Trump unveiled the "Freedom Fuel Network" ahead of Independence Day, offering gasoline at up to 50 cents per gallon below market prices.
The canceled USDA survey had tracked household food security for 30 years. read more
FIFA President Gianni Infantino could face an investigation by the International Olympic Committee ... read more
President Donald Trump isn't done implementing this tariff policy, and U.S. companies aren't done raising prices in response.
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was leaving Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft rather than a recently renovated Qatari-donated jet, an unexpected switch that renewed scrutiny of the costly, fast-tracked retrofit. read more
Another view ...
Florida's proposed property tax cuts rely on a population boom that has slowed dramatically
theconversation.com
... From 2020 to 2024, Florida's population grew by 8.5%, from 21.6 million to 23.4 million.
This is nothing new: The state's warm weather, amenities that include world-class golf courses and beaches, and lack of income tax have long attracted newcomers, so Florida often leads the U.S. in population growth.
But recent data suggests that population growth may be slowing. ...
In other words, the tax collector would deduct the exempted amount from the assessed value of a homesteaded property, and the property tax rate would then be applied to that lower number.
Supporters of the tax cut argue that reduced tax revenue would be recouped by the continued arrival of new residents. These newcomers would be buying homes at the usual property tax rates, with an exemption of only $50,000. After four years, that would increase to $250,000. It's also possible that the proposed tax cuts might attract new residents.
If Floridians vote for this exemption in November, the state's continued population growth would be vital to maintaining local and state government budgets. ...
Trump said more Covid-19 testing 'creates more cases.' (2020)
www.statnews.com
... The counter-narrative began almost instantly. After the U.S. count of Covid-19 cases began an inexorable rise in June, the White House sought to assure Americans that the increase was, basically, an illusion, created by an increase in testing for the novel coronavirus.
In a June 15 tweet, President Trump said testing "makes us look bad."
At his campaign rally in Tulsa five days later, he said he had asked his "people" to "slow the testing down, please."
At a White House press conference last week, he told reporters, "When you test, you create cases." ...
Graham Platner ends Maine Senate campaign after sexual assault allegation
www.msn.com
... Democratic nominee Graham Platner said he would suspend his campaign for Senate in Maine, ending a run that had drawn broad grassroots support but was plagued by controversy.
Platner announced his exit in a video Wednesday night, in which he blamed the media and political establishment for acting as "judge, jury and executioner" and continued to fiercely deny the allegations against him.
"We are suspending campaign operations," said Platner, who added that he would file paperwork to officially withdraw from the race, giving the party the ability to put a new name on the ballot. ...
Crews work to shore up Midtown high-rise after buckling columns spark collapse scare
abc7ny.com
...Most residents who were forced to evacuate Tuesday have since been cleared to return to their homes. ...
Construction crews are continuing to install temporary supports to shore up a 37-story high-rise on Manhattan's East Side that sparked fears of a possible collapse when crews discovered buckling columns inside.
Crews worked overnight to install struts to bear the weight that caused columns to buckle and officials say the the building has not shifted since Tuesday morning.
By Wednesday, the frozen zone had shrunk and many tenants and residents were allowed back inside the evacuated buildings. Officials said 42nd Street has reopened in both directions, while East 43rd Street remains closed from Second to Third avenues. A vacate order remains in effect for five buildings. ...
Midtown Manhattan buildings evacuated after columns found buckling at high-rise construction site
abc7ny.com
... The effort to stabilize an under-construction high-rise in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday is underway and expected to last "into the night," keeping streets shut down and some buildings evacuated, officials said.
As of Tuesday evening, the prep work and staging have been completed and the installation of the temporary shoring is expected to begin soon, according to a city official.
Additionally, the official said residents in one of the evacuated buildings, 222 East 44th, have been told it is safe to return.
"We are continuing to evaluate and determine additional buildings that had been evacuated that can be repopulated," the official said. ...
The high-rise at 235 E. 42nd St., on the corner of East 42nd Street and Second Avenue, is a 1970s-era office building being converted into luxury apartments. The former global headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is located in a busy corridor about a block from the landmark Chrysler Building and between Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations headquarters.
Around 8 a.m., construction workers noticed cracks inside the building. The FDNY say the workers spotted structural support columns beginning to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floors and self-evacuated. ...
[Videos and pictures in the article]
Platner's unraveling may keep the Senate in play for Democrats
thehill.com
... It looks like Graham Platner won't be putting oyster stew on the Senate Dining Room menu any time soon.
In the wake of the most serious allegations yet against the scandal-soaked Democratic Senate nominee -- this time that he raped an erstwhile girlfriend in 2021 -- the months-long drumbeat from party leaders to get him out of the race may yet succeed.
Platner vehemently denies the charge but given that his most recent scandals prior to the rape claim involved acknowledged misconduct in his marriage and prior relationships, he may have finally run out of goodwill among his supporters. When he posted his video dismissing the allegation, Platner was already speaking in the past tense about his candidacy and said that he would be evaluating the "best path forward."
That's candidate-ese for "I have to talk to my donors and prominent endorsers and see if they're dropping me."
Maine law gives him until July 13 to withdraw in favor of state Democrats' designated replacement. The first batch of post-primary polls in Platner's race against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) already showed him weighed down by his baggage, so if he did try to hang on, Platner would find that many of his onetime boosters -- folks who had developed an ethical relativism worthy of a Trump flak -- probably wouldn't be up for any more shucking on his behalf. ...
The smart play for Democrats, and probably Platner himself, is to try a do-over. Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who began her candidacy reluctantly, now seems like she's champing at the bit. If Platner goes quietly, Democrats could quickly get Collins and the GOP back on the defensive and keep the chance of retaking the Senate alive.
The math isn't great for Democrats. They have to win eight of 11 competitive Senate races this year to take back the Senate for the first time since 2014. ...
Trump says U.S. will win Iran war "one way or the other" as Tehran holds funeral for supreme leader
www.cbsnews.com
... President Trump said Monday the U.S. will win the Iran war "one way or the other." ...
Another view ...
Khamenei funeral signals Iran's defiance and new regional order
www.reuters.com
...Summary
- - - Khamenei's funeral becomes post-war show of defiance
- - - Sea of mourners deliver message that Iran survived
- - - Iran turns survival in war into leverage over Hormuz
- - - Hormuz now drives Tehran's strategy, not nuclear file
- - - Iran uses time, geography, leverage to reshape diplomacy
The funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was more than a national farewell. The sea of mourners in Tehran sent a message to the United States and Israel that their attempt to break the Islamic Republic had failed.
Rather than looking weakened by the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran presented itself as defiant, unified and determined to shape what comes next. ...
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