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Singapore PM defends political pay hike as 'responsible course to take'
Singapore's prime minister said on Thursday he deliberated "long and hard" over an increase in ministerial and lawmakers' salaries, already among the highest in the world, but felt it was necessary to attract talent into government ranks.
Analysis | Meet the lawmaker who’s worried about Christian nationalism
Rep. Jared Huffman is concerned about religious freedom.
Health officials, auditors at odds over millions in Medicaid payments to inmates
Lawmakers were left frustrated and confused Wednesday after a 2.5-hour discussion with state auditors and health officials turned into a debate over whether millions in Medicaid payments made on behalf of incarcerated individuals were proper.
Pa. Republican lawmakers say proposed Department of Health regulations pose privacy concerns
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health is facing widespread pushback from Republican lawmakers who say the agency’s plan for how it would respond to future infectious disease outbreaks would give health officials
Maryland lawmakers press health officials over millions in questionable Medicaid payments
Maryland lawmakers press health officials over millions in questionable Medicaid payments
Maryland lawmakers pressed state health officials Wednesday over millions of dollars in questionable Medicaid payments and other repeat problems flagged by stat
Republican lawmakers criticize Ford business ties to China
WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress on Wednesday joined criticism of Ford Motor over its business ties to Chinese firms after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply criticized the No. 2 U.S. automaker. Republican Senator R...
Republican lawmakers criticize Ford business ties to China
Republicans in Congress on Wednesday joined criticism of Ford Motor over its business ties to Chinese firms after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply criticized the No. 2 U.S. automaker.
Lawmakers question ties between Freedom 250 and Trump campaign
Lawmakers are questioning whether Republican groups used personal information collected at Freedom 250 events to build political contact lists.
Democrats demand Trump administration halt collection of patients’ ER records
A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling for the Trump administration to suspend a new surveillance program it quietly launched to collect the personal and identifiable health data of Americans who visit emergency rooms.
At rally to save Academy of Natural Sciences museum, protesters urge Drexel to 'act like it's an emergency'
Local lawmakers and scientists outlined several options to preserve the museum, which is due to close Sept. 30.
Some employers let workers buy their own health insurance. Who benefits?
Some Indiana businesses reimburse employees to buy their own health insurance. Lawmakers want more to follow suit.
Health experts, lawmakers push for Pa. kratom regulation; proponents warn they'll fight a ban
In Pennsylvania, kratom and more potent, related products remain legal. There are multiple bills moving through the statehouse that would ban or regulate them. But researchers warn there’s still a lot we don’t know.
NC’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot is coming back — but not at full strength
State lawmakers approved $25 million to restart the Medicaid pilot program after a yearlong pause, but some services may not return.
Lawmaker wrongly blamed for name-twin politician's hospital outburst
A Kaohsiung-based legislator spoke out late Monday to quell a wave of internet wrath, after netizens apparently confused him with a Taipei City councilor of the same name who was accused of an angry outburst at a hospital.
Kentucky lawmaker renews push for domestic violence offender registry
People convicted of a qualifying offense would appear in a public database after a second conviction.
UK PM denounces 'politics of poison' after anti-migrant protests
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged his Labour Party lawmakers to stop the "politics of poison seeping into our streets" after demonstrators tried to block the arrival of migrants, a media repor...
Renew MEPs to press Macron on his political future at Paris meeting
Lawmakers are expected to question the French leader about his plans post-2027 in the wake of the far right victory in Germany, a party official says.
How Tennessee can protect the benefits workers earn
Health benefit costs are spiking for Tennessee workers. A former lawmaker explains why state mandates are to blame.
Gubernatorial Candidates Rhoden, Ahlers Spar Over Agriculture, Education, Health Care
Ahlers, a former lawmaker from Dell Rapids, criticized the state’s strategy on economic development for agriculture, arguing that too much of the money doled
State lawmakers are worried about PG&E's plan to spend less money on projects
California lawmakers and Gov. Newsom face a new hurdle amid the debate over wildfire liability as the state's largest power company prepares to spend billions less than expected on energy projects it had promised.
California Politics 360 full episode | What's next after wildfire liability proposal fails
PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric wanted to shift some of those wildfire costs onto insurance companies. This week, the California Assembly decided to scrap a plan that lawmakers put together in the final hours of the legislative session.
California moves to protect 35,000 film and TV jobs with new legislation
California lawmakers introduce AB/SB 186 to protect film and television production jobs in the state. The bill addresses unintended impacts of SB 122 tax legislation on the Film & TV Tax Credit Program.
As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump
The president’s strategy, message and spending have left the G.O.P. in a difficult spot as lawmakers try to outrun his sagging approval ratings.
New Hampshire Sept. 8 primary: Full list of candidates on the Seacoast
New Hampshire's primary election will include contested battles for U.S. Senate and House, governor, executive council and state lawmakers.
Pa. GOP lawmakers explore increased public health reporting for tick-borne diseases
New legislation would require health care practitioners to report cases of babesiosis, a rare malaria-like disease that is spread by deer ticks, the same species responsible for most cases of Lyme disease.
