$4B NYC Expressway Project Announced; Mamdani Vague on Funding Source

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$4B NYC Expressway Project Announced; Mamdani Vague on Funding Source

(Christen Smith, The Center Square) New York City Zohran Mamdani unveiled plans Monday to spend $4 billion on a temporary fix to a crumbling section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway but didn’t say how his administration would pay for it. 

Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that the city will rehabilitate a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street. 

The repair job, which could extend the life of the highway section by another 40 years, will allow the city “to safely fix the BQE without slowing our city down or wasting decades more on magical thinking,” Mamdani said.

“We’re going to fix the aging concrete, repair the deteriorating triple cantilever and build temporary roads that keep the highway operable during construction to avoid sending tens of thousands of cars and trucks onto local streets,” Mamdani said in a video announcement. “The cost of inaction is too high, and the risks to New Yorkers are too important to delay any longer.” 

The traffic-choked 70-year-old expressway between Brooklyn and Queens, built by controversial urban planner Robert Moses, is 20 years past its design life, according to city officials. It is deteriorating under the weight of 130,000 vehicles every day — more than double the capacity, officials said. 

“Time is up,” Flynn said Monday. “After decades of kicking the can down the road and indecision that failed to yield substantial results, we will act with urgency to rehabilitate the City’s portion of the BQE to ensure the safety of New Yorkers and minimize the likelihood of massive traffic diversions into Brooklyn neighborhood.” 

The Mamdani administration said it won’t be seeking federal funding for the 10-year project, which is expected to break ground in 2030, but didn’t identify a source of state funding to cover the estimated $4 billion overhaul.

Officials said the plan will keep the structure safe and stable as it negotiates with the state government, which controls the northern and southern sections of the highway, on a long-term vision for the entire corridor.

Mamdani’s Deputy Mayor for Operations, Julia Kerson, said without “significant rehabilitation,” the central section of the highway “will continue to weaken, more and more cars and heavy trucks will be forced onto local streets, key freight transportation networks will be disrupted, and the cost to the city will continue to rise.” 

“For decades, prior administrations have been trying to figure out a way to address the urgently-needed repairs to the BQE,” Mamdani said. “Every year we don’t do something about the BQE, it costs the city $160 million.”

AGs Conceal Records Tied to Longstanding Plans to Sue Trump

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AGs Conceal Records Tied to Longstanding Plans to Sue Trump

(Adam Herbets, The Center Square) Attorneys general across the United States are using a range of strategies to withhold 2024 emails discussing the longstanding plan to file lawsuits against the second Trump administration over potential policies that had not yet been implemented.

A “confidential” document obtained by The Center Square shows at least 22 Democratic attorneys general plotted litigation against President Donald Trump as early as April 28, 2024 – three months before Vice President Kamala Harris announced her run for president and approximately seven months before Trump was reelected.

The coordinated effort has a nickname, the “Project for Federal Accountability.” It appears to have borne fruit, with approximately 100 multistate lawsuits filed against the Trump administration since January 2025.

Most attorneys general have declined to explain why they started planning litigation so far in advance. They have also withheld thousands of emails that would provide additional context.

According to the California Attorney General’s Office, a request from The Center Square for public records was denied because releasing the files “would not be in the public interest.”

“Locating and reviewing all potentially responsive records would impose an undue burden,” wrote Deputy Attorney General Liberty Sacker. “Your request could encompass emails pertaining to 82 lawsuits… We anticipate that any responsive email communications would be exempt from disclosure pursuant to the attorney-client privilege, the attorney work product doctrine, the official information privilege, the deliberative process privilege, the pending litigation exemption, and/or the investigative files exemption.”

According to Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, the files cannot be released “because the requested records are protected by common interest privilege.”

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office cited the same reasoning for withholding records, adding that the release of emails or attachments would be “contrary to the public interest.”

Common interest agreements are one way for attorneys general to try and prevent their litigation strategies from being made public when they coordinate across states. Confidential records obtained by The Center Square show the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and Nevada Attorney General’s Office signed a common interest agreement on May 20 and May 21, 2024, respectively. The California Attorney General’s Office also signed it, but the date was left blank.

