WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary: * * * Nationwide Tax Competition Heats Up as Missouri Governor Calls for Zero Income Tax While blue states like California and New York look to impose tax hikes, red states pursue tax cuts By John Kartch There are eight no-income-tax states, and Missouri is in the race to become the ninth. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe today called for an elimination of the state income tax. In his State of the State address today  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary on Jan. 15, 2026: * * * South Carolina Could Soon Have a Lower Income Tax Rate Than North Carolina North Carolina has long been a national model for pro-growth tax reform. States across the country have enacted income tax rate-reducing reforms facilitated by revenue triggers for more than a decade, just as North Carolina began to do in 2013. Some states where lawmakers have emulated North Carolina's approach to ta  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * Business Employment Dynamics in Minnesota -- First Quarter 2025 * From December 2024 to March 2025, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Minnesota were 139,190, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 129,481, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stat  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * Business Employment Dynamics in Wisconsin -- First Quarter 2025 * From December 2024 to March 2025, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in Wisconsin were 128,770, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 124,907, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stat  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2026: * * * House Appropriations Drives January Momentum, Advances Targeted America First Funding The House Appropriations Committee has driven results for the American people by doing exactly what we told the nation we would: breaking the failed status quo and putting discipline and accountability back in charge. The start of January has been defined  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Jan. 15, 2026, to the Wall Street Journal: * * * The Transgender Sports Deception By Colin Wright Nobody is banned from playing, only from playing for opposite-sex teams. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., cases challenging state laws that restrict participation on girls' and women's sports teams to female athletes. A January 2025 poll f  more

CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Jan. 16, 2026: * * * Matthew L. Harvey Formally Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia SHEPHERDSTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey has taken the formal oath of office in a special ceremony today at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. U.S. Attorney Harvey was nom  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 -- Sen. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Jan. 15, 2026: * * * Senator Justice Votes to Pass Second Minibus Package, Deliver Key Investments for West Virginia Today, Senator Jim Justice released a statement following the Senate's successful passage of a bipartisan appropriations minibus to fund the federal government, including the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment bills: "The passage o  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * USDA Accepting Applications for the 1890 National Scholars Program * WASHINGTON, DC -January 16, 2026 -The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, which aims to encourage students at the Congressionally created 1890 land-grant universities to pursue careers in food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences. The applicati  more