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☆ Bad news for millennials: Things have never looked bleaker for first-time homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

For first-time homebuyers like Talej, the outlook has never been bleaker. This unfortunate combination means first-time buyers are waiting longer to purchase homes and winning out with less frequency than ever before. And during that year, first-time buyers accounted for just 26% of all home purchases, the lowest percentage ever, according to the NAR. The percentage of first-time homebuyers who were white hit a two-decade high of 88% last year, up from 83% in 2003. These trends only compound the bad economic news for millennials, who make up the majority of today's first-time buyers.

☆ First-time homebuyers are 'royally screwed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

For first-time homebuyers like Talej, the outlook has never been bleaker. And during that year, first-time buyers accounted for just 26% of all home purchases, the lowest percentage ever, according to the NAR. The racial makeup of first-time homebuyers also set records in 2022, but the lack of progress in Black homeownership was perhaps most shocking. The percentage of first-time homebuyers who were white hit a two-decade high of 88% last year, up from 83% in 2003. Hope is a fickle thingThere's some slight relief on the horizon for first-time homebuyers.

☆ With Great Salt Lake at rock bottom, lawmakers aim for rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Water volume on the Great Salt Lake has dropped by more than two-thirds since pioneers once settled the Salt Lake Valley. Much of the lake surface is now exposed. Photographs of empty marinas and the cracking crust of the lake’s surface often illustrate the lake’s decline. The rivers and streams that feed The Great Salt Lake are overallocated, which means farmers and other water users collectively have rights to more water than what typically flows through each year. Spencer Cox last November closed the Great Salt Lake basin to appropriations for new water uses, effectively capping the line of water users wanting to use what flows into the lake.

☆ Jury convicts Kansas man of threatening to kill congressman
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Jurors found Chase Neill, 32, of Lawrence, guilty of a single count of threatening a U.S. government official. The judge had Neill give his testimony Thursday as a narrative from the witness stand because he was representing himself. Neill admitted in court that he left the June 5 voicemail and others with more death threats the next day. Hunting told jurors that it was reasonable for LaTurner and his staff to take Neill’s words seriously as threats. “I’m really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it’s a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony Thursday.

☆ Lawmakers call on 8 states to pass wealth taxes to help pay for childcare, affordable housing, and ending homelessness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawmakers and advocates are pushing to pass wealth taxes in eight states, after a federal plan failed to pass. The taxes would target both realized and unrealized capital gains, assets like stocks and bonds. "Funding our future means using the revenue generated from the Washington state wealth tax to expand access to affordable homes for working Washingtonians," Frame said. In California, a wealth tax on the unrealized capital gains of the top 0.1% would yield nearly $22 billion, according to California assembly member Alex Lee. Targeting capital gains and unrealized gains are not a new idea, but haven't been able to pick up the federal traction they need to be implemented across the country.

☆ Failed GOP Candidate Provided Guns, Cash in Attacks on New Mexico Democratic Officials, Police Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Joseph De Avila | Dan Frosch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Investigators said a confidential witness implicated a former Republican candidate for the New Mexico state legislature in a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democratic officials, according to details of the arrest warrant. Solomon Peña , 39, who lost his race for state representative to his Democratic opponent in November, was arrested Monday, Albuquerque, N.M., police said. Before the shootings, Mr. Peña showed up uninvited at the homes of some of the Democratic lawmakers, claiming to have evidence of election fraud, they said.

☆ Wisconsin Bids for a Flat Income Tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Reform in the states continues despite little notice in the national media, and the latest example comes from Wisconsin. Badger State Republicans are proposing a major tax cut and reform that includes a flat rate of 3.25% on income. The GOP-led Legislature announced a plan Friday that would replace four current brackets, including a top rate of 7.65% and a lower bound of 3.54%, meaning every taxpayer would pay less. The reform would phase in over four years with the flat rate taking effect in 2026.

☆ Losing New Mexico Candidate Arrested Over Shootings at Democrats’ Homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Dan Frosch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A former Republican candidate for the New Mexico state legislature was arrested Monday for his suspected involvement in a string of recent drive-by shootings at the homes of several Democratic elected officials. Solomon Peña , 39, who lost his race for state representative to his Democratic opponent in November, helped orchestrate the shootings and participated in at least one of them, Albuquerque police said. The homes of two county officials and two state legislators, including the New Mexico House speaker, were hit in the drive-by shootings, according to police. Nobody was hurt in the incidents, which took place over the past several weeks, though the homes sustained damage.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on Tuesday announced his campaign for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who decided against running for re-election in 2024 and will run for Indiana governor instead. Banks, a staunch ally of former President Trump, is the first candidate to enter the Senate race. Mitch Daniels if he jumps into the Senate race. Banks’ Senate campaign is endorsed by Rep. Larry Buschon, R-Ind., Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., state Rep. Michelle Davis and state Sen. Justin Busch. After Pelosi rejected Banks and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, McCarthy ultimately withdrew all five names.