But records related to hypothetical lawsuits over hypothetical policies that might (or might not) be implemented by a presidential candidate should not be withheld from the public under a common interest agreement, according to Thomas Moukawsher, a retired judge in Connecticut.

“Parties with the same interests need to be able to speak with their lawyers confidentially,” Moukawsher said. “What is their common interest? We can’t establish what their common interests are… If I was sitting as a judge on the case, I’d say you need to have something a little more specific… I despise Donald Trump, but he’s entitled to the law as much as anyone else is.”

The Center Square has appealed each denial and filed additional requests for records predating the common interest agreement.

According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, emails related to the Project for Federal Accountability could be released upon payment of a fee.

“The estimated cost to complete this request is approximately $61,641,” wrote Communications Director Lawrence Pacheco. “Please advise how you wish to proceed.”

Transparency advocates across the country have expressed disappointment in Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser for repeatedly trying to keep controversial records behind an insurmountable paywall.

“They get to pick and choose now whether they want to release records just by charging some outlandish fee, and the only way anybody can challenge it is to go to court. Few people are going to hire an attorney to do that,” said David Cuillier, director of the Freedom of Information Project at University of Florida’s Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment. “We should not be charging people to see what their government is doing. Just like we don’t charge a cover charge to attend a city council meeting, do we? No. That would be ridiculous! We don’t charge people to vote, even though elections are expensive. That would be ridiculous!”

Pacheco’s job responsibilities include responding to the media, but he has repeatedly declined to answer how the Colorado Attorney General’s Office calculates its fees, stating nothing in state law requires him to answer questions.

Colorado law requires fees to be “reasonable,” but the Colorado Attorney General’s Office interpretation of that law is that they are not legally required to explain the reasoning.

In response to a similar request for outside counsel receipts, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office upgraded its fees from $290 to $5,130. The increase occurred after The Center Square agreed to pay the $290 and after Weiser won his Democratic primary for governor.

“I’ve never heard of that. Outrageous. It’s crazy,” Cuillier said. “Apparently the word is out in government that you can ignore your local newspaper and TV stations: Screw them.”

The Center Square asked if Weiser reserves the right to, again, raise his price tag by more than 17x upon agreement to pay the $61,641. Pacheco did not respond.

Eliot Richardson, CEO of Run Down The Middle, said he did not want to comment on the specifics of the lawsuits but urged more transparency. His organization is nonpartisan and is dedicated to “fighting against the extremes” of politics.

“Government shouldn’t be done in secret,” Richardson said. “If the government is going to charge a fee for things, including public records, there should be transparency about what drives that fee… You wouldn’t go to a restaurant, get a check that isn’t itemized, with no prices on the menu, and just expect to pay it. You want to know what you’re paying for.”

Both the New York Attorney General’s Office and Washington State Attorney General’s Office have released some records, although they are highly redacted and largely illegible. The Center Square is appealing the redactions.

According to the Oregon Attorney General’s Office, it has identified more than 1,000 emails discussing the Project for Federal Accountability prior to Trump taking office. So far, the records have not been provided or denied for release.

Attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin have either not supplied records or otherwise declined to comment prior to the publication of this story.

GOP Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Rejects Direct AIPAC Support

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GOP Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Rejects Direct AIPAC Support

(Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar.com) Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has informed the Americans-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) that it does not want direct support. However, Rogers’ campaign is encouraging AIPAC donors to contribute to his PAC. 

According to Axios, AIPAC was prepared to launch ads in favor of Rogers following Abdul El-Sayed winning the Democratic primary over AIPAC-backed Haley Stevens. El-Sayed frequently criticized Israel and Stevens’ support from AIPAC on the campaign trail. 

Rogers’ campaign believes that Stevens’ support from AIPAC hurt her chances of winning the primary. 

However, Rogers is still seeking support from pro-Israeli donors. People familiar with the matter told Axios that Rogers’ allies are urging AIPAC donors to support the candidate. The strategy has caused a rift between Rogers and AIPAC, with talks between the two completely halted. 

Some Jewish Republicans are trying to break the deadlock between the two sides. 

