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.
University of Maryland will use robots to help increase the state’s testing capacity to up to 20,000 daily. However, the tests can only run as long as they have cotton swabs to take samples, and swabs are in short supply.
Researchers found the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases could be as much as 55 times higher than originally thought. Officials believed there were about 8,000 confirmed cases early on, but there could be more than 440,000.
The coronavirus has shown that they can't count on their states or Washington for everything they need. But higher levels of government could provide funding for cities and counties to do the basics.
Leaders from special districts in California, Illinois and New Jersey, with widely varied responsibilities, talk about maintaining operations, as well as functioning remotely, during the pandemic.
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In the last month, the COVID-19 pandemic has flipped our country on its head.
California is divided on the implementation of 5G: many are concerned of the potential adverse health effects it could cause, while others believe it could help make remote learning and working better.
Alaska’s plan for increasing broadband has ended after its partnering satellite broadband company filed for bankruptcy due to the coronavirus. “Rural Alaska is really hurting for additional capacity.”
COVID-19 is hitting African Americans the hardest. Public officials could do far more about the social determinants of health that underlie the coronavirus's disparate impact.
Maine barely began reporting last week its numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and still doesn’t provide information on non-resident cases despite having the highest proportion of vacation homes in the country.
Gov. Walz said the state would restart its economy once it was testing 5,000 people for coronavirus each day. Since the beginning of the virus, the state has tested fewer than 38,000 people in total.
Los Angeles County is bracing for sales tax revenue losses of 50 to 75 percent, while other counties are furloughing workers and planning to cut back on vital public services. Reserves might cushion the blow.
Daytona Beach, Fla., police are using drones with speaker equipment to remind residents that public gatherings are prohibited during social distancing. Some Mass. police are impressed and may adopt similar methods.
Social distancing has inspired people to turn to social media for support and connection, especially when it comes to health updates. But this also allows researchers to track the spread and predict hospitalizations.
Gov. Whitmer has defended her “stay home” order by saying it prioritizes Michigan’s “health and safety.” Others claim that it’s devastating the state’s economy beyond repair, thereby “ruining our livelihoods.”
Schools need to be better positioned for the next crisis. That means making technology available, preparing students and teachers for online learning, and bringing an equity focus to assessment tools.
Every work system has its point of constraint, and that's the place to focus on to increase the organization's capacity. You're only as good as your weakest link.
California acts on its own in many ways but the state is still limited legally, administratively and financially by the federal government. Combatting the coronavirus seems like a tug-of-war between the two.
Self-quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, Miami’s mayor kept a daily video journal on Twitter, setting a standard of transparency while creating a sense of social media intimacy in a time of social distancing.
The order to stay at home puts a special burden on the homeless. Residents in one shelter in northern Virginia are doing what they can to keep their distance in a pandemic.
Unemployment threatens to rise to levels not seen since the Great Depression. A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of that era thinks most of the economy will recover much more quickly than it did back then.
When the coronavirus pandemic begins to subside, communities should use a nuanced, calibrated approach to allowing businesses to reopen and residents to return to work and school.
Many want Minnesota’s Corrections Department to release non-violent, elderly and medically compromised prisoners as a way to protect them from the coronavirus. None of the state prisons have an ICU or any ventilators.
The state only has tests for every 362 per 100,000 people and fewer test results means less information to help public health officials understand the virus. “It’s really important for us to know if they’re positive.”
The information they collect for operational purposes can be leveraged in numerous ways to help them deal more effectively with the economic devastation of the coronavirus.
2020 candidates are having to maneuver their campaigns around coronavirus constraints with video and phone calls. While there are drawbacks to online-only campaigns, there can be some benefits, like reaching wider and different audiences.
Local governments have a legal obligation to keep conducting business and engaging the public during the global pandemic, but there can often be more to virtual public meetings than meets the eye.
It may not always look pretty, but the American system of federalism creates opportunities to try different things and pick up the slack when there's a shortfall at one level of government.
The legal system has had to adapt to a virtual system as the coronavirus threat continues. While some believe this can help the courts break down barriers and silos, many are concerned about the efficacy of virtual court.
After issuing a stay-at-home order, Louisiana workers have transitioned to working remotely during April. But many companies had to scramble to ensure their workers had the capability to work from home.
When an emergency like the coronavirus makes it too dangerous for lawmakers to convene in person, they should be allowed to meet, debate and vote remotely. The technology is readily available.
