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Below are today’s Arizona and national stories, available for immediate republication. You can access them via The Center Square RSS feed or BLOX Content Exchange.

Facebook, Instagram agree to $17B settlement in states' suit
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, have announced a $17 billion settlement with Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in a lawsuit over risks to youth. Besides the money, the suit stipulates social media rules to protect young users. Plaintiffs include Arizona. By Chris Woodward.

Democrats sue Postal Service over rule on mail-in ballots
Democratic attorneys general from California, 22 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Postal Service over its rule on mail-in ballots. The suit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday to allow, for now, President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots. The order required the Postal Service to prohibit the mailing of ballots to voters not included on a new Postal Service list of eligible voters. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Arizona. By Dave Mason.

Feds announces $100M plan to expand mining workforce
The U.S. Department of Energy is launching a $100 million initiative to recruit more Americans for the country’s mining and other critical-minerals workforce. The Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies initiative will expand educational opportunities and skilled workforce training to help grow America’s critical minerals production, according to the DOE. Schools interested in the money include the University of Arizona. By Zachery Schmidt.

Proposal: Nonmedical care, assistance for seniors through higher ed
Providing nonmedical care and companionship for senior-aged adults through final two years undergraduates in higher education in a government-approved program not costing taxpayers a nickel is being proposed at the federal and state levels. Based in its core on the successful au pair international program and driven to help Americans, the proposal – to be known as The American Caregivers Act – by Independent Women is going through early discussions with cabinet level parts of the Trump administration, congressional members, and leaders in several states. Independent Women unveiled the respective models Wednesday, sharing first with The Center Square. By Alan Wooten.

Costs drive down new home sales in July; homeownership elusive for many
Sales of new single-family houses dropped more than 10% from June to July, as the average price of a new home grew by roughly 4%, a new U.S. Census Bureau report shows. New home sales last month were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000 units, compared to 678,000 new single-family units that sold in June, even though supply grew by nearly 2%.

Democrats sue Postal Service over rule on mail-in ballots
Democratic attorneys general from California, 22 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Postal Service over its rule on mail-in ballots. The suit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday to allow, for now, President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots. The order required the Postal Service to prohibit the mailing of ballots to people not included on a new Postal Service list of eligible voters.

Former DOJ lawyer calls suit over mail-in ballots unnecessary
California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a lawsuit Wednesday to block a new federal rule governing mail-in ballots. But a former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer who's now working at a think tank says the suit is unnecessary, noting states simply need to provide lists of registered voters to the U.S. Postal Service.

Major U.S. agencies targeted by Chinese hackers
U.S. officials disrupted a plot by Chinese hackers to infiltrate online systems at several high level executive agencies. 

Trump administration marks fifth anniversary of Abbey Gate attack
On the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate terror attack in Afghanistan, the Trump administration honored service members killed and injured during the attack.

Judge sides with Texas over Minnesota in extradition case involving ICE officer
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is not acting in bad faith by reviewing an extradition request from the state of Minnesota seeking to prosecute an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accusing of shooting into a Minnesota home, a federal judge ruled.

CBP expands maritime interdiction efforts in four major regions
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding maritime interdiction efforts in four major regions in U.S. coastal and international waters. It has established four new “Customs Enforcement Areas,” expanding its enforcement jurisdiction from 12 to 24 nautical miles in designated waters adjacent to South Florida, Southern California, Puerto Rico and the Gulf Coast of Texas, it says. 

Election integrity group urges Supreme Court to take up voter roll case
Honest Elections Project filed an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioner in Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Nago, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the case, with an attorney arguing that voter rolls being available for public view are vital to election integrity.

'Stop Nick Shirley Act' gets GOP pushback at Capitol
Republican lawmakers, independent journalist Nick Shirley and a large crowd of activists spoke out against a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law that some said would impede the work of journalists reporting on immigration services providers. By Madeline Shannon.

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SALES TAX: Proposition 413 seeks to extend a sales tax to fund Maricopa County public services. The Center Square will reach out to parties involved in the proposition and law enforcement agencies. Maricopa County is Arizona’s most populous county and is home to Phoenix. By Zachery Schmidt.

VVP SOCIALISM: A slew of candidates running as democratic socialists appears to be raising alarms with a majority of American voters, according to a new poll. The Center Square’s Voters Voice Poll found 63% of Americans are concerned with the growth of socialism or communism in American politics, while 29% are not concerned.

VVP DIRECTION: Six in 10 voters say the country is on the wrong track, flat since June, with independents souring and a widening gender gap — women now 15 points more pessimistic than men. (Brett Rowland)

SOLICITOR GENERAL’S TALK: Solicitor General John Sauer will deliver remarks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday about the Trump administration’s approach to legal battles, significant wins and setbacks throughout the last year and a half. (Andrew Rice) 

IOWA CONGRESSIONAL RACES: Several races for Congress in Iowa are expected to determine the balance of Congress. The Center Square dives into the priorities of candidates on the ballot. (Andrew Rice, weekend)

TCS POLL VOTERS ON STUDENT DEBT: A national survey by Noble Predictive Insights found that 50% of voters view college debt as too risky, compared with 35% who believe a degree is worth the debt for its long-term career and income benefits. (Esther Wickham)

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Dave Mason
Regional Editor
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