Republicans are split on whether the rift will persist, and AIPAC will remain on the sidelines, or the massive PAC will attempt to influence the outcome of the race. 

The American people are turning against the special relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv, and Israel’s influence in politics.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

How Bitcoin and Gold Went from a Slump to an MVP Week in Just a Few days

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How Bitcoin and Gold Went from a Slump to an MVP Week in Just a Few days

(Headline USA) Bitcoin and gold shot higher this week, with both getting a boost from some frantic action surrounding the bond market, and the cryptocurrency also benefiting from activity in Washington.

Bitcoin had dropped from a January high of around $95,000 to below $60,000 at the end of June. Investors shied away from speculative assets earlier in the year and crypto supporters were concerned about the lack of movement on proposed regulation of the industry. On Friday, bitcoin rose above $77,000.

Gold hit a high above $5,300 in January but dropped to around $4,000 in June as rising rates made interest-bearing investments more attractive. Gold rose to $4,661 on Friday.

The first jolt arrived Wednesday when the Treasury Department announced plans to significantly increase its buybacks of long-term Treasurys, or government debt. On the same day, President Donald Trump, who made about $1.2 billion last year from various crypto holdings, urged Congress to move quickly on crypto legislation.

There was an almost immediate reaction, which included a dollar sell-off and a jump in the value of gold and bitcoin as investors moved toward alternative assets.

How these two investments caught fire can be understood in the context of several developments this week.

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department said that it would at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term government debt. The maneuver was intended to calm bond markets after a sustained sell-off, meaning investors were asking for higher yields to lend money to the U.S., which investors suddenly viewed as riskier

That’s because while the Treasury intervention worked, at least for a short period, it also raised questions about whether the government is trying to push borrowing costs lower despite inflationary pressures. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is attempting to lower long-term borrowing costs, a move that can put upward pressure on inflation at a time when inflation is already elevated. Bessent’s maneuver could handcuff the Federal Reserve, which fights inflation by raising interest rates.

Then there’s the national debt, which surpassed a record $40 trillion on the same day that the Treasury’s actions unfolded. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

There is already a lot of anxiety over inflation, particularly because of the conflict in Iran and soaring energy prices. If yields on U.S. bonds are not truly reflecting risk, you can often see that play out in the value of the U.S. currency, which took a significant downward swoop Wednesday.

So where does the money that was invested in the dollar or Treasurys go? This week, it appears to have been funneled into what is known as the “debasement trade,” when investors flood into alternative assets such as gold, which rose more than 2% Wednesday. The debasement trade now includes bitcoin. Bitcoin jumped more than 20% this week.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump, who banked nearly $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year, held a crypto currency conference at the White House where he called on Congress to pass the crypto-friendly Clarity Act, saying that it would “keep us ahead of China, keep us ahead of everyone else.”

Trump then yielded the floor to Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig, who vowed to “use every tool available” to advance Trump’s agenda.

Selig’s comments came ahead of a CFTC meeting Thursday examining ways the agency can use its existing authority to ease crypto rules. A day earlier, other regulators proposed rules making it easier for crypto companies and projects to raise money from the public.

Since taking office, Trump has pushed policies friendly to the crypto industry and reversed a Biden administration regulatory crackdown.

Bitcoin can sometimes get a bump when the U.S. dollar is on the ropes as investors try to unload the U.S. currency. But you don’t typically see the kind of related movement that was observed with bitcoin this week.

The price of bitcoin had been stuck between $62,000 and $67,000 for weeks. Investors seized on that weakness, many placing bets that the cryptocurrency would be stuck in that range for some time to come.

However, on the day the Treasury announced its buybacks, Treasury yields fell, as did the dollar, and bitcoin blasted through that upper level of $67,000.

The Treasury’s actions negatively affected the money investors could make on U.S. bonds and the dollar, and boosted the value of bitcoin. That meant that many investors who had shorted bitcoin, or bet that its price would remain subdued, were forced to close their positions as bitcoin surged. Closing those bearish positions required buying back the digital asset, adding even more upward pressure to bitcoin’s price.

