Gun Owners Are Watching Illinois Gun Case Heading to the Supreme Court | The States

Pennsylvania's teacher pension fund falling short, SCOTUS agrees to hear Illinois gun case, polling shows divide in voters' confidence in the future of democracy, and states' firework taxes. The Center Square's Mark Stricherz reports Pennsylvania's teacher pension fund is $41 billion short and only two-thirds funded, and the Pennsylvania Public School Retirement System blames private equity returns. Pennsylvania and six other states are pulling back their pension investments in private equity. The Center Square's Voters' Voice Poll finds just 47% of Americans are confident in the future of U.S. democracy. Morgan Sweeney joins to discuss the polling, with confidence split sharply along political lines, with Trump voters far more optimistic than Harris voters. Also in this episode: - The Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases on whether the Second Amendment protects semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15. - A ruling isn't expected for about a year, and existing state gun bans remain in effect until then. - Fireworks laws and taxes vary widely by state, with some charging excise taxes as high as 12%. - The CPSC reported 13,000 fireworks injuries and 15 deaths nationwide last year. - NASA awarded $590 million in new moon lander contracts but still won't say what its full Moon-to-Mars program will cost. - The White House has proposed a 23% cut to NASA's budget while the House pushes to keep funding flat. - Colorado's Democratic primary for governor has been decided, but the Republican race remains too close to call. - Republican incumbents also won primaries in three of Colorado's congressional districts. - Pennsylvania missed its budget deadline for the fifth year in a row, raising fears of another lengthy impasse. Plus, America's Talking: Moon: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_8ffebec9-f11c-46ef-99d6-7c9cc5a70e2d.html Colorado: https://www.thecentersquare.com/colorado/article_3055da16-7dad-427c-a999-4300f9f73a6d.html Pennsylvania: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_a67b2702-e4fb-4d7e-827c-81165f44f7ef.html The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square. Video excerpt from Pro Football Talk / NBC Sports used for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and discussion. ____________ 👉 Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com 📩 Sign up for the newsletter for daily updates 00:00 Intro 01:37 Pension funds 10:04 Break 10:44 Gun bans 17:38 Break 18:15 Voters’ Voice 23:36 Break 24:17 Fireworks taxes 29:46 Break 30:28 Moon base