2+ hour, 5+ min ago (324+ words) (The Center Square) " Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed former subordinate and AGO Senior Assistant Attorney General Colleen Melody to the Washington Supreme Court to fill a vacancy left by Justice Mary Yu, who announced she would be stepping down at the end of the year. "I had a chance to work very, very closely with her for a very long period of time," Ferguson said at Monday's press conference announcing the appointment. "Anyone who has had any interaction with Colleen in a legal setting would all agree that she has a brilliant legal mind. There's is no doubt about that. She is in my view also a creative problem-solver and a fearless defender of our democracy." Since 2015, Melody has worked as the chief of the AGO's Wing Luke Civil Rights Division and was directly involved in a lawsuit filed in…...

3+ hour, 6+ min ago (384+ words) (The Center Square) " A Republican candidate for Illinois governor says he has the knowledge of what ails the state and the solutions to reverse course. Ted Dabrowski said his parents immigrated to Illinois from failing countries; his mother is from Ecuador and his father escaped communist Poland. As a former analyst for Illinois Policy Institute and former president of government watchdog Wirepoints, he said he's different from other Republicans looking for the party's nomination. "I've written, researched and worked on changes to taxation, worked on changes to pension, to budgeting, I've exposed lots of things," Dabrowski told The Center Square of his policy work focused on Illinois. As to how he handles the media that could be hostile to a conservative candidate, Dabrowski was confident he knew how to frame the issues. "Why aren't we in the group that is…...

3+ hour, 7+ min ago (558+ words) WATCH: Amid GOP governor candidates, Dabrowski says he knows how to fix Illinois DABROWSKI PROFILE VERSION 1 Ted Dabrowski is the son of immigrants and a former analyst for Illinois Policy and former president of Wirepoints. In a profile interview, he said he's different from other Republicans looking for the party's nomination. DABROWSKI PROFILE 1A :11 seconds Outcue: [Dabrowski] " "of things" DABROWSKI PROFILE 1B :13 seconds Outcue: [Dabrowski] " "as well" DABROWSKI PROFILE VERSION 2 A Republican candidate for Illinois governor lays out how he would handle a Democratic legislature were he to defeat the incumbent governor next year. Ted Dabrowski is a former analyst with experience researching and writing about Illinois policies. He says property taxes need to be addressed, as do pensions and education. But, if he were to be elected, he'd likely go up against a Democratic state legislature. DABROWSKI PROFILE 2A :09 seconds Outcue: [Dabrowski]…...

3+ hour, 7+ min ago (402+ words) As the Thanksgiving holiday travel rush begins, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is assuring air travelers that they likely will not face the mass delays and cancellations featured during the government shutdown. Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration anticipates "solid staffing" throughout the airspace as emergency flight reductions have ended and air traffic controllers, technicians and federal security officers return to work in full force. Any delays or cancellations will be "strictly based on safety," Duffy added, noting that some rough weather is anticipated in the Seattle area and Midwest, which may impact flight volume. Despite the weather concerns, the FAA predicts this Thanksgiving season to be the busiest in 15 years, estimating that about 31 million U.S. passengers will travel from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. Tuesday will likely have the highest flight volume of the entire season, with more than 52,000 flights expected. To meet…...

6+ hour, 6+ min ago (172+ words) Medicaid coverage for parental home visits The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has launched new Medicaid coverage of home visiting services for pregnant and parenting customers. IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the expanded Medicaid coverage is a critical step in the agency's mission to improve health outcomes. "Trouble in Toyland' report The Trouble in Toyland 2025 report is out ahead of the holiday shopping season and it raises concerns around hidden dangers in toys. The Public Interest Research Group's Education Fund released the 40th annual report Monday and highlights AI toys with privacy concerns and explicit content, toys with lead from other countries and water beads, something the group says is a longtime threat. Construction lanes to open The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday that lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen, where possible, for the…...

8+ hour, 6+ min ago (179+ words) (AURN News) " Last Friday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stunned Washington by announcing in a more than 10-minute video post on social media that she will resign from Congress early next year. The Georgia Republican's decision follows a highly public split with President Donald Trump, her former ally, after weeks of escalating disagreements, including Greene's push for the release of Jeffrey Epstein documents and her criticisms of Trump's policy focus. Trump responded by labeling Greene a traitor, saying her resignation is great news for the country, but also remarked that he'd love to see her return to politics someday. In her video, Greene cited a desire to protect her family and district from what she called the hurtful and hateful politics of Washington, while warning that ordinary Americans are being cast aside in today's political climate. Her departure narrows the…...

9+ hour, 5+ min ago (850+ words) (The Center Square) " With federal funding at stake, officials across Spokane County are beginning to sign an agreement designed to replace Housing First with an accountability, treatment-based approach that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development directly calls for in its new grant opportunity. HUD issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity on Nov. 13 that dramatically changes how the Continuum of Care Program can spend federal tax dollars on addressing homelessness. The window opened halfway through the current two-year cycle, requiring CoCs nationwide to reapply under new funding guidelines. Unlike the last funding window, HUD's new NOFO doesn't explicitly call for implementing Housing First. Many of the new guidelines align with President Donald Trump's July executive order directing HUD to increase accountability as a condition of receiving taxpayer-subsidized services. He called for an end to the Housing First approach, which allows…...

9+ hour, 5+ min ago (368+ words) (The Center Square) " A lawsuit filed in Davidson County Chancery Court challenges the constitutionality of Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships as the program enters its second year. The plaintiffs are five parents and five taxpayers represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Education Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Public Funds Public Schools campaign and the Southern Education Foundation, according to a release from the ACLU. The Robbins Geller Rudman and Dowd LLP law firm is representing the plaintiffs pro bono. The scholarships, approved by the General Assembly in January during a special session, discriminate against students with disabilities, one parent said. "Private schools can refuse to admit students like my son or fail to provide the accommodations he needs to succeed," said Dustin Park, Blount County parent of a student with Down syndrome, in a…...

9+ hour, 5+ min ago (381+ words) (The Center Square) " Los Angeles, New York City, Vancouver, Philadelphia? With the announcement of a second season of HBO's TASK, the commonwealth is hoping to draw attention to the perks of making films in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Film Commissioner Gino Anthony Pesi announced Monday that his office would be awarding the production a $49.8 million tax credit, roughly half the state's 2025-26 budget for the Film Production Tax Credit Program. While the state's film budget pales in comparison to locations like California and New York, the tax credit program opens the door for competition with neighboring states like New Jersey to host new projects. HBO anticipates the production will create 3,700 jobs, add more than $194 million to the economy and amount to 25,000 hotel nights. The crime drama is set in the Philadelphia area and was created by Chester County native and Villanova graduate Brad…...

9+ hour, 5+ min ago (358+ words) (The Center Square) " What appears to be an intense 2026 election season kicks off behind the scenes in Ohio. Secretary of State Frank LaRose directed county boards of elections to begin reprogramming registration systems with new district boundaries. The work has to be completed by Dec. 12. "While boards are reminded that candidate petitions cannot be verified or certified until reprogramming is complete, this serves as the kickoff for what will be high-profile congressional elections in 2026," LaRose said. "I'm confident that our boards of elections will take the necessary care to ensure an accurate changeover." The filing deadline for the May 5 primary is Feb. 4, and the deadline for write-in candidates is Feb. 23. In late October, the Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new congressional districts that could increase the state's Republican advantage from the current 10-5 to 13-2, which somewhat mirrors the GOP-leaning districts passed without…...