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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.
The estimated settlement that Remington has offered to the nine families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims who are suing the rifle-manufacturing company, amounting to nearly $3.7 million apiece. Remington’s Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle was used to kill 20 first graders and six educators at the elementary school on Dec. 14, 2012.
Lorraine Stomski, senior vice president of learning and leadership at Walmart, regarding the company’s decision to offer free college tuition and books to its 1.5 million full- and part-time U.S. employees beginning in August. (NPR — July 27, 2021)
Photojournalist David Kidd has traveled to nearly every state in the union while on assignment. His keen interest in American history has led to some interesting and unique discoveries about the nation’s past.
Small businesses need affordable commercial space. Federal stimulus funds offer the chance for local governments to get involved in a variety of ways — including becoming landlords themselves.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all 300,000 municipal workers, including police officers, firefighters and teachers, will be required to either get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID testing.
Job-based visas are in such a high demand that the government has resorted to a lottery-based system to award the documents. Still, only 28 percent of applicants will get a visa in 2022 as compared to 2014.
Due to high state tax collections and large amounts of federal aid, many state legislatures are experiencing massive budget surpluses. But some lawmakers want to start planning for the inevitable downturn now.
The amount of COVID-19 relief funds that the Shiawassee County, Mich., Board of Commissioners used to give seven county commissioners bonuses during the pandemic. The commissioners have apologized for the decision and have promised to return the funds to the county.
Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore health commissioner, regarding cities across the nation reinstating mask mandates as the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread. (Associated Press — July 26, 2021)
“We’re saying we cannot negotiate with you. It’s not legal for us to pay anything.”
Dangerous policies and practices are sidelining public health evidence and authority. With COVID-19 cases and deaths surging, public leaders need to support the experts, tune out the anti-science chorus and encourage vaccinations.
Water may be among the least cyber-defended critical infrastructure sectors. Keeping it safe may include channeling more funds and training to tiny agencies and establishing voluntary guidelines.
Charlie Crist, a Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for his recent visit to the Texas border while the state’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has nearly tripled in the last three weeks.
With some of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, state officials are hopeful that a new lead to the Department of Health and Senior Services will update the whole system and make it better, post-COVID.
A new report found that civic engagement, such as participation in elections, number of nonprofits and library usage, is an important factor for determining community development, but this engagement is hard to measure.
The Regional Transportation District’s Accountability Committee issued a report urging the transit agency to attract riders before they establish post-pandemic routines of commuting to work by car, highlighting poor ridership as a top concern.
Sen. Tom Cotton, regarding whether or not the federal government should mandate masks across the states. (Mediaite — July 23, 2021)
The estimated number of homes that would have been powered by Nevada’s Battle Born Solar Project, which was scrapped this week by its developers after backlash from residents. The project would have been the nation’s largest array of solar panels and would have provided approximately 10 percent of Nevada’s total energy capacity.
Intentional or not, untrue information propagating on the Internet threatens democratic institutions and the public good. Emerging tech tools aim to help government combat the threat.
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