GOP Lawmakers Discuss Economic Development At W.Va. Chamber Business Summit
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – The final day of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce 90th Annual Meeting and Business Summit at the Greenbrier wrapped up Friday morning with Republican lawmakers talking about the state’s economic future. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, moderated a panel discussion with House Judiciary Committee Chairman JB Akers, R-Kanawha; state Sen. […]
GOP lawmaker says Kamala Harris is ‘political kryptonite,' unhelpful to Democrats
Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, examines the Democratic Party's midterm election strategy on ‘The Evening Edit.’
A month after formal session, lawmakers begin health worker safety talks
Some of those same negotiators tasked with working on other major healthcare legislation this session — primary care reform — have yet to get started.
Comer indicates McConnell staffers aiming for lawmaker to return to Senate later this month
Rep. James Comer indicated that he has spoken with McConnell staffers who indicated they are aiming for the senator will return later this month.
Maxwell: Remember the Florida politicians who cast cruel votes against heat safety
Maxwell: Two years ago, Florida lawmakers voted to ban counties from giving outdoor workers basic heat-safety protections, like guaranteed access to water and shade. You should remember who they are and how they voted.
Lawmakers urge Hochul to act on AI tech bills
The bill would require businesses to report certain information to the state Department of Labor breaking down how artificial intelligence is affecting their hiring and employment practices.
A Miami doctor and his business were at the center of a U.S. House...
A Miami doctor and his business were at the center of a U.S. House task force hearing on Tuesday looking into what lawmakers said could be the exploitation of birthright citizenship. The business in...
Missouri Supreme Court blocks newly-drawn congressional map
The case was argued Wednesday and is likely the final action the court will take regarding the “Missouri First” map passed by state lawmakers last fall.
GOP lawmaker says he expects McConnell will return to Capitol Hill later this month after lengthy absence
House Oversight Chair James Comer of Kentucky said Thursday that Sen. Mitch McConnell’s staff have told him they are hoping the senator – who has had an extended absence from Washington due to health issues – will return when the Senate comes back into session on September 14.
As sports betting surges, Virginia weighs how to curb gambling harms
As college football season gets into full swing over Labor Day weekend, sports betting companies, public health experts and Virginia lawmakers are confronting a question that has grown more pressing since wagering moved into smartphones: How can the industry keep gambling from becoming an addiction?Representatives from those groups gathered Wednesday at the Hilton Richmond Downtown for a Responsible Gaming Roundtable hosted by the Sports Betting Alliance, an advocacy organization representing bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel — five of the nation’s largest online sports betting operators.
Trump promises to campaign for Republicans and says they have a winning midterm message
President Donald Trump is urging Republican lawmakers to run on his White House record despite his sagging popularity.
Lack of child care still a key need for WV businesses while state slowrolls lawmakers' bill
West Virginia’s business leaders continue to beat the drum that the state is woefully short on affordable childcare spots. They say it is one of the reasons the state continues to have the nation’s worst workforce participation of a little more than 50%.
House GOP lawmakers explore increased public health reporting for tick-borne diseases
The commonwealth had more than 16,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Lawmakers push for changes to how sexual misconduct allegations are handled
Tuesday’s censure didn’t come with any other actionable repercussions.
US says it will use regional body to isolate Nicaragua
Move comes after Nicaragua's lawmakers change constitution to ban most political opposition.
House committee subpoenas Oracle’s Ellison about costly veterans health records project
Lawmakers in both parties are fed up with the tech firm’s handling of the decadelong effort to update VA medical files.
8 questions GOP lawmakers face as the House returns
Republicans face a torrent of questions about the words and actions President Donald Trump has unleashed while they’ve been gone.
Delaware signs maternal health bill requiring hospital discharge plans
Delaware lawmakers and maternal health advocates gathered at Josie’s Grace in Newark to celebrate the ceremonial signing of legislation designed to strengthen protections for pregnant patients experiencing labor symptoms.
Six Takeaways From the Massachusetts Primaries
Senator Ed Markey, 80, trounced a younger challenger who had made an argument for generational change. Two other longtime Democratic lawmakers hung on, too.
House adopts Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank’s resolution condemning socialism, mostly along party lines
The House on Tuesday approved a resolution sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank to condemn socialism in a largely party-line vote that the Colorado Republican characterized as a chance for lawmakers to “stand firm” against an ideology making inroads among Democrats. The nonbinding resolution, HR 1490, also included a call for the “enactment” of GOP-led […]
House censures GOP congressman over creepy behavior toward staff
An ethics panel said the Republican lawmaker showered staffers with lavish trips, expensive gifts, romantic poems and an ice cream deluge.
Health Brief: Health care’s December pileup
Congress bought itself a few more months on government funding, but lawmakers are already stacking up health care fights for the end of the year.