By Friday, more than $4 billion in bearish crypto positions had been liquidated during the rally, according to CoinGlass, which tracks cryptocurrency derivatives markets.

And because bitcoin was already rising, those forced purchases added fuel to the rally, potentially triggering still more liquidations as prices climbed.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

US Strikes a Vessel in the Eastern Pacific, Killing 2 People in First Attack in Months

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US Strikes a Vessel in the Eastern Pacific, Killing 2 People in First Attack in Months

(Headline USA) The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out a strike on another vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs in the first such attack announced in about two months.

The death toll in the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing boats allegedly trafficking drugs now exceeds 210 after more than 60 strikes off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific,” U.S. Southern Command said on social media.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. The strike on Sunday was the first since powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes that killed thousands of people.

“We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command.

The latest strike comes as the Trump administration pursues deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal.

Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The strikes, which began in early September, have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes. However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

America’s 25-Year War on Terror: Nearly 45k U.S. Service Members Dead

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America’s 25-Year War on Terror: Nearly 45k U.S. Service Members Dead

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Approaching the 25-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an entire generation of young Americans are alive who were born after Sept. 11, 2001, and they’ve only ever known the U.S. to be at war.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush launched the Global War on Terrorism with the goal to destroy al-Queda, the Taliban and other terrorist organizations.

On Oct. 7, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was launched in Afghanistan. On Aug. 8, 2014, U.S. troops began kinetic operations to develop Afghan security forces through Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS).

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was launched on March 20, 2003, followed by a counter insurgency operation launched in January 2007, Operation New Dawn (OND). Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) was launched Aug. 8, 2014, to support Iraqi Security Force operations against ISIS.

Over the past 25 years, U.S. presidents have sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to fight in conflicts overseas. Congress authorized funding, pushing Americans further into debt. Post 9/11 conflicts have cost Americans nearly $10 trillion, including $1 billion on interest on debt to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars alone, The Center Square reported.

Nearly one million people were directly killed in post 9/11 conflicts from 2001 to 2021, according to an analysis published by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs. They include U.S. military service members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors, U.S. military police, allied troops, opposition fighters, journalists and humanitarian workers.

The institute evaluated direct war deaths in major war zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002 – Aug. 2021); and other war zones from Oct. 7, 2001, through Dec. 31, 2014.

The Center Square used Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) data to compile U.S. military casualties and institute data to compile DOD civilian and contractor casualties. The total excludes U.S. journalists and humanitarian workers and all non-U.S. casualties.

The greatest number of U.S. deaths occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan. The overwhelming majority of U.S. military members killed and wounded in these wars were white men under age 25 in the U.S. Army, according to DCAS data.

U.S. military members, DOD personnel and contractor casualties totaled nearly 15,000 from Sept. 11, 2001, to Sept. 1, 2021.

IRAQ: At least 8,281 U.S. casualties

U.S. casualties in the Iraq conflict include 4,616 U.S. military members (4,418 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 74 in Operation New Dawn, 124 in Operation Inherent Resolve) as well as 15 DOD civilian personnel and 3,650 contractors.

OIF and OND casualties occurred in the Arabian Sea, Bahrain, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Persian Gulf, Qatar, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the institute analysis.

Ten years prior to 9/11, 382 U.S. military members were killed in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War from Aug. 7, 1990, to Jan. 15, 1991, according to DCAS data.

U.S. military members wounded in action in OIF, OND and OIR totaled 32,790.

U.S. troops remained in Iraq until Dec. 15, 2011.

AFGHANISTAN: At least 6,381 U.S. casualties

U.S. casualties in Afghanistan include 2,458 U.S. military members (2,350 in Operation Enduring Freedom and 108 in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel) as well as six DOD civilian personnel and 3,917 contractors.

Nearly 21,000 U.S. military members were wounded in action in Afghanistan, including 20,149 in OEF and 620 in OFS, according to DCAS data.

U.S. military combat operations ended in Afghanistan on Dec. 31, 2014. U.S. troops remained in the country until Aug. 30, 2021.

