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Watch: Gov. Kim Reynolds discuses task force for Iowa 'DOGE'Hear from Gov. Kim Reynolds as she talks about Iowa's 'DOGE' on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol.Iowa's DOGE task force is considering issuing a recommendation to consolidate the state's 99 counties to improve government efficiency and enable property tax cuts.The task force argues that the current county structure is outdated and wastes resources, citing Iowa's low population density.The task force is focusing on streamlining services and regionalization rather than directly addressing property tax reform.Iowa's government efficiency task...

Habitat for Humanity of Collier County progresses on new Naples communityScenes from Habitat for Humanity of Collier County's Majestic Place community. When construction is complete, it will have 109 single-family homes.Collier County's preliminary property values increased by roughly 3% to $229.3 billion in 2025.Taxable property values saw a larger increase of 8.2%, reaching $164.5 billion, largely due to new construction.While market value growth slowed, new construction added $4.18 billion to the tax rolls.The final tax roll will be submitted to the state on July 1st, with TRIM notices sent to...

Amazon has the ingredients to keep growing for a while.Lawrence Nga  |  The Motley FoolAfter touching a multi-year low of around $84 in early 2023, Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock price has more than doubled to $200 (as of this writing), thanks to the improvement in financials.As the company moves forward on tailwinds such as artificial intelligence (AI) and facing headwinds such as the e-commerce slowdown, investors may wonder: Is now the time to buy, hold, or sell Amazon stock?Let's take a closer look.How did Amazon perform in 2024?First, a review...

AAA expecting busy Memorial Day weekend for travelOfficials with AAA believe over 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.Fox - 10 PhoenixThe Memorial Day holiday is rapidly approaching, and multiple services will be shuttered for the holiday.Is the stock market open or closed on Monday?Here's what we know about the stock market, banks, USPS mail delivery and more on Memorial Day:When is Memorial Day 2025? What date is Memorial Day this year?Memorial Day is on Monday, May 26, 2025.Will...

4-minute readAndrew P. Napolitano  |  Special to the USA TODAY NetworkCan FBI be sued if agents raid wrong house? Supreme Court to weigh in.Trina Martin, son Gabe Watson and partner Toi Cliatt seek compensation after their house was mistakenly raided by the FBI.The British government's use of general warrants, allowing searches of colonists' homes without specific cause, contributed to the American Revolution.The Fourth Amendment, designed to protect the right to privacy and property, requires probable cause for government searches.The author argues that the probable cause standard is insufficient, as natural...

No state has yet eliminated property taxes and in Florida they are the biggest source of dollars for 51 of 67 counties and almost half of the state’s 411 cities.With Florida lawmakers now in overtime trying to settle a state budget, the prime source of financing for many cities and counties could soon be headed for the chopping block.In whatever budget deal is decided by the Legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants included some kind of commitment to rolling back property taxes – now or through a ballot question put before...

AAA expecting busy Memorial Day weekend for travelOfficials with AAA believe over 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.Fox - 10 PhoenixAmericans will soon celebrate Memorial Day, but what will be open or closed during the holiday?Here's what we know about banks, the stock market, USPS mail delivery and more on Memorial Day:When is Memorial Day 2025? What date is Memorial Day this year?Memorial Day is on Monday, May 26, 2025.Will banks be open on Memorial Day, May 26,...

Dave Williams  |  Capitol Beat News ServiceReal estate investor headed to prison in Atlanta fraud schemeBy Dave WilliamsBureau ChiefCapitol Beat News ServiceATLANTA - The head of a commercial real estate investment firm has been sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $45 million in restitution in a fraud scheme involving the Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead.Elchonon (Elie) Schwartz, 46, of New York City pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud. Schwartz convinced more than 800 investors to send him $62.8 million, including $54 million...

Watch: Iowa homeowners talk property taxes with Des Moines RegisterHomeowners discuss Iowa's property taxes as Iowa legislative leaders make property tax reform their No. 1 goal this legislative session.Iowa Senate Republicans are proposing a 25% discount on home values up to $125,000 for property tax relief, changing a proposed $50,000 homestead exemption to address smaller communities' concerns.The bill also phases in the elimination of the state's rollback rate over 10 years and maintains a 2% cap on property tax growth with exceptions.The fate of property tax legislation is unclear as...