States Resist Federal Tax Reductions, Prompting Political Debate

https://newsletter.tf/states-resist-federal-tax-cuts/

Many states are deciding not to use federal tax cuts to protect their own money for public services.

#TaxCuts, #StateGovernment, #FederalPolicy, #Budget, #Politics

Many States Say No to Federal Tax Cuts

Some states are not using the new tax cuts from the federal government. This is because they worry about losing money for important services. Republicans want states to use the cuts.

https://newsletter.tf/states-resist-federal-tax-cuts/

#TaxCuts, #StateGovernment, #FederalPolicy, #Budget, #Politics

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Who owns Pa.’s digitized history? We’re a step closer to an answer. “On Wednesday, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court heard legal arguments in the case, in which a New York City-based professional genealogist faces off with a little-known but important state agency, as well as online genealogy giant Ancestry. The latter is a private company used by millions of […]

NiemanLab: A new bill in New York would require disclaimers on AI-generated news content. “A new bill in the New York state legislature would require news organizations to label AI-generated material and mandate that humans review any such content before publication.”

NC Newsline: After North Carolina cyberattacks, IT officials warn General Assembly of poor preparedness. “Weeks after cyberattacks targeted North Carolina government services during the winter storms that buffeted the state, IT officials warned North Carolina lawmakers that the state is underprepared for digital threats — in part because of recent legislative actions.”

Canary Media: Are faked public comments about to tank an Ohio solar farm?. “Ohio is poised to block a major solar farm because of local pushback — even though a substantial number of public comments opposing the installation appear to be fabricated.”

Reuters: US files appeal in Google search antitrust case. “The U.S. government and a majority of U.S. states on Tuesday will appeal the outcome of ​a landmark antitrust case against Alphabet’s Google, according to court ‌papers.”

Biddeford Gazette: Biddeford lawmaker’s bill addresses online gambling addiction. “That gambling explosion – especially the rise in online sports/fantasy wagering – has also caused some problems, most notably a sharp increase in gambling addiction. In response, State Rep. Marc Malon (D-Biddeford) has introduced a bill to provide additional safeguards for Mainers struggling with gambling […]

State of Hawaii: Hawaiʻi State Archives Digitizes Indexes To Hundreds Of Thousands Of Records . ” The Department of Accounting and General Services, (DAGS) Hawaiʻi State Archives division, has finished digitizing 64 volumes of indexes and uploaded them to its website for the public to use for free. You can view them at https://digitalarchives.hawaii.gov/browse/parent/ark:70111/1Q6x.”

Courthouse News: Sixth Circuit reinstates Kentucky ban on anonymous social media use by sex offenders . “A proposed class of convicted sex offenders failed to meet the high bar required for broad injunctive relief when it made a facial challenge to a Kentucky law that bans their anonymous use of social media, according to a ruling Monday from the Sixth Circuit.”

EIN Presswire: As National Handwriting Day Approaches, New Data Resource Challenges Classroom Myth (PRESS RELEASE). “The interactive resource, published by Handwriting Success, provides the first comprehensive, state-by-state overview of handwriting education standards and related legislative mandates across all 50 states.”

PIX11: NY lawmakers propose domestic violence offender database . “A database could soon track repeat domestic violence perpetrators in New York, thanks to new legislation. State Sen. Mario Mattera and Assemblymember Anil Beephan both introduced legislation this month to create the database. The database would be publicly available and include any person convicted of at least two domestic […]

Gizmodo: California Launches Investigation Into Grok’s Nonconsensual Sexual Images. “The state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that he is opening a probe into the situation to determine if X and xAI, Musk’s AI company and the maker of the chatbot Grok that was used to generate the pornographic images, broke the law.”

New York Times: State and Federal Lawmakers Want Data Centers to Pay More for Energy. This link goes to a gift article. “Governors, senators and even some tech executives increasingly agree that the companies behind data centers need to pay more for electricity and to address the strain they are causing on the grid. But there is little consensus about how much they ought to pay.”

