Month: September 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 16, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — Long before Harris County voters walk into a Vote Center and make their selections this fall, election workers are putting the machinery of democracy through a dress rehearsal of its own.

The Harris County Clerk’s Office began Logic and Accuracy testing on Tuesday, September 15, ahead of the November 3, 2026 General and Special Elections. The testing is designed to verify that electronic voting equipment properly displays ballots, records voter selections and accurately tabulates predetermined test results. Texas law requires logic and accuracy testing before electronic voting systems are used in an election.

The scale is unmistakably Harris County-sized. Local reporting from the Election Headquarters on September 16 said officials expect to test more than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment before they are distributed to more than 600 voting locations. Workers use preset test ballots with known outcomes, allowing election personnel to compare what the machines record against what the results are supposed to be.

It is technical work, but its purpose is easy to understand: test before voters arrive.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, whose office resumed responsibility for administering county elections in 2023, has described L&A testing as an important component of election transparency and accuracy. Representatives associated with both major political parties participate in or observe portions of the testing process, providing another layer of review. The Clerk’s official website lists the 2026 Logic and Accuracy testing announcement among its current election communications.

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The testing also comes at an important point on the election calendar. Federal, state and local contests will appear on ballots for the November election, and Harris County voters will soon be able to review their individual ballot information through the county’s election website.

Early voting begins Monday, October 19, and runs through Friday, October 30. Harris County Vote Centers will generally operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, October 25, when hours are noon to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with Vote Centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For voters eligible to vote by mail, applications must be received—not merely postmarked—by Friday, October 23. Texas eligibility includes voters who are 65 or older, meet the statutory sickness or disability standard, will be outside their county during the applicable voting period, expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or meet certain confinement requirements.

Texas also identifies seven primary acceptable forms of photo identification for in-person voting. Voters who cannot reasonably obtain one may have additional options using supporting identification and a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

For Harris County voters, the smartest equipment in the building still has one job: correctly record the choices made by the people standing in front of it.

For sample ballots, Vote Center information, voting-by-mail guidance and election updates, visit HarrisVotes.com and follow on Social @HarrisVotes

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point Wednesday in a unanimous vote, delivering its first rate increase in more than three years, as Chair Kevin Warsh cited persistent inflation and a strengthening economy.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to raise its benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%. The Fed said economic activity continues to expand at a solid pace, while inflation remains elevated and the move would support a “timelier return” to its 2% goal.

The consensus marked a sharp shift from July, when policymakers voted 9-3 to hold rates steady and three regional Fed presidents favored an immediate quarter-point increase.

Warsh said three developments changed the Fed’s calculus over the seven weeks since that meeting. Evidence that the economy has strengthened, inflation trends that have shown little meaningful improvement, and a changed geopolitical environment. He said the economy is operating roughly at full employment, allowing the Fed to put its “predominant focus” on price stability.

“The plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long,” Warsh said.

Projections Point to Additional Rate Increase

The Fed’s new projections offered a notably firmer outlook for interest rates. The median policymaker now sees the federal funds rate at 4.1% at the end of both 2026 and 2027, up from June projections of 3.8% and 3.6%. Sixteen of the 18 officials submitting forecasts project at least one additional quarter-point increase by year-end, while four project two more hikes.

Officials also raised their median 2026 GDP forecast to 2.3% from 2.2%, lowered their unemployment forecast to 4.1% from 4.3%, and nudged their PCE inflation projection higher to 3.7% from 3.6%.

Warsh did not submit an individual economic or rate projection and repeatedly distanced his own assessment from the Summary of Economic Projections.

“Those aren’t my forecasts,” Warsh said when pressed on why the median projection does not show inflation returning to 2% until 2029. “Those are the forecasts of my 18 colleagues.”

Warsh also sharpened his explanation of what it means for this Fed to watch incoming information. Trends matter, he said, but individual reports should not dictate policy.

“I was not waiting breathlessly” for either the latest retail sales report or last week’s CPI, Warsh said. “Data point dependence is a dangerous preoccupation,” he added.

Energy Prices, Global Rates and AI

When asked how higher interest rates could help when they cannot reopen the Strait of Hormuz or directly increase energy supplies, Warsh acknowledged the limits of monetary policy.

“We cannot affect any individual price,” he said. The Fed’s job, he said, is to prevent individual price shocks from spreading into broader second- and third-order inflation effects.

Warsh also noted that the U.S. is not alone. After recent meetings with other central bankers, he said most advanced economies are also confronting price pressures. Rate decisions by foreign central banks can have “spillovers and spillbacks” into the U.S. economy, though he declined to predict what other central banks will do.

Artificial intelligence also surfaced as a significant policy question. Warsh said the Fed has established a task force expected to report by the end of the year on AI’s implications for both supply and demand.

But he again returned to the Fed’s boundaries. Broader decisions about the risks and regulation of AI belong to other parts of government, he said.

Warsh repeatedly framed the inflation fight around households with the fewest financial cushions, saying Americans who do not own significant financial assets feel rising prices most directly.

“Those who are least well off have the most to gain from a durable expansion, a solid labor market, and stable prices,” he said.

Changes to the Fed Press Conference

The changes under Warsh were visible in the press room itself Wednesday.

Reporters were seated by outlet in alphabetical order, a break from the previous arrangement, and the Fed instructed journalists to ask one question rather than multipart questions so Warsh could get to more people. The result was a noticeably faster, more rapid-fire news conference.

Markets initially took the widely anticipated hike in stride before closing lower. The S&P 500 fell about 0.5%, the Dow declined 1.2% and the Nasdaq was little changed. The 10-year Treasury yield settled at about 5%.

The Fed’s next policy meeting is scheduled for October 27-28.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.