The country is long on problems but short on levers that might help lift it out of a quagmire of its own making.
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Insults, rejections and other lived experiences can fuel a desire for social change. So can meeting and befriending committed individuals. -
John Lipscomb is a fierce environmental advocate for one of America’s historic rivers. He and his dog Batu continuously patrol the Hudson and its tributaries, supporting scientific studies in their 36-foot wooden boat.
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A century-old system of reservoirs, aqueducts and tunnels in the Catskills provides clean water to millions in New York City, some say at the expense of local communities.
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The Green Mountain State, with its natural beauty, small towns and traditional lifestyle, sometimes seems too good to be true. In some ways, it is.
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Mandating vaccines for children attending California public schools is not new but COVID-19 puts state health officials in a uniquely challenging situation that could require them to override more than 100 years of history.
Leaders of several state agencies are seeing large pay increases compared to their predecessors, some getting boosts in the tens of thousands. Officials say they’re trying to achieve parity as compared to other states.
The statewide power outages last February were caused by a lack of weatherization of electrical equipment and issues with natural gas supplies at power plants, according to a new report.
The city has proposed bills that would require landlords to notify tenants of rent increases 180 days in advance and provide relocation assistance for low-income renters. Some worry this could devastate small landlords.
Medi-Cal covers more than one-third of the state’s population, but many say it has failed to hold managed care plans accountable. The state now hopes to provide better health care thanks to updated and better-enforced contracts.
Thousands of Connecticut residents were overpaid in unemployment insurance, meaning they now owe millions. But some lawmakers want the state to waive repayment and reimburse the unemployment fund.
The city will visit 20,000 households that experienced backups and flooding in June to provide temporary fixes while the water department develops a plan to rebuild aged infrastructure.
The City Council has passed a law that requires a 300-foot buffer around private residences during protests and bans mace, knives and similar items from city facilities. But some worry the new law is overreaching.
The state will build a one-mile stretch of road that will recharge electric vehicles as they drive but details of how, when and where are still unclear. Indiana is working on similar tech, also vying to be the first in the country.
Election officials used to be able to sink into the background but as disinformation spreads officials now must become proactive and transparent about election security and processes, despite zero evidence of fraud.
More than 20,000 custodians statewide could receive a minimum wage increase, employer contribution to union pension plans and bereavement leave, which would generate thousands of dollars in additional wages and benefits.
The Biden administration’s mandate will require state workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. Some may decide to leave their job and state to avoid the vaccine.
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Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, regarding states’ disbursement of $46.5 billion allotted for federal rental assistance. Distribution in August increased to 16.5 percent of the available funds, or $2.3 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent from July. (Associated Press — September 24, 2021)
Despite the hundreds of attempts to break up the state since its founding, none have been successful. The best attempt gained real traction before it got obscured by the Civil War; the most recent was over three years ago.
Mayor Libby Schaaf promised to house 1,500 homeless residents and build permanent affordable housing as well. The city will receive $11.3 million in federal funds for the development.
A new report found four tolling sites had problems correctly counting vehicle axles, billing customers twice and overbilling others with commuter payment plans. The problems could be larger than MDTA wants to admit.
In 2020, 86 percent of the nation’s police departments reported staffing shortages, including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. But the lack of officers isn’t due to the pandemic; numbers have been down since 2013.
For many parishes in the Acadiana region, getting adequate Internet speeds is a challenge that has impacted business and residential growth. In some parishes, 1 in 3 homes do not have any broadband access.
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The amount of Pennsylvania turnpike fees that went unpaid in 2020. A report found that as the turnpike transitioned into a “toll-by-plate” license plate camera system, some 11 million rides, approximately 7 percent of the total, generated no revenue for the agency.
The estimated amount two Tampa, Fla., men stole from the state in fraudulent unemployment claims in 2020. They could each receive up to seven years in federal prison for conspiracy and identity theft.
The number of years that former Fall River, Ma., Mayor Jasiel Correia will have to serve in prison on extortion charges. Correia, now 29, was elected when he was just 23 years old.
The number of Indigenous people, mostly girls, who have gone missing in Wyoming from 2011 to 2020. A recent report found 21 percent of Indigenous people are missing for 30 days or longer whereas only 11 percent of white people remain missing for that same duration. Additionally, only 30 percent of Indigenous homicide victims are covered by the media, while 51 percent of white victims receive coverage.
The amount of money allocated within the infrastructure bill for cleanup of defunct coal mines over the next 15 years. Some of these abandoned mines have been polluting rivers and streams for decades, causing harm to local ecosystems and contaminating drinking water.
The proportion of Americans who do believe that their social media activity is not very or not at all secure, according to a recent survey. Fifty-six percent of respondents had more faith in the private sector than the federal government when it came to handling security and privacy improvements.
The proportion of hospital ICUs across the nation that are now more than 95 percent full, an increase of 5 percent from July and 15 percent from June.
The cost so far of California’s recall election, with the Secretary of State’s Office predicting the final amount will likely increase to $300 million or more.
The date by which federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly testing, according to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate.
The inches of rain that some places across the Texas Gulf Coast and southwestern Louisiana could experience as Tropical Storm Nicholas makes landfall.
The estimated cost to fund Amazon’s recently announced college tuition program by 2025. Hourly employees who have worked at the company for at least 90 days will be eligible to have their college tuition and fees paid for, upfront, by the e-commerce giant in an effort by the company to retain workers. Employees will not have to reimburse Amazon for any college payments if the worker decides to leave the company.
The age group at which Black boys and girls are injured by law enforcement 5.3 and 6.7 times more than white boys and girls, respectively, according to a new study by the University of California, Berkeley. Black boys between the ages of 15 and 19 had the highest rate of hospitalization due to police violence.
View demographic data showing representation of racial and ethnic minorities in each police department.
Newly released data shows an increasingly diverse American population. About 30 percent identify as racial or ethnic minorities, according to the latest Census Bureau estimates.
Governing is building a 50-state map to visualize the changes underway to declare states “Open for Business” even as the coronavirus remains at large across the country.
Recent data shows that while overall spending has increased, there is great variation among states on public education expenditures per student. The average is $12,612, but New York spends nearly double that amount.
A comprehensive view of the states’ marijuana laws regarding medical use, workplace accommodations and driving under the influence. Today, 36 states and the District of Columbia allow medical use of marijuana.
View population density and land area data for U.S. cities.
State totals on active duty, reserve forces and civilian employees for each branch of the military.
Connecticut tops the list of states whose taxpayers receive the least bang for their buck from the feds.
Voters made Texas the 19th state to add legal protections for hunting and fishing, which are now also the preferred methods for controlling wildlife.
In hopes of reducing the city's high crime rate, Camden, N.J., made a controversial and unprecedented move a year ago to replace its police force.
Data shows total law enforcement staff and per capita rates.
Thirty-seven states had legalized same-sex marriage prior to the Supreme Court ruling.
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