California lawmakers kill wildfire bill after utility complaints
Legislation that would have helped wildfire victims receive compensation more quickly, but that utilities said didn’t do enough to reduce their financial risks, died in Sacramento after the Assembly declined to vote on it.
House Votes to Avert Government Shutdown Before Midterm Elections
Lawmakers sent the legislation to President Trump in an overwhelming vote, reflecting bipartisan enthusiasm around punting a messy spending fight until after the midterms.
Should California backfill science funding Trump cut? Voters could decide in 2028
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A California science bond measure to counter the Trump administration’s research cuts is back from the dead after state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom reached a deal last week to place the $7.5 billion request to voters on the March 2028 ballot. Senate […]
Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group digs into $144 million in grants
The administrators behind the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program provided grant updates to lawmakers who oversee the initiative.
Western New York lawmakers propose 'Hands Off Our Great Lakes' Act
The proposed legislation seeks to block the president and other federal officials from renaming any of the Great Lakes.
California to buy defunct horse track and turn it into the Bay Area's newest public park
California lawmakers struck a deal to divert $125 million in climate funding to buy the former Golden Gate Fields track and turn it into a park
House to vote on stopgap funding bill as lawmakers scramble to avoid government shutdown
Speaker Mike Johnson to launch a floor vote designed to prevent any federal shutdown before the November midterms
$7.5-billion California science bond measure awaits Newsom’s sign-off
California lawmakers sent a $7.5-billion science research bond measure to Gov. Gavin Newsom. If signed, it would go before voters on the March 2028 ballot.
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after convening to compare notes on overlapping bills aimed at reforming the Wyoming Business Council. The future of the state’s top economic development shop has stakes for how prepared Wyoming communities are to host […]
Maine lawmakers call on MaineHealth to keep Lincoln County labor unit open
Another labor and delivery unit in Maine is slated to close before the end of the year. A Maine Legislature committee is trying to take action to keep services open.
House lawmakers return to Washington with stopgap funding bill among priorities
The bill would keep the federal government fully funded through early December, removing the possibility of a shutdown before the midterm elections
House lawmakers return to Washington with stopgap funding bill among priorities
The bill would keep the federal government fully funded through early December, removing the possibility of a shutdown before the midterm elections
California lawmakers greenlight a new San Diego sports arena, bypassing environmental hurdles
California leaders pushed through a controversial last-minute deal to protect the major project from environmental lawsuits.
California to get more power to sue big businesses under anti-monopoly bill going to Newsom
California prosecutors would gain new powers to sue big businesses over anti-competitive practices under a bill Democratic lawmakers sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Democratic lawmakers introduce bills expanding health coverage for low-income Michiganders
Last week, a pair of Democratic lawmakers from the Michigan House and Senate shared that they were working on legislation to ensure more Michigan residents can access healthcare.
House returns with vote expected on Senate bill to prevent government shutdown
Lawmakers could also vote on condemning socialism and censuring GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards.
Virginia health leaders, lawmakers share enhanced healthcare resources for rural communities
Eastern Shore residents and healthcare providers on Friday told state leaders about the opportunities and challenges they face serving their communities, with Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin Figueroa outlining how the state government can support them and other rural Virginians.
MeToo part deux is coming to U.S. politics
Activists are driving a renewed MeToo‑style reckoning in U.S. politics, pushing parties and lawmakers toward stronger accountability for sexual misconduct.
Lawmakers send bills to Newsom shoring up ballot security, transparency for paid political posts
California lawmakers on Sunday approved bills aimed at preventing interference in this fall’s midterm elections and requiring more transparency from social media influencers who are paid by political campaigns.
California Antitrust Bill Narrowed After Business Pushback
California lawmakers have pared back a proposal that would expand the state’s antitrust law to cover anticompetitive conduct by individual companies,
California Politics 360 full episode | Rep.-elect Aisha Wahab prepares for transition to US Capitol
State lawmakers have until Aug. 31 at midnight to change or create new laws for the year.
California's new attempt to help struggling newsrooms faces key test
A new plan by California lawmakers to help fund the state's struggling journalism organizations could advance in the coming days but faces an uncertain future. Assembly Bill 2222 would create
California lawmakers strike wildfire deal that leaves out most of Newsom’s big demands
Newsom backed off his plan to ease utilities' wildfire costs after Democratic lawmakers refused to shift the burden to insurers and survivors
Pennsylvania lawmaker to propose bill establishing universal healthcare within the state
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — State Rep. Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) plans to introduce legislation that would establish a universal single-payer health care system in Pennsylvania. In a memo circulate…
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
Though two separate legislative committees each found agreement, some objected to mixing committee duties.
House will vote to denounce socialism
The House of Representatives is set to vote next week when lawmakers return to condemn and denounce “socialism in all its forms,” specifically pointing to the growing Democratic Socialists of America organization. The House voted to condemn socialism last year, but did not specifically call out the DSA. The resolution includes calling for the enactment […]
MaineHealth CEO warns of ‘huge crisis’ in healthcare
Although MaineHealth announced its decision to close the unit earlier this month, those who live near the hospital asked lawmakers Thursday to force the hospital to keep it open while other options are considered.
