of physical harm. After being met with understandable skepticism from the communities in which they are now living, migrants have become fearful to interact with the public. This isolation has created a ripe environment for their exploitation and abuse.”

The governors requested the information they said to best protect illegal foreign nationals who might be targeted for abuse by cartel operatives or are already victims of human smuggling and trafficking, and to protect their citizens.

“Without information about the migrants’ sponsors or the location and employment status of migrants, state and local law enforcement are extremely limited in their abilities to investigate potential exploitation of migrants and the possibility of their victimization from human trafficking,” they said.

“As chief executives of our states directly responsible for the safety of our citizens and those who reside within our borders,” they said, they are demanding “a full accounting from the Biden-Harris Administration and DHS.” They requested information about the location of each parolee in their state, the vetting process conducted for each parolee, the name and location for each sponsor granted guardianship of parolees, and the system in place to monitor them.

The request came after the DHS Office of Inspector General issued multiple reports detailing the administration’s repeated failure to vet them and inability to monitor them after their release. The OIG also expressed alarm that federal agencies were flying illegal foreign nationals on domestic flights who hadn’t been properly vetted and have no identification. It also came after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, demanded answers about how many were being flown and housed in airports, raising concerns about terrorist threats.

An unknown number of illegal foreign nationals arriving in their states “potentially in need of state and local services” was done “without our consent, any advance notice or resources,” the governors said. “Accordingly, we request your administration furnish our states complete information about the location and status of migrants being directed to our communities.”

Those demanding answers include Govs. Kay Ivey (AL), Mike Dunleavy (AK), Sarah Sanders (AR), Ron DeSantis (FL), Brian Kemp (GA), Brad Little (ID), Eric Holcomb (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Jeff Landry (LA), Tate Reeves (MS), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Jim Pillen (NE), Joe Lombardo (NV), Chris Sununu (NH), Doug Burgum (ND), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Greg Abbott (TX), Spencer Cox (UT), Glenn Youngkin (VA), Jim Justice (WV), and Mark Gordon (WY).

An Afghan citizen released into the U.S. less than 10 days after the Biden-Harris deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was arrested for plotting an Election Day terrorist attack on American soil.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced charges were brought against 27-year-old Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, residing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for conspiring to conduct an Election Day terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

His co-conspirator, a juvenile and Tawhedi’s wife’s brother, was also charged. The brother, an Afghan national with legal permanent resident status, was residing in Moore, Oklahoma.

The charges are “providing, attempting to provide, and conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization; Knowingly receiving, conspiring to receive, and attempting to receive firearms and ammunition to be used to commit a felony or Federal crime of terrorism,” according to the criminal complaint.

Tawhedi allegedly conspired and attempted to provide material support to ISIS by attempting to acquire AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition to commit a terrorist attack on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS. He also allegedly planned and took steps to liquidate his family’s assets and resettle family members overseas on Oct. 17, the complaint states.

The DOJ “foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of ISIS on U.S. soil on Election Day,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.”

“This defendant, motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack, on Election Day, here on our homeland," said FBI Director Christopher Wray, after warning about heightened Islamic terrorist attacks.

The complaint states that from between August 2024 and Oct. 7, the two Afghan nationals “entered into a conspiracy to knowingly receive, attempt to receive, and received a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism.”

It cites examples of their “pro-ISIS ideology,” including a July 20 video recording of Tawhedi reading an Islamic text to his daughter and his wife’s nephew about Islamic martyrs, saying, “martyrs will be exempted from the sufferings of the grave, placed in heaven, get married to 72 virgins, and receive the crown full of jewels,” the complaint states.

After search warrants were issued, FBI investigators discovered that Tawhedi allegedly accessed, viewed, and saved ISIS propaganda on iCloud and in Google accounts, participated in pro-ISIS Telegram groups, and donated over $500 to a Syria-based charity that funnels money to ISIS.

