News
The American Rescue Plan Act funds were intended to help local governments and small businesses confront the financial impact of COVID-19, but many officials view the money as an opportunity to invest in future generations.
The City Council appointed residents to create a redistricting map that would make the process more politically independent. Some want the city to consider an independent commission for future maps.
The city is an outlier among major metropolitan areas for its decision to reinstate its mandate for indoor masking as of April 18, but not everyone agrees that it’s the best way to respond to recent data.
A New York state audit found that the school district’s decision to award a contract for a now-illegal facial recognition security system without competitive bidding was legal, despite its lack of transparency.
Similar past bills that would have allowed greater control over the collection, sale and storage of personal data did not advance as far as this proposed bill. The legislative session closes on May 4.
Tina Maloney, a real estate investor from St. Charles, Mo., regarding Eric Greitens’ candidacy for a U.S. Senate seat, despite allegations from his ex-wife that Greitens physically abused her and one of his children. In 2018, Greitens stepped aside as Missouri’s governor due to accusations of blackmail, bondage and sexual assault. Many Republicans want Greitens, who is also a Republican, to end his candidacy though Greitens has shown no sign of stepping back. (Associated Press — April 18, 2022)
The number of K-12 mathematics textbooks that the Florida education department has rejected, making up 41 percent of the 132 total books submitted for review; 28 of the books were rejected because they “incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including [critical race theory].” Among the rejected titles were 70 percent of math materials for kindergarten through fifth grades, 20 percent of the materials for grades six through eight and 35 percent of materials for grades nine through 12.
Kate Wright, the new executive director of the nonprofit Climate Mayors, talks about the ways that mayors from both parties are on climate’s front lines, working for change.
When urbanists gather, too often the bias is to the issues faced by coastal cities and the Sun Belt. The sense of Midwest irrelevance has always been a part of the American psyche.
Weeks after the U.S. and the G7 countries weaponized the global financial system to impose their harshest-ever sanctions on Russia, fissures are becoming apparent. Countries impose but often backpedal on sanctions against bad actors for a simple reason — a reluctance to go to war.
Smaller cities. Soaring water prices. Scorched desert towns. Arizona confronts a highly uncertain future.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill appears to transform how the federal government subsidizes broadband infrastructure. But evidence suggests that big companies may not allow the status quo to change without a fight.
Interviews and surveys with hundreds of teachers and school administrators reveal the effect of persistent staffing shortages on school personnel – and on students.
To help address hiring and retention issues, the city police plan to hire 35 civilians this year to investigate low-level crimes, internal affairs complaints and cold cases. The department currently has 519 civilian employees.
Advocates worry that the transition to 988, the National Suicide Hotline telephone number, is underfunded and understaffed, which could limit some callers’ ability to get through when the switch is made in July.
A new report found that as many as 300,000 households in the city and St. Louis County lack high-quality Internet access and 25 percent of homes in the city do not even have a computer.
Many are hopeful that the “ghost” library will increase accessibility for residents who don’t have a public library nearby. But some worry the staffless design could create frustrations if patrons experience technology issues.
Marccus Hendricks, assistant professor of urban studies and planning at the University of Maryland, regarding the importance of investing federal spending dollars in infrastructure projects that are better adapted to climate change and heavier rainfalls, such as rain gardens or plants along street medians. The heaviest storms in the Northeast produce 55 percent more rain today than they did in 1958. (NPR — April 15, 2022)
The number of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, that were released on Justice Day, April 15, by Terrence Floyd, George Floyd’s brother and the founder of the nonprofit We Are Floyd Org. The proceeds of the NFTs will go to three charities: the Breonna Taylor Foundation, the John and Lilian Miles Lewis Foundation and the We Are Floyd Org.
Shouldn’t being able to live in an affordable, safe and sanitary home be considered a human right? There are several ways local leaders could attack the problem.
Plus a look at how redistricting reduces competition; why Trump remains the price of admission into GOP primaries; and, the trouble Democrats are in ahead of the midterms.
The agency has suggested reclassifying the metropolitan area’s ozone pollution designation as moderate nonattainment, a reduction from marginal. If adopted, the city will have to adhere to new standards.
Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill into law this week that will oversee how broadband funding is allocated across the state and help connect more residents. It will be headed by former state Sen. Sally Doty.
Linda McCarthy, a suburban mother of Buffalo, N.Y., who formerly worked as a teacher’s aide, regarding the benefits she’s experienced by switching to homeschooling. Overall, homeschooling has increased across the nation. In the year before the pandemic, only about 3.3 percent of students, or about 2 million, were homeschooled, but homeschooling increased by 63 percent in the 2020-2021 school year, then fell by only 17 percent in the 2021-2022 year, according to data from 18 states. (Associated Press — April 14, 2022)
The number of homes that the McBride Fire in Ruidoso, N.M., has burned, as of Thursday, since it started two days prior; it has burned 5,736 acres of land. More than 5,000 residents of Ruidoso have been forced to evacuate.
With miles of second-floor walkways, Minneapolis and St. Paul have struggled to make them appealing without hurting retail businesses at the street level. Then the pandemic hit.
Public stairways were originally built by the hundreds into the hills for a walking workforce that has nearly disappeared. But fans praise the role of the unique transportation system and continue to use them today.
Started by Jerry Brown nearly 50 years ago, the CCC is a rock-solid model for programs that combine workforce development, public service and pushback against climate change.
It’s a fast-growing, multibillion-dollar industry that provides lots of jobs and consists mostly of small businesses. But it’s poorly understood by economic developers.
State Republicans gave initial approval to the so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which would allow parents to see the curriculum used in their child’s classroom. Democrats have said the bill is just political strategy.
