Washington Commanders buy land in Virginia

(The Center Square) – After the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit challenging admissions policies at middle schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, an attorney for the plaintiffs said the Constitution guarantees everyone an equal opportunity, regardless of race.

The Association for Education Fairness, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, brought the case on behalf of families challenging admissions policies for four selective magnet middle schools in the county.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on a limited question: Whether a plaintiff challenging a facially neutral admissions policy as racially discriminatory must establish that the targeted racial group suffered an aggregate disparate impact relative to its share of the applicant pool.

The case centers on changes the school district made to admissions criteria beginning in 2016. The plaintiffs argue that the district moved away from traditional admissions testing toward policies that grouped students by the socioeconomic characteristics of their elementary schools and compared test scores within those groups. 

The plaintiffs allege that changes intended in part to increase Black and Hispanic enrollment disadvantaged Asian American students and violated their constitutional rights.

Chris Kieser, a senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation representing the plaintiffs, said those policies disproportionately disadvantaged Asian American students while advancing the district's efforts to change the racial makeup of its magnet programs.

 “The equal protection clause is an individual right. It's not a group right,” Kieser told The Center Square.  

In 2020, the district replaced the previous admissions system with a weighted lottery. Students had to meet academic thresholds based on locally normed test scores to qualify for the lottery. 

The plaintiffs argue that the changes continued to disadvantage Asian American students, who they say were disproportionately concentrated in certain school groups.

"Under the applicant pool benchmark, the government can set specific racial targets, hit them, and avoid even an inquiry into discriminatory intent so long as it employs a facially-neutral proxy instead of an explicit racial classification," the brief to the Supreme Court stated. 

The school district has maintained that its admissions criteria are race-neutral.

“Montgomery County Public Schools remains committed to providing equitable access to rigorous opportunities for all students,” Liliana López, the district's director of communications, told The Center Square. “This commitment will continue uninterrupted as the judicial process proceeds.” 

Kieser said a favorable ruling could have implications beyond Montgomery County by allowing similar lawsuits to proceed to consideration of evidence of discriminatory intent.

The case has taken years to reach the high court, and Kieser said some families involved in the lawsuit understood that the litigation might not conclude before their children finished middle school.

“A lot of the members knew that when they signed up with the group that this case could take a long time, and that it might not benefit their kids because they might be out of middle school by the time the case is over, but they're dedicated to making it better for everyone,” Kieser said.

A ruling for the plaintiffs would not automatically invalidate the district's admissions policies. The case would return to the lower courts for further proceedings on whether the plaintiffs adequately alleged discriminatory intent.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in 2027.

Mizzou men's golf struggled to a 5-over-par 293 in the second round of the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate on Tuesday in Granbury, Texas.

The Tigers fell from second to fourth as a team, now sitting 18 strokes off the leader, Texas A&M.

Veikka Viskari shot a 1-under-par 71 to bring his two-day total to a team-best 3-under par. He moved down from fourth to sixth on the individual leaderboard on the second day of action.

Trent Mierl and Antoni Hawkins recorded identical 1-over-par 73s for the second consecutive day. They both shifted three spots and are tied for 18th heading to Round 3.

In its first four competitions, Mizzou is yet to place better than fifth, which it has done twice. With one round to play in its fall-season finale, it sits fourth with an 8-stroke advantage over fifth-place SMU.

The Tigers wrap up their last event of the fall campaign, starting at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at Halbert National Golf Club.

Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey,” details the story of the Greek warrior Odysseus returning home from the Trojan War. The crew faced a plethora of perils, from Polyphemus, the Cyclops son of Poseidon, to the Sirens and, finally, a brush with the nymph Calypso.

The sea itself turned against the crew, with Poseidon getting a bit peeved after Odysseus blinded the Cyclops, his son. The thrashing waves threw the party off course, killing men and ravaging the ship.

The Southeastern Conference in 2026 is a dangerous ocean in its own right, marked by both its vastness and tribulations. With nine conference games now on the schedule, no one exits unscathed. In fact, no teams remain undefeated in the conference.

“I think the league is as deep as it's been in recent years,” ESPN play-by-play commentator Matt Schumacker said. “I think it's clearly the deepest and, perhaps, the most-talented league this year.”