They also found images Tawhedi allegedly stored electronically related to terrorism, including of a suicide vest, killing infidels, the 9/11 terrorist attack, ISIS leaders, the US Capitol with an ISIS flag flying above it, among others. His brother-in-law was also mentioned in at least five pro-ISIS Telegram groups, according to the complaint.

One Telegram message thread states Tawhedi sold the family’s Oklahoma home, will receive the money by Oct. 15 and, “After that we will begin our duty, God willing, with the help of God, we will get ready for the Election Day.”

When liquidating his assets, he and his co-conspirator allegedly advertised selling personal property on Facebook. An FBI confidential source responded to one ad inquiring about purchasing a computer and also claimed to have a firearms business. The two Afghan nationals subsequently agreed to meet on Oct. 7 in a rural location. Tawhedi then allegedly purchased and received two AK-47 assault rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition, and was subsequently arrested, the complaint states.

After his arrest, Tawhedi confirmed he and his co-conspirator planned to commit a suicide attack on Election Day to kill a large number of people, according to the complaint.

In response, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-TN, and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger, R-TX, blamed the Biden-Harris “Operation Allies Welcome” policy. Through it, 77,000 Afghans were released into the country who weren’t properly vetted, according to an Inspector General report.

“When tens of thousands of insufficiently vetted individuals are let into the interior, this is the inevitable result,” they said. “This Committee has repeatedly warned of the terror threats stemming from the Biden-Harris administration's failed leadership and disastrous border security policies.

“Unfortunately, our calls for transparency regarding the inadequate vetting and screening following the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan continue to go unanswered – and, here, Americans almost paid the price. We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement in thwarting this alleged terror plot on Election Day, but President Biden and Vice President Harris must reverse course on their misguided policies and put the safety and security of the American people first.”

President Joe Biden on Tuesday praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his efforts to get the state ready for a strike in the Tampa Bay area by Hurricane Milton.

"The governor of Florida says he's gotten all that he needs," Biden said. "I talked again to him yesterday and I said no, you're doing a great job, we thank you for it and I literally gave my personal phone number to call.

"There was a rough start in some places, but every governor from Florida to North Carolina has been fully cooperative and supportive and acknowledged what this team is doing and they're doing an incredible job, but we've got a lot more to do."

The praise from Biden comes as DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, continue to be at odds. Harris called him "selfish" for not taking her calls and DeSantis shot back, saying she was trying to "parachute" her way into storm recovery and relief efforts.

Biden also said in a briefing at the White House that his administration would help "communities before, during and after these extreme weather events."

The federal government's response to Helene has been under fire from former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee.

"They’re offering $750 to people whose homes have been washed away, and yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of," Trump said at his Butler, Pa. rally Saturday.

His comment was without context. The Biden administration has confirmed more than $137 million in assistance with more expected, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said more than $33 million in FEMA assistances to individuals had already been paid to more than 109,000 people. More than 2,100 are housed in hotels through FEMA transitional sheltering.

Hurricane Milton, likely one of the worst storms in 100 years in Tampa, is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday morning as a Category 3 storm packing winds of 120 mph.

It'll be the second storm in as many weeks to hit the state and DeSantis urged Floridians in a news conference in Ocala on Tuesday to not lose faith in the state's ability to bounce back.

"It's not easy," he said. "I know people have been working around the clock, not just with state government, but our local counties and cities and then all the other partners that participate in this. But people are pushing forward. They're stepping up. I know some of our residents that just experienced hurricane damage from Helene are also fatigued. Just hang in there and do the right thing. Just let's get through this. We can do it together.

"And then on the other side of it, make sure everybody's safe and and we'll put the pieces back together. The state is strong, we're going to be able to weather it. Not going to be easy. We're going to suffer damage."

The storm surge in Tampa Bay, which hasn't been hit directly by a hurricane since 1921, could be as high as 15 feet. That's triple what the area experienced with Hurricane Helene, which passed offshore on Sept. 23 before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.

Helene's biggest impact has been in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, where flash flooding destroyed communities and killed 230, including 84 in North Carolina.

