News
Lawmakers expanded child-care subsidies and passed a new capital-gains tax last year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state is the fifth in the nation for union membership.
Of the state’s nearly 370,000 EVs, 40 percent of them are registered to just four Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino. Three electric vehicle startups are located in Irvine.
The autonomous vehicle company Argo AI, along with Ford and Lyft, announced that 1,000 self-driving ride-hail cars would arrive in Miami this winter, worrying many Lyft and Uber drivers about their job security.
Mayor Ben Walsh has proposed using $2 million in federal stimulus funding to plant 3,600 trees over the next three years in an effort to improve social inequalities across the city. Each tree will cost $400 to plant.
President and CEO of the non-profit AnitaB.org Brenda Darden Wilkerson, urging the tech industry to rethink workplace models to help retain women in the field after the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on working women. Women accounted for 47.6 percent of job gains last month, but according to recent analysis, there will need to be more than nine straight months of that same level of growth to recover the 3.8 million net jobs women lost since February 2020. (The Hill — July 31, 2021)
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Florida on July 30, the state’s highest one-day total since the beginning of the pandemic. Florida now accounts for approximately one-fifth of all new COVID cases in the nation.
Unlike last year, kids will be in classrooms almost everywhere. Politics will interfere with safety measures to protect them against the delta variant, notably mask mandates.
Online medical services are cheaper to deliver than in-person care, but legislatures are mandating reimbursement at the same rates. It’s costly for taxpayers and patients, and it stifles innovation.
The laws prohibit fast-food chains from terminating, suspending or reducing employees’ hours by more than 15 percent without evidence of demonstrated misconduct or poor performance, or without a bona fide economic reason.
The field of 46 candidates includes GOP politicians, a reality TV personality, a YouTuber, a retired detective, a cannabis advocate, several business owners and even a New Age shaman.
It has taken steps to give local policymakers more control over the allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations, while setting national policies to hasten the availability of vaccines.
As vaccines become more political and case numbers continue to rise, many expect Republican candidates to use the coronavirus pandemic as leverage for their campaigns in the upcoming midterm elections.
The state continues to struggle against unemployment benefits fraud as hackers’ methods evolve. State officials are calling for an audit to determine how to better protect the system.
As businesses begin the return to working in an office building, some aren’t requiring their employees to get vaccinated for fear that they will leave. Many companies are still looking for guidance from state officials.
The county has started requiring its police officers to wear a body camera after launching training courses that began in early July. They expect all officers to finish by October.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in a Tweet regarding the state’s decision to not overturn previously enacted legislation and require masks in schools, going against the latest CDC recommendations. (Associated Press — July 27, 2021)
The proportion of Democrats who are optimistic about their party’s future, while just 14 percent are pessimistic. Ninety-eight percent of Democrats approve of the way President Biden is doing his job, though Biden has favorable reviews on both sides of the aisle.
A new report ranked which states have the best and worst K-12 public school systems in the nation; Massachusetts came in the top spot. On average, blue states ranked higher than red.
The city wants to offer $100 million in pension obligation bonds, a move that both lowers pension debt and increases the funds’ earning power by providing more money to invest. But the sale is considered risky.
A special two-person team hopes to crack down on the most prolific and violent criminals. By the end of 2020, 305 people had been shot in Denver — a 51 percent increase from the year prior.
As other states introduce legislation restricting educators from teaching about race, Virginia has incorporated more Black history in all history classes, making it an integral part of the American experience.
A survey has found that one out of three renters nationally want to “upsize” their apartments for business reasons or family growth. In South Florida, that has increased the demand for larger rental units.
The average ride-share trip in June cost a little more than the average trip by taxi, which is regulated by the city. That was a reversal from two years earlier when passengers paid nearly $2 more to travel by cab.
Jane Chung, of Public Citizen, regarding a majority of Republican and Democrats supporting the argument that government should break up Big Tech companies and establish greater regulations to protect user privacy. (The Hill — July 29, 2021)
The number of lives that could be saved if greenhouse gas emissions are cut to zero by 2050, according to a new study. Without drastically reducing emissions, experts expect the planet to warm by 7 more degrees on average by the end of the century.
Compared to other forms of transit, public buses are cheap, flexible and plentiful. But policymakers aren’t that interested in buses, and ridership is declining. It’s a problem that needs fixing, argues Steven Higashide.
Judges shouldn’t hear cases involving their campaign donors. Though some lawmakers are addressing the issue, only a few states have ethics rules that require judges to avoid hearing such cases.
A $26 billion pharmaceutical settlement would resolve lawsuits by the state attorney general, counties and city governments across the state. But some officials don’t agree with the terms of the settlement and aren’t signing on.
An audit found the California Prison Industry Authority improperly provided nearly $1.3 million in gifts to other state agencies and encouraged the hiring and promotion of friends, relatives and other favored candidates.
The Michigan governor has proposed using $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to build 2,000 affordable housing units across the state. The development would create housing for 6,000 residents and 1,600 jobs.
Most Read
