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Even as public employee unions fight the Trump administration’s personnel cuts, a pair of GOP senators want to ban federal employees from belonging to unions.
Health departments across the country rely on manual processes, like phone calls and fax machines, to get access to crucial data, a new study finds.
A report tallies 400 allegations of harassment against 145 lawmakers over the past decade, including 11 new allegations last year. Due to underreporting, the actual figure is probably three times as high.
Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Arizona are pursuing statewide plans to help find immigrants for possible deportation.
The amount of growth in Dawson County, Ga., between July 2023 and July 2024, making it the nation’s fastest growing county. The 10 fastest-growing counties were all in the Sunbelt, including four in Texas. Metropolitan counties are growing faster than the nation as a whole, driven by international migration.
An anonymous source regarding the nomination of former Rep. Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Thursday, the White House withdrew Weldon’s nomination after he faced pushback due to expressions of doubt about vaccine safety. In a statement, Weldon blamed lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry for his downfall. (Washington Post)
The city had to reshuffle more than $50 million to address the unexpected shortfall, driven by overtime costs due to staffing shortages. The Fire Department alone needed an injection of $33 million to pay for unexpected overtime.
The impending defeats of three big-city mayors tell us a lot about how politics have changed over the past four years. Also, Utah is giving up on universal mail voting.
The public-sector workforce is plagued with vacancies. Some states are looking to recruit former federal workers who’ve recently lost their jobs.
Forests and other natural and working lands are climate-resilience allies. Managing them better offers common ground where economic growth, public safety and environmental progress align.
Republican presidents used to talk enthusiastically about empowering states and localities. That isn’t happening now.
A state-run insurance program is running out of money following the L.A. wildfires. Lawmakers are looking for ways to shore it up as private insurers leave the state.
The increase in energy prices in February. Gasoline prices were down but electricity and natural gas both increased. Inflation, which ticked down to 2.8 percent last month, was driven largely by higher prices for shelter, which accounted for half the overall increase.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon. On Tuesday, the department announced it was firing 1,315 workers. Following earlier personnel reductions, this will bring the Education Department’s total workforce down to 2,183 — a drop of nearly half from 4,183 when President Donald Trump returned to office in January. (Fox News)
Republicans are promoting private school choice, while Democrats are discussing K-12 funding increases. Most governors, however, are dodging the question of how to boost student achievement through curriculum changes.
Legislators have gone so far as to claim it’s “a myth” that courts have the power to strike down laws. So far, however, the most aggressive proposals to strip power from judges have been defeated.
Rapid wage growth has helped drive a record number of people working in government.
Mayor Matt Mahan said too many people are dying on the streets. His proposal would push people into services after they refuse shelter three times in 18 months.
The risk of a recession in the coming year, according to Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. Zandi is a prominent forecaster who has consulted with politicians from both parties. “The economy will likely suffer a downturn if the Trump administration follows through on the tariff increases it has announced and maintains those tariffs for more than a few months,” Zandi says.
North Dakota state Rep. Daniel Johnston. The Republican was testifying in favor of his own bill that would require the treasurer to invest 1 percent of the state’s funds in gold and silver. Johnston said holding investments not pegged to dollars would be a good hedge against inflation. (North Dakota Monitor)
Democrat Tina Kotek is backing legislation that would allow the state to take control of a quarter of underperforming schools’ budgets, as well as require those schools to hire tutors.
The Fortify Homes Program gives $10,000 grants for installing hurricane-resistant roofs. According to the legislative auditor, participants have lowered insurance rates by 22 percent.
Pedestrian deaths dipped slightly in the first half of 2024. California’s 13 percent reduction in deaths accounted for most of the net decline around the country.
Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the U.S. and 80 million children. But the age and working status of recipients varies widely across the country.
Austin, Dallas, Houston and others face shortfalls. An analysis of the nation’s 75 biggest cities found that 54 are short of funds with a collective $300 billion in debt.
Legislators are expected to pass a bill this week that would take oversight of the police away from the city. That Civil War-era approach had been ended by state voters in 2012.
The share of Indiana counties that are expected to lose population over the next 30 years. Many smaller counties in the state are actively seeking grants for programs to reverse this trend, largely by improving local quality of life.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond. He was referring to the large number of fires set by homeless individuals. Last year, more than 1,100 fires may have begun in homeless encampments, nearly a fifth of all fires recorded in the city of San Diego. The county Board of Supervisors voted last month to explore the idea of immediately clearing encampments on days when the threat of wildfires is especially high. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Republican has made addressing law enforcement response to mass shootings a top priority, but he does not favor stricter gun control measures.
There's bipartisan agreement that immigration reform is essential. But mass deportation brings its own risks to communities.
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