News
Ben Fiore-Walker, the town crier of Alexandria, Va., who writes his own rhyming cry in quatrains for local events. Town crying is an old practice, dating back in Alexandria to the 1700s. In past centuries, the crier would read out news or announcements to villagers, many of them illiterate. Fiore-Walker, a director of a nonprofit who has held the volunteer ceremonial position for 13 years, is only the city's second Black town crier. The first, in 1816, was Peter Logan, who purchased his own freedom from slavery. (Axios)
Approximate average annual wage for federal workers who live in Washington, D.C., according to Labor Department data for 2023. D.C., Maryland and Virginia have the highest federal wages per worker, with those in Maryland making about $126,000 and those in Virginia making about $111,000.
The Legislature and lieutenant governor threaten to cut $400 million if colleges and universities do not end diversity initiatives.
The plan comes after crime in Downtown Crossing and other areas throughout the city has reached a seven-year high due to drug use, focusing on treating rather than arresting users and dealers.
The bill calls on utilities to meet wildfire protection standards. In return, they'd gain legal protection.
Sioux Falls is building a website to help connect residents with income-restricted housing. It hopes the tool will get people into housing faster and lower the vacancy rate among subsidized units.
Between 2017 and 2022, the number of Black-owned businesses rose 56.9 percent, accounting for more than half of the overall growth in companies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state Democrats who frequently invoked the idea of providing sanctuary to undocumented immigrations during Trump’s first term have softened if not changed their tune.
Jeff Landry has secured $42 million to reopen a youth prison in the Baton Rouge area, part of his push to expand juvenile incarceration facilities.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun. A nonprofit group has been airing ads pressuring legislators to support Braun’s agenda, including property tax cuts. Braun said more conversation and information are healthy but warned against “going overboard.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle — Feb. 26, 2025)
The percentage of “highly religious” Americans who strongly lean toward the Republican Party. Thirty-two percent of the same group identify as Democrats. The figure is higher among white Americans – 77 percent – because Black Americans are likely to identify as Democrats regardless of their level of religious engagement. Among White Americans with low levels of religious engagement, 68 percent lean toward the Democratic Party.
Since 2021, the number of states offering universal eligibility for vouchers has grown from zero to 14.
Over the last decade, Wisconsin's largest county has made dramatic progress in reducing its homeless population.
With strong reserves, states have made billions through interest and other investments. This recent windfall is at risk as interest rates and other investment returns become shakier.
Mississippi state Sen. Angela Burks Hill. She was one of four Republicans who voted against a bill that would cut taxes by $326 million, mainly by reducing the state’s flat income tax rate from 4 percent to 2.99 percent. Although the bill would cut income and grocery taxes, it would increase the tax on gasoline to pay for infrastructure. The Mississippi Senate will have to reconcile its version with a deeper income tax passed by the House. (Mississippi Today — Feb. 24, 2025)
The amount states would lose in funding if Congress eliminates enhanced Medicaid funding for the expanded program population created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The House is considering a budget proposal that would shrink Medicaid spending in various ways. If the extra ACA money went away, states would have to come up with $44.3 billion to make up the loss. Otherwise, the uninsured population would increase by 10.8 million people.
Third-party services have bought and sold lottery tickets by the millions, raising concerns about lack of oversight and guardrails.
Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation requiring counties to get voter approval for wind farms. If they’re rejected, counties must charge an excise tax that could exceed $2.5 million per turbine.
The city owns more than 1,000 works of art. It hasn’t inventoried them for decades and doesn’t know where at least 85 of them are.
A proposal to set a per-enrollee limit on federal money for the program is gaining traction. But states know how to game Medicaid rules and federal oversight is woefully inadequate.
President Trump signed an executive order to increase federal support for school choice programs, causing debate about the impact on public schools and student outcomes.
Virginia Democratic state Rep. Alfonso H. Lopez. He sponsored a bill allowing the state to buy Oak Hill, which was President James Monroe's 1,240-acre estate in Loudoun County. The estate's woners want to sell the landmark to the state to become a park. The state Senate rejected Lopez's proposal however. He warns the valuable property could be turned into housing in the outer D.C. suburb. (Washington Post — Feb. 21, 2025)
California wildfires are causing long-term damage to ecosystems, water systems, and the economy — costs that are often overlooked.
The amount college tuition could go up for so-called Dreamers in Florida. Dreamers, who are undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, have been able to pay in-state rates but the Legislature plans to repeal that policy. That would raise their annual tuition costs from $6,300 to $22,000.
State bills aim to impose limits on transactions and fees, require consumer warnings and tackle the rise in cryptocurrency scams.
Seven individuals received approval to open psilocybin-related businesses as Colorado moves toward a legal psychedelic-assisted therapy industry.
A legal loophole in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program is allowing developers to remove rent restrictions from affordable housing, leading to rising rents and worsening the housing crisis.
As Iowa's math scores decline, the state should use public funds to provide private tutoring for families in need and give students extra support without switching schools.
The consequences of sanctuary policies extend far beyond the ideological debate surrounding immigration enforcement. These policies enable criminal networks to make communities more dangerous.
The amount that rates of sepsis increased for Texas women hospitalized when they lost their pregnancies in the second trimester, according to a new investigation from ProPublica. The increase occurred after Texas banned abortion in 2021.null
Most Read