There are 11 teams left with one or two losses a little more than halfway through the season. The rampant self-destruction may hurt the conference’s chances of loading the College Football Playoff with teams. In 2023, three SEC teams made the CFP. In 2025, that number jumped to five.

“Does the committee think highly enough of a team to put somebody in with three losses?” Schumacker said. “In the last two years, there's been an SEC team or two that have had an argument ”

But all 11 teams still believe that they have a shot at the 12-team bracket. While these bids will be easier to come by when the playoff expands to 24 next season, teams will have to scratch and claw to qualify this year.

While each of these teams has a chance of going the distance, various factors, such as schedules, injuries and raw talent will make a big difference down the stretch. Here is a breakdown of the top 11 teams in the SEC and what monsters may prevent them from docking at the bay of champions.

Smooth sailing

No.5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC)

Strength of Record: 10

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 28

FPI Playoff Predictor: 78.1%

Entering its showdown with Auburn, Georgia was firing on all cylinders. The Bulldogs were 6-0 and the top team in the nation coming off a top-10 road win against Alabama.

But they faced their first setback, as the Tigers pulled off the unlikely upset on the road, knocking home a game-winning field goal as time expired. Georgia kept Auburn in the game with three turnovers, including a fumble that gave the Tigers great field position to start their final drive.

The Bulldogs could be poised to bounce back from the uncharacteristic loss; they have a top-5 total offense and defense in the conference. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has racked up 1,570 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns.

Georgia still has several key matchups, including showdowns with ranked opponents three weeks in a row starting on Halloween: No. 20 Florida, No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 22 Mizzou. Coach Kirby Smart has built one of the most consistent programs and one of college football’s most impenetrable fortresses in Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs are the only team in the conference with an FPI projection to make the CFP of over 50%.

Georgia starts its ranked-foe feast against No. 20 Florida at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 in Atlanta. This marks the first time the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” will be held outside Jacksonville, Florida, since 1995.

Ripples of unrest

No.13 Alabama (6-1, 4-1)

Strength of Record: 12

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 35

FPI Playoff Predictor: 49.1%

The Crimson Tide are coming off uncharacteristic back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee. The offense struggled in both matchups, held to 17 points against the Bulldogs and 10 against the Vols.

But the Alabama offense is still one of the most-explosive in the conference. The Tide rank fourth in scoring at 39.3 points per game and have scored 45-plus points in each of their first five games. Quarterback Keelon Russell ranks third in the conference with 1,746 passing yards with 12 touchdowns.

Alabama has the easiest remaining schedule in the SEC, with one more ranked showdown against No.18 LSU in Death Valley. This advantage is part of the reason FPI has the Crimson Tide with the second-highest likelihood of making the CFP out of the conference.

Alabama hosts Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

No.11 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1)

Strength of Record: 7

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 18

FPI Playoff Predictor: 45.4%

Tennessee is riding an emotional high after knocking off Alabama at Neyland Stadium for the third time in a row. The Volunteers defense led the way in the win, forcing four turnovers, including a game-sealing interception with less than a minute remaining.

The defense has led the way all season, leading the conference in points allowed and sacks. Defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam is the head of the snake, with 10½ tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

Tennessee has two ranked matchups left on its slate with home matchups against No.12 Kentucky and No.18 LSU. Plus, it has three road games remaining, which can prove deadly in a conference where winning away from home is far from certain.

The Vols’ first road test of the three comes against South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

No.7 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1)

Strength of Record: 9

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 10

FPI Playoff Predictor: 44.1%

Ole Miss is coming off a top-15 win against Mizzou, spoiling Austin Simmons’ return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels stifled the Tigers’ offense, holding them to just three points and 39 total rushing yards.

The main strength of Ole Miss is the quarterback play of Trinidad Chambliss. He accounted for all four touchdowns in the win against the Tigers. He ranks fourth in the conference with 1,676 passing yards while throwing for 14 touchdowns.

The Rebels have two more ranked opponents on the calendar in the form of No. 19 Texas on the road and a home faceoff with No. 5 Georgia. Throw in a stingy Oklahoma defense on the road and a rivalry matchup with Mississippi State for the Egg Bowl, and Ole Miss has one of the toughest schedules remaining in the conference.

The Rebels start this crucial stretch against the Longhorns at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Austin, Texas, on ABC.