(The Center Square) – The Wauwatosa School District is asking voters to approve a pair of referendums worth $124.4 million on the Nov. 5 ballot.

But a taxpayer advocacy group believes the district, with declining enrollment, should “right-size” its current budget rather than using a referendum to spend more taxpayer money. The group pointed toward a second planned referendum in 2026 as part of a cycle of tax increases that it believes needs to end.

The group points to a reported $4 million budget mistake by the district as a sign of mismanagement.

The district’s two proposals include $16.1 million per year for four years to fund operational expenses such as salaries and benefits and a $60 million referendum for maintenance and capital projects at Eisenhower, Madison, Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington elementary schools, Montessori/Fisher and Wauwatosa East and West high schools.

State law caps how much a district can increase its property tax levy without voter approval.

The district says the first referendum includes $52.4 million to maintain class sizes and academic programs, $8 million to increase teacher compensation and $4 million to update curriculum and materials.

“Because state funding has not kept pace with inflation, the District is facing a budget shortfall of $9.3 million for the 2024-25 school year – and $61 million over the next five years,” the district said. “The District plans to use its fund balance to fill this budget gap for the 2024-25 school year. However, this is not a sound long-term financial strategy.”

A new report published by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security states that “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” represent a “persistent terror threat to America.”

It identifies more than 50 cases in 29 U.S. states between April 2021 and September 2024, including dozens of attempts to provide material support to Islamic designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), ISIS, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, with individuals receiving military type training from ISIS and Hezbollah, and committing fraud.

The states where jihadist cases were identified include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

The committee notes that increased threats to Americans heightened after an ISIS-K-orchestrated terrorist attack in Afghanistan on Aug. 30, 2021, that killed 13 U.S. service members. Terrorism threats also escalated after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 with 200 hostages taken.

“From the Biden-Harris administration’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and the spillover effects of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against our ally Israel to the vulnerabilities caused by our wide-open borders, the United States is facing a dynamic and worsening terror threat landscape,” Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said.

“Foreign jihadist networks like ISIS and Hizballah, as well as homegrown violent extremists ideologically motivated by these terrorist groups, present security threats to the homeland. The Department of Homeland Security’s mission is to protect the American people from every threat at our doorstep. The system is blinking red yet again, as even the head of the FBI has noted. Despite heightened threats from terrorists, the Biden-Harris administration continues to demonstrate weak leadership on the world stage and fails to admit its policy failures that brought us here. We must change course and take the necessary actions to protect the homeland.”

The report lists examples of convictions of foreign nationals and American citizens, nearly all Muslim men, in 29 states. Of the dozens cited, some include:

a Turkish man in Kentucky convicted of providing material support and receiving military-type training from ISIS;two Jordanian illegal border crossers attempted to breach Marine Base Quantico;a British Muslim held hostage Jewish parishioners in a Colleyville, Texas, synagogue;a Pakistani man with ties to Iran charged in New York with attempting to commit an act of terrorism and murder-for-hire to assassinate American politicians;a Moroccan man in Minnesota sentenced to prison for joining and fighting with ISIS in Syria, receiving military training from ISIS and providing assistance to ISIS;a Muslim man in Florida sentenced to prison for supporting an FTO;a Pakistani man in Minnesota sentenced to prison for multiple offenses including planning to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the U.S.;two brothers in Indiana sentenced to prison for providing material support to a terrorist organization, including manufacturing and selling weapons;a Kosovo man in Brooklyn, New York, sentenced to life in prison for providing material support to ISIS and serving as a high-ranking member of ISIS;an Uzbekistan national sentenced to centuries in prison for carrying out a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS in lower Manhattan in October 2017, killing eight;a Muslim man in Pittsburgh sentenced to prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and planning to bomb a church in the name of ISIS; among others.

The report also highlights actions taken by the Departments of Justice and Treasury against individuals and groups connected to Islamic terrorist organizations.

It was released 23 years after 19 al Qaeda men hijacked four airplanes to commit the largest terrorist attack in U.S. history, killing nearly 3,000 people.

