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Four Los Angeles city-based Metro board members urged the transit agency to adopt an aggressive conversion plan to meet the original goal of 100 percent zero-emission buses by 2030. But the five-year delay will likely stand.
After a February special legislative session gave gun-rights groups sweeping wins, bills to expand firearm-free zones have stalled. Expansion of the zones seems unlikely this year.
The state estimates it will have between $300 and $400 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding still available for use. The problem will be figuring out how to prioritize which programs get money.
Tennessee state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, regarding the end of the state’s General Assembly session on Thursday, April 26, after months of political infighting. (Associated Press — April 25, 2024)
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell wants voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund transit-service improvements and upgrades to the city’s sidewalks and roads.
The Supreme Court seems likely to curtail federal agencies’ interpretations of laws passed by Congress, but Washington bureaucrats have another way to exercise unaccountable power over state and local governments. States and localities can fight back.
The three-term lieutenant governor has already become one of the most powerful and successful policymakers in Texas history. Now he is actively campaigning against House Speaker Dade Phelan, one of Patrick’s political rivals.
Companies that grew tech talent rapidly during the pandemic are now firing workers in droves in an effort to reduce operating costs and improve profitability, creating an employer’s market.
ERCOT, the power grid operator for Texas, has warned of flaws in some solar, wind and battery storage resources that could disconnect the grid if there are frequency disturbances such as lightning strikes or equipment failures.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, regarding pro-Palestine protests at universities across the country. Activists at numerous colleges have set up encampments to protest the Israel-Hamas war, including in areas not approved by the schools. (The Hill — April 25, 2024)
Organic waste in landfills is a major source of methane emissions. Orange County, Calif., is making progress in diverting it.
Future in Context
Reducing traffic deaths is a compelling proposition, but it gets complicated when trying to make it so.
Election deniers may not believe it, but the most extensive national study, covering 20 years of data, showed that illegal voting is exceptionally rare.
It’s a problem in urban and rural areas alike, but the greatest impact is in cities where it amounts to “food apartheid.” Our best chance of solving it is to get our communities engaged in creating solutions.
After more than 20,000 voters in New Hampshire received a deepfake phone call asking them to skip the state’s January primary, at least 39 states are considering measures to ensure transparency of artificial intelligence used in political ads.
Though Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she wants to keep the July special session narrowly focused on public safety, a group of Republican state senators has proposed packages that aim to secure a porous border.
Newberry County, S.C., Sheriff Lee Foster, regarding the loud sound produced by male cicadas after receiving several messages to complain about the noise. The collective songs of the trillions of red-eyed periodical male cicadas that have emerged this month can be as loud as jet engines. (Associated Press — April 23, 2024)
The number of U.S. adults, age 50 and older who are not yet retired, who say they...
The court is considering whether criminal penalties for sleeping in public places amount to cruel and unusual punishment. But no ruling on the issues before the high court will change the nature or scope of the problem.
Permitting obstacles too often slow deployment of federal infrastructure dollars.
As several states propose child marriage bans, Missouri state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder hopes that she can use her experiences to encourage a shift in her state’s legislation.
Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt suggested constructing toll booths at state borders to help address the state’s tight budget. But on Monday Gov. Maura Healey said she is not proposing border tolls.
The state is home to roughly 111,000 subsidized units with affordability requirements and many will soon expire if the legislature is not able to grant municipalities a right of first refusal to buy subsidized-housing properties.
The funds will be used to support the state’s comprehensive Everglades restoration plan, and measures to support agriculture and the water needs of Palm Beach and Broward counties.
American University’s Brian Hughes, regarding a Maryland State Police report last month that alleges that three 12-year-olds were repeatedly targeting another middle school student with antisemitic harassment. FBI records show that last year there were roughly 900 reported hate crime offenses at K-12 schools, most of which targeted Black people with anti-Jewish offenses coming in second. (NPR — April 23, 2024)
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides comprehensive support for Americans who face acute mental health challenges. Congress is considering ways to tailor services more strategically.
A lot of communities are experimenting with this costly, ineffective approach to fighting poverty that disincentivizes work. Iowa lawmakers are right to ban localities from creating guaranteed income programs.
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