News
Lincoln County, W.Va., school district, on its Facebook page and website shortly before midnight on Thursday, Feb. 16, as floodwaters in the area forced some students to sleep at the school overnight. Community members, stores and churches donated cots, blankets, pillows and other supplies to Lincoln County High School for the students to use for the night. (Associated Press — Feb. 16, 2023)
For hard-liners in both parties, aggressive action from Washington at the expense of state and local autonomy is more popular than ever. With both parties’ centrists also in the mix, the presidential election looks to be a four-way battle.
Urban leaders like to complain that suburbs are a drain on their prosperity. The facts are otherwise.
Toxic chemicals, such as PFAS, are found in an increasing number of water sources and can be found in nearly every American’s bloodstream. States across the nation want to limit the use of these compounds to reduce health risks.
Proposed legislation would remove protections surrounding school librarians who allow students to check out books found to be obscene and would, instead, expose them to a misdemeanor of a “high and aggravated nature.”
The Alaska budget attempts to address some of the state’s crises, such as the public defender shortage and a backlog of Medicaid and SNAP benefits applications, but the $400 million deficit is millions more than estimated.
The nation’s average productivity decreased 1.3 percent between 2021 and 2022, the largest decrease since 1974. The six most productive states also supply one-third of the country’s jobs and 40 percent of the U.S. GDP.
Eric Mitchell, executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger, regarding the end of federal government policies that were adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by about $82 a month. (Reuters — Feb. 16, 2023)
In bringing its technology functions together, the city is trying to deal with goals often at tension with each other, while finding better ways to serve its residents at an enterprise level. There will be much to learn from this effort.
Even in red states, strong majorities of voters keep passing progressive ballot measures. Republican threats to direct democracy should be resisted to give voters with different party loyalties a way to advance common interests.
The newly established election crimes office doesn’t have the authority to charge the defendant, according to an Orange County judge, who dismissed the case. But a passed bill may change that legal precedent.
Four of the 10 candidates running for the position are women and have viable paths to victory with a city government background. Here’s what the candidates said about their potential to make city history.
The Pennsylvania county has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels for job availability despite the unemployment rate hitting record lows. Nationally there are 11 million open jobs but only 5.7 million unemployed workers.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in her announcement on Tuesday, Feb. 14, that she will not seek re-election in 2024. Feinstein was the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the first woman to serve as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman mayor of San Francisco and the first woman elected senator of California. (NPR — Feb. 14, 2023)
State and local governments are short over 500,000 jobs, bringing crisis conditions to agencies that operate around the clock. New strategies are needed to fill these gaps, say union experts.
As adult-learner programs proliferate, there’s a lack of consistent, reliable quality standards to inform job seekers and employers. States should move to organize and oversee this complex marketplace.
The state Senate passed two bills that would increase reporting requirements for state elections. Only one Republican voted in opposition. The bills will now be considered by the House of Delegates.
Last week, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine banned minors from utilizing puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirming treatments, even in clinical trials. The rule must be filed to take effect.
The plan would require building upgrades and renovations in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on buildings with over 50,000 square feet of space. The cost to owners and tenants is an estimated $3.1 billion.
Lauren van Schilfgaarde, a member of Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico and director of the tribal legal development clinic at UCLA, regarding the challenges that Native Americans face to access abortion services. Four of the seven states that have the highest proportion of Native American and Alaska Native residents have moved or are poised to further restrict abortion. (Associated Press — Feb. 14, 2023)
Due to racial bias and other disparities, too often they aren’t “bankable” and struggle to obtain loans essential for their success. Some programs are leading the way in achieving more-equitable outcomes.
As polluters pay up for absolution, state treasuries and public pension funds might be able to capitalize on carbon offset credits. Public forests and timberland investments could yield untapped value.
The legislation clarifies that statewide prosecutors have the authority to bring voting and voter registration-related charges. Twenty people have been arrested for casting an ineligible vote.
Oklahoma's state Senate has introduced legislation to reduce the red tape for experienced educators to move to Oklahoma and teach. But critics worry the law could work in reverse, sending teachers out of state.
Problem-gambling therapists, researchers and long-term Gamblers Anonymous members are seeing a jump in the number of people, especially young men, seeking treatment for sports gambling problems.
All over the country, state agencies and people who receive aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, are reporting the theft of millions of dollars in benefits.
Most Read
