California lost 156,300 jobs in the first half of 2024, according to the latest federal quarterly payroll data, contradicting Governor Gavin Newsom’s optimistic claims about job growth in the state. While Newsom’s office had highlighted preliminary job survey data, which often overestimates employment numbers, the finalized payroll data shows a starkly different picture. In January, California’s payroll data counted 18,037,900 jobs, but by June, that number had dropped to 17,881,600, reflecting a significant job loss.
The holiday season in Philadelphia was disrupted by a devastating wave of gun violence over the weekend, with 11 separate shootings leaving 24 people injured, four of them fatally.
Columbia College Chicago will eliminate 11 degree programs and lay off up to 25 full-time faculty members starting in the 2025-26 school year, as part of a strategy to address ongoing financial difficulties.
Israel’s decision to close its embassy in Ireland should serve as a warning to European nations with increasingly anti-Israel policies, according to KT McFarland, former deputy national security advisor in the Trump administration. Speaking on Newsmax’s Sunday Agenda, McFarland emphasized the shift in Israel's diplomatic approach following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and criticized Europe’s response.
A 2023 whistleblower has alleged that FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate instructed subordinates to conceal the identities of at least 25 confidential informants who were present at the January 6, 2021, protests. According to investigative journalist Kerry Picket, Abbate reportedly stated that revealing the informants’ involvement would be too embarrassing for the agency, prompting the decision to keep their existence hidden from the public.
Illinois’ pension crisis continues to deepen, with the state's unfunded pension liability reaching $143.7 billion, according to the latest report from the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA). This figure is $1.5 billion higher than last year and marks the second-highest total since 2020, when the liability hit $144.2 billion.
