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Despite federal scaremongering about state and local pensions, the problem for now isn't their balance sheets. It's the budget vise that is likely to tempt some public employers to cut funding corners.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, commenting on contact tracing’s role in coronavirus response. (AP News — June 29, 2020)
The number of jobs that American companies added to the economy in June as states continued with their reopening plans. Three industries, leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation and construction, accounted for nearly 70 percent of all of the jobs added last month.
Sacramento has proposed changes to its police system, which could include social workers, mental health services in the city’s 911 response as well as having an inspector general provide impartial reviews of the department.
A new report suggests focusing on training opportunities, expanding broadband access and creating equitable inclusion in the workforce as important pieces when rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy.
Thomas Jefferson was not the first choice to write the Declaration of Independence. He accepted the assignment reluctantly, but he brought genius to the project, including the 35 most important words in the English language.
In April, Gov. Newsom launched an initiative to increase COVID-19 testing accessibility for rural towns and disadvantaged neighborhoods. The state will no longer fund new testing sites, even as infections increase.
Governors are battling with local leaders over mask requirements. Some state executives have enacted a statewide mask requirement while others are leaving it up to local leaders to decide.
James Henson, the director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, addressing the pushback that states are receiving after implementing statewide blanketed orders, like California’s mask requirement and Texas’ restaurant capacity reduction. (PEW — June 29, 2020)
As COVID-19 cases surge, there could be growing interest in the technology. But states planning to roll them out need to vet them rigorously for privacy protections and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
The amount that Netflix will donate from its cash holdings to financial institutions and organizations that provide direct support to Black communities in the U.S.
Two state representatives want an investigation into the unemployment system failures, and want to find out why thousands of residents have gone weeks or months without receiving their benefits.
A state senator has proposed new legislation that would require police to release public records on officer shootings, use of force and sexual misconduct as well as expand fines for agencies that fail to comply.
As states continue to allow residents to return to gyms, restaurants and bars, the contact tracing caseloads have soared. But even when contact tracing works, the method still relies on people’s cooperation.
Border towns are concerned with the health risks as workers come into their neighborhood to continue working on the Mexico-border wall. Many believe the work and millions in spending should be paused during the pandemic.
The fiscal year begins in most states and cities on July 1. Without further federal aid, many will have to re-examine just-passed budgets for cuts down the road.
U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy said regarding the individual actions that are needed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (Reuters — June 29, 2020)
The end date for the $600 supplements that Congress added to weekly unemployment benefits as a part of the coronavirus aid package. This drop in benefits could be devastating for many families who are relying on the payments as they wait for employers to reopen and rehire.
Many Ohioans have filed for workers’ compensation after allegedly contracting COVID-19 while on the job, but companies are skeptical of the claims. The state has created a special review team to evaluate these claims.
For families that are high-risk for COVID-19, Arizona’s rising case numbers are cause for concern. At the same time, some medical practices are reducing the availability of telehealth as soon as the end of June.
Gov. Newsom has required that all Californians wear face masks to try to prevent further spread of COVID-19, but many local leaders are refusing to enforce the order, claiming that Newsom is overstepping his authority.
A group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would ban the government use of facial recognition technology. The bill comes after a Detroit man was falsely arrested after being misidentified by police using the tech.
It's transforming the worlds of real estate and development. Cities and counties can experiment with it for themselves, but their most important role is in sharing the data that drives it.
A moment captured by Governing’s David Kidd is about to become history. Over the weekend, the state Legislature passed by a large majority a bill to remove the Confederate symbol from the official flag.
Allissa Richardson, a pioneer in mobile journalism, discusses the emergence of smartphones and social media as tools to fight back against the mistreatment of marginalized citizens by law enforcement.
The week in cybersecurity includes news about proposed changes to California’s privacy law, federal aid to protect schools from cyberattacks and calls for the police to stop partnering with Amazon’s Ring surveillance service.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, speaking of the state’s orders to close all bars and scale back restaurant capacities after coronavirus cases have surged in the state. The nation has seen an all-time high of daily case counts as 40,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in one day. (AP News — June 26, 2020)
The amount that a coalition, led by the World Health Organization, is asking for in donations from government and private agencies to combat COVID-19. The initiative hopes to deliver 500 million tests by mid-2021 and 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021.
The California Air Resources Control Board hopes to reduce air pollution by requiring that companies begin using zero-emissions big rigs. Eventually, the state hopes to have all new trucks be emissions-free by 2045.
An attempt to expand vote-by-mail ahead of the fall election failed last week as South Carolina shifted funds to coronavirus relief and broadband. The same day, the number of reported cases reached a single-day record.
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