No.19 Texas (5-1, 3-1)

Strength of Record: 21

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 14

FPI Playoff Predictor: 41.2%

Texas football started the season red hot, with a comeback win over then-top ranked Ohio State and a road win over Tennessee. But they’ve stumbled into the middle of the season with back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida. Much of the blame has been shifted onto quarterback Arch Manning, who fumbled the ball late to secure the win for the Gators.

Defensively, the Longhorns have been a beacon of consistency, holding their opponents to under 25 points in all six games. Defensive end Colin Simmons leads the conference with 10½ sacks, 16 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles.

Texas has three-ranked matchups, starting Saturday with a home showdown against Ole Miss. It has two huge road games in back-to-back weeks against Mizzou and LSU.

No.12 Kentucky (6-1, 4-1)

Strength of Record: 2

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 10

FPI Playoff Predictor: 39.5%

The surprise of the SEC has been the ascension of Kentucky in the first season under coach Will Stein. The Wildcats are on a five-game win streak which included an upset of LSU.

Kentucky has won each of its last games by one score, coming up clutch in the biggest moments. One player who has stuck out is linebacker Grant Godfrey, who is second in the conference with 67 total tackles. He ranks behind only Mizzou linebacker Nick Rodriguez, who leads the FBS with 76.

The Wildcats have three ranked games left on the schedule all in a row: Tennessee, Florida and Mizzou. While Stein and his team have started quickly, the schedule doesn’t get any easier — and the FPI doesn’t have faith in their ability to keep up the success.

Kentucky has arguably its easiest game left on the schedule coming up, with a home showdown against Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network.

Rocky waters

No.18 LSU (6-1, 4-1)

Strength of Record: 27

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 2

FPI Playoff Predictor: 28.3%

While LSU looked dead in the water with two losses early in the season, a shutout win over Mississippi State and the chaos across the conference have breathed life into the Tigers. The defense looked impressive in the win, holding the Bulldogs under 300 total yards and stopping them on all five fourth-down attempts.

LSU is one of the most complete teams in the SEC, ranking first in both total yards per game (504) and yards allowed (256.4). Quarterback Sam Leavitt leads the conference with 1,785 passing yards and throwing for 14 touchdowns.

The biggest hurdle left for the Tigers is their schedule is the second-toughest remaining in the nation. They have three top-20 matchups in a row in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. But FPI views LSU as the favorite in all-three showdowns. While winning games against three of the best teams in the nation in a row is unlikely, the Tigers may just have the talent to pull it off.

LSU has its last game before its bye week on the road against Auburn at 11 a.m. Saturday on ABC.

No.20 Florida (5-2, 3-2)

Strength of Record: 17

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 18

FPI Playoff Predictor: 13.3%

Under new coach Jon Sumrall, the Florida Gators rode a rollercoaster of emotions the past four games. After dismantling Ole Miss at home, the Gators lost back-to-back games to Mizzou and South Carolina. But they responded with a top-10 road win against Texas. Florida started quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., who impressed in his first-career start with two touchdowns.

The Gators have the third-highest scoring offense in the SEC, averaging 39.6 points per game. Running back Jadan Baugh has been the engine of the offense, ranking first in rushing touchdowns with 13 and third in rushing yards at 763. Mizzou running back Jamal Roberts leads the conference with 867 yards.

Florida has two ranked opponents left on its schedule, starting with its next game against Georgia in Atlanta. While the Gators have one of the easier schedules down the stretch, their margin for error is too thin to afford any losses.

Batten down the hatches

Auburn (4-2, 2-2)

Strength of Record: 22

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 13

FPI Playoff Predictor: 7%

Auburn is another team finding success under a first year coach, as Alex Golesh helped orchestrate the road win over then-top ranked Georgia. The Tigers converted on both of their fourth down attempts, turning those drive-extenders into 10 points.

While still trying to find its identity, Auburn has found success in the run game. The Tigers rank sixth in the conference with 182 yards per game. Running back Byrum Brown is seventh in the conference with 459 rushing yards and punched in five touchdowns.

Auburn is a heavy underdog to make the CFP, staring down three ranked opponents. This includes road trips against Ole Miss and Alabama. But the Tigers proved they can stand in and beat any team in the nation. Now they need to do it six more times or be left at the mercy of the committee.

