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Voting is a sacred right. For African Americans, effort by state lawmakers to make it harder evoke memories of the violence, pain and dehumanization of the Jim Crow era.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, regarding the growing number of “hate incidents,” such as being verbally harassed or being victims of workplace discrimination, which don’t qualify as hate crimes but perpetuate the severity of discrimination and violence against Asian American people. (NPR — March 18, 2021)
The amount that the Biden administration has promised for COVID-19 testing expansion in schools, in hopes to get students back into the classroom quickly.
Many companies have offered stipends to workers to establish an ergonomic home office, which has created an unexpected profit for companies that produce at-home office equipment and furniture.
E-Verify ensures workers have proper documentation, but undocumented workers have been using stolen identities as a way to pass through the system. It’s unclear whether the worker or employer is exploiting the loophole.
The state has filed two lawsuits against San Diego County over two large housing projects that will put residents at extraordinary fire danger. There have been 68 fires within 5 miles of one of the planned sites.
In examining six older industrial cities, two urbanists raise a lot of good questions, though they don’t provide any definitive solutions.
An important new book, Apollo’s Arrow, precisely targets what America got right in its COVID-19 response, and where it must do better next time. And there will be a next time.
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The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2022, over half of the workforce will require significant reskilling or upskilling to do their jobs—and this data was published prior to the pandemic.
The pandemic and vaccine rollout remain the top priority for counties. Federal stimulus dollars will help with that, along with other responsibilities, including public safety and schools.
The superintendent of the second-largest school district in Iowa has been on the frontlines, leading 16,000 students and staff through unprecedented times that included a pandemic, a historic storm and a personal health crisis.
Huge gaps exist in scientific knowledge, but California is about to set the world’s first health guidelines for microplastics in drinking water. Yet no one agrees how to test water for the tiny bits of plastic, or how dangerous they are.
Samir Jain, policy director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, commenting on Utah’s attempt to have cellphones and tablets sold and activated in the state automatically block access to pornography. Some believe that it unlawfully imposes the same standards on everyone in Utah. (Associated Press — March 16, 2021)
The number of tickets that were handed out last year in Florida for texting while driving, which was made a primary traffic offense in 2019. However, the low number suggests that the new law is rarely enforced. There are more than 15 million licensed drivers in the state.
California state workers took a two years’ pay cut last year to help lessen the state’s looming budget deficit. The state is set to receive $26B in federal aid, but it may not be enough to return salaries to normal.
Cullman County is expected to receive $21 million over the next two years in federal funds. Officials are already planning to spend some of the money on revenue shortfalls, employee support and other legacy projects.
The online portal would be less prone to crashing and could be repaired without shutting down the entire website. It has received bipartisan legislative support, but many say more improvement is needed.
This week Connecticut’s daily positivity rate was at the highest it’s been since late January, but officials say that shouldn’t impact the vaccine rollout which should outpace the demand by early May.
As expected, the Maryland law that created an online advertising tax is facing legal opposition from lobbying groups backed by Amazon, Google and Facebook. The groups argue the law violates the commerce clause.
It’s an opportunity, particularly for localities, to make long-term investments not only in infrastructure but also in the way they perform their work for the post-pandemic future.
A recall campaign against California's governor will succeed in triggering an election. But the governor enjoys deep Democratic loyalty in a state that's overwhelmingly on the party's side.
Sara Bronin, a law professor at the University of Connecticut and Yale University, on how the state’s zoning laws reinforce racial inequities. (Associated Press — March 16, 2021)
The number of cities across the nation that could lose their status as a metropolitan statistical area if the federal government raises the population criteria for core cities in metro areas to 100,000 residents instead of just 50,000. The change would reclassify one-third of the areas as micropolitan statistical areas, which many fear would impact funding and future development.
Two new measures would change the way that public transportation fares are collected by establishing a $35 administrative citation and hiring safety officials, not police officers, to collect fares, answer questions.
As vaccine rates continue to rise, many officials are establishing guidelines for what people can expect the new normal to be like. Masks, plexiglass barriers and online shopping are likely to stay.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott voiced support for Republican bills that target Harris County’s efforts to expand early voting and mail-in ballot access during the 2020 election, increasing the focus on election security.
New York City’s June mayoral primary will be the largest test for the voting method.
Broadband and vaccine distribution will be the big winners when it comes to new relief spending by cities and counties, according to a survey. PPE purchases and IT infrastructure could see fewer dollars.
Given its location and the tax and deregulatory policies the governor has pursued, Arizona looks well-positioned for the economic recovery. The state still suffers one of the highest coronavirus caseloads, however.
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Part math problem and part unrealized social impact, recycling is at a tipping point. While there are critical system improvements to be made, in the end, success depends on millions of small decisions and actions by people.
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