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North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, in a 2012 Facebook comment that recently resurfaced, regarding the abortion that he paid for in 1989. Robinson is the highest-ranking state Republican in executive office and was elected on what his campaign calls a “pro-life” platform. (WRAL.com — March 23, 2022)
The number of Americans who signed up for Obamacare health insurance for 2022, an increase of 21 percent from last year and the highest enrollment since the Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010.
A new study highlights innovative state-level strategies driven by data that emerged during the pandemic to address social factors undermining the well-being of too many Americans.
Revenues are robust enough to allow for increased spending, and tax cuts on top of it. But current flush conditions might not last long enough to turn permanent cuts into a good idea.
Results show 815 ballots were rejected over the bill’s new ID requirement in Tarrant County, alone; 812 of which were in the Democratic primary. Across Texas, 13 percent of ballots were rejected for the same reason.
The state pours $100 million annually into the system, with a proposed increase of $250 million this year, and yet it remains unable to keep staff and place troubled youths in the right places quickly.
A new report found that while harmful police tactics were reduced overall, there are still inequities. Last year the city’s police still used force on Black people 12 times more than white people and five times more than Hispanic people.
Recommendations issued to the state Legislature include banning the technology from being used for live surveillance and that local police be prevented from using it unless explicitly allowed to do so by law.
President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Joseph Fiordaliso, regarding $1 million in state grants given to 24 tourist areas around the state to install electric vehicle charging stations to spur tourism and combat range anxiety. There are now about 625 vehicle charging stations statewide. (Associated Press — March 21, 2022)
The bipartisan vote tally in Olympia in the final minutes of this year’s legislative session that all but clears the way for pickleball to become the state’s official sport. According to the USA Pickleball Association, the sport was created on Bainbridge Island in the summer of 1965 by then state Rep. Joel Pritchard, who would later go on to serve as Washington’s lieutenant governor and represent the state in Congress. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
Small experiments for solving social problems may seem to work, but at least half of them fall apart when they’re expanded to a larger constituency. Costs are the main explanation, although not the only one.
An annual report from the K12 Security Information Exchange says ransomware has surpassed data breach attacks as the largest category of cyber attacks on schools, often coming from sophisticated criminals overseas.
Legal scholars argue the “independent state legislature doctrine” is a radical theory that could disenfranchise voters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on fracking is preventing the small town in Kern County from responding to President Biden’s executive ban on Russian oil with local oil production, which could spur economic revitalization.
Nearly 50 percent of Gary residents are not subscribed to a broadband service. Town officials hope that $5 million of ARPA funds will eventually reduce that digital divide by 90 percent.
As gas prices increase, supply chains are delayed and the auto industry moves toward all-electric options, it’s not always clear when or if the long-term savings will outweigh the upfront costs of an EV or hybrid vehicle.
While not intended to be a permanent ban on Amazon’s autonomous personal delivery devices or the dispenser that houses them, it will allow the Washington city to address the safety and zoning issues surrounding the tech first.
Cara Gilbert, a juvenile court public defender in Ramsey County, Minn., regarding the high workloads and low pay for her and her colleagues. Across Minnesota, 470 public defenders and 200 support staff plan to go on strike as early as March 22, which could bring the state’s court systems to a standstill. (Associated Press — March 18, 2022)
The number of acres in Texas that had burned in four wildfires west of Dallas as of Saturday, March 19. The fires were only about 30 percent contained.
Case counts and deaths have dropped dramatically from their January highs, but politicians and the public are giving up protections even as another wave starts forming.
Kansas is just the latest: States keep throwing money at corporations, a practice that does little to improve their economies. What if they all decided to end this wasteful and ruinous arms race?
Bicycle and transportation researchers in Nashville, Tenn., are pointing to the growing phenomenon of electric bikes as the Music City develops its multimodal approach to transportation.
Our resident historian explores three things – court packing, judicial review and meeting the expectations of the appointing presidents – that are not what you thought they were.
After the Tennessee town's Board of Alderman passed a resolution to keep their 153-year-old charter, the Comptroller has begun a financial takeover, which will limit the authority of the town's elected officials.
Civic engagement consultant Irina Fursman, who lived in Ukraine, has raised more than $20,000 from U.S. gov tech companies to help people there meet their basic needs amid the Russian invasion.
Between pay gaps, the pandemic, growing class sizes and legislative directives, “the pressure on teachers right now is so formidable,” one expert said.
Congress is considering a flurry of proposed revisions to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but some experts say reforms must be nuanced and carefully researched to avoid unintended consequences.
Sen. Clint Dixon said the state’s public health commissioner had approved the Unmask Georgia Students Act, but it turns out Dr. Toomey had not vetted the legislation. But this isn’t the first time an expert was left out.
There are 150 zero-energy, nonresidential buildings in the U.S., an increase of more than 350 percent since 2011. Officials expect that these high-efficiency, low carbon-emission buildings will be the norm by 2050.
Experts agree that certain issues, such as public safety, housing and inequities, must be addressed for the city’s downtown to fully recover from the economic devastations of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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