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Carlos Leon, a resident of a liveaboard community in Biscayne Bay, Fla., regarding new policies adopted by Miami Beach prohibiting liveaboard boaters from leaving their dinghies or other vessels at city-owned boat launches. The small community of about 100 water residents is anchored in state waters adjacent to Miami Beach and is legal, as long as the dwellings remain 150 feet offshore. However, the residents of Miami Beach are not pleased by the liveaboard community and, in December, Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez, who calls liveaboards “boat squatters,” spearheaded a move to remove a public dock next to the city’s supermarket, driving the liveaboard boaters to start using a city-owned boat launch. (NPR — Sept. 3, 2024)
Vice President Kamala Harris proposed a $40 billion “housing innovation fund” to help local governments build more affordable housing. It could be a potential break from most federal housing assistance programs, which are tightly defined.
Total credit card balances have risen 5.8 percent from a year ago as Americans struggle to keep up with high living costs.
They’re a constant in urban history, typically launching with excitement but achieving modest results. That doesn’t stop the enthusiasts from dreaming.
There are no statewide candidates in South Carolina this year, allowing the state’s two major parties to focus on local races. Seventeen of the 170 legislative district races will be especially competitive.
The state’s power grid produced abundant solar power during school hours this August and scarcity is primarily an issue after students have been dismissed for the day. But state Rep. Jared Patterson thinks a delayed start could have benefits.
In 2020 and 2022, annual spending on the issue didn’t exceed $7 million and between 2013 and 2017, Philly spent an average of $9 million annually to settle police misconduct cases. But misconduct spending has since skyrocketed.
Promotional language on the website of West Virginia's Ascend program, which offers $12,000 in cash along with a co-working space, a year’s worth of free activities such as whitewater rafting and other perks to employed people willing to relocate from other states to certain areas of West Virginia. (Washington Post — Aug. 30, 2024)
Deepfake images and videos are just one way AI could disrupt the upcoming election. Experts are highlighting risks that could cause bigger problems and helping election officials prepare for them.
Revenue growth over three years outpaced earlier trends and fueled new spending, but has since pulled back. What does it mean for the future of state budgets?
Sales of e-bikes in the U.S. grew more than 280 percent from 2019 to 2022. However, from 2017 to 2022, there have also been 233 deaths associated with e-bikes, e-scooters and hoverboards.
In 2023 the state created the Texas Energy Fund to finance about 10 gigawatts of electric generation capacity in hopes of reducing strain on the ERCOT power grid. Regulators approved 17 companies to receive loans if their projects are viable.
The city’s Solid Waste Management estimates that it receives thousands of complaints about missed trash pickups. But officials have a $6 million plan that could fix the problem.
As many as 450,000 barred owls could be killed across three Pacific Northwest states over the next 30 years to prevent the extinction of another type of owl. The program aims to kill less than 1 percent of the current barred owl population.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, admitting to incorrectly stating on a 2006 White House fellowship application that he received the prestigious Bronze Star. Moore served in the Army Reserve from 1996 to 2014 and deployed to Afghanistan from August 2005 to March 2006. (The Hill — Aug. 30, 2024)
2020 made police reform “sexy” on a policy level, leading to a significant increase in civilian oversight boards around the country. However, in the years following, many of these boards are still trying to find their footing.
Despite the forces working against fair elections, coalitions and grassroots organizations in several states have achieved a lot for democracy.
On Aug. 18 a slow-moving storm system brought remnants of Hurricane Ernesto to Connecticut and New York. Within 12 hours, the region saw two 1,000-year rainfalls just 35 miles apart. Experts say this will likely become more common.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has warned of “sacrifices that will be made” to account for the multimillion-dollar spending gap. City officials have cited declining state revenues and rising pension and personnel costs as the cause.
Five families are in a legal battle with the EPA and the fertilizer manufacturer Synagro Technologies for allegedly contaminating their cattle and land. Synagro fertilizer is banned from some states for containing forever chemicals.
The state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing underestimated how sick its members would be. Medicaid covers about 1.26 million people in Colorado.
Lyrics from a Jimmy Buffett song. Aug. 30, 2024 is officially recognized as "Jimmy Buffett Day" in Florida to celebrate the life and music of the singer, “whose free-spirited life and significant contributions to national and state culture are commended and celebrated.” (Florida Senate — Aug. 28, 2024)
Insurers have wide latitude on when and how they can deny mental health care. An analysis of all 50 states shows that some are charting new paths to secure mental health care access.
California is notorious for its lack of affordable housing. Still, it's seen a dramatic expansion of one type of housing over the past five years, known as ADUs, offering lessons for other states.
Courts have upheld some bans but struck down others. Some cities and at least one state have considered restricting panhandling in traffic medians due to safety reasons.
Presidents who used to run states sometimes stiff them when it comes to making policy.
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