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The gap between wage growth and inflation was at its widest in the third quarter of 2022, but, since May, pay has been rising faster than inflation. However, workers’ wages aren’t set to recover their loss of purchasing power until the end of next year.
Kentucky Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter, regarding his decision to not seek re-election for another term of the state Supreme Court in 2024. VanMeter won election to the state’s highest court in 2016. (Associated Press — Sept. 12, 2023)
A first-of-its-kind school construction project will save a Maryland school district hundreds of millions of dollars — and create exceptional learning environments.
An issue that seemed settled has returned, with states considering whether to loosen child labor laws. There might be some argument for revisiting them, but there’s evidence of growing abuse of existing laws.
A task force has recommended making cash payments to the descendants of American slaves to address over-policing, mass incarceration, housing discrimination and health disparities. But a majority of voters oppose the idea.
The state law that went into effect on July 1 enacts a series of immigration-related restrictions, which has deterred many undocumented workers from assisting in the debris clearing and rebuilding after a storm.
School officials are implementing new rules to prevent bullying and improve the mental health of teens. But some of the new policies, like a cellphone ban, are controversial. In 2021, 16 percent of high schoolers said they had been cyber bullied.
Nationally, heat was the underlying or contributing cause of about 1,670 deaths last year, making it the highest heat-related death rate in at least two decades. Substance use, the housing crisis and an aging population contribute to the problem.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, regarding his avowal to not enforce an emergency order from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to temporarily suspend the right to carry firearms in public in and around the city of Albuquerque. The firearms suspension was issued as an emergency public health order and Lujan Grisham told reporters that she expected legal challenges and that the state police would handle enforcement. (Associated Press — Sept. 11, 2023)
Randy Clarke, the general manager of the Washington Metro, is a public-transit superfan with lots of support in D.C. How long will it last?
Whatever communities can do to nurture “social infrastructure” — places like movie theaters, libraries and swimming pools where people gather to form social bonds — can have a profound impact on addiction and overdose death rates.
There’s much that state lawmakers can do to prevent it from undermining democracy. Some states are already putting stronger safeguards in place, and more should do the same.
State Sen. Lena Gonzalez has introduced legislation that would give workers at least five days of mandated sick pay every year. It is estimated that unscheduled absenteeism costs employers about $3,600 annually for each hourly employee.
Since April 2022, nearly 110,000 migrants have made their way into the city, with about 60,000 still in the city’s care. Without more support from the federal government, Mayor Eric Adams does not see a solution to the issue.
Superior Court Judge Rupal Shah dismissed a lawsuit against the state Police Union that attempted to stop the release of names of at least 130 troopers who potentially wrote more than 25,000 false or inaccurate traffic tickets.
Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, the group which spearheaded the effort to make Lake Worth Beach, Fla., the state’s first safe haven city for LGBTQ people and their families. The city commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a resolution that reiterates the city’s commitment to “protecting human rights for all individuals.” (The Hill — Sept. 7, 2023)
Forces around the country are employing civilian investigators and online reporting to address workforce shortages among armed personnel.
Greater investment is key, enabling smaller classes with better-paid teachers, and most state and local governments have the money. But our public schools also need leadership stability and more parental involvement.
A survey of more than 4,250 faculty across four states, including Florida, found that faculty are becoming increasingly discouraged by recent legislation impacting higher education and many are considering leaving.
At the end of the month, some $24 billion in government aid for child-care providers will run out, threatening the spots for 3.2 million children. The upheaval may force parents, especially women, to reduce work hours.
The state’s fourth carbon emissions allowances auction brought the program’s revenue to an all-time high in the first year, far outpacing early estimates. The state is still deciding how the money will be spent.
A review by the state attorney general found that safeguards to prevent double counting of votes were not in place, resulting in a miscount of Monmouth County’s ballots that declared the wrong winner for an Ocean Township school board seat.
Sheila Dixon, a former Baltimore mayor who resigned from the role as part of a 2010 plea agreement in a corruption case, regarding her announcement that she will be running, again, for the city’s 2024 mayoral race. In December 2009, Dixon was found guilty of embezzlement for misusing gift cards that had been donated to City Hall for charity, spending them at Target and Best Buy to purchase things for her family and staff instead of using them to serve the poor. (Associated Press — Sept. 7, 2023)
D.C.’s program illustrates the growing promise of "stat" programs, with data and analytics enabling a new era of processes and insights.
A new report identified thousands of properties nationwide as physically suitable buildings to be converted into apartments, including more than 50 in Dallas-Fort Worth. But the typical conversion is only financially feasible in six cities.
The department’s database violates the civil rights of Black and Hispanic young people by being too quick to add names and too slow to remove them, putting youth at risk of false arrest and wrongful deportation.
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