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Cities and counties face budget shortfalls in the billions, leading to furloughs and hiring freezes. Absent federal aid, further cuts are certain.
Next week the U.S. Senate will begin its second impeachment trial of President Trump, who has already left office. A look back at what has happened in previous trials sheds some light on what might happen next week.
Millions of Americans are living on properties that are at-risk for climate change-related disasters. The solution to the problem is far more complicated than just telling residents to move.
A survey of state and local government employees finds that the prolonged stresses of the pandemic are taking a toll. One in three have considered changing jobs.
Leigh Foy, a chemistry and Advanced Placement biology teacher in Pennsylvania, speaking about the cuts in curriculum she must make to adapt to the constraints and challenges of distance learning. (Associated Press — Feb. 1, 2021)
The estimated number of Colorado Republicans that changed their political party status in the week following the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. After the insurrection at the Capitol, thousands of Republicans across the nation have defected from the Republican party by switching to unaffiliated statuses, other conservative groups or, in rare cases, to the Democratic party.
While the state is working to improve broadband connectivity across the state, many in rural areas of the state find themselves paying more for slower Internet speeds and without any options.
A survey found Indigenous people are more willing than the general public to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as a responsibility to their community. An increase in community-based messaging could boost acceptance.
More than $12.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program grants went to 31 businesses that were cited by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Division for violating the state’s coronavirus safety guidelines.
The first full legislative session is underway after a summer of racial justice protests, and state lawmakers across the country are proposing changes to racist laws in policing, housing and health-care access.
California’s governor has been threatened with a recall attempt and while the probability of it happening is low, his administration has made adjustments to the COVID regulations to lessen the crisis.
Collective bargaining agreements with police too often constrain department leadership and tilt the playing field away from accountability for officers' misconduct. Community trust is at stake.
President Joe Biden, urging Congress to take immediate action on his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package. (Reuters — Jan. 29, 2021)
The proportion of vaccinations that have been administered to Black people in Mississippi, despite the fact that Black Mississippians account for 38 percent of coronavirus cases and 42 percent of deaths in the state. Recent data from 17 states reveals significant vaccine disparities by race and ethnicity.
Researchers at the University of Washington have found that Amazon’s search algorithms boost books and products that promote misinformation about COVID vaccines and general health.
The state’s Employment Development Department is still flooded with unprocessed benefits claims, millions of dollars worth of fraudulent applications and decades-old problems that continue to slow the process.
Last year, 1,226 Erie County employees received $5.9 million in overtime related to the coronavirus pandemic. Of those employees, 54 were political appointees who received $1.3 million of the total.
The U.S. senators, each from different parties, have interesting positions that could provide them more clout in the narrowly-led Democratic 117th Congress.
Many public health officials are worried about the lack of preparedness, training, testing and vaccine distributions for COVID-19 and what that could mean for the next pandemic.
Oklahoma state Rep. Justin Humphrey, speaking of his bill proposal that would create a Bigfoot hunting season in the Ouachita Mountains as a way to encourage tourism in the state. The bill would only allow trapping and he hopes to secure $25,000 as a reward. (Associated Press — Jan. 22, 2021)
The amount of money that Bernie Sanders’ Inauguration Day mittens and the accompanying meme have raised for charitable organizations in Vermont over the last several days through merchandise purchases. The marketing campaign, Chairman Sanders, sold out of its t-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers within the first 30 minutes.
The Fair Political Practices Commission reported a record $1.9 million in penalties last year, one of which amounted to $1.35 million with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors over improper use of public funds.
The county received $47 million in CARES Act funding and nearly lost the last $5 million due to expired time. But with Congress’s extension, the county has until the end of the year to allocate the funds.
In addition to focusing on electric-powered and hydrogen fuel cell propulsion vehicles, the car manufacturer has goals to be carbon neutral for both its products and plants by 2040.
63 percent of tech companies in San Francisco plan on reducing their office space even after the pandemic. A majority of those surveyed said the city’s regulations and taxes were influencing the decision.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has encouraged residents who are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine but an “ineffective” website and short supply have many frustrated with the progress.
Georgia once had 'the South's most racist governor,' a man endorsed by the KKK. Now its senators are a Black pastor and a Jewish son of immigrants. A scholar of minority voters explains what happened.
Telecommuting is here to stay, and those workers are a built-in market for revitalizing your downtown — if you give them the right kind of place to go.
The payoff for states and localities from federal infrastructure legislation is likely to be many times more than COVID stimulus aid. Governors and local leaders need to play their cards wisely.
A coalition of over 70 groups, in a letter to Congress, urging caution when considering changes for the Communications Decency Act, or Section 230. (The Hill — Jan. 27, 2021)
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