House lawmakers have passed a bill advocates said will be harmful to nonprofits in New York and nationwide.

House Resolution 9495 passed with a 219-184 vote after failing to get a two-thirds majority in the chamber last week. The bill gives the Treasury Secretary power to rescind tax-exempt status for nonprofits considered "terrorist supporting organizations." On its first vote, it had strong bipartisan support.

Jeff Ordower, U.S. Lead for the group 350 Action, said President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric about "the enemy within" makes this bill's return troubling.

"They are trying to consolidate the number of tools in their toolbox," Ordower contended. "So they can move quickly to call some people the enemy within and shut down organizations that are supporting causes that are unpopular, supporting causes that are fighting corporate power, fighting structural racism."

Voting in favor of the bill were 15 Democrats, including Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. It could be due to its other provision giving tax breaks to Americans wrongfully imprisoned abroad or held hostage by terror groups. Ordower noted it is the result of a push by groups who want Israel and Gaza's status quo before Oct. 7 restored, which aid organizations could jeopardize.

Beyond public concern, some experts feel the bill's primary goal is helping President-elect Trump consolidate power within the Executive Branch. Ordower pointed out it is one of the many battles with the second Trump Administration about what defines a healthy and sustainable democracy.

"What we need in order to really have a good fight that defends civil society, that leads us towards and continues some of the ways that are flourishing democracy is to have lots and lots of groups that are able to push their agendas, and not just groups with particular ideologies or point of views doing that," Ordower stressed.

Ordower is surprised by lawmaker's persistence to pass this bill given wars occurring across the world, as well as ongoing economic, climate and immigration issues at home. Some 150 groups including the ACLU signed a letter to House lawmakers urging them to oppose the measure.

Ohio is poised to play a key role in a $20 billion investment announced by President-elect Donald Trump, with plans to establish data centers across the Midwest.

John Highland, director of public service for the City of Canton, is among the local leaders already expressing interest in what he said could be a transformative project.

"We are kind of open and available," Highland pointed out. "I would be willing to talk to anyone about that possibility with the city if we can make it work."

Canton's openness reflects the excitement among Ohio leaders about the economic potential of the initiative. However, as with any large-scale project, experts caution about the need to manage resource demands and ensure equitable benefits for local communities.

In a recent speech, Trump framed the investment as a step toward keeping America at the forefront of advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence.

"The investment will support massive new data centers across the Midwest and also keep America on the cutting edge of technology and artificial intelligences," Trump said. "The first phase of the project will be in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana."

For Ohioans, the announcement could mean new jobs and infrastructure development but it also raises questions about long-term sustainability and local impacts on resources like energy and water.

Hussein Sajwani, founder of DAMAC Properties, shared his excitement about expanding his company's operations in the U.S., citing the nation's pro-business environment.

"We're planning to invest $20 billion in data centers catering for the AI and cloud business for the hyperscalers," Sajwani announced. "We're very, very excited now with his leadership."

With Ohio positioned as a key beneficiary of this massive investment, the state could see significant economic growth in the coming years.


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The next legislative session is approaching in Olympia and Washington state's budget shortfall will be one of the biggest topics.

A gap of $10 billion to $12 billion is expected over the next four years.

Jerry Cornfield, a reporter for the nonprofit newsroom Washington State Standard, said a number of ideas have been thrown out. He noted Democrats are considering increasing taxes on businesses and wealth or excise taxes.

"They've also talked about a higher tax on the sales of super expensive properties," Cornfield explained. "They're really targeting wealthy individuals and large businesses in many of their proposals."

Cornfield pointed out the budget deficit could make it difficult to fund other priorities such as in education. Because of the gap, he does not foresee major changes in education funding this session. Republicans said reducing spending is the better option for shrinking the deficit. The session starts Monday.

On the housing front, Cornfield observed stabilization went far in previous sessions and could be on deck this session.

"Democrats are going to try to push it across the finish line and to the governor's desk this session," Cornfield projected. "They have more members in each the House and the Senate. They seem poised to really impose a statewide limit on rent increases -- monthly rent increases or annual rent increases -- of some percentage."

Cornfield stressed the priorities of newly elected Governor Bob Ferguson will likely determine the direction of the session. He added some nonbudget related topics could surface, such as reducing the blood-alcohol level for drunken driving. Gun-related legislation usually bubbles up too.

"There are bills again being introduced that would further narrow where people can openly carry weapons," Cornfield reported. "There's also going to be probably a good fight on this bill requiring individuals to have a permit before they purchase a weapon."

Cornfield said the legislation could involve a gun safety class for people to get a permit.


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North Dakota lawmakers gather in Bismarck today for a new legislative session and as they settle in, they will have public polling data to analyze ahead of final votes down the road.

Today's events mainly consist of speeches, including the governor's state of the state address. When committee hearings are eventually heard, legislators face pressure from the public to tackle property tax reform.

A new poll from DFM Research showed 81% of those surveyed support such a move. Last fall, voters rejected largely doing away with local property taxes, keeping the revenue tool in hand for communities.

Dean Mitchell, owner of DFM Research, said it is clear voters want such a balance.

"People understand that property taxes are in the mix to fund schools but they do want that reform," Mitchell reported. "I think that's the number one issue in the realm of education."

The second-highest priority in the poll, commissioned by the teacher's union ND United, was universal lunches. Among respondents, 79% support providing no-cost school meals to all students, regardless of their family's income. Meanwhile, 68% oppose public money being used for private school tuition.

All the issues are expected to be debated this session. Some bills might vary in their language, namely school choice, with differing views on various models being floated. Mitchell noted North Dakota voters appear to be in tune with the public education landscape and what their district's needs are, versus trends, such as private vouchers, seen in other parts of the country.

"I think it's just kind of that common sense nature of North Dakotans (being) a little bit more closely tied to their community," Mitchell observed.

He added the poll results reinforce long-standing sentiments. The survey was conducted last month with 600 voters from around the state interviewed via landline, mobile phone and text-by-web.