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 pandemic and vaccine rollout remain the top priority for counties. Federal stimulus dollars will help with that, along with other responsibilities, including public safety and schools.
The superintendent of the second-largest school district in Iowa has been on the frontlines, leading 16,000 students and staff through unprecedented times that included a pandemic, a historic storm and a personal health crisis.
Huge gaps exist in scientific knowledge, but California is about to set the world’s first health guidelines for microplastics in drinking water. Yet no one agrees how to test water for the tiny bits of plastic, or how dangerous they are.
This week Connecticut’s daily positivity rate was at the highest it’s been since late January, but officials say that shouldn’t impact the vaccine rollout which should outpace the demand by early May.
A recall campaign against California's governor will succeed in triggering an election. But the governor enjoys deep Democratic loyalty in a state that's overwhelmingly on the party's side.
New York City’s June mayoral primary will be the largest test for the voting method.
Given its location and the tax and deregulatory policies the governor has pursued, Arizona looks well-positioned for the economic recovery. The state still suffers one of the highest coronavirus caseloads, however.
The past year has forced medical professionals to rethink how they provide care to patients. From drive-thru testing and telemedicine, many COVID innovations will have impact beyond the pandemic.
Gov. Kate Brown announced that residents could expect a wider rollout of the Exposure Notifications Express technology by January, but two months later there’s still no app and no explanation for the delay.
The California city is home to heavy industry, the nation’s busiest port complex and high levels of pollution. In many cases, companies that cause the pollution aren’t held responsible for cleaning it up.
The author of a new book on the coronavirus discusses how political expediency and an immature public have impaired America’s ability to meet the challenges and what we have learned as a country and what we have not.
More women than ever are serving in state legislatures. But an interview with the longest-serving woman legislator reveals just how slow change has been in bringing an end to gender inequities in statehouses.
COBOL is a 50-year-old programming language that some say government should get away from. But it could still have a place in modern IT organizations.
It would address the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. while boosting revenue to address the public health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
It’s premature for states to lift mask mandates. Relying on personal choice isn’t enough when the decline in COVID-19 cases has stalled and potentially more-lethal variants are showing up around the country.
950 lithium-ion batteries will not only store excess output from solar and wind power plants, they will also ensure the electric grid is more reliable. Lawmakers want to encourage more projects like this.
The trial of the former city police officer has become a proxy for the state of racial tension in America, and perhaps the impetus for completing what the civil rights movement began in the 1960s.
Gov. Cuomo wouldn't be the first politician to ride out a political storm. If he does manage to survive, it might suggest the #MeToo movement has lost some of its sting.
If HR1 becomes federal law, it may not have a substantial impact on Washington state’s election protocols. Still, Secretary of State Kim Wyman has voiced concern over its lack of bipartisanship.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave our airports, roads, bridges and drinking water a C- in its latest report card, calling it a modest improvement. But the bill on progress is a long way from being paid off.
As represented by statues and school names, American history has long overlooked the flaws of mostly dead white males. Taking down their monuments risks a different kind of simplification.
Rather than end our 'uncivil war,' our efforts to find a shared American identity have left us more divided than ever. In the search for unity, we should look to a revived focus on local identity.
The homeless suffer from mental illness at far higher rates than the general population. Too often, we put them in jail, which just makes things worse. We need to start with criminal justice reform.
Whether or not Gov. Ivey drops the state’s mask mandate, many national retail chains and federal buildings will keep mask requirements. Additionally, Biden’s executive order requires them in airports and public transit.
A new law provides temporary relief to residents who received extremely high bills for natural gas use during the February cold front. Officials are investigating the price spike with concerns about price gouging.
On Capitol Hill, the House has passed a bill that would establish nationwide standards for federal elections to counter more restrictive voting legislation introduced by Republicans across the nation.
The pandemic has devastated small businesses that employ millions of Americans. Public officials can tap the expertise of strategic partners to give these companies a chance to survive — and thrive.
State legislators are developing a plan to spend the state’s nearly $4.2 billion in federal COVID-19 funding while stripping emergency powers from Gov. Whitmer and the health department’s director.
When presidents take the oath of office, they are expected to protect America against attack. But what about pandemics and economic depressions? Here’s a brief history of how presidents have handled different threats.
C-SPAN and its state-level equivalents have been around for decades, quietly transmitting the minutia of government. But with statehouses still in lockdown, public affairs television is more significant than ever.