The gauntlet starts with a home matchup against No. 18 LSU on Saturday.

No. 22 Mizzou (5-2, 3-2)

Strength of Record: 28

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 7

FPI Playoff Predictor: 3.7%

Mizzou football scored back-to-back SEC wins at home before a deflating loss to Ole Miss on the road. The Tigers were outmatched, coming away with three points on three red-zone trips.

Quarterback Austin Simmons has been a revelation for the Tigers, throwing for 1,773 yards in seven games — a mark strong enough for second in the conference. Another strength of the team has been the run defense, ranking fourth in the SEC at 103.9 yards allowed per game.

The Tigers have three ranked matchups remaining in three-straight weeks. They host Texas and Kentucky but have a key road showdown against Georgia sandwiched in between.

Mizzou has a bye week then looks ahead to the Battle Line Rivalry with Arkansas at 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 31 on SEC Network.

Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2)

Strength of Record: 20

Remaining Strength of Schedule: 26

FPI Playoff Predictor: 3.5%

Last but not least is coach Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State. The Bulldogs started 4-0, winning a huge game at home against Mizzou 31-24. But they have fallen in back-to-back games, including a loss to LSU without starting quarterback Kamario Taylor.

Taylor has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football when he’s healthy, leading the SEC with 290 passing yards per game. He still leads the conference with 17 passing touchdowns despite only five games played.

The Bulldogs’ key tests down the stretch will be road tests against Texas and Ole Miss. But first comes a matchup with Oklahoma in Starkville, Mississippi, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network.

The first CFP rankings will be released following the Oct. 31 games at 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 on ESPN.

(The Center Square) – A family-run food importer says new tariffs on Canadian cheese will cost it an estimated $40 million a year on products that entered the United States duty-free until last month.

Gellert Global Group sued the Trump administration Tuesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, challenging 50% tariffs the president imposed on Canadian goods under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, known as Smoot-Hawley. No president had used the provision to impose a tariff in the 96 years since Congress passed it, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Section 338 is the fourth legal authority the administration has used to impose broad tariffs in two years. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the first in February, in Learning Resources v. Trump, ruling the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize tariffs.

The Court of International Trade found the second, a 10% surcharge under Section 122, unlawful in May in Oregon v. United States, now on appeal. A challenge to the third, Section 301 tariffs covering nearly all U.S. imports, is pending before the same court.

The government refunded $144.6 billion in customs duties to importers in fiscal 2026, nearly all of it after the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February, according to the Treasury Department’s monthly statement.

The new lawsuit also says the government collected the duties early. Section 338 bars collection until 30 days after the proclamation listing a product, a limit the White House described in its own July proclamation, writing that the law authorizes duties “not to take effect earlier than 30 days after the President’s proclamation.”

When the president added Canadian cheeses to the tariff lists Sept. 8, he directed collection to begin Sept. 15, seven days later. Gellert Global paid more than $381,000 during that window, according to the complaint.

The administration has not said whether it considers the waiting period to restart when products are added to an existing tariff list. Section 338 also lets the president “supplement, or amend” a proclamation, and the lawsuit argues that power does not let him skip the 30-day wait for newly listed goods.

The Tax Foundation estimates the Section 338 duties cover about $16.1 billion in Canadian imports a year. Canada retaliated with counter-tariffs on about $20 billion in U.S. goods, effective Sept. 8.

Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center, which represents Gellert Global, said the group asked the court to move quickly and hopes for a hearing within about 30 days. He said the waiting period claim could be resolved on its own, and that the proposed class could include “hundreds, potentially thousands, of American importers.”

“The court could find those collections unlawful and order refunds for the affected importers without resolving the broader constitutional questions,” he told The Center Square. “But that would address only a portion of the harm.”

Phillip Magness, a senior fellow at the Independent Institute, told The Center Square in August that the statute’s novelty made a court challenge likely and risked another refund order. He said Section 338 fell dormant for a reason. The United States joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, and Congress rewrote U.S. trade law in 1962 and 1974 with detailed procedures for imposing retaliatory tariffs, he said.

“The cumulative effect is that Section 338 became obsolete and superseded by later trade agreements and revisions to the US statutes,” he said.

