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The city of Lansing, Mich., modernized the process of marijuana business licensing through a new online records management system. The changes have simplified the process for city staff and end users.
As world leaders gather for the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow next week, a group of scientists who are also mothers are fighting to preserve the climate for their children here at home.
Statewide legislation has led to a big rise in food donation and composting. But the trickiest part of the equation—separating food from its packaging—continues to cause headaches.
Texas Republicans have largely welcomed the blockchain technology industry with open arms. But skeptics are concerned about cryptocurrency mining’s impact on the environment and energy grid.
New Jersey hasn’t re-elected a Democratic governor since 1977 but Phil Murphy believes that he will break the dry spell. If Murphy retakes his position, it would be a strong sign that the state has moved decisively to the left.
The state has submitted a lawsuit in federal court against President Biden, federal agencies and NASA’s administrator in hopes of blocking the federal vaccine requirements that will take effect on Dec. 8.
In Erie, Tyler Titus could become the first openly transgender person to lead a county and in Northampton Steve Lynch’s campaign aims to protect constitutional freedoms. Both counties voted for Obama, then Trump, then Biden.
When Jesus Garza first moved to Arcola, Ill., he didn’t speak any English and now he’s mayor of the predominantly white, conservative town. His election represents a disconnect between local community and national politics.
Ric Griffith, a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, regarding the state’s sharp descent from being one of the best states for COVID-19 vaccination rates to the worst. Only about 49 percent of the state’s population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. (Associated Press — October 29, 2021)
The increase in COVID-19 shots among Minnesotans aged 12 to 17 since the state launched a $200 incentive program. To qualify, teens must get their first dose by Nov. 9.
A recent survey finds that the pandemic has increased food insecurity, making it a challenge for 31 percent of U.S. households to put food on the table. It also changed the ways in which people buy and store food.
Mayor Ted Wheeler will seek $400,000 to hire back 25 recently retired officers to fill vacancies and $2.6 million for body cameras and a civilian dean of police training. The City Council will vote on the proposal in late November.
With 34.4 percent of its households lacking a broadband connection, Harlingen is one of the worst connected cities in the nation. The broadband expansion project will begin next year, but the service won’t be free.
An audit found that between July 2020 and June 2021, 3.3 percent of unemployment payments went to scammers, an increase of 2 percent from previous years, and nonfraud overpayments rose by 20.9 percent.
To combat threats of rising sea levels, officials have decided to raise roads to protect existing infrastructure. But some homeowners claim the elevated roads sent floodwaters into their property, making them unrentable.
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and reporter Nicholas Kristof in his final New York Times column. He is now a candidate for governor of Oregon. (New York Times — October 28, 2021)
The amount that American consumers are expected to spend on Halloween this year, an increase of more than $2 billion from 2020. The average consumer will spend nearly $103 on costumes, candy and greeting cards, $10 more than last year.
The Virginia governor's race has turned into a referendum on Biden and schools, issues Republicans believe will work well for them during the midterms.
The state's Treasury is on a mission to return $4 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. For safekeeping, the valuables sit inside the largest working vault in the United States.
Justin Bibb hopes to be mayor of a city that has been in decline for decades. But despite his youth and confidence, and hundreds of millions in federal aid, the city still faces an uncertain future.
Detroit has spent less than $80,000 of the more than $826 million in COVID-19 relief funds it received; the state had spent none of its $6.5 billion by the end of July. Many blame politics for the slow spending.
The quasi-government agency would be able to seek grants, issue bonds and even levy fees to carry out projects that would protect life and property from the increasing number of storms and heat waves across the state.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, regarding broadband maps that need updating to ensure that proposed funding will be distributed to the areas that actually need it. (The Hill — October 26, 2021)
The amount that Philadelphia will spend to equip and train its police officers with stun guns before requiring officers to wear them while on duty. The announcement came on the anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was having a mental health episode while holding a knife. Wallace Jr. was shot by two officers 14 times.
Billions of federal dollars for broadband came with the stipulation that they benefit underserved populations. New projects that link last-mile access with affordability are paving the way for universal Internet service.
Racial impact statements can provide state legislators with a way to evaluate the impact of proposed legislation on sentencing and incarceration. Nine states have adopted them, and more should follow.
The state’s largest electric utility, Ameren Corp.’s Sioux Energy Center, is mining bitcoin to avoid wasting energy and stressing its power plants. Ameren believes it is the first or one of the first utilities in the nation to do so.
A bill has been filed in the state’s General Assembly that would allow agencies and businesses to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but it would bar the employers from requiring proof of vaccination.
The city’s Finance Committee has rebuffed three budget amendments that would have redirected $750,000 of the police department’s budget to fund a newly established team of mental health first responders.
Thomas Dee, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, commenting on the nationwide school enrollment decrease of nearly 3 million students last year, dropping to the lowest share in more than two decades. Just 40 percent of 3- and 4-year olds were enrolled in school in 2020 and college enrollment numbers dropped to their lowest since 2007. (The Hill — October 22, 2021)
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