☆ Republican candidate arrested in shootings of Democrats' homes in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - An unsuccessful Republican state House candidate in New Mexico was arrested on Monday and accused of orchestrating recent shootings at four local elected officials' homes, the Albuquerque Police Department said. Police said on Monday they had arrested Solomon Pena, 39, and accused him of conspiring with, and paying, four other men to shoot at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators, all Democrats. Pena lost his election for the state House in November to an incumbent Democrat who garnered more than 73% of the votes. Police said at a press conference Pena had denied his election loss and had approached the commissioners and lawmakers at their homes, claiming election fraud was involved. On Jan. 3, three bullets fired into a state representative's home had gone through her 10-year-old daughter's bedroom, the paper reported.

Bills in some states propose ranked-choice voting only for local elections, while others offer a temporary pilot system that would test the use of ranked-choice voting for a fixed number of years. The state GOP used a ranked-choice voting system at its state convention in 2021 to select a gubernatorial nominee. Discussions are also underway among policymakers in Arizona, who are looking at ranked-choice voting as a possible way of curbing extremism. The latest raft of proposed legislation follows a year of notable and growing enthusiasm for ranked-choice voting. In 2022, lawmakers in 25 states introduced legislation advancing or expanding ranked-choice voting, with bills enacted in six states, according to FairVote.

☆ Republicans ignored Rep. George Santos' red flags as he propelled himself to a House victory deceiving voters, NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An NYT report revealed that at least some of the GOP knew of Rep. George Santos' lies. "I guess unfortunately we rely on the person to be truthful to us," the GOP Nassau County chairman told The Times. According to the Times, Santos hired an unnamed Washington research firm to conduct a vulnerability study in connection to his campaign towards the end of 2021. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee failed to follow up on red flags when looking into Rep. George Santos because researchers were encumbered with other researching dozens of other candidates, per the Times. Santos has faced multiple calls to resign but has remained steadfast in his conviction to complete his term despite deceiving 142,000 voters.

☆ Wisconsin Republicans block 'conversion therapy' ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Wisconsin Republicans voted Thursday to again allow therapists, social workers and counselors to try to change LGBTQ clients’ gender identities and sexual orientations — a discredited practice known as conversion therapy. A ban on conversion therapy was passed in 2020 by a state board within the Democratic governor’s administration overseeing licensing for mental health professionals. At least 20 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed conversion therapy for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a pro-LGBTQ rights think tank. He said that’s all that’s at issue, not whether conversion therapy is morally or ethically right or wrong. “(The ban on conversion therapy) is necessary to protect the mental health of children in our state,” Herstand said.

☆ Missouri Republicans pass a rule requiring women to cover their arms in the state House chamber
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Missouri Democrats tore into their Republican colleagues over changes to the state House dress code. Republicans passed a rule requiring female lawmakers to cover their arms in the chamber. Proudie was speaking out against Republican state Rep. Ann Kelley's push to amend the House's formal rules by requiring women to wear a blazer while in the chamber. "It is absolutely ridiculous that we have to talk about it on the House floor in the House chamber. Like most statehouse chambers, the Missouri House must pass new rules once it convenes the General Assembly every two years.

☆ NY Republican leaders and lawmakers call on GOP Rep. George Santos to resign over campaign lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

“George Santos’ campaign last year was a campaign of deceit, lies and fabrication,” Nassau County GOP Chairman Joe Cairo said at a news conference with other party officials. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said that Cairo’s call for Santos’ resignation doesn’t affect his thinking on the issue. The New York State Conservative party said it stands with the Nassau County GOP in calling for Santos’ resignation in a statement. It will work itself out in the end.”Nassau County GOP officials initially endorsed Santos in the 2022 election cycle. Wednesday's announcement from Nassau County officials also comes amid several investigations into Santos' campaign and other calls for him to resign.

Despite layoff announcements and signs of a slowdown elsewhere in the economy, the labor market for clean energy jobs remains tight. said Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group. The Biden Administration has repeatedly promised that new green energy jobs would be well-paying union jobs. Some solar companies have tried to recruit veterans, saying the skills learned in military life translate well to the industry. Utility scale solar developer SOLV Energy, SunPower and Nextracker last year teamed up with nonprofit Solar Energy International to fund a women-only training program for solar installers.

