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It’s been a topic for decades. Some blame cars. Some blame uninviting public spaces. Maybe there are some small things communities could do that would help.
More and more, policymakers are recognizing the need to help students learn to navigate a chaotic media environment. There are three main elements to effectively implementing these mandates in classrooms.
More than 20 percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. rely on social media for news consumption, where discerning between fact and fiction, especially in Spanish, will be crucial ahead of this year’s elections.
In 2022, the state raised the income eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from 165 percent of the federal poverty income to 200 percent, expanding the eligible population by 420,000 residents.
California state Sen. Aisha Wahab has proposed legislation that would combine all of the transit agencies that oversee public transit in the nine-county Bay Area into one in hopes of more seamless service. Would it work?
The state ranked first nationally in 2022 with 458 hailstorms. Losses are most severe in Dallas County, which has $102 million in expected losses every year due to storm damage.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, in the opening of his annual State of the State address. (KSL — Jan. 18, 2024)
Nearly four years after the start of the pandemic, downtowns are still short of office workers and foot traffic. That's contributing to significant budget problems in some cities.
The state’s first-in-the-nation approach to decriminalization has left deaths and overdoses surging. Criminalization needn’t be equated with incarceration. The spectrum of penalties can include fines, community service and treatment.
Future in Context
A discussion about the near future and the legislative issues to keep an eye on this year. Technology, budget and transportation top the list.
Gov. Laura Kelly has proposed a new minimum wage, bringing 969 employees in the executive branch up to $15 hourly pay and giving all state workers an additional 5 percent raise. The minimum for non-state workers’ pay would remain at $7.25 an hour.
In 2020, more than 18 percent of people living on tribal lands didn’t have access to broadband, compared to just 4 percent of people living in non-tribal areas. Tribes across the country are now taking matters into their own hands.
A report found that one-third of parents are concerned about the COVID-19 shutdown’s long-term impact on their child’s education, both academically and socially.
Indiana Cast Metals Association lobbyist Patrick Bennett, responding to how he might address the financial impact of eliminating the state’s income tax. In public testimony earlier this month, many experts and residents asked lawmakers to adjust the state’s tax inequity in a variety of ways. Bennett argued the tax’s 30 percent floor was costing local foundries significantly. (News from the States — Jan. 11, 2024)
The approximate number of spills and other gas or oil environmental problems that have been reported in...
Merging cities with their suburbs is sometimes seen as inspired urbanism. But it doesn’t always benefit everyone.
The scare headlines about maternal mortality going up and being especially deadly for Black women are based on changes in data collection, not deaths. The real numbers show that the U.S. is not an outlier.
Inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith has appealed a ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that would allow his execution through the use of nitrogen gas, a method which has never been used on a human before.
The governor wants to cut more than $1 billion from health-care services and eliminate 1,000 jobs, many of which are currently unfilled. DeSantis’ proposed budget falls $4.4 billion short of what state agencies and the Legislature have requested.
When the power went out on Saturday, Portland General Electric said the outages would be fixed within 24 to 48 hours. But as of Tuesday afternoon, 31,052 customers were still without power, forcing many to find warm shelter elsewhere.
Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation near Fort Thompson, S.D. The tribe is paying for about 40 families to stay in a motel and will provide propane and wood for home heating and plastic to cover drafty windows amid a strong winter storm. (Associated Press — Jan. 17, 2024)
The nation is undergoing a massive shift in terms of building its advanced manufacturing capacity. Here's how metros need to position themselves to take advantage.
Most states set repayment periods for criminal fines, fees and restitution far longer than they do for consumer and civil debt — in some cases for decades. The consequences are severe.
Previous funding that had been slashed from police, fire, sanitation and schools has since been restored. Meanwhile, costs related to migrants have been cut by 20 percent.
The most expensive weather and climate disaster in 2023 was a drought and heat wave across the South and Midwest that cost $14.5 billion. But weather conditions that don’t cost billions, like extreme cold, still have major community impacts.
In a report released on Tuesday, Vermont state Auditor Douglas Hoffer concluded that the city continues to struggle to properly administer the infrastructure financing system. Burlington’s mayor contested one of the key findings.
From 2019 to 2022, the region added more than 20,000 housing units per year, including nearly 3,800 affordable units built in 2022. But high interest rates last year have stunted that growth.
Arizona state Rep. David Cook, regarding new rules from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration that will prohibit electronic signs with obscure meanings, including references to pop culture or those intended to be funny, such as "Use Yah Blinkah" in Massachusetts, "Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late" in Ohio and "Seatbelts always pass a vibe check" in Arizona. (Associated Press — Jan. 14, 2024)
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