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Fernando Medina, Hays Consolidated Independent School District’ chief human resources officer, regarding the district’s plea to parents to have them stand in as substitute teachers due to staffing shortages caused by the omicron variant. Some consider having parents and guardians sub is less risky because they are, in some ways, already a part of the school’s COVID-19 bubble through their own students. (KUT — Jan. 7, 2022)
The amount that the Biden administration will award, in grants, to nonprofit groups and state and local governments to better protect low-income families from household health risks, such as lead-based paint, mold and carbon monoxide.
The COVID-19 variant is creating a new round of safety challenges for parents and teachers. Masking can prevent transmission, but some are working to limit its use.
The successes achieved by a Denver program combining housing and supportive services demonstrate what can be achieved — and how to do it without busting city budgets.
Both higher-ranking officers and rank-and-file officers would be held accountable for improper use of force during protests, while the Justice Department would have final approval of body camera policies.
The Department of Job and Family Services hired five companies to contract call center workers to better handle the mass of pandemic-related unemployment claims. Some call center workers were initially paid $59 an hour.
Despite heavy precipitation across the state recently, many experts are still advising water conservation in preparation for drier seasons to come. The past water year was the state’s driest in a century.
Both chambers of the state’s Legislature have passed a bill that would limit police presence and prohibit electioneering within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes on election day, in an effort to discourage voter intimidation.
California Rep. Barbara Lee, regarding the American Women Quarters Program, which will feature trailblazing American women, such as Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Anna May Wong and Wilma Mankiller, over the next four years on the U.S. quarter. The Maya Angelou design is the first quarter of the program and has officially started shipping to banks. Rep. Lee was influential in the introduction of the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which has helped pave the way for the American Women Quarters Program. (NPR — Jan. 10, 2022)
The number of patients who were hospitalized this week, a new pandemic high driven by the omicron surge. Across the nation, approximately 30 percent of ICU beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.
Over a third of the new money for transit and other infrastructure needs will be awarded in the form of competitive grants. That means cities with the capacity to draft eye-catching proposals will get the most attention.
Too many government organizations cling to legacy ideas about owning and managing their technology. A centralized, enterprise IT environment provides better cybersecurity while creating vast efficiencies.
Turning storefronts into online-commerce fulfillment centers or pop-up spaces for artists isn't likely to bring downtowns back. But even remote workers need places to go when they take a break from their keyboards.
Much attention has been given to the billions the bill will put toward bridges, cybersecurity and more. But behind the big-ticket items are many small projects. Here are some that will impact state and local government.
A newly enacted California law requires employers with 26 or more workers to pay overtime wages to farmworkers. But many worry that the law will put a financial strain on already struggling farmers, forcing them to cut labor costs.
Delaware County’s outdated emergency radio system is susceptible to hackings, which prevent timely police response and deteriorate public trust. But updating the system could cost as much as $50 million.
To curb the introduction of drugs into the prison system, the state has hired a Florida-based firm to scan inmate mail, check it for contraband and then send digital copies of the mail to each prison.
Former New York City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, regarding the city’s new law that will allow noncitizens and “Dreamers” voting rights in municipal elections. (Associated Press — Jan. 9, 2022)
The increase in the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 compared to the year prior. The use of coal-fired electricity increased 17 percent last year.
Serving in the Senate or a presidential cabinet is considered a step up for governors. Except among governors themselves.
The nation’s four largest cities are among those requesting more leeway to challenge undercounts.
A recent road trip results in an unplanned stop to mark the 131st anniversary of a tragedy on the Great Plains that remains indelibly stamped on a community’s memory.
As the market for technology companies serving government has exploded, state and local agencies have never had more options for solutions that fit their specific needs.
While some California courts pull back amid the Omicron surge, others forge ahead with business as usual.
With farms, ranches and rural communities facing unprecedented threats, a worrying trend leads to a critical question: Who owns the water?
The average remote workers shifted two of their working hours outside of the traditional 9-to-6 weekday schedule and worked more hours than pre-pandemic.
For populations that rely on social services, getting help has become difficult as the omicron variant spreads rapidly. But Pennsylvania’s York County officials are adjusting their services to distribute aid amid the risk.
The Oregon facility will now include solar power in the design, which could allow the plant to run for 178 days entirely on solar power and earn the city a net revenue of $24,000.
World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, rebutting claims that the omicron variant is “mild.” The nation’s seven-day average for new COVID cases is more than 585,000, a 247 percent increase from two weeks ago. (Ars Technica — Jan. 6, 2022)
The increase in first-year Black medical students in 2021 as compared to the year prior, an unprecedented growth. Nationally, only 5 percent of the nation’s doctors are Black.
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