• EPA Report: $384B Needed to Improve U.S. Water Infrastructure
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• California, New York and Texas are in need of billions to fix aging water systems over the next two decades, according to a federal survey that placed them at the top of a national list of water infrastructure needs.

• Texas Governor Heads to NYC to Raid More Jobs
• BY: The Texas Tribune   |   Texas   |   June 10, 2013
• Texas Gov. Rick Perry is making another jobs raid, this time in New York City. His visit will be supplemented with a $1 million television advertising campaign in the city promoting Texas' pro-business environment.
• 1 Comments

• California Achieves Cleaner Air Despite Having More Cars
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   June 10, 2013
• New research shows that despite a threefold increase in people and cars in the last 50 years, California's strict vehicle emissions standards have managed to significantly clean up the state's air.

• ACA Payment Glitch May Leave Millions of "Unbanked" without Coverage
• Source: Tennessean   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• A new report shows that no one devised a plan for how 8.5 million Americans who qualify for health insurance subsidies but don’t have checking accounts will pay their premiums.

• Federal Government Has 15 Definitions of 'Rural'
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• These varying definitions have become a baroque example of redundancy and duplication in Washington. They mean extra costs for taxpayers — and extra hassle for small-town officials — as separate offices ask them the same question in up to 15 different ways.

• Harvard Helps 6 States Develop Social Impact Bonds
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• In the coming months, the states plan to write contracts for social service programs that taxpayers would pay for only if they prove to be successful. The initial outlays for the programs would be financed by private investors, who would reap a profit years later if the programs work as promised.

• Brookings Report Shows STEM Jobs Account for More Than Believed
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• Such jobs account for 20 percent of all positions in the U.S., far more than the 4 percent to 5 percent of jobs previously estimated

• New Jersey Bill Allows Cops to Search Cell Phones After Car Crashes
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   June 10, 2013
• The measure would allow cops — without a warrant — to thumb through a cell phone to determine if a driver was talking or texting when an accident occurred.

• The Nonprofits That Profit Politicians
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   June 10, 2013
• Amid the spring uproar over the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative nonprofit groups for extra scrutiny, the political world has largely overlooked a fresh innovation in the world of outside spending: nonprofits organized around broad issues of public interest that actually function to advance the ambitions of a single potential candidate.

• Washington Lawmakers May Use Infrastructure Funding for Schools
• Source: The News Tribune   |   Washington state   |   June 10, 2013
• The public works funding list is light on bridge projects, but the span on Interstate 5 that fell into the Skagit River last month hangs over any talk of infrastructure.

• Illinois Gov. Quinn Has Almost 600 Bills Before Him
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   June 10, 2013
• Gov. Pat Quinn and his aides now must sift through them and decide what gets signed into law and what is returned to the legislature with an outright veto or changes.

• After Philadelphia Building Collapse, Committee Probing City Regulations
• Source: AP/PhillyBurbs.com   |   Philadelphia   |   June 10, 2013
• Council members say the committee will examine procedures related to licenses and permits, construction and demolition, building maintenance and safety, and workers' certification.

• Private-School Tax Credits: Welfare for the Rich?
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   June 10, 2013
• Wisconsin not only wants to join the more than handful of states that give families tax breaks for sending their kids to private schools, its lawmakers are proposing what would be the most generous tax deduction of them all.
• 19 Comments

• As Feds Make Cuts, Local Government Employment Ticks Up
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   June 7, 2013
• While the federal government began to feel the effects of the sequester, localities have added jobs in recent months.
• 1 Comments

• Should Charter School Teachers be Evaluated?
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   June 7, 2013
• Some education reformers say mandated teacher evaluations infringe on the independence of charter schools.
• 4 Comments