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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.
Citizens in half the states have the power to place initiatives or referendums on the ballot. That process is under threat, but in an era of partisan gerrymandering and unresponsive legislatures we must keep it viable.
Number of historic photos and online posts marked for purging from the Department of Defense as part of its effort to remove materials related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Many of the images feature women and minorities. “In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ‘gay,’” according to the Associated Press, “including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.”
Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown, referring to a program for libraries to distribute Narcan to combat opioid overdoses. Brown said Chicago libraries distributed more than 10,000 Narcan kits in the first 20 months of the program. Illinois legislators are considering a bill to take the approach statewide. (Illinois News Bureau)
Local governments and school districts are now forbidden from requiring masks to prevent the spread of disease. Masks can still be required for certain types of jobs such as health care and working with hazardous materials.
Missouri brings more children into foster care than the national average but places some in inappropriate settings. The bill would require more residential care centers along with a set of other protections and tax credits for youth programs.
The 30-year-old airport will be under renovation for years as officials plan continuous upgrades to handle increased traffic, including construction of a seventh runway by 2035.
Police have increasingly adopted drones and ground robots to supplement their work. But departments often lack clear policies on the tools’ uses.
They can call attention to important social causes, and they can invest in their communities. They might even hold public office themselves.
The share of electricity used by data centers is projected to triple by 2028. A Harvard study warns that consumers could end up subsidizing their utility bills.
International migration drove growth in many states, notably in the Northeast. Florida grew the most, gaining just over 2 percent in overall population.
The salary and bonuses earned by Salvador Cavazos, superintendent of Valere Public Schools, a small network of charter campuses in Texas. The network serves fewer than 1,000 students. That’s more than double the compensation for Melissa Aviles-Ramos, chancellor of New York City schools, which serve nearly 1 million students.
“I just cannot believe that we would pass a bill that would lead to more children dying of measles.”
Iowa state Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat. She was speaking in response to a bill that would require vaccine manufacturers to waive immunity on their products. Vaccine makers are currently granted legal immunity under a federal law that has created a system to compensate individuals injured by childhood vaccines. Wessel-Kroeschell and other critics warn the bill would prevent distribution and administration of many lifesaving drugs in Iowa. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Currently, the “advanced computing surcharge” on companies such as Amazon and Microsoft is capped at $9 million apiece. Eliminating the cap could triple such revenues to $200 million.
Democrat Josh Shapiro has ordered state agencies to give fired federal workers hiring preference, akin to that given to state employees. He said Pennsylvania will benefit from their skills and experience.
An upsurge of corporate purchases of single-family homes has sparked legislation in at least half a dozen states this year. Legislators hope to preserve homeownership as a path to building wealth for middle-class families and limit the number of properties owned by large corporations.
Former federal workers offer a range of skills and experience that we need among elected officials at every level of government.
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