It was also released after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued its threat report for 2025, warning of terrorism threats surrounding the November election and the Israel-Hamas war. Prior to that, an international rescue organization issued an alert to Jews and Americans to remain vigilant in light of heightened terrorist threats leading up to the one year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack and Jewish holidays.

In 2002, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act, creating the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to consolidate multiple federal agencies with one goal: to defend Americans from terrorist and national security threats. Twenty-three years later, DHS has serious deficiencies, and its policies are potentially creating national security risks, according to multiple reports published by the Office of Inspector General.

In the most recent report released, the OIG said current U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices “cannot ensure they are keeping high-risk noncitizens without identification from entering the country.” Likewise, the Transportation Security Administration “cannot ensure its vetting and screening procedures prevent high-risk noncitizens who may pose a threat to the flying public from boarding domestic flights.

“CBP and ICE have policies and procedures for screening noncitizens, but neither component knows how many noncitizens without identification documents are released into the country.”

Professional sports teams and government officials promise tax revenue benefits when taxpayer subsidies are used to build new or renovation stadiums and arenas.

But those benefits consistently do not come to fruition, according to a report from the Tax Foundation.

The report is consistent with years of economic research showing the same.

"The empirical evidence shows repeatedly that stadium subsidies fail to generate new tax revenue and new jobs or attract new businesses," said Adam Hoffer, Director of Excise Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. "While attending a sporting event or a concert in a new, publicly subsidized venue might benefit fans of the team or those who attend the event, those subsidies shift spending that would have occurred in other parts of the city or state in the absence of a new sports stadium or arena."

The report highlights 12 projects in cities across the U.S. that were proposed or approved in 2024, including a $2.4 billion subsidy for a new Tampa Rays stadium and development in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a $2.4 billion proposed subsidy for a new Chicago Bears stadium on the Chicago off Lake Michigan adjacent to the current Soldier Field.

More than $100 million in bonds remained when Giants Stadium was demolished in 2010 and Chicago owes more today on Soldier Field renovation bonds than it did when the project occurred in 2002.

In many cases, the projects are accompanied by neighboring developments. In the case of Philadelphia, a proposed new arena would be paid for by the team while the city reduces the property taxes to $6 million annually in PILOT payments and just $10 in rent for the 30-year term of the lease while transferring several parcels of land to the team for the arena and development.

While announcing the deal, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker touted a debunked economic impact report related to the project.

“I don't know why the myth of stadiums as economic catalysts persists,” wrote economist J.C. Bradbury of Georgia’s Kennesaw State University. “I keep asking for examples of venues that worked, and no one can provide one. People just believe it because it kind of seems like it should make sense, but all the evidence suggests it isn't true.

“A list of cities that have lost major-league teams in the not-too-distant past: San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Montreal. These are all still fantastic cities. Remember, it's the city that makes the team not the team that makes the city.”

The report highlighted renovations for the Jacksonville Jaguars ($1.4 million) and Memphis Grizzlies ($350 million) while the Carolina Panthers ($600 million) also had a renovation approved in 2024 that was proposed in 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have proposals that have not been agreed upon, the Cleveland Browns have pushed several subsidy proposals for new stadium sites and the Washington Wizards and Capitals remained in D.C. after a proposal in Virginia died.

Browns

American voters are one month out from election day, and some new developments threaten to upset the close race.

According to Real Clear Politics’ polling average, the two candidates are nearly tied in several key swing states.

Former President Donald Trump leads in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina while Vice President Kamala Harris leads in Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, though the leads in all six of those states are less than 2 points, within the margin of error in most polls.

They are tied in Pennsylvania, according to RCP.

However, the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing negotiations over port closures on the East and Gulf coasts have the potential to be a crippling October surprise for Harris.

As vice president, Harris has tried to walk a fine line of taking credit for the economic recovery under Biden and other accomplishments while attempting to skirt responsibility for the border crisis, 40-year-high inflation and other problems during that same term.

