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The state’s Labor and Employment Department moved its fraud detection tools to the “highest possible level” in the spring to prevent further fraud. However, the effort has caused significant slowdowns for legitimate claims.
A $25 million loan program was established in 2006 as a way to pay for maintenance and repairs of aging school buildings. But lawmakers made the program “difficult to use” and only two districts have been able to access the aid.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, regarding the fact that last month was the hottest August ever recorded by far with modern equipment and it was the second hottest month ever measured, behind only July 2023. The world’s oceans were nearly 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit and have set high temperature marks for three consecutive months. So far, this year is the second hottest year on record, behind 2016. (NPR — Sept. 6, 2023)
They are a key source of funding for transportation infrastructure, but have been shrinking for years. Two new reports explore possible alternatives.
Weakening licensing requirements for high-impact technical professions doesn’t help businesses. They value it in their hiring to maintain service quality and avoid liability and reputational damage.
City officials will disclose more information regarding the April data breach in which hackers accessed personal information of at least 30,000 people. Officials have waited until the report was finalized to share details of the cyber attack.
Second Judicial Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh rebuffed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ claim that mandatory protections for Black voters violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which could pave the way for Democrats.
Labor organizer Jane McAlevey has advice for how workers can continue to demand more of employers and union leaders, but there are still obstacles to overcome before gains can be made.
In 1984, about 19,000 volunteer firefighters staffed stations across the state; today, the numbers have decreased to just around 10,000. For many parts of the state, the loss of volunteer teams could have devastating impacts.
Richard Howell, the executive director at Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, Pa., regarding the fact that American, Delta and United Airlines have collectively dropped 74 regional airports from their service since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cessation of airline service is not only a problem for the airports where businesses rely on travelers, but it’s a big issue for site consultants looking to potentially bring their businesses to small towns, like Williamsport. (NPR — Sept. 4, 2023)
Demand for nonprofit services is on the rise, and legislators are paying more attention to ways they can support the sector.
Many Americans are at risk of outliving their retirement savings. State pension plans could have a new role: selling longevity insurance. It could even save states money in the long run.
Governments need to balance expected returns on their invested cash with the costs of their bonds and other obligations. Shifting a portion of their long-term debt from fixed to floating rate is a way to hedge interest rate risk.
There’s no reason to think the consequences of dumping water contaminated by a nuclear accident into the ocean would be only local or only short-term. No one's drinking that ocean water, but the sea does feed billions of people.
The account run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency covering emergency aid for disasters is projected to have a $4.8 billion shortfall by the end of the month. But replenishing the fund is proving to be politically challenging.
In 2021, roughly half of all Latino, Black and Native American workers earned $10,000 or more below the state’s median per capita income, and 54 percent of workers in the state earning $32,239 or less were female.
The Livingston Parish School Board has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and Instagram, claiming the platforms are so addictive they have created a mental health crisis among the district’s students.
The state’s Division of Motor Vehicles will now take online payments of cryptocurrency through PayPal for drivers’ licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations or other online services.
Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, regarding the New York City Police Department’s plans to use drones to monitor private parties in response to complaints over the Labor Day weekend. (Associated Press — Aug. 31, 2023)
All 22,000 city workers in Philadelphia are now eligible for a free transit pass under SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. More than 10,000 have already signed up.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the formation of a safety task force that will be charged with finding ways to improve safety on school buses, including possibly requiring seat belts. Last week an Ohio school bus crashed, killing one student and injuring 23.
The tree canopy coverage in the Florida city is at its lowest in 26 years, which, when coupled with increasingly warm summers, can make for deadly heat conditions, especially in lower-income neighborhoods.
Though not retroactive, the rebates of $2,000 to $4,000 will be allotted for individual households and multifamily buildings with energy efficient retrofits and will be available regardless of income.
Six people died on Feb. 11, 2021, in one of the most destructive crashes in state history when a winter storm caused cars to skid along a two-lane tollway. On Sept. 1, two bills that aim to prevent similar crashes in the future will go into effect.
Lawyer Collyn Peddie, regarding the “nebulous” Texas law that would have limited cities’ abilities to write laws that don’t conform with state laws that regulate a variety of areas including transportation, agriculture, labor and property codes. The law, known as the “Death Star” bill, was ruled unconstitutional by a Travis County state judge on Wednesday, Aug. 30, just days ahead of Sept. 1, when it was scheduled to take effect. (KUT — Aug. 30, 2023)
Why has the state's Republican Legislature descended into chaos and hostility? Plus, it's probably too late to beat Trump and Richard Russo and the humor of mergers.
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