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Last year, the state House fell a few votes short of advancing a constitutional amendment to allow the construction of eight destination resort casinos. It is unlikely that the state Senate will have enough votes to pass the measure next session.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in her announcement that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment. The 74-year-old Texas Democrat first took office in 1995 and is seeking her 16th term. (Associated Press — June 3, 2024)
Some conservatives want Washington to stay out of disaster zones, leaving the job to states and localities, along with private insurance. This won't fly politically or practically.
The two are intertwined, yet too often they aren’t viewed that way. Aligning them is a strategy for creating strong rural and Native communities.
Future in Context
Eric Goldman, associate dean of research at Santa Clara University School of Law, assesses concerns around the impending TikTok ban or buyout. It faces significant First Amendment challenges, he said.
The passage of the federal DATA Act 10 years ago and its implementation provide a road map for bipartisan reform at every level of government.
California has long relied on its prison population to battle wildfires. But a steady decline in the state’s incarcerated population and a $45 billion budget shortfall has left the state with gaps when it comes to wildfire response.
On May 31, 2019, a city engineer shot and killed 12 people and injured five others before being fatally shot by the police. Five years later, the community is still healing and implementing new systems to prevent violence.
Amanda Zurawski, regarding the lawsuit that she and more than 20 other women filed against Texas for its restrictive abortion ban. Zurawski was told that she had a condition which meant that her baby would not survive, but she was forced to wait until she was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of sepsis before an abortion was provided. The lawsuit didn’t aim to repeal the abortion ban, but gain more clarity on when exceptions are allowed. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the challenge unanimously. (Associated Press — May 31, 2024)
Prevention, harm reduction and treatment all depend on data collection. It’s even more important now, as new substances and mixtures find their way into the drug supply.
American Indians were not granted citizenship by Congress until 1924. A prominent attorney discusses civil rights progress since then.
Just two years after California announced its strict new vehicle emission goals, eight other states have followed its lead. But many aren’t sure that the Golden State will hit its goals, or if the state should be the nation’s model.
Private and government organizations are looking for ways to use technology, including networks of satellites, to improve anticipation and prevention of wildfire activity.
After spending an estimated $1.5 million on a new and “improved” e-filing system just a few years ago, the executive secretary of the Georgia Ethics Commission is again requesting proposals for a new system.
Four in 10 school buses in New Jersey failed initial inspections, according to an analysis of 22 months of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission records. Nearly 6,000 inspections led to buses being taken off the road.
McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger, responding to viral tweets and media reports that have, according to Erlinger, exaggerated the fast food chain’s price increases. Erlinger acknowledged that he and many franchises were frustrated by a post on X last summer about a Big Mac meal in Connecticut that cost $18. The average price for a Big Mac in the U.S. is $5.29, or $9.29 for the meal, a 20.5 percent increase compared to 2019. (Associated Press — May 29, 2024)
Her prosecution of Trump has drawn controversy and legal challenges, but it hasn't hurt her at home. The speaker of the Texas House, however, faces serious challenges to his leadership.
A new report tracked pedestrian fatality rates in the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Almost all of them are becoming more dangerous.
They’re resolved through bizarre, often comical procedures, involving everything from coin tosses to cowboy hats to ping-pong balls. But nothing is as bewildering as the way a tied presidential election is decided — an exercise in nonsense.
There are powerful arguments against cities spending lots of money on professional sports. On the other hand, the prestige of having home teams carries some tangible benefits.
Over the last five years, half the nation’s jobs were created in Texas and Florida. California and New York fell to the bottom of the heap, according to a Stateline analysis.
The city’s Education Department has directed districts to increase their share of classes in compliance with a reduced size plan by 3 percent. Superintendents can require schools to meet individual targets.
Members of Congress have faced an elevated threat landscape in recent years, but their staff at congressional district offices across the country often bear the brunt of these attacks.
A resident of Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, writing to a city councilmember. Seattle officials have received hundreds of complaints about the noise raised at night by the driver of a modified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, which is disturbingly loud even by urban standards. The driver has told police officers that he can’t slow down as he derives benefit from thousands of Instagram followers who applaud his posted videos of racing 100 mph through the city streets. (New York Times — May 29, 2024)
Unions have recently enjoyed some success in both recruitment and labor actions. They now face resistance from lawmakers in red states, particularly in the South.
The movement to build tiny houses has gotten a lot of attention, but it hasn’t gained much traction in the market. Still, there may be some applications for homes of just a few hundred square feet.
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