In particular, the border has been a troublesome issue for Harris since Biden appointed her to take the lead on it, though she has since downplayed her role as "border czar" as illegal immigration soared while she was in office.

More than 14 million foreign nationals have illegally crossed U.S. borders since Biden-Harris took office, The Center Square reported.

This October presents more potential problems. Experts warned the port strike could cause prices to soar on all kinds of goods, from food to alcohol to cars. A tentative deal reached Thursday that reportedly will give workers a 62% raise temporarily ended the three-day shutdown, which would have been crippling for the U.S. economy.

The American Feed Industry Association warned this week that the port closures could "drive up costs" and wreak havoc akin to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The failure of the [United States Maritime Alliance] and [International Longshoremen's Association] to reach a labor agreement or of the Biden administration to intervene before the contract deadline now means that U.S. animal food manufacturers face a dire trading situation that mirrors – or could be worse than – the days of the COVID-19 pandemic," AFIA President and Chief Executive Officer Constance Cullman said in a statement.

With the recent spike in inflation already, voters may have little patience for Harris, who has overseen a price spike of more than 20% since she took office, but the settlement likely will ease some concerns.

Polling has consistently shown for months that inflation ranks as the top concern for voters.

The strike has ended for now, but with the details still being hashed out, it is possible the deal could still fall through and create a major political liability for Harris.

The escalating tension in the Middle East also could suddenly become an election issue if the brewing war between Israel and Iran escalates to a broader regional conflict that draws in more U.S. forces.

The U.S. helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were fired in the latest Iranian attack on Israel. Israel is at war with the terrorist group Hamas, which launched the Oct. 7 terror attack, as well as Hezbollah, an Iranian backed terrorist group that has been firing on northern Israel for months.

Harris has so far politically navigated the issue better than her nominated predecessor, President Joe Biden, who regularly faced protests from the left wing of his party.

At the debate this week, that conflict was the first question asked, and Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, clearly stated Israel's “right to defend itself.”

But if the powder keg explodes in October, Harris may find it difficult to distance herself from responsibility as Trump continues to point out he had no such conflicts when he was in office.

“There is no question that economic uncertainty and international unrest are key features of the Biden-Harris Administration,” Republican strategist Nathan Brand told The Center Square. “Voters clearly do not want more of the same, so that could spell trouble for Harris in November.”

At the vice presidential debate last week, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, was happy to blast Harris for the economic difficulties during her time as vice president. For now, no future debates are scheduled.

"Honestly Tim, I think you’ve got a tough job here,” Vance told Walz. “You've got to pretend that Donald Trump didn't deliver rising take home pay, which of course he did. You've got to pretend that Donald Trump didn't deliver lower inflation, which of course he did. And then you've simultaneously got to defend Kamala Harris's atrocious economic record, which has made gas, groceries, and housing unaffordable for American citizens."

Eighty-four days later, former President Donald Trump returned on Saturday to the scene of an assassination attempt on his life in western Pennsylvania.

“As I was saying,” Trump said, the crowd responding in a roar as he turned toward a graph on a projector screen behind him. “I love that chart. I love that graph. Isn’t it a beautiful thing?”

The former president picked up right where he left off July 13, when bullets tore through the crowd killing one man and wounding two others.

The graph showed the amount of illegal border crossings recorded on Trump’s last day in office in 2021. It’s also the one he was looking at when a bullet from 20-year-old Thomas Crooks’s rifle grazed his right ear.

Moments later, U.S. Secret Services agents tackled Trump as a sniper shot and killed Crooks on the roof of the AGR building roughly 400 feet from the rally stage.

In his return, Trump thanked them as well as the local law enforcement and emergency responders who leaped into action in the aftermath of the shooting.

“They were on top of me so fast,” he said of the Secret Service agents. “They were on top of me and there was not even a moment of doubt in their minds.”

The comments contrast the intense scrutiny lobbed onto the agency in recent months as the cascading series of communication and security failures at the rally came to light. A second attempt on the former president’s life while he golfed in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 15 drew further ire.

