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Girmay Zahilay is the first new executive of King County, Wash., in 16 years. His restructure of the executive office sprouted rumors he "fired everyone" — but Zahilay says he's just organizing his office around his campaign promises.
The notion that we can assume people suffering from substance use disorders will freely choose what is best for them and their children is regularly undermined by reality. Too many children have paid the price.
Critical infrastructure that holds up the state’s foster care system is quietly collapsing, leaving children at risk. A well-meaning reform for sexual abuse survivors is contributing to the crisis.
While New York has ambitious climate mandates, deregulation and early infrastructure investments have allowed Texas to build renewable energy much faster.
After 24 hours of grinding floor debate, the Washington House approved an income tax on households earning more than $1 million per year.
North Dakota GOP Chair Matt Simon, reacting after several Republican incumbents announced they would skip the party’s state convention and bypass the endorsement process — an extraordinary move that underscores deep divisions within the state GOP. Simon said sitting officeholders declining to seek the party’s endorsement is something the party has never experienced before. (North Dakota Monitor)
67%
That’s the share of streams in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County that are classified as “impaired,” meaning their waters do not meet state standards for drinking, fishing or swimming ...
In many states, it’s too easy for malicious actors to gain access to EBT cards. Officials in California, and now several other states, are trying to change that.
A lot of cities have tried doing away with the fare box. Most of them have run into problems of one kind or another.
That’s how many voters participated in Texas’ Democratic U.S. Senate primary, the party’s highest turnout in at least two decades ...
Florida state House Speaker Daniel Perez as lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate struggled to reach agreement on a state budget with only days left in the Legislature’s 60-day session. Even though the two chambers’ proposals are less than 1 percent apart, negotiations have stalled over deeper disagreements about taxes and spending priorities. The impasse has raised the likelihood that lawmakers will need to extend the session to pass the constitutionally required balanced budget. (Orlando Sentinel)
Deaths dropped 10 percent but the mortality rate remains far higher than for the general population.
A proposed statewide Domestic Workers Bill of Rights would cover housekeepers and other workers employed in private homes and give them access to wage, discrimination and enforcement protections.
Corpus Christi leaders say a water emergency could arrive within months, with shortages potentially disrupting major industries and fuel distribution.
Some people fear self-driving vehicles, but experts say their potential to save lives might be their biggest benefit.
As long as Congress disregards the collateral damage that AI and other new technologies are already bringing to our economy, states and municipalities will need to move quickly to capture new revenues to support workers left behind.
53%
That’s the share of court-ordered child support payments Mississippi collected in 2024, the lowest rate in the nation ...
West Virginia Senate President Randy Smith after deciding to halt a controversial bill that would have required the West Virginia State Police to sell machine guns to certain residents. The Republican leader said he stopped the legislation because it was “poorly drafted” and likely unconstitutional, adding that the proposal sparked intense backlash that included threats and harassment directed at lawmakers. (West Virginia Watch)
Proposed legislation would allow schools to check immigration status and potentially deny enrollment or charge tuition, challenging the Supreme Court’s long-standing guarantee of public education for all children.
Officials from both parties have halted proposed warehouse conversions in several states, even as federal officials continue exploring a 1,500-detainee processing facility near Orlando.
States are beginning to receive hundreds of millions from a new $50 billion federal rural health program, but lawmakers and health groups are challenging how the money will be spent.
The explosive growth of data centers, fueled partly by the AI race, has some states scrambling for a piece of the action and some localities trying to pump the brakes.
Formerly incarcerated women have expertise that is policy-ready. We need to mandate including them on the bodies that shape jails, prisons, parole, sentencing and reentry.
The fast-tracked bill would limit use of voter registration information, shield ballots from disclosure under open records law and expand rules governing recounts.
Homeowners in major metros are holding onto properties for longer periods, with Los Angeles topping 20 years and state tax laws helping discourage moves.
An Indiana district is experimenting with small, flexible learning environments to counter declining enrollment.
Molly Englert, a cybersecurity worker in downtown Boston, after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested the federal government could scrutinize the safety of sugary coffee drinks sold by Dunkin' and Starbucks. The comments sparked a swift backlash in Massachusetts, where Dunkin’, which was founded in Quincy, Mass. in 1950, is a defining part of daily life. Gov. Maura Healey joined the pushback, posting a photo of a Dunkin’ cup on social media with the message “COME AND TAKE IT,” saying that federal officials should focus on bigger public health issues instead of Boston’s beloved iced coffee ritual. (Wall Street Journal)
That’s how much gaming revenue fell in Las Vegas in January compared with the same month last year ...
The U.S. homeland is out of range of military strikes, but state and local governments could see cyber attacks, cloud service disruptions and rising supply costs.
This long-depressed city has overcome some of its most serious problems. Maybe others can accomplish the same thing.