TechSpot: As New Jersey enacts cellphone ban in schools, survey shows what teens actually think. “With New Jersey becoming the latest state to ban cellphones from being used by students in public schools, and support for this restriction growing among adults, a report has looked at what the kids themselves think. Unsurprisingly, almost three quarters of those surveyed think an all-day ban is a […]

WSAW: WisconsinEye announces launch of GoFundMe campaign. “WisconsinEye is announcing the launch of a GoFundMe campaign. WisconsinEye says it needs to raise a critical $250,000 to allow state Capitol programming to resume. They say this is three months of their operating budget. According to WisconsinEye, without this funding, WisconsinEye could lose up to four staff members, putting the […]

Made in India- Made in India cannon creates panic, accurate strike up to 48 km
https://hindi.vaartha.com/national/made-in-india-cannon-creates-sensation-accurate-strike-up-to-48-km/80775/
#SupremeCourt #DogBite #CompensationOrder #StateGovernment #DogAttack #InjuryClaim #DeathCompensation #SCJudgment #PetLiability #AnimalBiteJustice

Supreme Court- State government will pay compensation for death or injury due to dog bite- Supreme Court
https://hindi.vaartha.com/national/state-government-to-pay-compensation-for-death-or-injury-due-to-dog-bite-supreme-court/80759/
#SupremeCourt #DogBite #CompensationOrder #StateGovernment #DogAttack #InjuryClaim #DeathCompensation #SCJudgment #PetLiability #AnimalBiteJustice

NBC News: Alaska’s court system built an AI chatbot. It didn’t go smoothly.. “For more than a year, Alaska’s court system has been designing a pioneering generative AI chatbot termed the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA) to help residents navigate the tangled web of forms and procedures involved in probate, the judicial process of transferring property away from a deceased person. Yet what was […]

UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion  – NC Newsline

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UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion 

By: Clayton Henkel – January 8, 2026 9:00 am

The University of North Carolina System assured state legislators Wednesday that they are doing everything in their power to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion language and programs across the 17-campus system.

The UNC Board of Governors voted in May 2024 to formally repeal the system’s policy on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in favor of “principled neutrality.”

Still, equity has remained in the political crosshairs, with Republicans lawmakers filing multiple bills in the 2025 session to  prohibit the support, funding or implementation of DEI programs in state government and education.

Bart Goodson, the UNC System’s senior vice president for government affairs, told members of the House Select Committee on Government Efficiency that by the time President Trump’s executive orders on discrimination and DEI rolled out in January 2025, the system was ahead of the curve.

Goodson said each campus was advised on the remaining steps necessary to bring campuses into full compliance with the Trump administration’s orders.

“The guidance emphasizes the policies refocus on student success and reminds campuses of the constant, ongoing vigilance campuses must use,” said Goodson.

A memo from the system also mandated that all general education requirements that included completion of course credits related to diversity, equity and inclusion be suspended.

The system further mandated an annual campus reporting requirement with the chancellor’s signature to verify compliance.

To date, 59 positions tied to DEI have been eliminated and 131 have been realigned. The system estimates that the implementation of the equality policy across the University of North Carolina system has saved $17.1 million. The savings have been redirected to student mental health, military and veteran student services and academic advising, according to Goodson.

But efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion from higher education in North Carolina have not been quick or easy.

“We’re turning over every stone,” Goodson told committee members.

The campuses have manually reviewed more than 4,756 web pages, revised 1,270 web pages, and reviewed over 8,000 gifts, including scholarships and grants. Of those gift funds, 345 were flagged, 29 amended, with some spending paused. Funding from 85 foundations required working with individual donors to bring agreements into compliance.

“It takes a lot of manpower and a lot of man hours to review this information,” Goodson told the committee. “It’s a time-consuming area.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion  • NC Newsline