White House, hemp lobbyists bet on shutdown politics to delay ‘diet weed’ ban
Lawmakers say the Trump administration is promising to use the one-month punt to work on new regulations.
RFK Jr. said a Samoa trip had nothing to do with vaccines. New documents refute that
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation last year that a 2019 visit to Samoa before a deadly measles outbreak had ” nothing to do with vaccines.” New documents obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian refute that testimony.
Coalition drops Colorado transportation ballot measure after securing deal
The proposed constitutional amendment seeking to dedicate all transportation-related revenue to Colorado’s roads and bridges will no longer appear in this November’s ballot after its proponents reached an agreement with lawmakers following months of negotiations. Initiative No. 175, backed by the coalition Restore Our Roads, would have required that all transportation-related revenue be used exclusively […]
Democrats want to draw more safe House seats. It could cost Black lawmakers.
Republicans have added more than a dozen conservative-leaning House districts, giving them a shot at keeping their threadbare majority.
Is Germany benefitting yet from the crisis in US research?
Science|Business - Table.Media partnershipScience|Business has partnered with Table.Media, a leading source of news about higher education and research in Germany. Each week, we are publishing one of each other’s stories to give readers an even broader range of insight into R&D policy across Europe.Drawing over 500 participants, the German Academic International Network conference in San Francisco brings together researchers, universities, scientific organisations and policymakers in the US as part of an attempt to recruit international talent for Germany. It also serves as an annual barometer for the uncertainty triggered by the Trump administration’s science policies. As was the case last year, Germany’s political presence was unusually strong: federal lawmakers, nine state ministers of science and research, and federal research state secretary Marcus Pleyer all attended. Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has observed a marked shift at US universities a year after the Trump administration began sweeping interventions: the initial state of "shock and paralysis" has given way to a strategic approach to the situation. Universities are seeking new funding sources, mounting legal challenges against interventions and opening themselves up more to international collaborations, including with Germany, he said. Early-career international researchers with expiring visas are considered particularly vulnerable. Germany is benefiting from increased demand among this pool of young talent; the country’s 1,000 Minds Plus programme, designed in part to lure German academics back home, has already filled up around one-third of its capacity. Meanwhile, Markus Blume, Bavaria’s science minister and current chair of the federal Conference of Science Ministers, sees an "enormous outflow of talent from the US." An increasing number of international researchers want to leave. Applications to Canada have risen by 42% January, and those to Europe by 32%. Meanwhile, the number of people drawn to the US is plummeting. "In this context, Germany must position itself as a prime destination offering reliable conditions, institutional stability and academic freedom, including through smart collaborations," Blume told Table.Briefings.“Darkest hour”At the get-together in San Francisco, the former president of the US National Academy of Sciences, Marcia McNutt, highlighted the gravity of the situation on the ground in a keynote address. She described the present moment as the "darkest hour for the US scientific system." At the same time, she said that cooperation should be maintained, especially during a crisis. Established researchers in the US are less likely to leave. Ulrike Malmendier, a former member of the German Council of Economic Experts and an economist at Berkeley, explained why established researchers are not packing their bags and leaving the US in droves: working conditions and the concentration of talent at places like Berkeley and Stanford remain unparalleled. According to Peter-André Alt, managing director of the Wübben Foundation, which helps Germany attract international academics, political restrictions are not the only grievance voiced by US-based researchers. "There are evidently still many areas where, fortunately, unfettered research is possible," Alt told Table.Briefings. Instead, the primary complaint concerns the cost of living, which has "skyrocketed” to absurd levels. "Runaway inflation, like that currently seen in the US, is certainly no draw for young scientific talent,” he said. Return homeA growing number of early-career researchers from Germany appear to be considering a return home. Jörn Benzinger, who is responsible for recruiting early-career researchers from abroad at Ruhr University Bochum, reports numerous conversations with researchers who are taking a closer look at the German academic landscape."Germany has definitely moved more into the spotlight,” he said. States, university alliances and research organisations joined forces to recruit talent. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia were prominently represented, as were alliances such as the Berlin University Alliance and the University Alliance Ruhr. Benzinger sums up Germany’s approach with a new formula: "collaboration is the new competition." He notes that it is becoming increasingly difficult for individual universities to gain international visibility, while regional research ecosystems and collaborations are growing in importance. Afraid to leaveThe crisis in the US academic sector is also straining transatlantic research relations. Benzinger reports that some US-based researchers had to decline brief invitations to Germany because they could not be certain of being allowed to re-enter the US afterward.He considers the simple poaching of researchers to be the wrong approach; what is needed, he says, are "reliable offers and long-term partnerships."However, Green Party politician Ayşe Asar, who also attended the conference, sees a significant need for improvement, particularly regarding career paths in Germany.While lifetime professorships and academic freedom certainly make Germany attractive, young researchers also require predictable career paths, tenure-track positions and flatter hierarchies.