The Independent Institute, which advocates for free markets and limited government, has filed friend-of-the-court briefs opposing the administration’s tariffs in earlier cases, including one brought by the Liberty Justice Center.

Not everyone sees the statute as obsolete. The Coalition for a Prosperous America, which advocates for higher tariffs on behalf of domestic producers, recommended the administration use Section 338 in a March 2025 paper. When the administration applied Section 338 duties to Canadian aluminum extrusions in September 2026, coalition President Jon Toomey said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative “listened” and credited it with protecting American fabricators.

Gellert Global, a third-generation family business headquartered in Elizabeth, New Jersey, imported about $71 million in Canadian cheese in 2025, all of it entering duty-free under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement before the new duties took effect, according to the complaint. The company projects about $80 million in imports over the coming year, which at the 50% rate would mean about $40 million in duties, according to the complaint and Liberty Justice Center spokesman Neil Strauss. The company is absorbing the cost rather than raising prices through the end of 2026.

“It is an investment by our company to ensure that products stay on shelf, stay in distribution,” Thomas Gellert, the company’s co-chief executive, told The Center Square. “The people in our company have worked very hard – for decades – to build distribution across many channels for these products, and once you are off the shelf, it is very hard to get back on.”

Some of that cheese starts on American farms. One of the company’s Ontario suppliers buys cow’s milk from dairies in upstate New York, turns it into brie and ships it back across the border, according to the complaint. The 50% duty applies on return.

A White House spokesperson said Congress empowered the president under Section 338 to offset the burden of foreign discrimination against U.S. commerce, including what the administration calls Canada’s continued discrimination against American dairy, alcohol and auto exports. The lawsuit “will not deter President Trump’s commitment to level the playing field for American workers, farmers, and firms, and the Administration will defend vigorously the President’s actions in court,” the spokesperson said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative referred questions to the White House. Neither answered why the administration used Section 338 rather than Section 301, how the 50% rate was calculated against the burden each proclamation identified, whether retaliation counts as discrimination under the statute, or how the Sept. 15 collection date squared with the 30-day requirement.

Asked what would stop a fifth authority if this one falls, Schwab said the law would.

“We’ve never been anti-tariff,” he said. “Tariffs can serve a legitimate purpose when they’re targeted and used within the law. But the Constitution gives Congress – not the president – the power to set tariff policy. If Congress wants to authorize these tariffs, it can do its job.”

(The Center Square) – The Trump administration is starting a new $25 million program that will pay Americans who discover and report instances of fraud up to $30,000 per qualifying tip.

The federal government has established similar financial incentive programs before, including an IRS whistleblower program strengthened in 2006 to reward individuals for reporting tax violations and a Securities and Exchange Commission program authorized in 2010 to reward tips about securities law violations. But a defining feature of the new program is that it is designed to reward whistleblowers “at a much earlier stage of prosecution” and does not “require the matter to result in large fines or forfeiture.”

“These early-stage rewards aim to encourage prompt disclosure of information by giving whistleblowers more certainty about the amount and timing of a possible reward payment, while still leaving whistleblowers eligible for potentially larger rewards should their tips ultimately lead to large financial penalties or forfeiture,” the program’s webpage reads.

While a report doesn’t have to result in substantial financial penalties or forfeitures to reward the whistleblower, it does have to result in criminal charges. To qualify, reports may also concern crimes involving health care benefit programs or benefits administered by the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Veterans Affairs, War or the Small Business Administration. 

The program particularly targets fraud involving hospice care, home health care, day care and special services.

YouTuber Nick Shirley, who investigated fraud in Minnesota, California and elsewhere, was recognized during Tuesday’s Oval Office announcement of the new initiative.

“We’re actually thrilled to be joined by Nick Shirley, who, as the president said, has done more than anybody that I've met recently as a citizen journalist to uncover the fraud. Nick is going to get a financial reward for doing so,” said Vice President JD Vance.

The program is the latest in a series of efforts by the Trump administration to root out fraud involving government programs, efforts that have intensified amid revelations of widespread fraud in Minnesota. Earlier this year, the administration established a new Justice Department division dedicated to fraud enforcement, launched a Treasury Department whistleblower initiative and created a government-wide anti-fraud task force chaired by Vance. It also announced an IRS task force targeting tax-related fraud, expanded federal health care fraud prosecution efforts and introduced new measures to combat Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

(The Center Square) — Federal agencies have spent $16 million since January 2025 to assess how office buildings are being used across the government, but a new report said it does not do enough.

