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Teresa Calderez, just one of the many Americans who have felt the negative effects of the end of pandemic assistance programs, like boosted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP benefits. The supplemented benefits ended this month, cutting payments by about $90 a month for individuals and $250 or more for some families. According to the Department of Agriculture, SNAP cost $119 billion last year with the additional pandemic-related payments, which equates to about 2 percent of the national budget for 2023. (NPR — March 17, 2023)
Even though no congressional Republican voted for the biggest climate bill in the country’s history, red states were among the leaders in green power generation last year.
Millions of Americans could lose essential health-care benefits — despite remaining eligible — as pandemic-related policies end. There are practical strategies to sustain enrollment.
Since March 2020, more than 1 million people across the nation have died from COVID and there are still approximately 40,000 cases each day. Experts expect this won’t be the last pandemic; are we prepared for the next?
A 2021 investigation revealed Chicago’s deeply flawed inspection system for identifying and responding to safety issues in residential buildings. Since the report was published, 53 more people have died in residential fires.
Latinos are the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority and yet they are far less likely to ascend to corporate boards than other groups. Forty-seven of the nation’s Fortune 100 companies have no Latino directors.
The June ruling struck down New York’s law on who can carry a concealed weapon, expanding Second Amendment rights. Critics say the court focused too much on history and didn’t consider the ruling’s modern-day impacts.
Tony Caligiuri, president of the preservation group Colorado Open Lands, regarding how a heavy-precipitation year can reduce the feelings of urgency to address longer-term issues of water storage and conservation. Though much of the West has had record-breaking levels of rain and snow this year, it’s unlikely that it will create enough wiggle room to wind back the clock on water use limitation proposals and other water-saving measures and offset drought conditions. (Associated Press — March 16, 2023)
Environmentalists are pushing back against a proposal to install 12 moveable gates in local waterways. They say the plan needs more local input and less focus on the storm surge problem.
Our regions may be entering a new era in which they simply try to maintain what they have, or manage their decline. It’s going be harder for urban and suburban leaders to rise to the top by attracting new major corporate tenants.
The state has signaled its support for allocating an additional $70 million to Gov. Tina Kotek’s initial request of $130 million in emergency funds to help move residents off the streets and keep them housed.
Women across the state earned just 88 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2021, which, over a 40-year career, amounts to more than $350,000 in diminished earnings. The gap is larger for women of color.
Large banks are assuring their customers that the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank of New York aren’t likely to affect the average resident as Maine banks don’t have much reliance on venture capital or cryptocurrency clients.
Nebraska state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, regarding her three-week filibuster in opposition to a bill that would outlaw gender-affirming therapies for those 18 and younger. When the bill advanced out of committee, Cavanaugh promised to filibuster every bill that comes before the Legislature this year — even the ones she supports. March 15 is the halfway point of this year’s 90-day session and not a single bill has passed due to Cavanaugh’s filibustering; since she began her blockade, only three bills have advanced from the first of three rounds of debate required to pass a bill in Nebraska. (Associated Press — March 14, 2023)
Missouri's Legislature has a plan to take over the police force in St. Louis. It's just one example of states taking direct control of public safety in their largest cities.
A tale of two trains: When something bad happens, local and state officials increasingly are shouldered aside. The people and the pundits now expect all solutions to come from Washington.
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Modernizing child welfare case management technologies can help agencies ease their staff burdens while transforming vital public services.
Research has found that computer models can predict the likely fate of proposed legislative amendments and the most effective pathways for lobbyists. This technology mixed with micro-legislation could muddle transparency.
The vote will determine whether Madison, Ala., should transition from a mayor-council format to a council-manager format, which is unusual for the state. If approved, the city will have until 2025 to make the transition.
Proposed legislation would abolish less than minimum wages for people with disabilities by August 2025. Minnesota has the third highest number of workers earning subminimum wages in the nation.
The office of Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, regarding controversial comments from McNally’s Instagram account with a young man who was posting nearly naked pictures on the social media platform. In one instance, McNally’s account commented on a revealing picture of the 20-year-old with heart and fire emojis; in another, the young man appears to not be wearing underwear, and McNally's account posted a comment saying, “great picture! Best wishes for continued health and happiness.” McNally has issued an apology, stating that he did not intend to embarrass his friends, family or members of the Legislature. (The Hill — March 14, 2023)
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority recently scaled back a voter-approved plan to add new transit lines, citing cost increases. Leaders worry that delays could further erode support for transit.
Twenty-seven states allow capital punishment, but public support for it has declined over the decades. Fifty-five percent of Americans support the death penalty for convicted murderers, the second-lowest support since 1972.
Remote work presents myriad fiscal challenges to cities as well as employers. Business tax incentives are also in peril. Are “15-minute cities” the ultimate remedy?
The state is among a handful of Republican-leaning states that have pulled out of the national system designed to improve voting roll accuracy known as ERIC. Many are skeptical that Missouri’s next efforts will be as efficient.
Census data predicts that by 2032, America will have more people ages 65 and older than it will have people who are 18 and younger. As the nation’s population ages, many predict that “age tech” will continue to boom.