Can California help lower the cost of GLP-1s? Here’s what lawmakers are proposing
An LA-area Democrat wants California to partner with drug manufacturers to make weight loss drugs cheaper — drawing on her own experience paying out of pocket.
The Campaign to Create Second-Class Citizens
GOP lawmakers are pushing to restrict the rights of naturalized and dual citizens—including their ability to run for office.
Democrats want to draw more safe House seats. It could cost Black lawmakers.
Democrats want to redistrict to expand their number of safe seats in Congress. But that could mean losing some Black lawmakers.
Michigan's Tri-Share childcare cost-sharing program becomes permanent
Michigan's Tri-Share program is a first in the nation childcare cost-sharing program that lawmakers recently made permanent with bipartisan support.
‘Michiganders for Money Out of Politics’ petition taken up in the House
The Michigan House took up a ballot measure Tuesday to curb political donations from some of Michigan’s public utilities and government contractors. Lawmakers passed the initiative by a large margin.
Colorado lawmaker, House leaders named in workplace-retaliation lawsuit
A former legislative aide has filed a lawsuit alleging she was mistreated, illegally directed to perform campaign work and harmed by a House leadership structure she says was fragmented, politicized and ineffective at protecting employees. The lawsuit, filed by Jennifer Chick, names Littleton Democratic Rep. Sheila Lieder, House Speaker Julie McCluskie of Dillon and House […]
US lawmakers question Health Secretary Kennedy on vaccine settlement disclosures
A group of U.S. senators said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent explanation for how he disposed of a financial stake in litigation involving Merck's Gardasil vaccine conflicts with earlier answers he gave in written testimony and federal ethics filings, a letter reviewed by Reuters shows.
Pa. skill games could disappear in October. Businesses that rely on them are worried.
A state Supreme Court ruling could force skill games out of businesses and nonprofits unless lawmakers agree on how to regulate and tax them.
California lawmakers vote to increase transparency over influencers’ paid political posts
The California Senate has passed a bill to fine content creators who don’t disclose they were paid to post in support of a political candidate or issue on the ballot
California lawmakers vote to increase transparency over influencers’ paid political posts
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate passed a bill Monday that would fine content creators who don’t disclose they were paid to post in support of a political candidate or issue on the ballot.
Newsom returns to a defining California fight: Who pays for wildfire damage?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking state lawmakers to shield utilities from financial trouble if their equipment sparks a wildfire by limiting the amount they have to pay victims and attorneys.
California's post-production workers push for new industry incentive
California lawmakers are weighing AB 2319, a tax credit aimed at bringing film and TV post-production work — editing, sound, VFX, music — back to the state as jobs move overseas.
Price Transparency, Insulin Top Lawmakers’ Health To-Do Lists
Lawmakers are facing crunch time on healthcare priorities, with very few in-session days left in the year — and for some, their legislative careers.
Bipartisan Energy Politics | Reading and Podcast Picks
Reading and Podcast Picks is a collection of what we’ve been reading and listening to over the last week or so about energy topics. In addition to these R&P Picks, paid subscribers receive access to the full archives, Grid Roundups, and select episodes of the Energy Capital Podcast. Please subscribe today. Texans, legislators debate transmission lines at hearing | Texas Tribune “Republican legislators, Democratic statewide candidates, landowners from rural Texas and environmentalists” alike joined together Wednesday to protest the buildout of 765-kV lines across the state. At the protest and nine-hour hearing that followed, lawmakers heard a variety of recommendations, including from local officials arguing for more local control of data center proposals and more time to reform the process behind approving transmission lines across Texas. Though discussed in separate hearings, landowners and protesters said the issues are connected… Regulators have already been working through a new way to decide how much of the cost of building new transmission lines needs to be paid for by individuals and how much needs to be paid for by companies such as data centers. Experts said they believe the new system will lower the burden on residential consumers relative to the industrial groups. Data-Center Backlash Leads to New Land Rush in Texas Oil Patch | The Wall Street Journal While the data center protests rage, investors converge on the Permian Basin to build data centers powered by cheap natural gas. “A lot of places you see all over the country they’re worried about water, they’re worried about power, they’re worried about transmission, and the Permian has all of those things in spades,” said EagleRock Chief Executive Greg Pipkin Jr. Dallas-Fort Worth Dethrones Virginia as the World’s Top Data Center Market | Dallas Innovates Two reports show growth in North Texas data centers despite political concerns about the industry. Boasting five highly ranked data center markets, Texas is experiencing an explosion of data center activity. Long anchored by the DFW market, “the state is growing at a pace that could soon bring total installed capacity in line with — and potentially beyond — that of Virginia,” the Cushman & Wakefield report said. A new report from commercial real estate services provider JLL takes a slightly different view, anointing Texas the top data center market in North America. Texas eclipsed longtime frontrunner Virginia based on the level of existing and under-construction data center inventory in the state as measured by gigawatt capacity. A gigawatt equals 1 billion watts.
