State and Local Politics and Policy
It’s especially hard to get low-income Americans living in multifamily buildings across the digital divide. But states and nonprofits are finding ways to do it.
The proposal would allocate $6.9 million to create the Excluded Workers Pilot Program, which would provide unemployment funds to undocumented workers who have been laid off or had a reduction in hours.
Navigating war in Europe, COVID and inflation amid a deep partisan divide, President Biden emphasized solidarity with Ukraine and other points of unity in his first State of the Union address.
The San Francisco recall is just one example of voters’ growing frustration with local institutions, and this angry form of local engagement isn’t limited to education. It’s all about responsiveness.
Local election officials have defended the Kansas county’s election, but the sheriff said his ongoing investigation has raised security concerns about the voting process. No subpoenas or warrants have been issued yet.
The city’s police department has been using ShotSpotter to detect gunshots and respond more quickly for the past two years, but activists question whether the tool is really as beneficial as the city claims.
The actions taken by the U.S. after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might also impact some of Michigan’s automotive sector and other major industries with further delays to the already backlogged supply chain.
Both the public and policymakers have trouble understanding why building more roads and highways does not reduce congestion.
States that oversee liquor sales directly are getting rid of vodka, while a number of governors and local officials are looking to end investment or break off ties with Russia.
Flush with cash, states are able to offer colleges and universities more support than they have in decades. But campuses still face challenges from declining enrollments.
U.S. organizations should up their defenses for the possibility of a Russian cyber attack or misinformation campaign, CISA says. Russian cyber strategies against Ukraine and its allies could evolve.
As of mid-February, none of the state’s $2.5 million allotted for detection and mitigation in prisons, jails and other confinement facilities has yet been spent. More than 1,000 inmates across seven state facilities have gotten COVID-19.
Highway construction receives bipartisan support, but Republican voters in Sun Belt cities have gained the most from the country’s car-centric transportation system, while transit is almost entirely backed by Democrats.
We give subsidies to people who don’t need them, and order the poor to find money they don’t have when they get in trouble with the law.
Professional teams that discriminate against coaches, players and others shouldn’t be getting taxpayer money that would be better spent on the real problems that need more public funding.
The president's party almost always loses seats in midterms. Here's why.
It’s too easy for a debate to degenerate to binary choices. In dealing with public safety issues, Dallas’ mayor embraced a range of solutions rather than simply picking a side.
A recent report estimated that the state used an average of 70 days to process typical Medicaid applications, 25 days longer than allowed by federal law. An expansion in the state’s Medicaid took effect in summer 2021.
Scores of bills have been introduced to limit or forbid classroom discussion of topics at the heart of modern civic life, including race and gender. Even if most won’t become law, they’re putting educators on edge.
A sea level scientist explains the two main ways climate change is threatening the coasts.
A bill introduced by the state Senate would require CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest a combined $9.9 billion and prevent future investment in companies considered to have the greatest potential for future emissions.
Just days into early voting for the March 1 primary, voters will need to go in-person to the office to resolve the questioned status of their ballots. The confusion is a direct result of the new election law.
Too often local governments aren’t prepared, with well-trained staff in place around the clock. That has big implications for emergency management and homeland security.
The Maryland governor and his staff have been using the messaging app Wickr, which allows users to automatically delete messages. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about a lack of transparency.
The pandemic has presented counties with a big bill in terms of dealing with health costs, including mental health. Their workforces are strained, but luckily there’s plenty of money on tap from Washington.
A majority of voters believe the state is headed in the wrong direction and are concerned about rising crime rates and the homelessness crisis. Newsom is up for re-election in the Nov. 2022 midterms.
The new normal is hard to predict. The economic picture is mixed while downtowns remain under peril.
In 1963, Sarah Collins lost a sister, three friends and her right eye, when a bomb went off at a church in Birmingham.
The most affordable homes face the highest risks from disasters for three key reasons.
With students falling behind over months or years of remote learning, online tutoring has become a popular solution, and certain design principles might help make it effective at scale for millions trying to catch up.
Health experts say that some of the statements the Florida governor makes about COVID-19 and its vaccines are, sometimes, entirely incorrect, which contributes to the growing number of COVID infections and deaths.
