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A new report analyzes which states have the most eco-friendly behavior, good environmental quality and contribute the most to reduce climate change. Rankings are split between blue and red states.
Mudhoney, dirt, mud, sewage, it all kind of fits. Runoff, toxic waste, you know, that fits the band.
Mark Arm, longtime front man of the Seattle grunge rock band Mudhoney, on what he calls a “pretty crazy and weird honor” of the band becoming the namesake for a massive new tunnel-boring machine. MudHoney the machine (with a capital H) was the overwhelming choice (76 percent) in an online vote run by Seattle Public Utilities. When the giant drill gets to work this summer, it will dig a tunnel almost 19 feet wide and 2.7 miles long to satisfy a federal consent decree for King County to reduce storm and wastewater pollution. The project is expected to be completed by 2025. (Seattle Times — April 12, 2021)
The number of candidates vying to fill the spot of the late Texas Rep. Ron Wright, a Republican who died of COVID-19 in February. The special election to fill the Congressional seat will take place on May 1.
A former employee of a water district plant in Ellsworth, Kan., allegedly logged in and attempted to tamper with the public drinking water system. This is just one of several recent hacks on water systems nationwide.
Residents complain about every two days of bad odors, so the city is now requiring 330 industrial facilities to submit odor control plans as well as installing e-nose sensors to detect and mitigate the stenches.
Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes to reopen the state by June 15, but that timeline relies on low hospitalization rates and a consistent supply of COVID vaccines. It also counts on the state achieving herd immunity.
Ten years from now, we could be zipping through town by air like the Jetsons. But there are many complications to be worked out first.
One of the many lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic is that remote work works – employees are just as productive from their couches and kitchen tables, if not more so, than they are in an office environment. But as leaders look toward the future, and potentially long-term remote and hybrid work plans, how can they support employees in this new environment?
Northeastern University Chancellor Kenneth Henderson, regarding the university’s decision to require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in the fall in hopes to achieve herd immunity on campus. Universities are divided about requiring students to get vaccinated before returning to campus. (Associated Press — April 12, 2021)
The amount that Uber Technologies Inc., PayPal Holdings Inc., and Walgreens Inc., have put into a fund to provide free ride-hail trips to COVID-19 vaccination sites across the U.S. for those without access to transportation.
The new law will allow the state to enact “more stringent” environmental standards than the federal policies. The state hopes the new law will put a prioritization on public health and the environment.
For poor residents who can’t afford the fees or don’t trust banks, not having a bank account can actually cost them money. The pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges for unbanked families.
Washington has proposed the new tax and fee increases to help expand, replace and maintain transportation routes across the state. With the proposed revenue boost, the state could raise $15.3 billion.
A congressional hearing last month took up the sticky issue of when and how to hold companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter accountable for misinformation. Lawmakers are now faced with a regulatory maze.
The American Rescue Plan includes significant federal dollars that can support library programs and services that play a larger role in recovery than is generally understood.
Denise Lieberman, of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, protesting the bill that was passed by the state Legislature last month that will impose strict voting regulations, including photo ID requirements. (NPR — April 9, 2021)
The number of acceptance emails that the University of Kentucky accidentally sent out to high school seniors for a program that usually only accepts about 36 students per year. Some of the students who received the acceptance letter claimed to have never applied to, visited or went onto the website for the university. The university apologized for the mistake and said it was due to a “technical issue.”
250 Caltrans toll-booth workers will be replaced by automated systems at the end of July. No workers have yet been laid-off and the department is working to connect the displaced workers with new opportunities.
The state Department of Commerce will allocate funds to support existing manufacturers’ projects that are innovative, bolster a product’s supply chain or target new markets, in an effort to diversify the state’s economy.
While the Miami-Dade region has been ranked one of the most-diverse tech hubs in the nation, local officials want to continue striving for diversity in the area’s tech and venture ecosystem.
The use of robots from companies like Starship Technologies for last-mile deliveries skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and legislators would do well to make them easier to deploy on city sidewalks.
Across the country, houses of worship are shuttering by the thousands. Municipalities have a role in finding new uses for abandoned buildings that have long anchored communities and neighborhoods.
California’s history of gun restrictions started in 1967, when 30 members of the Black Panther Party marched into the Capitol with loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles. Today, gun control has turned into a legal battle.
Agrivoltaics — putting solar panels on farmland — lead to astonishing productivity gains and improved energy efficiency. Except when they don’t.
Kolina Koltai, a vaccine misinformation researcher at the University of Washington, regarding the large proportion of Americans who are not planning on getting the coronavirus vaccine and the many reasons why they are declining it. Experts are worried that there will be too many people who don’t get the vaccine for the nation to reach herd immunity. (NPR — April 7, 2021)
The amount of money that was hidden somewhere in Maine by a couple to celebrate the state’s 200 years of statehood. The money is the reward to an elaborate treasure hunt that includes solving a secret, a riddle and a puzzle, and encourages residents to explore the state.
Rick Caruso, a Los Angeles developer, is now accepting Bitcoin for retail and apartment rent payments at several of his properties. Caruso is also developing a shoppers reward program that uses blockchain technology.
A variety of public-private partnerships will fund broadband expansion to East Cleveland, one of the least connected cities in the nation. Households will get 4G service with 50 mbps download speeds for just $15 a month.
A bill that would have required voter identification when applying for mail-in ballots has been revised to just online applications. The bill’s author is adamant about the role ID would have in tightening election security.
President George Washington was the first to issue proclamations or executive orders. Their use peaked under Franklin Roosevelt, but they have been used fewer times in recent presidencies. Will Biden reverse the trend?
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