Arizona governor tours wildfire destruction along Grand Canyon North Rim
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs on Saturday toured the destruction caused by a wildfire along the Grand Canyon's North Rim, surveying what she described as devastating damage,
Hobbs called for an investigation into the handling of the blaze.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kansas Republican senate president announces 2026 gubernatorial bid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson entered the race for governor on Sunday as the 2026 Republican primary field gets more crowded. Republicans are keen to recapture the governor's office in GOP-leaning Kansas after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won a second four-year term in 2022. Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again. Masterson, a small-business owner, has been a state senator representing a district in eastern Kansas since 2009. He became Senate president in 2021. He previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008. Other Republicans in the 2026 governor's race include Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who built his public profile pushing back against unfounded election conspiracy theories, and former Gov. Jeff Colyer. Colyer was elevated to the office for about a year in 2018 after former Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. He failed to get past the primary in that year's gubernatorial election, then entered the 2022 governor's race but dropped out early after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Canada News.Net
2 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Trump's $9B spending rollback wins approval in narrow House vote
WASHINGTON D.C.: In a rare use of presidential rescission powers, Congress has approved President Donald Trump's request to withdraw $9 billion in previously authorized spending, targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid. The move marks the first time in decades that such a request from a president has cleared both chambers. The House voted 216–213 early Friday to pass the bill, following a 51–48 vote in the Senate the day before. It now heads to Trump's desk for final approval. The cuts eliminate $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and nearly $8 billion from various foreign aid programs. While some Republicans expressed unease with the decision, most backed the measure, citing alignment with Trump's agenda and fiscal priorities. "We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. Opponents, however, warned of the precedent the move sets. Democrats argued the bill undermines Congress' authority over federal spending and rolls back bipartisan commitments. "No one is buying the notion that Republicans are actually trying to improve wasteful spending," said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Public Broadcasting Faces Deep Cuts The CPB, which provides funding for more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations, will see its funding wiped out for the next two fiscal years. Much of its budget supports programming on PBS and NPR, as well as critical public safety infrastructure. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of two Republicans to vote against the bill, noted the vital role of public stations in remote areas. "It is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert," she said. During debate, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake off the Alaska Peninsula underscored her point, triggering tsunami warnings broadcast by public radio. While the administration argues the system is politically biased and unnecessary, advocates say the cuts will severely impact rural and underserved communities. Kate Riley, president of America's Public Television Stations, called a proposed stopgap measure "a short-term, half-measure that will still result in cuts." Foreign Aid Programs Slashed The bulk of the rescinded funds target international humanitarian and development efforts. These include $800 million for refugee shelter and family reunification, $496 million for disaster relief, and $4.15 billion for programs promoting economic growth and democracy in developing countries. Democrats criticized the move as short-sighted. "This is not an America First bill. It's a China First bill because of the void that's being created," said Jeffries. The White House defended the cuts as a way to encourage other nations to contribute more, arguing that the rescissions serve U.S. taxpayers. More Cuts Likely Ahead Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought signaled that further rescissions could follow. "We're happy to go to great lengths to get this thing done," he said. "Another rescissions package is likely to come soon."
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Japan's governing coalition loses upper house election
Voters fill in their ballots in the upper house election at a polling station Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition failed to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary election, Japan's NHK public television said Monday. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats on top of the 75 seats they already have to reach the goal. With two more seats to be decided, the coalition had only 46 seats. The loss is another blow to Ishiba's coalition, making it a minority in both houses following its October defeat in the lower house election, and worsening Japan's political instability. It was the first time the LDP has lost a majority in both houses of parliament since the party's foundation in 1955. Ishiba on Sunday expressed determination to stay on to tackle challenges such as U.S. tariff threats, but he could face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner. Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press Reeno Hashimoto contributed to this report.