After the U.S. fought al-Queda and the Taliban for 20 years, the Biden administration withdrew U.S. troops five years ago this August. He left $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment behind and returned control of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Thirteen service members were killed during the withdrawal.

U.S. military contractors were also killed in post 9/11 conflicts in Pakistan (90), Syria (19), Yemen (2) and in other countries (511), according to institute data.

High suicide rates among U.S. service members and veterans of post 9/11 wars

At least four times as many active-duty U.S. military members and veterans of post 9/11 wars committed suicide than U.S. military members who died in combat.

According to another institute analysis, an estimated 30,177 U.S. military members and veterans committed suicide over the 20-year period. Within a year of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, suicides had skyrocketed. A National Warrior Call Day initiative was launched to respond to the crisis, The Center Square reported.

In 2022, 6,442 veterans committed suicide; in 2023, 6,398 did, according to the latest available Department of Veterans Affairs data. The average daily number of veteran suicides was 17.5 in 2023.

Ongoing conflict

DCAS data shows four U.S. military casualties and 279 military members wounded in action in “overseas operations” that began July 7; and 14 U.S. military casualties and 418 military members wounded in action in the Iran conflict, Operation Epic Fury, as of Aug. 18.

Trump Posts Image Labeling Strait of Hormuz as ‘New US Territory’

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Trump Posts Image Labeling Strait of Hormuz as ‘New US Territory’

(Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar.com) President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social Saturday showing the Strait of Hormuz as “new US territory.” It is the second time he posted the graphic this month.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major issue in efforts to end the Middle East war. Before the conflict, the crucial waterway was treated as international territory, allowing vessels to enter and exit the Persian Gulf freely.

After the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran seized control of the Strait. Tehran says that ending the war requires the US to recognize the Strait as Iranian and Omani territory. Iran plans to charge a “service fee” to ships transiting the waterway.

Washington says Tehran must allow the Strait to return to its prewar status.

Over the past month, Oman and Iran have engaged in direct negotiations to come to an agreement on new shipping protocols for the Strait. The deal would give Iran full control over ships entering the Persian Gulf, while exiting ships would be subject to joint oversight between Tehran and Muscat.

Additionally, the two nations would change service fees for ships using the Strait. The funds would be split between Iran and Oman.

Trump threatened to bomb Muscat over negotiations with Tehran. Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them.” Muscat has been negotiating with Tehran about the future of the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is a narrow waterway that lies between Iran and Oman. The waterway is the only entrance or exit for the Persian Gulf. About a fifth of the world’s energy crosses the Strait.

Trump believes that the US blockade and economic war on Iran will cause significant pain and force Tehran to comply with his demands.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

TikTok Settles w/ DOJ for Violating Kids’ Rights

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TikTok Settles w/ DOJ for Violating Kids’ Rights

(Headline USA) TikTok has reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws.

The DOJ said Friday that TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates an earlier consent decree against its predecessor company, Musical.ly.

“This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents,” said U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. in a statement. “The Department’s priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations. This resolution secures a substantial recovery while reinforcing the protections that families expect and deserve.”

Since the DOJ’s lawsuit in 2024, TikTok has undergone major changes, most notably in the ownership structure of its U.S. arm. In January, the social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture.

Representatives for TikTok did not immediately respond to a message for comment Friday.

The latest lawsuit focused on allegations that TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance violated a federal law that requires kid-oriented apps and websites to get parental consent before collecting personal information of children under 13. It also says the companies failed to honor requests from parents who wanted their children’s accounts deleted, and chose not to delete accounts even when the firms knew they belonged to kids under 13.

The settlement comes as social media companies face an avalanche of lawsuits over children’s safety and privacy and a growing number of countries are banning young kids and teens from social media apps. Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms, is currently on trial in federal court in Oakland, California, over allegations it violated the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, along with various state statutes.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Poll: Nearly 30% of Democrats Would Choose Harris for 2028

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Poll: Nearly 30% of Democrats Would Choose Harris for 2028

(, The Center Square) Democrats continue to favor former Vice President Kamala Harris over 12 other candidates if the 2028 Democratic presidential primary were held today, according to The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll.

