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The City Council has unanimously approved the task force, which would research the history and the effects of slavery in Boston and then assess and advise the city on next steps. The mayor must sign off for it to become law.
Dozens of state laws that spanned issues involving paid family leave, school air quality, religious vaccine exemptions and the Juneteenth holiday took effect this past year. Here’s a look at some of the major changes.
Dr. Erica Michiels, who directs pediatric emergency medicine at Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., regarding the growing wait in the ER as hospitals across the nation have been stretched beyond capacity by waves of RSV, a respiratory virus, and the flu. Typically the Devos Children’s ER sees about 140 kids a day, but recently in mid-December the visits have reached 253. (NPR — Dec. 15, 2022)
A new report from experts at NYU and Harvard law schools outlines the ways state attorneys general can protect communities and workers as the country builds a clean energy economy.
A trash truck or a streetlight has a basic function, but in a digital age they can be so much more, adding value outside of their core purposes.
When the governor-elect was serving as Montgomery County commissioner, he streamlined the county’s half-billion-dollar retirees pension plan. Some wonder if the state’s retirement plan will get a similar redo.
The Florida governor has promised to hold people accountable for committing “wrongdoing” in regard to the COVID-19 vaccinations, and has said he will ask the state Supreme Court to impanel a grand jury for the investigation.
The U.S. magistrate of New Orleans was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 13 as the first Black female judge for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. All 31 “no” votes against Douglas were from Republicans.
Persis Yu, deputy executive director and managing counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center, regarding an email that was sent out to some borrowers Tuesday morning from the Department of Education reversing course on a previous email about student debt relief applications. In November many borrowers received emails saying that their student loan relief application was approved and they would receive up to $20,000 in cancellation, but then a second email was sent out on Dec. 13, stating that some approvals were sent in error. (NPR — Dec. 14, 2022)
We need to move toward a lower-energy future, but we can’t present it as a punishment.
Combining recycled plastic with asphalt could cut costs and waste as long as microplastics don’t leach into waterways. At least a dozen states in the past few years have started pilot programs to test plastic roads.
In the final weeks of the legislative session, Republican state lawmakers appear ready to approve a bill that would make it impossible for most residents to vote without a photo ID. Ohio would join eight other states with similarly strict laws.
A group has filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement for allegedly spying on wire transfers of more than $500 to or from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico without probable cause or warrant.
Academics and scientists say the state is likely to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change while it also has the capacity to develop infrastructure for swaths of climate migrants. But officials must begin adapting now.
Republican State House Rep. Jared Patterson has introduced a bill that would block residents under the age of 18 from creating a profile on social media sites, citing mental health and self-harm concerns.
Veronica Gail Kawānanakoa, regarding the death of her wife, Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, the so-called last Hawaiian princess whose lineage included the royal family that once ruled the islands and an Irish businessman who once became one of the state’s largest landowners. Kawānanakoa held no formal title but was a symbol of the state’s national identity. She died on Sunday at the age of 96. (Associated Press — Dec. 13, 2022)
After years of construction problems, safety issues and the pandemic, the last section of a 23-mile commuter rail project is complete, connecting the region's international airport and outer suburbs with Washington.
Georgia’s efforts to discourage voters had an impact in the state’s Senate runoff. Fairness and justice still won out, but we should be making it easier — not harder — for people to register and vote.
In Michigan, Livonia City Clerk Susan Nash handed over hard drives and voting machine data in January 2021, according to new information. Ultimately, Nash did not allow access to the data.
An analysis of nearly 92,000 Road Home grants statewide found that the program to help homeowners rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita gave more funding to wealthier neighborhoods than low-income ones.
Since 2000, 375 railroad workers have been killed on the job and more than 109,000 have been injured. But last year the National Transportation Safety Board investigated just 14 train incidents.
A new report from Parents Together lists a diverse array of toys and gifts that collect user data to sell to third parties, including a water bottle and smart mirror. The report acts as more of a warning than a comprehensive list.
Nicole DeMont, campaign manager for Arizona’s Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs, regarding Lake’s lawsuit against the state’s election officials, challenging the election which declared Hobbs the winner. The lawsuit alleges that “hundreds of thousands of illegal ballots infected the election” in Maricopa County; DeMont called the lawsuit a “nuisance.” Election officials and experts have said the election was safe and fair. (Reuters — Dec. 12, 2022)
Nearly 1,700 state and local entities purchased tech targeted under the FCC’s ban between 2015 and 2021. A new rule lets existing tools stay, but reduces future availability, potentially leading to costlier procurements in the name of national security.
Approximately 20 percent of households have some amount of medical debt, and they are disproportionately Black and Latino. A few local governments have teamed up with a nonprofit to unburden their residents’ finances.
Public-sector technology work is a force multiplier for improving the lives of residents nationwide. That's important to keep in mind, especially in the face of news like unrelenting cyber attacks and workforce woes.
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