Michigan Public Assistance Fraud Out Of Control.
Michigan mailed out roughly 738 Bridge cards every day in 2024 for a total of 269,644 cards, according to a document obtained through a records request.
Cards could be replaced for reasons such as theft, demagnetization of the card, or forgotten PINs. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services didn’t respond to a request for comment on how many cards were in each category.
More than 1.4 million Michiganders use those cards to buy groceries through the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is administered by the state. But criminals have infiltrated the program, cloning cards and then draining their funds.
Michigan Capitol Confidential exclusively reported that food stamp fraud jumped by nearly 400% from fiscal year 2023 to 2024. The dollar amount of reported fraud increased from $181,778 to $884,947. Click here to read more.
School Districts Spent More Than $9 Million To Make Grading Practices More ‘Equitable’
School districts across the country spent more than $9 million on equity consultants since 2014, with California as the biggest offender, according to a new report.
A total of 39 school districts across seven states spent $9,028,000 on consultants for equitable grading in the past 11 years, according to a new report from Defending Education.
Equitable grading is “a popular grading framework that seeks to address ‘inequities’ and ‘bias’ in education,” Defending Education said.
“It is rooted in the belief that all inequitable outcomes are the result of implicit and systemic bias (for example, white supremacy) and creates barriers to success for minority and low-income students,” the group said.
California was responsible for the bulk of the spending — the Golden State shelled out a total of $7,733,000 for consultants that included equitable grading guidance. Click here to read more.
Strong Florida Law Stops Los Angeles type protests.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned attempts to target law enforcement officers involved in illegal immigration enforcement following recent riots in Los Angeles, affirming Florida’s zero-tolerance policy for such attacks.
“That isn’t going to fly in Florida. This is not Los Angeles. This is the Free State of Florida. So we respect the law. We respect the people that are executing the law,” the governor said during a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning.
“You have this movement around the country where these groups, I think they’re funded by people like [George] Soros, they want to dox people who are enforcing immigration law and basically try to incite attacks on them just for simply doing their job,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he has directed law enforcement and state agencies to maintain a zero tolerance policy for such actions.
He said if people “don’t like” the laws, they can vote for leaders to change them, but they do not “have the right to just simply opt out of federal immigration law.”
“I think what’s happened in California is they are a sanctuary state you have. Now you have the law being applied, or the law they don’t have to cooperate. Well, now you have the law being applied,” he said. Click here to read more.
9-year-old Hamilton boy’s quick thinking helps save mom, unborn baby sister
HAMILTON, Ohio — A 9-year-old Hamilton boy's quick thinking saving the life of his pregnant mother and his unborn baby sister.
His family now calling him their hero.
"My mom could have died,” said Oliver Ware.
On May 2, 35 weeks into her pregnancy, Niki Ware passed out inside their Hamilton home.
Oliver had just gotten home from school and his dad, Jeff Ware, was still at work.
“I called 911,” Oliver said, thinking back to the day.
High blood pressure caused Niki to have multiple seizures. Doctors say that call helped to save her and baby Riley’s lives.
Complications from seizures can cut the oxygen flow to the baby, doctors said.
“He had to save his mama and his sister, and that's what he did. Like to me, that's the definition of a hero,” said Oliver’s dad.
Oliver is going into fourth grade at Fairwood Elementary and says he learned how to call 911 and what to do in an emergency during a lesson at school.
His parents are incredibly proud, saying they rest easy knowing that Riley has Oliver for a big brother.
"Good to know I've got this guy here. He's got all of our backs,” Jeff said. Click here to read more.
Ohio Passes Major Energy Reform Securing Free-Market Energy Future
States around the country are addressing longstanding challenges with access to reliable, affordable energy as more people and businesses consume power than ever before.
Ohio has become a hub for data centers, for example, as major tech companies invest billions in building large-scale data centers in the central region of the state. These require significant amounts of electricity and put a strain on the energy grid. In order to ensure the lights stay on, Ohio lawmakers needed to build a policy framework to protect the state’s energy future.
With the help of The Buckeye Institute, Ohio passed the most significant energy policy the state has seen in over 20 years. It represents a model of free-market energy policy that promotes competition, transparency, and removes barriers to affordable energy. In particular, the new law will lower the cost and speed up the process of new energy generation. Click here to read more.