The federal government spends approximately $7 billion annually on office spaces, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The government spent approximately $5 billion to lease office space and $2 billion a year to operate and maintain office buildings.

The Government Accountability Office analyzed the implementation of the 2025 Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act, legislation set to monitor how federal agencies manage office space across the government. The General Services Administration, a federal agency that oversees government infrastructure, required agencies to analyze timecard entries, daily check-in surveys, badging and visual inspections to determine how often federal employees used offices.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture accounted for $9 million in costs associated with the program’s implementation due to badge scanner upgrades throughout the agency. However, not all agencies across the government used data in the same way due to discrepancies in reporting.

Demian Brady, vice president of research at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, said costs associated with the program should be seen as an investment to lower taxpayer bills on future federal office properties.

“If we're spending this money to better track the comings and goings of federal employees, we should be able to put this data to good use and figure out where the federal government has office space that could be unloaded,” Brady told The Center Square.

The GAO found the Department of the Interior only reported on how many employees were assigned to a particular office, not whether they showed up for work. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security did not report occupancy data for nearly 700 agency spaces under the USE IT Act due to limited badging technology.

“There was some inconsistency in terms of how agencies interpreted the guidance, what they counted as typical office space and what they didn’t,” David Merroni, director of physical infrastructure at the GAO, told The Center Square.

Merroni said the GSA interpreted the USE IT Act in a way that excluded some vacant office spaces within tenant buildings. The GAO found that the GSA did not include certain vacant office spaces it managed in its report.

“Buildings that GSA was reporting on, particularly these multi-tenant facilities where many agencies are essentially renting space, that in those cases GSA wasn't reporting vacant space, and so that's not captured in the data that's out there right now,” Merroni told The Center Square.

The GAO called on the GSA to report data on all occupied office buildings, clarify whether office spaces meet or exceed the USE IT Act’s 60% utilization threshold, reevaluate reporting guidelines, and develop a plan to improve the program's future efficiency.

Merroni said that implementing the GAO’s recommendations would likely lower costs over time, resulting in greater taxpayer savings as the government improves efficiency. He estimated that the government’s $16 million cost of analyzing occupancy would decrease once efficient mechanisms were implemented.

“Agencies really should move forward now to get rid of clearly underused properties, where it's not a matter of ‘Is the data 5% off?’ But it's clear this property is highly underused; there's no clear plan to use it anytime in the near future,” Merroni told The Center Square. “Agencies should move forward now with the data they have to make decisions and reduce the footprint to make for a more efficient government and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.”

The GAO found that agencies planned to cut office space contracts and deals following the report’s findings. GSA officials reported plans to cut 40,000 square feet of office space from one of its leases in Kansas City. The Department of Energy planned to cut seven leases, estimating $1.6 million in savings and the Department of Homeland Security reported 15 space reduction projects valued to save $350 million over the next 20 years.

Brady said the best way for the government to save money is to make specific cuts in federal programs and agency actions. He pointed to unsuccessful efforts in 2016 to establish a public buildings reform board that affected perceived success for future programs.

Congress failed to provide appropriations for the board over the last three years, The Center Square reported. 

“It had some specific rounds of sell-offs of federal property, but it wasn’t quite as successful,” Brady told The Center Square. “It’s not as easy to do as you might think.”

He said a program in which federal agencies could retain a portion of the proceeds from selling federal office space could incentivize greater taxpayer savings.

“They can offset other costs that the agency has while also making sure that we're able to have some good savings for taxpayers as well,” Brady said. “That gives them a stake in reviewing, analyzing, processing, and disposing of these unneeded excess properties.”

Brady called for an extensive review and coordination across federal government branches to reduce costs and save taxpayer dollars.

“We have a $40 trillion debt, so everything has to be on the table. Some people will say, ‘Well, it's just a few million dollars,’ but it all adds up to $7 trillion in annual spending and about $2 trillion in annual debt,” Brady told The Center Square. “We got to find ways to pare back the federal government wherever we can.”

