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Deaths for the first six months of the year are about 7.7 percent higher than they were for the same period in 2019, about a percentage higher than anticipated. The count in six states was at least 15 percent higher than pre-pandemic.
Proterra Inc. was expected to provide the city with 20 electric buses by 2026, but the manufacturing company announced its bankruptcy earlier this month. Payment for the vehicles has not yet been submitted to the company.
Dylan Pyles, co-founder of Kansas City-based group Liberation Lit, regarding Missouri’s new rule that will prohibit people incarcerated in state prisons from receiving books and other publications from friends and family starting Sept. 25 in an attempt to reduce the influx of drugs and other contraband into the facilities. Incarcerated people will now be required to buy their own books, magazines, newspapers and correspondence courses. The base salary for incarcerated people working in a prison is $7.50 or $8.30 per month, but could be as high as $80 per month; people in work release programs outside of prison make closer to minimum wage and those in Missouri Vocational Enterprises job training programs make 81 cents per hour. (KCUR — Aug. 29, 2023)
With little in local tax revenue to help pay staff, rural Texas sheriffs are often forced to do more with less. Lawmakers hope a new grant program will help rebuild the ranks of rural law enforcement.
Experts worry that curfews disproportionately target young people of color.
Two years ago, state officials directed a total of $3.87B to close the digital divide and expand Internet access. But since then, the plans have been significantly reduced and lower-income neighborhoods have been left out.
Baltimore County assigned 133 students to its Virtual Learning Program as a means of punishment, which experts say is opposite of what students facing discipline need to keep them engaged and enrolled.
Though officials have pushed job training and career readiness programs, the lack of child care, affordable housing or mental health services prevents people from joining the workforce.
As Chicago residents have spent the last few months hounded by wildfire smoke, experts have a variety of recommendations on how to avoid the bad air quality, including recirculating indoor air, using HEPA filters and creating a clean room.
Eric Hitchner, an English high school teacher in Philadelphia, regarding the lack of air conditioning in his fourth-floor, 111-year-old classroom and how COVID-19 relief funds were spent on education tech, like smartboards, instead of cooling systems. Last September, when it was in the low 70s outside, Hitchner’s classroom was 86 degrees inside. Hitchner’s Philly school is one of the estimated 36,000 public schools nationwide that do not have adequate air conditioning. (NPR — Aug. 28, 2023)
They’re an important part of community social life, but too many cities and suburbs neglect them.
They approached the NBA basketball franchise, hoping to revive the city's sleepy downtown. But the city didn't inform Bexar County officials, even though the Spurs are the anchor tenant of the county's $175 million arena.
It saw the 10th highest rate of 911 calls for heat of any state in August. This summer has been particularly hot and temperatures are likely to continue to rise in coming years, according to the N.C. Climate Science Report.
Kia and Hyundai auto thefts “exploded” last summer when social media users began posting how-to videos aimed at exploiting the security defect in the vehicles, according to the lawsuit.
The new state’s Attorney Ivan Bates had announced June 1 that he would resume prosecuting petty crimes, like drinking in public. His goal is to hold people accountable for quality-of-life crimes.
Chelsea Andrews, executive director of Montgomery County’s Housing Opportunity Commission, commenting on the Maryland county’s unique law that allows it to invest in property development to ensure a steady supply of housing for low-income residents. The law requires developers to set aside about 15 percent of the units in new projects for households making less than two-thirds of the area’s median income. (New York Times – Aug. 25, 2023)
They are intended to stop victims from paying cyber criminals and cut off lucrative profit streams bring plenty of practical difficulties and risks that attackers will redouble focus on the most vulnerable entities.
Billions of federal dollars are coming to states to make broadband for all a reality, but funding alone doesn’t ensure results. Powerful resources are available to help state and local governments succeed.
They say the Department of Social and Health Services is failing people in the criminal legal system who also have mental health issues.
The island, one of the eight Channel Islands off of California, was ready to evacuate its 3,500 permanent residents if Tropical Storm Hilary became too unruly. But their comprehensive emergency plan was not needed in the end.
The U.S. Forest Service is distributing $1 billion to help communities protect themselves from wildfires, but congressional deadlines forced the first round of funding out in a hurry. For the next round, officials want to be more proactive.
Massachusetts became the latest state to grant immigrants without legal status access to in-state tuition. However, nine states block access to tuition or financial aid for residents lacking permanent status.
Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects for the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy group, regarding a proposed California bill that would give unemployment checks to striking workers while they picket for better pay and working conditions. The state’s unemployment benefits fund is filled by a tax that businesses must pay for each worker, but the tax only applies to the first $7,000 of employee wages and has not been changed since 1984. The state has only increased unemployment benefits twice since then, once in 1989 and once in 2001. Despite three years of record job growth, the state estimates that benefit payments will exceed tax collections by $1.1 billion. (Associated Press — Aug. 23, 2023)
It isn’t just about constitutional rights and fairness. Underfunded, undervalued public defense is also costly to taxpayers. A few states are showing the way toward meaningful reforms.
The San Juan County, Wash., Council voted unanimously to transition to a 32-hour work week for approximately 70 percent of the county’s workforce without decreasing the employees’ pay. The move raises wage rates while avoiding a possible tax increase.
Just a few months after the Starlink terminals began delivering connectivity, thousands of residents have signed up for the satellite-transferred service. While the connectivity isn’t perfect, the increased speed is life changing for many.
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