News
Dr. Rachel Bronson, president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, commenting on why the Doomsday Clock on Tuesday was set at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight it has ever reached. Since 1947, the Bulletin has been estimating how close the world is to ending by stating how many “minutes to midnight” remain on its signature clock. (The New York Times – Jan. 24, 2023)
Transportation projects often get delayed because of unclear structures and procedures within city agencies. A new report examines how the right mix of structure, people and processes can achieve success.
The idea that the Justice Department and FBI are “deep state” forces aiming to undermine the MAGA movement conflicts with history. Too many state and local officials were complicit in the feds’ efforts to fight the civil rights movement.
With a tight housing market, expired eviction moratoriums and depleted federal funds, states must figure out new plans to prevent homelessness from skyrocketing as public and private agencies struggle to help those at risk.
The state’s layoffs decreased from 12,000 in 2020 to just 1,750 in 2022. But officials and economists are reluctant to hail the drop, saying the data needs to be contextualized to better understand Connecticut’s economic health.
Larry Householder and former Ohio GOP chairman and lobbyist Matthew Borges are standing trial this week on charges that they participated in a “criminal enterprise” that took nearly $61 million in bribes.
New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, one of several Democratic lawmakers in a handful of states who are trying to pass legislation that would prohibit anyone convicted of participating in an insurrection from holding public office or a position of public trust. Some Republicans argue the bills are unnecessary. (Associated Press — Jan. 22, 2023)
Over the past couple of decades, coffeehouses became centers of sociability and community life. In the wake of the virus, many of them are switching to a grab-and-go model. Can anything replace these vital “third places”?
America’s incoherent immigration policy is caught between the competing instincts of “give me … your huddled masses” and “build that wall.”
Car-share operations are turning to electric vehicles as they reimagine the service as an affordable, nonprofit transportation business model. The shift is helping to serve low-income communities where mobility options are limited.
These are the issues competing for priority this year as $60 billion earmarked in the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice efforts begins to flow into U.S. communities.
The bill would impose a new tax on the state’s “extremely wealthy” at rates of 1.5 percent and 1 percent for those worth more than $1 billion and $50 million, respectively. If passed, it could generate $21.6 billion for the state.
Democratic state lawmakers have asked Gov. Hochul to allot $10 billion for climate projects and proposed legislation that would require fossil fuel companies to pay for major storm-related issues and climate resiliency projects.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials released 3,000 immigrants after accidentally posting personal data of more than 6,000 immigrants onto the agency’s website last November. Those still in custody will have their cases reviewed.
Roe v. Wade, which will have its 50th anniversary on Sunday, is no longer the law of the land. So now, more than six months after the ruling was overturned, what is the status of abortion in the U.S.?
The grant funding will be available through two programs that will support the state’s Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership, which aims to educate and train a skilled workforce for Ohio’s telecommunications industry.
Kyle Starks, a California resident who had to be rescued from his home in Acampo by boat, regarding the flooding that occurred after a string of heavy storms hit the state. Only about 230,000 homes and other buildings have flood insurance policies in California, which amounts to only about 2 percent of properties. Since Christmas, 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow have fallen across the state. (Associated Press — Jan. 20, 2023)
It’s hailed as the next wave of transformative technology, but artificial intelligence’s market growth and rapid deployment raise a host of issues, from safety to privacy to equity.
Sworn into office on Jan. 18, Moore is now the nation’s only current Black chief executive. The Democrat beat challenger Dan Cox in November with a 32-point victory, the largest winning margin in nearly four decades.
G. Richard Bevan asked state lawmakers to give pay raises to judges, which were the only class of state employees that did not receive increases this year, and to protect their security amid a perilous political climate.
Recent data reveals that four counties across North Texas have increased their numbers of workers with college degrees over the last five years and drawn more companies and workers from out of state.
In a 14-5 vote the Wisconsin capital’s City Council approved the creation of a “Transit-Oriented Development Overlay District” and includes some areas that have had, historically, predominantly single-family housing.
The Inflation Reduction Act allots more than $360 billion for business incentives to promote low-emission technology and manufacturing, which is also creating a competitive drive from businesses in Europe.
South Carolina state Sen. Sean Bennett, who has an approximately 95-mile commute to the Statehouse, said jokingly regarding a bill that would increase the fine that police can issue to people driving slowly in the left lane of interstates and other multilane highways. The so-called “slowpoke” bill was passed in 2021. Senators on a subcommittee said they noticed compliance when the law was first passed but that slower drivers have started to creep back toward the left lane. The fine will increase from $25 to up to $100 but is not a criminal penalty and does not get reported to a driving record. (Associated Press — Jan. 18, 2023)
Two deadly mass shootings in California have renewed calls for laws that can prevent such tragedies. A new report from RAND’s Gun Policy in America initiative looks at the measures best supported by research findings.
The Florida governor announced legislation that would penalize companies that require employees to wear a mask or be vaccinated against COVID-19 and would ban medical boards from reprimanding doctors for spreading misinformation.
