Good morning, it’s Wednesday, June 11, 2025. In today’s edition, immigration deployments roil California; lawmakers back geothermal energy; Sherrill, Ciattarelli win New Jersey governor primaries:
Top Stories
IMMIGRATION: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called the deployment of National Guard and Marine troops in Los Angeles the beginning of a calculated “war” to upend the foundations of a free society. (Associated Press) A judge denied Newsom’s request to block the deployments. (Sacramento Bee) Democratic governors released a joint statement objecting to the deployment of National Guard troops, calling it an “alarming abuse of power.” (MLive)
MORE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said late Tuesday he will deploy National Guard troops across the state to respond to protests against immigration crackdowns. Protests erupted in Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio over the weekend. (New York Times) North Carolina lawmakers gave final approval to legislation compelling state law enforcement agencies to comply with immigration crackdowns. (Associated Press)
ENERGY: Legislation approved this year in Colorado, Texas, Utah, New Mexico and North Dakota are meant to spur geothermal energy projects, the one major renewable energy source that earns bipartisan support. Lawmakers in seven other states have introduced geothermal development bills, including pilot programs, tax incentives and revamped regulations. (Pluribus News)
ABORTION: Louisiana lawmakers have approved legislation allowing women to sue out-of-state doctors who mail, prescribe or coordinate the sale of pregnancy-ending medication. The bill allows women to sue up to ten years after an abortion occurs. (Associated Press)
MORE: The Montana Supreme Court has struck down abortion restrictions the legislature approved in 2021. The laws banned abortions after 20 weeks, added restrictions to abortion-inducing medicine and required providers to offer patients an ultrasound. (Montana Free Press)
EDUCATION: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed legislation expanding education savings accounts to all students, regardless of family income. Ayotte also signed a parent’s bill of rights law that requires educators to disclose curriculum information. (WMUR)
MORE: The Oregon House has given final approval to a bill barring libraries from removing books because they are about or by a member of a protected class, including sexual orientation or gender identity. Oregon would join eight other blue states that have adopted similar measures limiting libraries from restricting access to certain books. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
HEALTH CARE: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) has signed legislation setting the nation’s strongest regulations on private or corporate control of medical practices. The bill bans noncompete agreements for doctors and limits the control health management companies have on a clinic’s operations. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) will face former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (D) in the general election to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy (D), after Sherrill and Ciattarelli won their respective primaries on Tuesday. Ciattarelli took 68% of the Republican vote, while Sherrill took 34%, ahead of 20% for Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) and 16% for Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (D). (NJ Advance Media)
Sherrill will start out as the favorite, but don’t forget Ciattarelli came within 3.2 percentage points of beating Murphy in 2021.
MAINE: Former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) has formally announced her campaign for governor in 2026, with stops in Lewiston, Biddeford and Portland. She faces four other candidates, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D), in the Democratic primary. (Midcoast Villager)
OHIO: Former state Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D) will be the new chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, winning election with support from former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). State Democrats hope Brown will run for governor or a Senate seat in 2026. (Columbus Dispatch)
If Brown wins the governorship, he would succeed Gov. Mike DeWine (R) — whom he beat for a U.S. Senate seat in 2006.
NEW YORK CITY: Tech companies are spending big in the race for New York City mayor. Uber has donated $2.5 million to an independent expenditure committee, while Airbnb is spending $5 million, some of it against Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D). DoorDash has donated $1 million to a committee backing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). (City & State)
By The Numbers
42 million: The number of Americans who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in February. That’s down from a peak of 47.6 million in 2013. (Associated Press)
$9.8 million: The maximum penalty Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D) faces as he appeals a case alleging he broke state election law. State election board officials allege Harmon accepted more than $4 million in contributions over allowed restrictions; Harmon has denied wrongdoing. (Chicago Tribune)
33: The number of Nebraska high school seniors honored by Gov. Jim Pillen (R) at the state capitol, after they achieved perfect scores on their ACTs. (Omaha World Herald)
Off The Wall
Sheriff’s deputies in Onslow County, N.C., have captured a nearly 400-lb. alligator loitering on a state highway. Officers joked they had cited the animal “for suspicion of being a dinosaur without proper papers.” (UPI)
A volunteer at the Sterling Heights Public Library in Michigan stumbled across a photo of a Detroit couple’s 1953 wedding, tucked inside a used book. The volunteer tracked down the couple’s granddaughter, who said she treasured it as a family heirloom. (UPI)
A new competition in London features vegetable likenesses of President Trump, Dolly Parton and a papal “Cornclave.” The sculptor who fashioned Trump made him out of a butternut squash. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“We’re living in the dumbest timeline.”
— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), objecting to both a new law that bans local governments from flying Pride flags and a new Salt Lake City rule adopting a Pride-themed version of the city’s flag. (Deseret News)