WHO RUNS MARYLAND POLITICS NOW?
ByThe Maryland Wire The Machine Didn’t Die — It Broke Apart Mike Miller is gone. Steny Hoyer is retiring. The two men who helped define Maryland political power for generations are disappearing from the map. Nobody has inherited all of what they controlled. Instead, Maryland power has fractured among Wes Moore, legislative leaders, county organizations, federal figures and a new generation fighting to connect the pieces. By The Maryland Wire For decades, there were two names in Maryland politics that required almost no explanation. Mike Miller. Steny Hoyer. You didn’t necessarily have to agree with them. You didn’t even have to like them. But everyone understood something: Not social-media power. Not cable-news power. Not the temporary power that comes from one big election. They possessed political infrastructure. Relationships. Institutional memory. Donors. Staff. Allies. County leaders. Lobbyists. Legislators. Operatives. And the ability to connect people who needed something with people capable of delivering it. Today one is gone. The other is preparing to leave Congress after more than four decades. And Maryland faces a question it hasn’t had to answer in generations: The answer may be: Nobody. At least not the way Miller once did. Maryland’s old machine wasn’t inherited by one person. It fragmented. And now several ambitious political networks are competing to assemble the pieces. Miller presided over the Maryland Senate for 33 years, becoming one of the longest-serving legislative leaders in American history. He stepped down as Senate president in 2019 and died in January 2021. (Behavioral and Social Sciences) But Miller’s real power wasn’t the title printed on his door. It was the accumulation of relationships behind it. Miller came from Maryland’s old Democratic organization and developed into an extraordinarily adaptable political operator, retaining authority even as the Senate around him became younger and more liberal. (The Washington Post) He understood something fundamental: politics is information. Who wants what? Who owes whom? Which senator needs help? Which county executive wants something in the budget? Which committee chairman can move a bill? Which lobbyist represents which client? Which candidate should receive support today because that candidate could be a senator ten years from now? Miller knew the answers because he’d spent decades collecting them. Miller’s influence wasn’t confined to elected officials. Former Miller aides became prominent Annapolis lobbyists. Maryland Matters noted figures such as Joseph Bryce and Timothy Perry among the high-profile lobbyists who had once served as top Miller aides. (Maryland Matters) That was one of Miller’s greatest political achievements. He didn’t merely accumulate power around himself. He produced alumni. Staffers became lobbyists. Legislators became committee chairs. Allies became power brokers. And decades of relationships reinforced one another. By the end, Mike Miller wasn’t simply a person. He was an ecosystem. Hoyer’s network was different. Miller’s power was rooted in Annapolis. Hoyer connected Maryland to Washington. He served in the Maryland Senate before winning election to Congress in 1981 and ultimately became one of the longest-serving members of the U.S. House and a longtime No. 2 in House Democratic leadership. In January 2026, Hoyer announced that he would retire rather than seek another term. (The Washington Post) His influence stretched through: Prince George’s County, Southern Maryland, Congress, federal agencies, donors, campaign organizations, and generations of Democratic candidates. And Hoyer had something machine builders value enormously: a succession network. That became obvious almost immediately. When Hoyer announced his retirement, Maryland’s 5th Congressional District exploded with candidates. Twenty-four Democrats entered the race. But when the votes were counted, the winner was Adrian Boafo, Hoyer’s former campaign manager. Boafo wasn’t running without establishment help. He was endorsed by Hoyer. He was endorsed by Governor Wes Moore. And he ultimately won the Democratic nomination. (AP News) In his victory speech, Boafo described the result as voters deciding it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.” (AP News) That phrase captures the transition perfectly. Hoyer’s seat isn’t simply being vacated. Parts of his network are being transferred. But they aren’t being transferred to another Steny Hoyer. They’re being absorbed into a newer political constellation. And standing prominently inside that constellation is Wes Moore. If someone forces you to name the single person sitting nearest the center of Maryland Democratic politics today, the answer is Governor Wes Moore. The 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary underscored the scale of his position. Moore won renomination overwhelmingly, receiving roughly 88% of the Democratic primary vote. (WBAL-TV) But raw votes tell only part of the story. Look at the party infrastructure. The Maryland Democratic Party says Steuart Pittman ran for state party chairman in 2025 “at the suggestion of Governor Wes Moore.” Pittman took office that July. (The Maryland Democratic Party) That’s important. Governors traditionally influence their state parties. But party leadership plus fundraising, endorsements, executive appointments and national relationships creates the beginning of something bigger: a political network that could survive the governor’s term. Moore also played a role in the Hoyer succession by backing Boafo. That’s how political organizations reproduce themselves. You support tomorrow’s politician today. And that’s the distinction that matters. Moore has enormous statewide visibility. Miller had decades of accumulated legislative control. Moore can endorse candidates. Miller could influence the environment in which legislators lived every day. Committee assignments. Leadership positions. Legislative priorities. Relationships that had been accumulating since before many current lawmakers