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With millions of Americans seeking jobs, many formerly incarcerated people worry that ex-offender prejudice will prevent them from being rehired. Without a job, many can’t pay the fines and fees associated with probation.
California’s backlog means some people wait two or more weeks before receiving their COVID-19 test results, long past the point of efficiency. To improve, the state needs a balance of policy, technology and behavioral changes.
As protests shine light on racial inequities in the U.S., tech firms that serve law enforcement are evaluating ways to avoid creating, rather than solving, problems — and at least one has pledged not to support policing.
Too little progress has been made to ensure that high-speed Internet is available to all. As the pandemic has demonstrated, far too many still don't have what they need to function in a virtual world.
Growth remains a bigger worry than unemployment in at least a few cities. They're scattered around the country, but their economies have a few qualities in common that have made them pandemic-proof.
The AI-driven technology helped states and localities deal with overloaded hotlines during the pandemic. But it will have to do more than answer simple questions if it's going to be truly effective.
Jurisdictions across the country are facing a shortage of poll workers for the November election. Local government workers should be deployed to augment the volunteers who do show up.
The Los Angeles Unified School District will test nearly 700,000 students and 75,000 employees as the district awaits permission from public health authorities to resume in-person instruction.
Tax competition among the states has squeezed funding over the years, which in turn has meant less generous benefits, narrower eligibility, and administrative systems starved of staffing and technology.
Legislators voted to cut planned spending by about $400 million and tried to avoid cuts that would have lessened any matching funds from the federal government. Two prisons were spared the axe.
Berkeley, Calif., city leaders, advocates and experts imagine the future with police reform. The results are some practical steps that might, one day, result in new futures for the East Bay city. Here are some scenarios.
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What we do right now will define the future, and yet making decisions and acting with assurance has never been more challenging.
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a research and consulting group, commenting on the places most intent on changing police practices that are putting the greatest pressure on their chiefs. That makes it almost certain that more chiefs will call it quits. (Governing — August 17, 2020)
Dr. Miles Davis wants to use his platform as first Black president of Linfield college to affect systemic change. Even as COVID-19 drastically changes the face of education, Dr. Davis is determined to create the next generation of leaders.
Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, speaking of the need to reduce the number of unnecessary coronavirus tests to improve the turnaround time for results. (PEW — August 14, 2020)
The number of miles Michigan is dedicating to automated vehicles on a stretch of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
In the midst of a health and economic crisis, the 2020 election is going to be completely unprecedented. While Wisconsin officials attempt to prepare as best they can, “We have literally never seen an election like this before.”
The proposed legislation would impact nearly 30,400 Californians and raise $7.5 billion for the state’s general fund. The tax would be 0.4 percent of net worth that exceeds $30 million for single and joint filers.
Fifty-two municipalities and 30 counties applied for a portion of New Mexico’s $150 million in federal coronavirus relief funding. Santa Fe hopes the money can help fund unemployment, business closures and other services.
The cities that have been the most aggressive about demanding reform and altering policing practices are making it difficult for chiefs to carry out the desired policy changes — or even stay on the job.
For decades, we've embraced openness in everything from city planning to the way our homes are built and our schools and offices are arranged. But the age of openness may be winding down.
Marion County, Fla., Sheriff Billy Woods, explaining in an email to his employees that they would be banned from wearing masks while at work. He continued to say that visitors who do not want to remove their mask while inside the Sheriff’s Office would also be asked to leave. (Ocala.com — August 11, 2020)
The number of unemployment benefit claims that were processed for the week ending on Aug. 8, the lowest amount of claims since the pandemic hit in mid-March. However, claim numbers are still far above the 695,000 peak of the Great Recession.
The Pennsylvania city’s council introduced a police initiative that doesn’t defund the department but does implement stronger programs for training on mental health, addiction and other social issues.
Colorado municipalities have seen a $1 billion drop in retail sales between January and May, compared to last year. But for every city or town that has seen a retail decline, two have shown gains.
The North Carolina Health Department announced that reporting errors since April have over-reported the total number of COVID tests. But key figures, like new cases and positive percent, didn’t change.
There was a time when state and local governments could work out deals with Washington. But as the pandemic struggle illustrates, the glory days of big intergovernmental initiatives have ebbed away.
It can solve problems, but it also can address our communities' hopes and ambitions. Our urban endeavors always have a utopian edge to them, even if things don't always work out well.
Some taxes are more impaired by the pandemic recession than others, and each jurisdiction is impacted differently, but many will still suffer revenue slumps into next year and even beyond.
It’s never been more apparent that schools don’t just educate; they also buoy the stability and emotional health of communities. Since July, state legislatures have introduced numerous bills to keep things afloat.
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