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After years of relative quiet, Republican lawmakers have successfully pushed abortion bans, voting restrictions, tax cuts, religious freedom and school choice.
When public officials use words like “black” and “white,” they need to keep in mind the color bias of language and do what they can to eliminate it.
As drought grips most of California, water thefts have increased to record levels. Thieves tap into hydrants, pump water from rivers and break into remote water stations and tanks.
New Yorkers relied on street vendors during the pandemic, but as the city reopens, those essential workers are once again being fined.
The Washington state Legislature passed more than 300 bills last session and many of them become laws this weekend. From drug possession to education, here’s a snapshot of what’s new in the state.
The Connecticut governor appointed the first third of the members of the new Social Equity Council, which will hold a major role in awarding cannabis licenses and distributing the industry revenue to impacted communities.
Organizations across the state spent $25.9 million on lobbying efforts, a slight increase from two years ago. The top lobbying group was pharmaceutical companies; PhRMA alone spent nearly $1.3 million.
A group of Black city workers in San Francisco has alleged “rampant” discrimination and harm, specifically in racially disproportionate discipline of employees, after reviewing data released from the Municipal Transportation Authority.
Tennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari, regarding the 5-2 decision to remove the bust of Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from the state’s capitol. The bust, as well as two others of military leaders, were moved to the Tennessee State Museum just north of the capitol. (Associated Press — July 23, 2021)
The proportion of unvaccinated Americans who have little to no confidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against variants despite evidence that they do offer strong protection. Nationally, 56.4 percent of all Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
While the rest of the developed world has made progress in reducing the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles, America continues to move in the wrong direction. Author Angie Schmitt talks about root causes and solutions.
Over-reliance on fees, fines and forfeitures drives a wedge between police and the communities they serve. It's detrimental to both crime-solving and the profession of law enforcement.
States like Arizona and Texas have positioned themselves as hubs for autonomous vehicle testing and deployments, in part, by creating regulatory landscapes that are easy for new companies to navigate.
Last month Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the state Republicans’ election reform package, but now the Pennsylvania governor has changed his stance on voter ID requirements, so state lawmakers will reintroduce the voting package.
A new report details the ideas, from gondolas to light rails to new affordable housing communities, that the New York City borough has proposed as ways to help stimulate the post-pandemic economy.
As Travis County, Texas, aims to reach herd immunity levels for COVID-19, local researchers express concern that many economically disadvantaged communities are about six weeks behind in vaccinations.
The amount that Ohio energy giant FirstEnergy Corp. will pay in settlement for its participation in a bribery conspiracy scandal involving former state House Speaker Larry Householder.
Executive director of The Utility Reform Network Mark Toney, regarding the increased electricity costs that PG&E customers could experience after the utility places 10,000 miles of its electricity lines underground. While the utility estimates the cost of the project to be $15 billion to $20 billion, others worry the cost may be closer to $40 billion, which could cause an increase in customer bills to offset the building costs. (Mercury News — July 21, 2021)
The technology is taking root in the region, with states like Wyoming and Colorado opening doors to developers and agencies. But potential technical and regulatory barriers need to be addressed.
Washington is sending cities a gigantic fiscal gift. They have to produce results. The danger is that the money will be squandered. Republicans are watching all that generosity with skepticism.
The number of daily coronavirus cases across the state has almost tripled in the past month, leading officials to consider reinstating mask mandates regardless of vaccination status. For now, Gov. Cuomo is instead urging residents to get vaccinated.
The state recently passed a clean energy package that will require the two largest utilities to provide 100 percent clean electricity by 2040. But the utilities don’t have a plan as to how they will achieve the ambitious goal.
In the early weeks of the pandemic, a software error, lowered security protocols and pressure to pay jobless residents quickly resulted in payments for thousands of fraudulent unemployment claims.
Ford, Lyft and Argo AI announced that they would begin deploying autonomous ‘robotaxis’ as early as this winter. But for now, the self-driving vehicles will have a safety driver and technology monitor in the front seats.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, urging Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to avoid reinstating mask mandates and shutdowns as case numbers begin to rise. (Associated Press — July 21, 2021)
The decrease in U.S. life expectancy during 2020. Most experts hold the coronavirus pandemic mostly responsible for the decrease, but many are still concerned about the drop.
The mayor of St. Louis only has weak official powers. Tishaura Jones says she won't let that stop her from reshaping the city.
In deploying the National Guard to the southwest border and with other actions, several Republican governors are illustrating the impact states can have on federal policies.
Law enforcement agencies across Tampa Bay claim that they do not have an issue with racial profiling and yet six major police departments and sheriff’s offices in the area couldn’t offer any data when requested.
The state will use some of the funds from the multibillion-dollar settlement with Volkswagen to build 60 fast-charging electric vehicle stations to encourage residents to switch to EVs.
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