entered politics. Moore may have a larger national profile than Miller ever possessed. But he doesn’t possess Miller’s half-century of Annapolis memory. Nobody does. Which is why the modern Maryland political structure looks less like a pyramid and more like several power centers connected by overlapping relationships. One of those centers belongs to Senate President Bill Ferguson. Ferguson controls an institution no governor can simply command. The Senate. Maryland’s official 2026 legislative records identify Ferguson as Senate President. (Maryland General Assembly) That means influence over: committee structure, Senate leadership, legislative priorities, confirmations, and negotiations with the House and governor. But Ferguson is not Mike Miller 2.0. Miller’s extraordinary longevity allowed him to become almost inseparable from the institution. Ferguson possesses the office. Miller possessed the office plus decades of political mythology and accumulated relationships. Those aren’t the same thing. The House now has its own new center of gravity. Official 2026 legislative records identify Joseline Peña-Melnyk as Speaker of the House of Delegates, alongside Ferguson as Senate President. (Maryland General Assembly) That makes the current Maryland governing triangle: Executive power. Senate power. House power. None fully controls the others. And that fact alone demonstrates how different modern Maryland is from the Miller era. The governor proposes. The legislature disposes. Committee leaders negotiate. County interests intervene. And political coalitions shift issue by issue. That’s not one machine. That’s a networked power structure. Then there’s U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks. Her significance isn’t that she is the new Hoyer. She isn’t. Hoyer spent decades constructing his network. Alsobrooks brings something different: Prince George’s County roots, a statewide electoral organization, a United States Senate platform, and relationships with national Democratic leaders. That makes her a critical bridge between Maryland and Washington at precisely the moment Hoyer leaves. Hoyer’s retirement therefore doesn’t necessarily weaken Prince George’s influence. It changes who carries it. Prince George’s itself is undergoing a dramatic generational transition. Official 2026 results show Aisha Braveboy winning the Democratic County Executive primary with 87,944 votes and 73.31% of the vote. (Maryland State Board of Elections) That’s political infrastructure. Prince George’s is one of Maryland’s central Democratic vote engines. A county executive with that level of primary support gains: appointments, budget influence, organizational relationships, donor access, and a platform for cultivating the next generation of political leadership. Braveboy therefore isn’t merely another person on the Maryland power map. She controls a place from which a political organization can be built. Boafo is particularly interesting because he sits almost perfectly at the intersection between the old and new worlds. He worked for Hoyer. Hoyer endorsed him. Moore endorsed him. Then Boafo beat an enormous Democratic field for Hoyer’s seat. (AP News) That doesn’t make him powerful on Hoyer’s scale. He’s just beginning. But it illustrates how power actually transfers: not through a ceremonial handoff, but through endorsements, donors, staff, relationships, and voter confidence. Boafo may become Hoyer’s congressional successor. He will not automatically inherit Hoyer’s 40-plus years of political capital. That part has to be rebuilt. This is the part that often gets overlooked. When a machine breaks apart, power doesn’t only move upward. Some people’s relationships become less valuable. Former Miller aides still know Annapolis. Former Miller allies still possess institutional memory. Veteran lobbyists don’t forget how legislation works. But something fundamental disappeared when Miller did: the common center. The person capable of connecting all of them instantly was gone. That changes the value of a political network. Imagine knowing everybody in Annapolis. Useful. Now imagine the person who introduced many of those people, appointed committee chairs, influenced Senate priorities and understood decades of relationships is simultaneously Senate President. Much more useful. Remove that person and the individual relationships remain. But the system becomes decentralized. First: Bill Ferguson. The Senate’s institutional relationships now run through his leadership rather than Miller’s. Second: the House leadership. With the Miller-Busch generation gone, today’s House leaders are building their own committee chairs, alliances and relationships. Third: Wes Moore. Moore became governor after Miller was gone. That distinction matters. Earlier governors had to operate with Miller sitting across State Circle. Moore entered office during a generational reset. Instead of negotiating with the old machine, he has the opportunity to help build the next network. Fourth: Angela Alsobrooks and the emerging Prince George’s generation. Hoyer is leaving. Miller is gone. The county’s political leadership now belongs to another generation. Fifth: politicians who were outside the old Miller organization. When someone dominates an institution for 33 years, inevitably some politicians develop within that organization and others outside it. Miller’s departure created room for people who may never have risen as quickly under the old structure. That’s the biggest point. If Mike Miller’s power had simply transferred to Bill Ferguson, Maryland would still have a machine. If Hoyer’s influence simply transferred to Boafo, Maryland would still have a machine. If every county leader simply took orders from Moore, Maryland would have a machine. None of those things happened. Instead: Moore controls the statewide executive platform. Ferguson controls the Senate. Peña-Melnyk controls the House. Alsobrooks has statewide and federal reach. Braveboy has Prince George’s executive power. Pittman leads the state Democratic Party after Moore encouraged