(The Center Square) – Clients in the case commonly known as the "Ring Boys" are able to move forward following a federal judge’s rejection on Monday of a constitutional challenge brought by World Wrestling Entertainment, TKO Group Holdings, Vince McMahon and U.S. Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon.

U.S. District Judge James Bredar’s ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland involved constitutionality of Maryland’s Child Victims Act of 2023. Defendants request for dismissal was rejected in December. The case is formally filed as John Doe 1, et al., v. World Wrestling Entertainment, et al.

World Wrestling Entertainment, TKO Group Holdings, and Vince and Linda McMahon are accused of bringing in underage boys for wrestling events. Accusations of exploitation and sexual abuse are in the lawsuit.

Linda McMahon – native of New Bern, N.C., and graduate of nearby East Carolina University – is the second-term Republican President Donald Trump’s choice to lead, and eventually shutter, the Education Department. Her lawyer, Laura Brevetti, is on record saying the civil litigation is "baseless," without truth, and was probed by the FBI years ago, with no findings to pursue prosecution.

Maryland’s Child Victims Act of 2023 eliminated time limits on civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse. Defendants said the law violates the 14th Amendment due process clause; Bredar disagreed, writing in his opinion, "the law is constitutional as applied to the case."

Future dates for the litigation are expected to be known after a Nov. 17 conference. The discovery phase would be the next round. The possibility of trial would likely not be before 2027.

(The Center Square) – Although Congress failed to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, another bipartisan bill the U.S. Senate intends to take up would codify even stronger protections for American taxpayers facing surging electric bills due to data centers.

Yet the long-awaited permitting reform bill, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, would also accelerate data center buildouts and restrict impacted communities’ abilities to reject those projects, critics warn.

The primary purpose of the 417-page bill is to expedite the permitting approval process for energy-related projects – such as natural gas pipelines, drilling and mining, and data center infrastructure – by scaling back environmental and judicial reviews.

Sponsors of BAAJA say it will increase energy supply, lower electricity costs, and create more jobs as the country enters a new era of energy demand.

Notably, it also requires owners of data centers that draw more than 20 MW of power plugging into the electric grid to pay for the associated grid upgrade costs.

“We have an enormous opportunity to build big things again to meet that moment – to build more generation, expand our grid, create more jobs, lower energy costs, and make sure we have the energy we need to compete,” Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., stated.

“It should not take decades to build the infrastructure our country needs,” Heinrichs added. “Our Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act will help us get to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on energy projects faster.”

Without faster buildout of high-voltage transmission lines, additional power generation facilities, and other energy infrastructure, the U.S. demand for energy will overtake supply within the next ten years, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

NERC’s 2026 forecast also noted that data centers are the primary drivers of the historically unprecedented surge in electricity demand.

But critics of BAAJA worry it would trample state and community rights by limiting litigation and local input, making it more difficult for states to deny federal projects, and most importantly, “seemingly make it impossible to put forward a pause or moratorium on an activity, even if the pause would only be to allow time for closer review of potential impacts,” the Wilderness Society warns.

Joined by nearly 200 other advocacy groups, Food & Water Watch called the bill a “sweetheart deal for data centers.”

“Communities are fighting AI data centers because they see first-hand the impacts these monstrosities are having on utility bills, quality of life and precious water resources they depend on,” policy director Jim Walsh at Food & Water Watch stated.

“Instead of helping, this bill will further harm families by facilitating a Big Tech power grab while limiting the power of states’ and local communities to protect the public. Congress must reject this cynical industry-backed effort[.]”

(The Center Square) – Minnesota ranked 15th nationally in Truth in Accounting’s 2026 “Financial State of the States” report.

The state received a “B” grade, according to the report, with a surplus of $6,300 per taxpayer.

It wasn’t all good news for Minnesota, however. Sheila A. Weinberg, founder and CEO of Truth in Accounting, discussed the findings with The Center Square in an exclusive interview.

“Minnesota was one of only 11 states whose financial condition deteriorated in 2025,” Weinberg said. “Growth in capital and restricted assets reduced the resources available to cover the state’s obligations, while expenses increased faster than revenues, further weakening its financial position.”

In total, Minnesota had $46 billion available to pay $32 billion worth of bills. That means the North Star state had a surplus of $13.9 billion.

Weinberg cautioned that the state should set aside the money to prepare for future financial challenges.