Share this -Link copiedMcCarthy elected speaker in 15th round McCarthy was elected House speaker Saturday shortly after midnight on the 15th ballot. Share this -Link copiedHouse reconvenes to hold 14th round of speaker votes The House has reconvened to begin the 14th round of speaker votes. Read the rest of the story, The House speaker election, in three charts. Share this -Link copiedHouse begins 13th round The House is beginning the 13th round of speaker votes. At least 14 House GOP flip to support McCarthy in twelfth speaker vote Jan. 6, 2023 01:52 Share this -Link copied

Obviously, this is not a story about Washington, D.C., where Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s unsuccessful — and still ongoing — attempt to become speaker will go down in history. Gregory said he was joking around with state Rep. Tim O’Neal, a member of the Republican leadership, about tapping Rozzi to be speaker. State Democrats, however, list Rozzi as a Democratic speaker on their official website. House Republicans told NBC News they are not looking to work with Democrats to elect a more center-right speaker to govern their new majority. Gregory said the Pennsylvania election was "not really apples to apples" with the ongoing battle for control of the U.S. House.

☆ Connecticut lawmaker killed in tragic collision hours after being sworn in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Connecticut lawmaker died hours after being sworn in as state representative. Lawmakers mourned state Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams following the announcement of his death. The collision occurred around 12:45 a.m. local time just outside of Middletown, Connecticut, on Route 9 in a town called Cromwell. The 39-year-old lawmaker, state Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams of Middletown in the 100th District, a Democrat serving in the Connecticut General Assembly, had been sworn in on Wednesday. The Connecticut State Police and Williams' office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Connecticut lawmaker dies in wrong-way crash after attending his own swearing-in ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

CROMWELL, Conn. — A Connecticut state representative was killed overnight in a wrong-way highway crash after having attended the governor’s inaugural ball and his own swearing-in ceremony for a third term, House Democratic leaders said Thursday. Quentin Williams, a Democrat from Middletown known as “Q,” died in the crash on Route 9 in Cromwell. State police said both drivers were killed and one of the vehicles became fully engulfed in flames. Connecticut State Representative Quentin “Q” Willams. CT House DemocratsSpeaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, and Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, issued a statement saying Williams’ family had announced the lawmaker’s death.

Broken pipes left thousands of residents of Jackson, Mississippi, without running water Monday after a winter storm as the city struggled to return pressure to its frail water system. “There’s no water pressure for most residents in Jackson, again,” state Rep. Ronnie Crudup said Monday. He said he’s one of the only people he knows in his neighborhood with some running water, but it’s just a small amount and not drinkable under the city’s boil water notice. In early 2021, extremely low temperatures left residents without running water after pipes froze. This year, the city lost running water amid problems at the city’s main water treatment facility, the O.B.

They were victorious in all six states that featured ballot initiatives around abortion access this year. If approved, it would require a 60% threshold of support for future ballot measures to pass, as opposed to the current majority. Ballot initiative groups say that’s the point. Critics have alleged the measure amounts to a test run for a more comprehensive measure that would raise the threshold for all such constitutional ballot initiatives. “They’re trying to use ballot measures — to change ballot measures,” said Fields Figueredo of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

☆ California, Never a Slave State, Considers Reparations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Will Swaim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poor people—including poor black people—have it hard in California. An honest assessment of the causes would require the Golden State’s political establishment to admit that its attempts to address enduring poverty have been catastrophic for low-income Californians. Instead, Californians got a state reparations commission that time-traveled to the 19th century and discovered that slavery is the real reason for enduring black poverty. To settle accounts, the commission has determined that California taxpayers owe each of their black neighbors $223,000. The state Legislature, which created the task force, will take up that proposal in a few weeks.

☆ Six battleground states will hold the key to the White House in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

AP Photo/Andrew HarnikGeorgia2012 margin: Romney +7.8%2016 margin: Trump +5.1%2020 margin: Biden +0.2%For decades, Republicans could easily depend on the Peach State's electoral votes falling into their column. Two years later, Biden won the state by roughly 12,000 votes over Trump, followed by the dual 2021 runoff victories of Sens. AP Photo/Matt RourkePennsylvania2012 margin: Obama +5.4%2016 margin: Trump +0.7%2020 margin: Biden +1.2%Biden's hometown of Scranton is dear to his heart so Pennsylvania was always going to be a key state for the party in 2024. AP Photo/Andy Manis, FileWisconsin2012 margin: Obama +6.9%2016 margin: Trump +0.8%2020 margin: Biden +0.6%Wisconsin is one of the most politically-divided states in the country. But Trump flipped Wisconsin to the GOP in 2016, the first time it had supported a Republican presidential nominee since 1984.

There's still not an exact picture of how much Bankman-Fried spent on politics this cycle. But based on what's already public, Bankman-Fried was one of the more prolific campaign donors this cycle, and his spending had a significant effect on midterm races. And his donations to the Protect Our Future super PAC helped shape some key Democratic primaries. The group spent $1.4 million to boost her in her Democratic primary, and then she cruised to victory in the less competitive November general election. Other top racesThe group spent at least $500,000 in support of Democratic candidates in nine other races (parenthesis indicate whether they won the general election, even if the spending happened in the primary):

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