Good morning, it’s Thursday, July 17, 2025. In today’s edition, Dems sue Trump over disaster funds; Trump pulls funds from California’s high-speed rail; CNN poll finds Dems hold enthusiasm gap:
Top Stories
DISASTER RELIEF: Twenty Democratic-led states have filed suit against the Trump administration for cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, or BRIC, a FEMA-funded program that has spent billions on disaster preparation projects. The Trump administration cut the program earlier this year. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D) has filed the first flood-related bill ahead of next week’s special session. Eckhardt’s bill would allow municipalities to collect residents’ contact information to enroll them in emergency alerts sent by text message. Sen. Carol Alvarado (D) has filed a bill to create a flood relief program granting loans to small business. (KXAN)
TRANSPORTATION: Two-thirds of states are likely to fall short of road and bridge maintenance goals over the next decade as they face a combined $86 billion shortfall, according to a new report. Michigan faces the largest shortfall, at $15 billion. States spent a combined $247 billion on roads and bridges in 2024, about 8% of overall expenditures. (Pluribus News)
MORE: The Trump administration has formally canceled $4 billion in funding for California’s high-speed rail project, a month after releasing a compliance review that alleged the train had no viable path forward. California officials are exploring legal options to restore the funding. (Los Angeles Times)
ECONOMY: Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) has signed legislation eliminating luxury taxes on menstrual products and diapers. The cuts mean tax rates on those goods will drop from 4.225% to 1.225%. (St. Louis Public Radio)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Montana legislature has voted to override Gov. Greg Gianforte’s (R) veto of legislation requiring the state to reimburse local jails for holding inmates waiting for a bed at the state mental hospital. The bill appropriates $6 million to reimburse county jails. (Montana Free Press)
ELECTIONS: The Justice Department has launched a “multi-pronged” effort to gather information about voter rolls in several states ahead of the midterm elections. Justice Department officials sent letters to state elections offices seeking information-sharing agreements as they search for ineligible voters. (Providence Journal)
In Politics & Business
MIDTERMS: A new CNN poll finds 72% of Democrats and Democratic-aligned voters are extremely motivated to vote in next year’s elections, 10 points higher than they were ahead of the 2024 midterms and 22 points higher than enthusiasm levels among Republican voters. Just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, while 33% view the GOP favorably. (CNN)
NEW MEXICO: State Sen. Harold Pope Jr. (D) will run for lieutenant governor next year, setting up a Democratic primary battle with Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard (D). Incumbent Howie Morales (D) is term-limited. (Albuquerque Journal)
OHIO: State Republicans are preparing to redraw congressional district boundary lines, aiming to win 12 of the state’s 15 seats next year. The GOP controls all aspects of the redistricting process; they must draw mid-decade maps after initial maps drawn ahead of the 2022 elections failed to earn any Democratic votes. (Columbus Dispatch)
CALIFORNIA: State Democrats are planning to redraw congressional district lines if Texas Republicans pursue a similar strategy. California House Democrats met Wednesday with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to outline a plan. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) would have to call a special session to pause a voter-approved independent commission. (Punchbowl)
By The Numbers
$6,133: The average homeowners insurance premium in Oklahoma, the highest in the country and more than twice the national average. Rates have climbed more than 50% since 2019. (Oklahoma Watch)
210,000: The number of people who crossed the Canadian border into Maine in June, down 90,000 from last year. (Maine Public Radio)
Off The Wall
Minnesota Democrats will help cover the costs of some kosher and halal menu items after vendors at the Minneapolis DFL convention said they would charge up to $70 for a kosher pastrami sandwich and $55 for a chicken kebab. This weekend’s convention will feature endorsement votes for mayor as incumbent Jacob Frey (D) seeks a new term. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Officials in Minot, N.D., are battling an invasion of Richardson’s ground squirrels. The burrowers are taking over vacant lots and downtown plots; officials estimate there may be more ground squirrels than people in the town of 50,000. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“To paraphrase a quote attributed to one of America’s preeminent philosophers, Yogi Berra, being here is like deja vu all over again.”
— Massachusetts Rep. Michael Day (D), on legislation to protect anyone traveling to the state for reproductive care. (State Affairs)