Source: Washington Post | District of Columbia |
May 16, 2013
Some D.C. Council members are crafting legislation to lessen the penalties for marijuana possession, hoping to settle the matter before outside groups petition the issue onto the ballot.
The two lawsuits, filed on behalf of parents and their special needs children, say the proposed school closings are unfair, will harm students with disabilities and are discriminatory because almost all the students affected are African-American.
Source: Washington Post | Takoma Park, Md. |
May 15, 2013
Though some residents argued that teenagers lack the maturity and experience to handle the responsibility of voting, the Takoma Park City Council in Maryland passed an amendment to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger | New Jersey |
May 15, 2013
A three-judge panel said it will hear arguments on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to grab up to $162 million in affordable-housing funds for his proposed $32.9 billion budget
Anthony Weiner’s new campaign manager for his nascent mayoral bid is a recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adviser who spent four months working on a failed Staten Island congressional race last year.
Source: The Baltimore Sun | Baltimore, Md. |
May 14, 2013
In a unanimous vote, the City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would require businesses getting large city contracts or financial support to hire 51 percent of new workers from Baltimore.
Mandatory sick leave is being championed by several localities across the nation. At the same time the progressive public health measure is sparking fierce opposition in several state legislatures.
Recent moves by the republican-controlled legislature that could hurt the city's finances has raised speculation that it being targeted as part of a political vendetta.
Local and state officials believe the immigration overhaul bill will encourage those in the country illegally to come out of the shadows and turn to local services during the proposed 13-year-long pathway to citizenship.
Detroit is broke and faces a bleak future given the precarious financial path it's on, according to a new report out by the city's state-appointed emergency manager.
Source: The New York Times | San Diego, Calif. |
May 13, 2013
Satellite city offices are not uncommon for large cities, but San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s newest outpost is in another country. By opening San Diego’s Tijuana office this year, the mayor hopes to promote cross-border relations and foster economic partnerships.
Source: AP/The Philadelphia Inquirer | Nation |
May 13, 2013
When Amtrak unveils the first of 70 new locomotives Monday at a plant in California, it will mark what the national passenger railroad service hopes will be a new era of better reliability, streamlined maintenance and better energy efficiency.
Scientists have found that urban hubs with over 10 million people are increasingly responsible for human-caused global warming, prompting closer study of cities across the country and around the globe.