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With a strong victory in California’s recall, a new poll found 52 percent of registered voters said they would support Gov. Newsom in an election against Larry Elder, while just 30 percent said they’d support Elder.
The attack against the Department of Health and Social Services could have released personal and health information to the hackers. The state will spend $215,000 for free credit monitoring for those who want it.
The four firms that are competing to earn a multimillion-dollar contract to modernize the state’s unemployment system have each experienced problems while working on other states’ unemployment or IT projects.
The law will outlaw coal- and gas-fired electricity by 2045, but it doesn’t address the coal-mining industry. In 2020 alone, coal burning released more than 57 million tons of carbon emissions.
Illinois Valley Soil and Water Conservation District Community Organizer Christopher Hall, regarding illegal cannabis farms that are stealing natural water resources and causing severe shortages across Oregon. (Associated Press — September 17, 2021)
The proportion of Americans who do believe that their social media activity is not very or not at all secure, according to a recent survey. Fifty-six percent of respondents had more faith in the private sector than the federal government when it came to handling security and privacy improvements.
The battles over masks and vaccine mandates threaten the idea, going back to the founders, that surrendering a bit of personal freedom is necessary to secure everyone’s welfare.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has called for oversight of the department after an investigation following the death of Elijah McClain found patterns of racial bias, excessive force and other misconduct.
The second half of the program will continue replacing 4,300 streetlights with smart LED lights and installing Wi-Fi hot spots across the city. The smart LED lights can also be used to count traffic and detect gunshots.
The state’s Department of Job and Family Services has predicted that it will take until early December to issue a ruling on the massive backlog of unprocessed unemployment benefits appeals.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, regarding his relationship with now-husband Marlon Reis; the couple has been together for 18 years and six years ago the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Polis and Reis married on Wednesday, becoming the first same-sex marriage of a sitting governor. (NPR — September 15, 2021)
The proportion of hospital ICUs across the nation that are now more than 95 percent full, an increase of 5 percent from July and 15 percent from June.
Mathematicians, social scientists, lawyers and programmers have led the development of a new generation of free tools to make and evaluate redistricting maps. Can they make the process more transparent?
Cities are clashing with state transportation departments on road redesign. In an era of changing preferences, tensions are rising. Maybe it’s time to restore local control.
Thousands of state employees, nearly 8 percent of the state workforce, have filed for exemption from the vaccine mandate, which includes hundreds of state troopers and prison guards.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the state legislative leaders must decide whether to extend the emergency powers related to the coronavirus pandemic that are set to expire at the end of this month.
Republican state lawmakers haven’t responded to voter rights groups’ complaints about the secrecy as they redraw legislative and congressional district boundaries. Some wonder: Why the silence if everything is legal?
CalPERS has yet to recover the approximately $42 million in pension payments to 22,000 dead people, according to an internal audit. About 1,800 CalPERS recipients die each month, and the agency isn’t immediately notified.
Lori Tremmel Freeman, head of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, regarding laws that have been enacted in at least 26 states to limit the powers of public health officials in the backlash of COVID-19 restrictions. (Associated Press — September 15, 2021)
The cost so far of California’s recall election, with the Secretary of State’s Office predicting the final amount will likely increase to $300 million or more.
California's Democratic governor survived a GOP challenge. That doesn't mean recalls are going away. Technology has made it easier to motivate voters and raise funds nationally.
The right kind of public-private partnerships could liberate billions of dollars for other infrastructure and to address critical urban needs. But it’s important to protect public values.
A new report outlines the economic toll brought on by the pandemic in our largest cities, showing how pre-existing inequities became worse for lower-paid workers, while leaving white-collar workers largely unscathed.
A landmark bill that promises to expand the state’s “green” economy, reduce CO2 emissions and close coal-burning power plants by 2045 has passed through the Legislature and will now move to the governor’s desk.
The City Council has voted to redistribute funds from approximately 200 police officer departures and reinvest it in technology projects and other department needs. $3 million will be used for community-based public safety programs.
Ramsey County, Minn., Judge Leonardo Castro, in his ruling that changes to the state’s police use of deadly force law are to be put on hold until a lawsuit filed by law enforcement lobbying groups has been resolved. Until the lawsuit has been settled, the use of force conditions will revert back to the rules that were implemented prior to March 2020 when the new law went into effect. (Associated Press — September 14, 2021)
The date by which federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly testing, according to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate.
The Census Bureau was late generating the numbers, but legislators have seized the opportunity to produce maps in record time with minimal input.
A New Mexico legislative committee is believed to be the first to try the management approach in a lawmaking context. It’s an effort that bears watching, and some lessons are being learned.
Whether they are paving roads damaged by Hurricane Ida or building a next-generation railroad tunnel under the Hudson River, unions, like the Operating Engineers Local 825, expect to be part of the action.
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