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The court is considering whether criminal penalties for sleeping in public places amount to cruel and unusual punishment. But no ruling on the issues before the high court will change the nature or scope of the problem.
Permitting obstacles too often slow deployment of federal infrastructure dollars.
As several states propose child marriage bans, Missouri state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder hopes that she can use her experiences to encourage a shift in her state’s legislation.
Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt suggested constructing toll booths at state borders to help address the state’s tight budget. But on Monday Gov. Maura Healey said she is not proposing border tolls.
The state is home to roughly 111,000 subsidized units with affordability requirements and many will soon expire if the legislature is not able to grant municipalities a right of first refusal to buy subsidized-housing properties.
The funds will be used to support the state’s comprehensive Everglades restoration plan, and measures to support agriculture and the water needs of Palm Beach and Broward counties.
American University’s Brian Hughes, regarding a Maryland State Police report last month that alleges that three 12-year-olds were repeatedly targeting another middle school student with antisemitic harassment. FBI records show that last year there were roughly 900 reported hate crime offenses at K-12 schools, most of which targeted Black people with anti-Jewish offenses coming in second. (NPR — April 23, 2024)
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides comprehensive support for Americans who face acute mental health challenges. Congress is considering ways to tailor services more strategically.
A lot of communities are experimenting with this costly, ineffective approach to fighting poverty that disincentivizes work. Iowa lawmakers are right to ban localities from creating guaranteed income programs.
While they enjoy today’s high tide in the money markets, state and local treasurers should also promote the case for expanded and targeted federal insurance for public deposits.
Republicans in at least six states are looking to ban basic income programs as Democrats seek to expand the no-strings-attached payments. Some state lawmakers are seeking to ban local communities from enacting similar programs.
Earlier this month, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced her administration’s plan to end the Kensington neighborhood’s open-air drug markets by arresting people for low-level offenses that the city hadn’t targeted in years.
Gov. Tim Walz appointed Theodora Gaïtas and Sarah Hennesy to the state’s highest court on Monday. When Gaïtas and Hennesy join the court, Walz will have selected four of the seven justices.
This year’s relatively snowless winter followed the record-setting season last year, when 93 inches of snow fell onto the city. The city budgets based on average snowfall, but the average is changing, forcing officials to revisit plans.
Brightline Holdings founder and Chair Wes Edens, regarding the construction of a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. Work began on the project on Monday, April 22. Officials predict that the first passengers will board trains by 2028. (Associated Press — April 22, 2024)
A variety of factors make Latinos less likely to have health insurance, including language barriers, types of occupations and immigration status. Coverage problems extend well beyond undocumented individuals.
Research shows that traditional defined-benefit retirement plans aren’t a path to improved recruitment or retention. When it comes to younger workers in particular, policymakers need to accept the new reality.
Future in Context
The rise of generative artificial intelligence is a stress test for data governance and management. And an opportunity for data stewards to shine.
A public dashboard shows only some of the numbers pertaining to the state’s family and medical leave program that launched in September, furthering distrust in a system that has already faced a variety of issues.
Currently, the state controls the local speed limits but a proposal folded into the state budget would change that. The current speed limit in New York City was set in 2014, the first citywide reduction in a half-century.
Ethics Commissioner Freddie Figgers didn’t submit his 2021 financial disclosure statement until the day after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to the Ethics Commission. The commission voted 4-1 to waive the $1,500 fine.
Jalen Beard, a senior at North Community High School in Minneapolis, regarding the prevalence of gun violence at the school. Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for children and teens over age 1 nationwide. The federal government is investing billions of dollars to combat the issue, but some students say there’s a disconnect between what the government is offering and what they actually need. (NPR — April 19, 2024)
Last month, Washington increased funding for the preschool program by $275 million. Additional funding for salaries may help address workforce shortages that have led to a steep decline in enrollment.
Cities there and in other states are building more housing of all types. They’re approaching housing on a regional basis. And there are other steps California could be taking to prevent homelessness.
Recent events highlight the fact that water systems are targets for cyber attacks. There are ways of strengthening defenses at little to no cost, but more needs to be done to implement them.
After borrowing billions from the federal government to pay for unemployment during the pandemic, the state’s debt now stands at about $21 billion and growing. The state also currently accounts for about 20 percent of the nation’s unemployment.
The university will add two academic programs, artificial intelligence and neuroscience, and revise one for fall 2024, pending approval by the state Board of Regents.
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