On Saturday, however, those concerns weren’t on Trump’s mind. Instead, he took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris and “the very corrupt political establishment,” who he says villainize him, and the “everyday people” who “are the heart and soul of this country.”

“So, what our opponents have never understood is this movement has never been about me; it’s been about you,” he said to the crowd before referencing the “millions and millions” of supporters across the country. “Your hopes are my hopes. Your dreams are my dreams and your future is what I’m fighting for every single day.”

The long-anticipated event commenced exactly one month before Election Day and featured appearances by Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Laura, and Elon Musk. Vance is the vice president nominee on the ticket; Lara Trump is co-chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Moments throughout turned poignant as Trump ordered a moment of silence for 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief who died shielding his family from gunfire on July 13. The reflection was capped by an operatic performance of Ave Maria by Christopher Macchio.

“Some people don’t just die in vain, and what he’s left behind is incredible,” Trump said. “God bless you, Corey. God bless you.”

At times, the former president lambasted the Biden administration for its border policy, investments in foreign conflicts, and social politics. At others, he thanked the crowd for their support even after his critics carried out multiple impeachments, indictments and ballot challenges.

“And who knows, maybe even tried to kill me,” he said, referencing fringe conspiracies about Crooks’ motive. “And in turn, you have always stood with me, no matter what. We are a great team."

The Biden-Harris administration took a tidal wave of criticism this week after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that the Federal Emergency Management Administration did not have enough funds to cover the rest of this hurricane season.

Those comments drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, billionaire Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump because FEMA has spent at least hundreds of millions of dollars on resettling migrants in the U.S. since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s self-inflicted border crisis has wasted American taxpayer dollars on services for illegal immigrants and is now struggling to help Americans suffering in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told The Center Square after it reported on the FEMA’s migrant spending.

FEMA is subject to DHS' authority and under the Biden-Harris administration has been focused on helping the recent influx of more than 14 million migrants settle in the U.S.

As The Center Square previously reported, FEMA announced $640 million in new funding for helping migrants in April of this year, $300 million for “direct funding” to help immigrants, and $340 million for cities via grants to help migrants, part of a larger FEMA focus on resettling migrants in the U.S. under the Biden-Harris administration. These amounts don't include FEMA tax dollars spent on migrant relocations earlier in Biden's term.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas told reporters earlier this week, adding that “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season” and that they expect another hurricane to hit.

The FEMA cash crunch for hurricane victims while FEMA has more than enough for migrants became a stark example of controversial prioritization in the Biden-Harris administration, which continues to take fire for its handling of the border crisis.

The FEMA example proved to have political utility amid the ongoing battle over illegal immigration in an election year.

“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said at a rally Thursday.

“Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants, many of whom should not be in our country,” Trump continued, exaggerating the figure.

The White house has strongly pushed back on Trump's comments, calling them "false" and arguing that the funding sources for migrants and disaster relief come from separate sources.

Critics have argued it is a problem of mission drift at FEMA and prioritizing funding for migrants when disaster relief funding is running low, though Congress appropriates the funding in the first place.

A White House spokesperson told The Center Square that Hurricane Helene victims will be well taken care of and that there is no danger of running out of funds to help with this hurricane recovery.

“FEMA has what it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts,” said Director of Public Affairs and FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg. “As FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has said, she has the full authority to spend against the President’s budget, but we’re not out of hurricane season yet so we need to keep a close eye on it. We may need to go back into immediate needs funding and we will be watching it closely.”

Critics online took issue with the $750 in emergency assistance for individual Helene victims touted by Harris, arguing it is not enough when so much money is going elsewhere.

A White House spokesperson told The Center Square that the $750 is just immediate assistance for victims and does not mean they will not receive more money to help with damage to their homes and other standard emergency assistance.

Critics argued FEMA has become distracted focusing on noncitizens because of the fallout of an unaddressed border crisis instead of American citizen storm victims.

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris must put Americans first and take action now to reverse their open borders policies that are bleeding Americans dry,” Comer told The Center Square.