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Public officials are nervous about the presence of new strains of the coronavirus and the potential to have yet another spike in case contractions and deaths. But without the proper detection tools, the state can’t do much.
Roadside America has been open since 1953, delighting visitors with its model of a Pennsylvania town frozen in time and full of little cars and trains. But the popular roadside attraction couldn’t survive the pandemic.
It can take decades for slowly changing circumstances to alter the understanding of a region's strengths or weaknesses. That can have an impact on everything from revitalization to political discourse.
A confluence of social and political pressures is making a comprehensive federal privacy law seem inevitable. The incoming Biden administration could help ensure legislation heads in the right direction.
State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2021 session with an overview of everything from abortion to redistricting.
The state’s progressive tax structure is reaping billions from the wealthiest to fund the state’s safety net. But it also reveals how the pandemic has widened the economic gulf for millions of Californians — more than the rest of the country.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, speaking of the lawsuit she has filed against the New York City Police Department for excessive force and violating the rights of New Yorkers during the peaceful protests for racial justice and social changes that occurred this summer. James’ office reported more than 1,300 pieces of evidence and complaints about the police’s response to the protests. (NPR — Jan. 14, 2021)
Enthusiasm for the space industry has grown during the Trump Administration, but it is uncertain if that momentum will continue into the Biden Administration.
While the first round of stimulus checks encouraged spending as workers were adjusting to life at home, many expect the second round of payments will mostly go towards bill payments and savings.
Due to its size and generosity, the state’s unemployment agency has been inundated with fraudulent COVID-19 benefits claims, which amount to $750 million in false filings each week. Some have come from as far as Russia.
An analysis of the most recent Annual Survey of School Systems Finances data reveals where public elementary-secondary school systems get their funding from and where they spend it.
Inciting an insurrection against the United States government clearly constitutes criminal activity.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio regarding the city’s decision to terminate all contracts with the Trump Organization due to the violence at the U.S. Capitol last week. The Trump Organization earns about $17 million a year from its profits with the city, De Blasio reported. (AP News — Jan. 13, 2021)
The amount that Google will be donating to cover the costs of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program applications for 500 immigrants.
The city’s office market in 2020 reached its lowest levels since 1990 as the pandemic forced companies to send workers home and some, like Twitter and Dropbox, downsized their office footprint.
A federal judge is now considering a lawsuit alleging widespread voter suppression that was filed after Stacey Abram’s loss to Gov. Brian Kemp. The state is arguing that the claims of voter suppression are as unsubstantiated as Trump’s claims of fraud.
Rules for COVID vaccine distribution lack consistency between states and as health officials change distribution recommendations. With case numbers continuing to rise, the nation scrambles towards widespread inoculations.
Former Gov. Rick Snyder, one of his top aides and his health director are all expected to soon face criminal charges over the alleged cover-up of the Flint water crisis.
The attack on Congress has led to impeachment and increased security in Washington and state capitols. Governing spoke with historian Jonathan Earle about political violence in the nation's past.
Working together to create their own alternative to Bitcoin and its copycats could be a way to generate value, at no initial cost, for struggling pension funds. Madisons, anyone?
Just under 10 percent of the nearly 7,500 legislators serving in America’s state houses are Black, and only 13 are Republicans.
Children and teenagers need particularly specialized treatment, but what residential programs that exist help only a tiny fraction of victims. Interstate cooperation could make a difference.
The shipment of goods to suppliers has become technologically sophisticated. Delays in getting out the COVID-19 vaccine to people show that the breakdowns come down to something more basic.
The FBI, in a statement regarding nationwide armed protests in the days leading up to Inauguration Day. (AP News — Jan. 11, 2021)
The amount of Google’s COVID-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Fund that will be used to fight misinformation about the coronavirus vaccine.
One of the top contractors claims construction of the California bullet train project is riddled with problems that have exacerbated delays and predicts it will only get worse.
The violence at the U.S. Capitol last week has drawn attention to the range of security measures in place at state capitols. About 30 buildings use metal detectors while about 20 allow carrying legal firearms inside.
To install the detectors and screening equipment necessary for a firearms ban, the state would need to spend $1.5 million, which is more than the Capitol Commission’s annual maintenance budget.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, speaking about the risk of more violence and riots in the days surrounding Inauguration Day and the need to ensure safety. Several pro-Trump extremists made threats on Parler to return to the U.S. Capitol the day before the inauguration with weapons. The Parler app has since been suspended by Amazon, Apple and Google. (NPR — Jan. 9, 2021)
The estimated number of Americans who have received the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, which amounts to two percent of the nation’s population. Experts estimate as many as 85 percent need to be inoculated to achieve “herd immunity.”
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