The Center Square has conducted four 2028 presidential primary polls since October, and Harris has retained about 30% of her party’s support each time, though the October poll was her best. In the fall of 2025, 33% of registered Democrat and left-leaning Independent respondents indicated they would choose Harris from a list of eight prominent Democratic politicians.

By March, when The Center Square added five more party leaders to the list, her support dipped to 31%. In June and August, she remained the Democratic favorite among 27% and 28% of respondents, respectively. She does appear to fare better among Democrats than left-leaning Independents, at 30% and 20% in August.

The most notable change among the other potential contenders is that support for the second-most-popular candidate, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, fell substantially with the addition of more options in March – from 21% to 16% – and he has plateaued in recent months at 14%. Meanwhile, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who initially polled at 7%, climbed to 11% in June and then 12% in the August poll.

While Harris polled best in almost every major demographic group surveyed, she was most popular among the youngest voters and Black voters. Forty-seven percent of registered voters ages 18-29 preferred Harris to other prominent Democrats, and no one came close to her 49% among Black voters. Newsom came in a distant second among Black voters at10%.

Each polled racial demographic besides whites strongly favored Harris. She captured 30% of Hispanic and Latino respondents and 37% of respondents who identified as a race other than white, Black, Hispanic or Latino. She was still the most popular candidate among white voters at 18%, but Buttigieg was right behind at 17%, followed by Newsom at 16%.

Harris also fared slightly better among women than men, and was better among respondents with less formal education. She led among urban, suburban and rural voters, posting her strongest numbers among urban voters, and led across all four regions of the U.S., with her best showing in the South.

While Harris held a commanding lead over Newsom and Buttigieg among female voters, her advantage narrowed among men, where Newsom came within 10 points of her.

Newsom and Buttigieg also gained support among older demographics. Buttigieg was the favorite among senior voters. Buttigieg nabbed 20% support of the 65-and-older bracket; Newsom, 19% and Harris, 13%.

Buttigieg also bested Harris among respondents with post-graduate degrees, with 18% support to Harris’ 15%.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been included in the poll since March and while she generally came in after Newsom and Buttigieg, she was the second-most-popular choice among the 18-29 demographic with 13% support. She was also the second choice among Hispanic and Latino voters, with 17%. She polled better than Newsom with Independents (10% to his 9%) and better than Buttigeig in the Western region of the U.S. (11% to his 9%).

The Voters Voice Poll, conducted Aug. 12-16, surveyed 2,533 registered voters via opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The respondents were comprised of 930 Republicans, 930 Democrats and 673 Independents.  Among independent voters, 330 respondents were classified as true independents, which are individuals who do not lean toward either major party when given the choice. The margin of error is +/- 2.0%.

5 Bodies Found in Oregon; Murder Suspect Arrested

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5 Bodies Found in Oregon; Murder Suspect Arrested

(Headline USA) A quintuple murder suspect was found dead inside a vehicle in Enumclaw, Washington, on Sunday, a day after the bodies of five people were discovered on a rural property outside Portland, Oregon, authorities said.

Investigators believe the suspect, 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker, killed himself, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Sunday evening. Officials said there was no ongoing threat to the public.

They did not say how investigators were led to Parker, or what connection he had to the unnamed victims.

The sheriff’s office said earlier that authorities responded early Saturday to reports of a vehicle fire at a property in Forest Grove, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Portland. Responders then found the remains of five people and “several domestic animals.”

They did not disclose the ages or genders of the people found, how they died or what possible connections they might have with one another. The type of animals found dead also was not specified.

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, sheriff’s Detective Shannon Wilde said they were still working to determine who the victims were.

“Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge,” Wilde said, noting the complexity of the investigation and the large crime scene.

When asked by reporters about the amount of time that passed between authorities first discovering the dead bodies and releasing information the following afternoon, Wilde said authorities were trying to identify the victims and notify their next of kin while also working on a “very active investigation with a lot of moving pieces.” Authorities wanted to ensure they released accurate information in a responsible way, she said.

Sheriff Caprice Massey urged anyone who is familiar with the property or the people who live there to share any information they may have.

“I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation,” she said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

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