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Pandemic protections offer more ballot options, but election lies are driving new restrictions.
Last week, Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed the Aldermen’s unanimous vote to keep the gunshot detection technology, saying the system doesn’t work well enough to justify its costs. Some residents are worried that without it, police response time will lag.
On Sunday, California Democrats will hold their first major candidate debate for those vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026. Four of the five current candidates will face off.
Jesse Fahnestock of the Global Maritime Forum regarding the ammonia-powered tugboat, NH3 Kraken, which sailed for the first time this week on a tributary of the Hudson River. The tugboat used to run on diesel but has since been switched to ammonia, a new, carbon-free fuel. (Associated Press — Sept. 23, 2024)
A new public opinion survey commissioned by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows most Americans believe investments in housing and social service can reduce homelessness. A smaller fraction supports law enforcement as a primary solution.
One key issue for working-class and low-income Black voters in Detroit is the cost of water. As of 2023, 27 percent of Detroit households are at risk of having their water shut off due to unpaid water bills, with $700 being the average amount owed.
In the 2022 general election, just 42 percent of eligible Texas voters cast a ballot, making it one of the worst states in the nation for voter participation.
A petroleum and chemical tank farm operator and a Louisiana environmental group are working together to install air monitors measuring emissions.
Jessica Tisch, the commissioner for the New York City Department of Sanitation, regarding the city’s decision to install trash bins last September. Since the pilot program began, the number of rat complaints have decreased by 66 percent. As of this March, the city has containerized all trash from commercial businesses in the city and, starting in November, will containerize trash for buildings with one to nine units. Once that next step begins, New York City will have containerized 70 percent of all its trash. (NPR — Sept. 24, 2024)
It’s good politics for presidential candidates to talk about solving problems that presidents can’t do much about.
Neither Trump nor Harris seems to be running away with the contest in Clallam County, Wash. Its residents reflect the nation’s passions and polarization.
As a recent study documents, federal fiscal stimulus created a budget windfall for states. Most cut taxes, and some now must scramble to make up for shortfalls. Congress is likely to impose tighter restrictions on future countercyclical aid, so it’s a time for all levels of government to get their acts together.
A new bill asks Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators to overhaul New York’s broken guardianship system. It cites a ProPublica investigation that found the elderly and infirm living in dire conditions while under court-mandated oversight.
Falling borrowing costs could trigger a flood of additional buyers and send home prices higher but, for now, the number of homes for sale is increasing modestly, rates are falling and home price growth is slowing.
The state Capitol’s pension debt clock acted as a reminder for the last eight years of how much taxpayers were on the hook to pay. But now the state’s retirement system is fully funded and the digital clock has gone dark.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash, regarding the decision to rename the park’s highest peak to its Cherokee name. Clingmans Dome will be reverted back to Kuwohi, which is Cherokee for “mulberry place,” more than 150 years after a surveyor named the mountain for a Confederate general. Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. (Associated Press — Sept. 18, 2024)
Good jobs are a bedrock of resilient communities. State and local governments can spar over who sets standards, but there are ways to meet both state standards and local needs.
Future in Context
From expanding the role of state CIOs to building federal partnerships, the head of NASCIO makes the case for technologists in shaping the future of how government works.
Millions of Americans, particularly people of color buying lower-cost homes, have turned to land contracts and other alternative financing that lack the protections of traditional mortgages. Lawmakers could make these processes a lot safer.
Ultimately, climate change may bring relief from overtourism at a high price: the loss of vibrant autumn leaves.
The Bureau of Land Management’s controversial plan updates preferred solar zones for the first time in 12 years and identifies nearly 12 million acres for available solar development in Nevada, more than any of the 11 other states included in the plan.
Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, regarding an identical replica of the White House’s Oval Office in a new Washington, D.C., tourist stop that opens on Monday, Sept. 23. Admission into The People’s House: A White House Experience is free, but visitors will need to request timed tickets. (Associated Press — Sept. 20, 2024)
Regional library systems provide vital services for small and under-resourced communities. But what happens when political divisions threaten to dismantle them?
Innovative wage subsidy programs and other services can help workers without college degrees demonstrate their skills to the employers who need them.
The state’s Election Board will consider 11 rule changes, from hand counting ballots to ballot tracking fees, that could significantly impact the election landscape with less than a month left before early voting begins.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that California could lose up to 75 percent of its beaches in the next 75 years. The changes have sparked multimillion-dollar restoration projects and lawsuits along the state’s coast.
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