The state government used more than half a million dollars of its $6.24 billion in COVID relief funds to buy SUVs to transport Gov. Phil Murphy and other officials around the state. Here’s how the rest of the money was spent.
Idaho employs an average of 53,000 farmers annually, but the state only has 274 homes subsidized by the federal government for farmworkers. The state is looking for ways to build more farmworker housing.
CARES. ARPA. IIJA. These bills and more have put billions into the state and local government market. We break down the major federal funding packages and how they’re being put to use.
They will help fund energy-saving and climate projects for businesses and homeowners. Congress’s approval of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund could supercharge green banks across the nation.
From public health to climate change to immigration, there will be plenty of challenges for our federal system to contend with. But the tensions will be more about social policies and regulation than about money.
Inflation punished Wall Street and Main Street, and public financiers who ignored it squandered billions. Congress passed two bills important to states and localities. And pensions took a hit, but taxpayers won’t feel that pain for years.
A study from the Economic Roundtable found that without the pandemic-induced eviction moratoriums, unemployment insurance boosts and stimulus payments, the county’s homelessness would have climbed to 23 percent.
An analysis of nearly 92,000 Road Home grants statewide found that the program to help homeowners rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita gave more funding to wealthier neighborhoods than low-income ones.
Approximately 20 percent of households have some amount of medical debt, and they are disproportionately Black and Latino. A few local governments have teamed up with a nonprofit to unburden their residents’ finances.
The federal government released guidelines on how to spend its $2.3 billion in Amtrak expansion money, but it’s not yet clear if Ohio will build new passenger rail service between its major cities.
It’s not just about the dollars but about spending the money effectively. The focus should be on reducing costs for the private companies that provide most of the investment, rather than propping up sickly projects.
They face many a myriad of negative outcomes, ranging from homelessness to involvement with the criminal justice system and unplanned pregnancies. But one county’s approach shows promise in helping these youth build better lives.
Lots of governors have their eyes on the Oval Office. Most of the action will be among Republicans who will be zeroing in on Democratically controlled cities to score points on issues ranging from immigration to crime to spending.
The Biden administration promised government support to those who have developed long COVID, but patient advocates say that accessing the assistance is time-consuming, confusing and unsupported.
The Georgia governor’s plan to pay the state’s most economically vulnerable residents $350 cash payments has been fraught with issues, such as scams, data privacy violations, politics and more.
Last year’s federal infrastructure bill allotted $62 billion to bolster and update the nation’s electric grid, which could result in $9.2 million annually to Louisiana for the next five years if the state’s application is approved.
