• S.C. Treasurer Clashes with State Pension Commission
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   May 21, 2013
• Curtis Loftis has made it his mission to overhaul the investment commission that oversees the state’s pension fund. But it hasn't been easy.
• 8 Comments

• Suburban Poverty Growth Outpacing Urban Cores
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   May 21, 2013
• During the 2000s, the number of poor living in U.S. suburbs grew by 64 percent -- more than twice the 29 percent growth rate in cities.

• Supreme Court to Reexamine Church-State Separation at Government Meetings
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   May 21, 2013
• The Supreme Court has agreed to revisit the issue of church-state separation and decide whether a town council can begin most of its monthly meetings with a prayer from a Christian pastor.
• 1 Comments

• Obama Declares Oklahoma Tornado a Major Disaster
• Source: USA Today   |   Oklahoma   |   May 21, 2013
• At least 51 people were killed when a massive tornado blasted through central Oklahoma, flattening neighborhoods and destroying two elementary schools. The grim work of search, rescue and recovery continues today.
• 2 Comments

• Judge Allows 1,000s of UC Medical Workers to Strike
• Source: Sacramento Bee   |   California   |   May 21, 2013
• A Sacramento judge Monday refused to stop a strike today by thousands of employees at the UC Davis Medical Center and four other UC hospitals – but ordered a limited number of critical care employees to stay on the job.

• Unions Win Big Victory in Minnesota
• Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   May 21, 2013
• The Democratic Legislature eked out a major victory for organized labor, giving in-home child-care providers and personal care attendants the right to unionize at a time when union power is in full retreat in many state capitols.

• Federal-Run Health Exchanges Won't Mirror Massachusetts'
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Nation   |   May 21, 2013
• Massachusetts, which served as the model for Obamacare, conducts competitive bidding to promote cost-efficient plans in its exchange. But in the 34 states where the federal government will be running the exchange, the government has decided to permit any plan to qualify that meets a minimum set of standards set by the law.

• Alaska Pushes Feds on Arctic Drilling
• Source: Politico   |   Alaska   |   May 21, 2013
• Alaskan officials are hoping to prod the federal government into measuring the amount of oil and gas beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and are offering state money as part of their plan to push the project forward.
• 2 Comments

• L.A. Elections May be Decided by Older, White Voters
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   Los Angeles   |   May 21, 2013
• A survey of likely voters finds that non-Latino whites make up 32 percent of the city's population but are likely to total 51 percent of the vote. Latinos make up 44 percent of the population, but many are ineligible to vote.

• 3 Gun Bills Sent to New Jersey Gov. Christie
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   May 21, 2013
• Three bills aimed at controlling gun violence gained final legislative approval in the state Assembly, making them the first of what is expected to be a big batch of gun control legislation to land on Gov. Chris Christie’s desk.

• Kardashian Pulls T-Shirt from Shelves After Gov. Cuomo Threatened Lawsuit
• Source: New York Daily News   |   New York   |   May 21, 2013
• The high-end clothing line backed by reality star Khloe Kardashian yanked a New York-themed t-shirt from its website hours after New York Gov. Cuomo’s administration warned the item may be violating copyright law because the design of the $35 shirt looks almost identical to a state Department of Agriculture logo.

• Wyoming Gov. Mead Announces Anti-DUI Campaign
• Source: AP/Casper Star-Tribune   |   Wyoming   |   May 21, 2013
• The Governor's Council on Impaired Driving is rolling out advertisements that emphasize how much it costs to get cited for drunken driving, and that people convicted of the crime stand may lose their license.

• The Next Stop in Public Transit Advertising: Audio
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   May 20, 2013
• In an effort to increase revenue, transit agencies are working to find new twists to old advertising methods.

• Sustainability and Our Horizontal Infrastructure
• BY: Bob Graves   |   May 20, 2013
• A new rating system aims to build sustainability considerations into the entire infrastructure process, from planning to implementation.

• Water Fluoridation Debate Divides Portland, Oregon
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Portland, Ore.   |   May 20, 2013
• The city is the largest in the country that still does not fluoridate it's water supply and the debate over the issue has sharply divided it's usually polite progressives. Citizens will go to the polls to vote on the issue Tuesday.
• 6 Comments