Inflation worries: Voter concern about inflation hit its highest level since The Center Square began tracking it, with 43% naming it a top-three worry as gas topped $4 a gallon.
Los Angeles homeless funding: A federal agency suspended taxpayer money to the agency it says draws more federal homelessness funding than any other city agency in the country, citing "obvious fraud."
Detention facility tips: Washington's State Auditor's Office was tipped off by whistleblowers about alleged theft at a youth detention facility a year before the case surfaced, records show.
Pennsylvania data center fight: A rural township hired a lawyer with ties to the company behind a 20-building data center proposal, drawing conflict-of-interest questions and a lawsuit over how the firing was handled.
Midterm math: New polling gives Democrats a six-point edge on the generic congressional ballot, up from one point in March.
Inflation concern hits record high as gas tops $4
Photo: Ali Mkumbwa / Unsplash / Edited in Canva
What we found: The Center Square's Voters' Voice Poll found 43% of registered voters named inflation or rising prices among their top three concerns in June, up from 37% in March and the highest since the poll began tracking it. More than three-quarters said high gas and fuel costs have strained their household budgets, with 61% "very concerned." A review by The Center Square of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found the White House overstated workers' wage gains: real hourly earnings recovered about one-third of their losses at a January peak, not the "almost half" the administration claimed, and by May had fallen back to where they started.
The stakes: Families are paying more for the basics. Gasoline averaged $4.13 a gallon on June 11, up from $2.94 in late February, while ground beef has risen 22% and coffee 35% since January 2025.
The backstory: In August 2024, Donald Trump promised to “immediately bring prices down” after taking office. Eighteen months later, the poll finds 60% of voters say the country is on the wrong track, up from 53% in March, with dissatisfaction crossing party lines.
Where it stands: A 60-day ceasefire in the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, announced Monday, pushed the national average back below $4, though the White House says it expects prices to fall further once the conflict is resolved.
3 States
California: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) suspended funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which it says draws more HUD money to fight homelessness than any other city agency in the country, accusing it of "obvious fraud" and a lack of basic financial controls. HUD has sent more than $944 million to the agency since 2021, even after a federal court found in March 2025 that it could not account for $2.3 billion. Mayor Karen Bass's office said it shares concerns about the agency but warned that pulling funds jeopardizes recent progress on homelessness.
Nevada: Net income at Nevada’s larger casinos fell 34.8% to $1.7 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported, after tourism dropped and resorts closed rooms for renovation. Gaming revenue itself slipped just 0.6% over the same period, which the board's senior economist, Shelley Newell, called not a significant change. The decline points to wider questions the gaming industry faces about online betting and a tourism slump linked to U.S. immigration policy, though Newell said she expects 2026 to rebound.
Washington: Records obtained by The Center Square show the State Auditor's Office was warned by at least two whistleblowers last year about alleged theft at the Echo Glen youth detention facility, including a claim that its food budget was overspent by $57,000. The office told The Center Square it had no open case, never mentioning the tips the records show it received.
2 Issues
Energy: In rural Clinton Township, Pennsylvania, supervisors replaced their longtime solicitor with a lawyer whose firm has done past work for Linde Corp., the company behind a proposed 20-building data center campus with two on-site power plants, and who is a personal friend of its president. The switch drew a lawsuit alleging the township violated the state's open-meetings law by firing the former solicitor outside a public meeting, and residents worry about wells, noise, and pollution. Lawmakers in both parties have raised concerns, and the dispute is one of many across Pennsylvania as developers race to build for the AI boom.
Elections: New polling from The Center Square shows Democrats with a six-point lead on the generic congressional ballot, 47% to 41%, up from a one-point edge in March. Looking to 2028, Vice President JD Vance leads the Republican field at 36%, while Kamala Harris tops Democrats at 27% as support broadens to contenders like Pete Buttigieg. Pollster Mike Noble ties the shift to cost-of-living frustration rather than enthusiasm for either party.
1 Number
18
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia let some illegal immigrant students apply for state financial aid for college, according to Higher Ed Immigration, while Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina bar them from those programs.
Introducing The States
Before the headlines turn to noise, get the facts. The States follows the records, spending, and policy decisions shaping your money, your community, and your daily life. Hosted by Greg Bishop, each episode breaks down what happened, why it matters, and what taxpayers need to know. Watch every weekday on YouTube, and show up informed.
Mike Collins, Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia
Collins, a sitting U.S. House member, won Georgia's Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff Tuesday, leading Derek Dooley 56% to 44% after a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump. The contest split the state's GOP, with Gov. Brian Kemp campaigning for Dooley, and sets up a November matchup against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff that’s shaping up to be one of the most-watched races of the election cycle.
Which statement comes closer to your view about local governments approving new data centers?
The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll asked voters how they feel about local governments approving data centers. See the results.
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