“Like many other states, Minnesota has benefited from historically high levels of federal funding and strong investment returns,” she said. “However, the state should preserve this surplus to maintain a financial cushion against future market downturns and potential declines in federal funding.”

Weinberg said all states should take steps now to strengthen their finances, rather than risk passing those costs on to taxpayers later.

“Maintaining adequate reserves and reducing unfunded liabilities would help states withstand future downturns without placing additional financial burdens on taxpayers or cutting essential services,” she said.

The report found that last year was particularly challenging for Minnesota’s finances, despite continued high levels of federal funding.

“After a $1 billion gain in 2024, its primary government reported a $103 million loss in 2025, largely due to losses in the Unemployment Insurance Fund,” the report found. “While revenues increased from higher income taxes and federal grants, expenses grew faster, driven by rising health and human services, education, transportation, and pension-related costs.”

Minnesota received approximately $25.9 billion – 34% of its revenue – from federal grants.

Because Minnesota receives federal funding, it was required to conduct a spending audit that identified accounting and oversight issues, including $304.4 million in errors caused by incorrect data.

Compared with other states, Minnesota’s financial condition was average. North Dakota ranked first in the report, with a surplus of $72,300 per taxpayer, while New Jersey ranked last at No. 50, with a deficit of $45,800 per taxpayer.

The report found that, at the end of 2025, 24 states did not have enough money to pay their bills.

Weinberg explained why this report should be helpful for taxpayers, especially going into election season.

“An accurate and understandable analysis of state finances is essential to helping citizens become informed participants in government,” she said. “By understanding their state’s financial condition, citizens can make more informed decisions about tax and spending policies and use that information to guide their voting decisions.”

(The Center Square) — Maine's three-day "cooling off" period for firearm purchases remains in effect after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a challenge to the controversial new requirement. 

The high court’s rejection leaves intact an April decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which lifted a preliminary injunction blocking the 72-hour waiting period from going into effect after ruling that the requirement is likely constitutional. 

The 72-hour "cooling off" period was a provision of a broader gun-control bill Democratic lawmakers passed through the House and Senate in response to the Oct. 25, 2023, Lewiston massacre. An Army reservist opened fire in a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, killing 13 people and injuring 18 others.

Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, allowed the 72-hour waiting period to become law without her signature, saying she was "conflicted" over the measure after considering both sides of the gun control debate.

The restrictions prompted a lawsuit by a coalition of gun rights groups who say they violated the constitutional rights of lawful citizens and were inconsistent with the nation's history of firearm regulation.

In February, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker issued a temporary injunction blocking the law after siding with gun sellers who filed a lawsuit claiming the restrictions are unconstitutional.

In his ruling, Walker sided with the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine and several gun sellers who argued that the law violates the Second Amendment. Walker said the waiting period is "indiscriminate" because it applies to all firearm purchasers regardless of whether they pose a threat, and said the plaintiffs are "likely to succeed" on the merits of the case.

Attorney General Aaron Frey has appealed the ruling, and in April the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a previous decision blocking the law from being enforced. 

The National Rifle Association and Sportsman's Alliance of Maine filed a petition to the high court, asking it to overturn the previous ruling and declare that the waiting period is unconstitutional under federal law. 

Lawyers for the petitioners, which included several Maine firearm retailers, argued that the three-day waiting period was unconstitutional based on the nation's history of firearm regulations and recent high court rulings.

The case now heads back to the U.S. District Court in Maine for further proceedings. 

Gun control groups welcomed the Supreme Court's decision not to intervene in the case, saying the waiting period is aimed at preventing suicides and gun violence in the state.

“We know from reporting from the Department of Public Safety that Maine’s 72-hour waiting period has already worked to save lives from preventable gun deaths in our state," Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, said in a statement. "Despite the gun lobby’s best efforts, our waiting period law will continue to save lives and we expect and hope that it will continue to be upheld." 

But Larry Keane, senior vice president for government affairs at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told WVOM's "Voice of Maine" talk show Tuesday morning that the legal challenge "goes on" and vowed to continue to push to overturn the waiting period. He said claims that the Supreme Court upheld the law are inaccurate. 

"The case is not over," Keane said. "The only thing the Supreme Court decided was not to hear the appeal at this point in time. They did not make any decisions about the merits of the case. So it goes on."