him to seek the role. (The Maryland Democratic Party) Boafo represents the beginning of the post-Hoyer congressional generation. And Baltimore, Montgomery County, organized labor, donors and other county organizations maintain their own centers of influence. That’s not one machine. If you want to understand where Maryland power is moving, don’t simply watch office titles. Watch endorsements. Who does Moore support? Who does Alsobrooks support? Who gets Ferguson’s allies? Who gets House leadership? Who gets Hoyer’s blessing? Who gets labor? Who gets major donors? And most importantly: That is where the new Maryland network becomes visible. The Boafo race was a textbook example. Hoyer’s successor didn’t emerge randomly from 24 candidates. He had ties to the outgoing incumbent and support from the governor. The old network and the emerging one overlapped. And voters chose him. (AP News) Moore may ultimately become the most important person in determining whether Maryland develops another durable statewide political organization. But the test isn’t whether Moore himself remains popular. The test is what happens to the people he supports. Which delegates become senators? Which senators become committee chairs? Which county officials become executives? Which staffers become candidates? Which appointees become statewide leaders? Who gets his donor network? Who gets his political advisers? Who eventually gets his endorsement when Maryland faces a post-Moore gubernatorial succession fight? That’s how we’ll know whether Moore was merely a successful governor— or the founder of another generation of Maryland power. There’s another category worth watching: politicians who came from Miller’s Maryland but remain active in the new one. Dereck Davis is one. Anthony Brown is another. Veteran legislators and former officials throughout the state still possess old relationships that newer politicians don’t. These people can function as bridges. That’s important because political systems rarely reset completely. The new machine usually grows partly from pieces of the old one. Donors don’t disappear. Lobbyists don’t disappear. Operatives don’t disappear. Institutional memory doesn’t disappear. They find new centers of gravity. If you want one name: His overwhelming 2026 Democratic renomination, executive authority, national profile and influence within the Maryland Democratic Party make that difficult to dispute. (WBAL-TV) But saying Moore “runs Maryland” the way Miller once ran the Senate would oversimplify the reality. Maryland power today looks more like this: WES MOORE Statewide organization.Appointments.Fundraising.Executive government.National Democratic relationships. BILL FERGUSON The Senate.Committees.Confirmations.Legislative leverage. JOSELINE PEÑA-MELNYK The House.Committee leadership.Budget and legislative leverage. ANGELA ALSOBROOKS Statewide electoral organization.Federal platform.Prince George’s relationships.National Democratic connections. AISHA BRAVEBOY Prince George’s executive organization.County government.A major Democratic vote base. THE POST-HOYER GENERATION Boafo and the emerging political class that will have to rebuild Hoyer’s Washington-Maryland network rather than simply inherit it. It did something more interesting. Mike Miller’s influence was too personal, too old and too deeply rooted in his own relationships to be inherited whole. Hoyer’s network is too extensive and too intertwined with decades of congressional politics to fit neatly inside one successor. So the pieces are moving. Toward Moore. Toward Ferguson. Toward Peña-Melnyk. Toward Alsobrooks. Toward Braveboy. Toward younger candidates and new county organizations. And toward veteran political survivors who understand both eras. That’s the next chapter of Maryland politics. The person who eventually connects: Annapolis, Prince George’s, Montgomery County, Baltimore, labor, business, donors, the Maryland Democratic Party, and the congressional delegation will possess something Maryland hasn’t truly seen since Miller’s heyday. Not merely another elected official. And maybe that’s why searching for “the next Mike Miller” is the wrong exercise. There may never be another one. The more important question is: Miller spent half a century becoming that person. Hoyer spent decades becoming another version of it. Maryland’s current political leaders are still competing for the privilege. And until somebody actually connects all those pieces, the most accurate answer to the question “Who runs Maryland?” may be the most fascinating one of all: No one does. Not anymore. But there are plenty of people trying. Sources University of Maryland and Maryland Matters — Miller’s 33-year Senate presidency and political legacy. (Behavioral and Social Sciences) Washington Post historical reporting — Miller’s rise from Maryland machine politics and ability to retain power as the Senate evolved. (The Washington Post) Maryland Matters — former top Miller aides who moved into Annapolis lobbying and the changing Senate power structure. (Maryland Matters) Washington Post and Reuters — Hoyer’s January 2026 retirement announcement after more than four decades in Congress and his long Democratic leadership career. (The Washington Post) Associated Press — Adrian Boafo’s 2026 victory in the Democratic primary to succeed Hoyer, including Hoyer and Moore’s support and Boafo’s “pass the torch” remarks. (AP News) Maryland Democratic Party — Steuart Pittman’s official biography stating that he sought the state chairmanship at Moore’s suggestion. (The Maryland Democratic Party) Maryland General Assembly — official 2026 records identifying Bill Ferguson as Senate President and Joseline Peña-Melnyk as Speaker. (Maryland General Assembly) Maryland State Board of Elections — official 2026 Prince George’s County results showing Aisha Braveboy’s dominant County Executive primary victory. (Maryland State Board of Elections) 2026 election reporting — Moore’s overwhelming Democratic gubernatorial primary victory. (WBAL-TV)
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