Georgia state Sen. Carden Summers said he drove around Atlanta before presenting a bill earlier this year that would ban homeless encampments and cut state funding from cities that refuse to enforce the ban. “I made it a point to ride around almost eve…
Monarch protections across states aim to prevent federal rules
Each spring, millions of monarch butterflies leave their overwintering sites in the Sierra Madre mountains of central Mexico and begin their annual migration north across the United States. The exodus and return of the iconic orange and black butterfly…
States weigh shielding doctors’ COVID misinformation, unproven remedies
The controversy began in September, more than a year into the pandemic, when the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners issued a warning to doctors in the state: Spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines could land them in big trouble with the boa…
US schools prepare for potential cyberthreat from Russia
Alert to the heightened threat of Russian cyberattacks on U.S. targets after the invasion of Ukraine, Seattle Public Schools in the past several weeks has blocked web traffic from Russia, upgraded safety firewall services and hired an additional antivi…
Health worker shortage forces states to scramble
Top Hawaii officials recently received an urgent warning: If they didn’t act, the state would lose the services of hundreds of health care workers who have been essential in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic. The state had not extended a waiver of lice…
Ukraine war puts US cities, states on cyber alert
President Joe Biden last week urged U.S. companies to be on high alert because of “evolving intelligence” that Russia is exploring options for potential cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets. Even before Biden’s warning, state and local …
GOP targets tenure to curb classroom discussions of race, gender
AUSTIN, Texas — When he blew the whistle on a university dean suspected of financial malfeasance, college professor Jeff Blodgett had to weather a fierce attack from the dean’s allies. “If I didn’t have tenure,” he recalled, “they would have done their…
Many Medicaid recipients could lose coverage as pandemic ends
Most of the nation will rejoice when the Biden administration lifts the public health emergency that has been in force since March 2020. But when that moment comes — probably this summer, absent another surge — it could put many millions of adults and …
States use road sensors to combat treacherous ‘tire carcasses’
A growing number of states are hoping to use sensors embedded in the pavement to fight climate change, keep traffic flowing and save lives. Michigan and Indiana are testing systems that would charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven. Some st…
It turns out state lawmakers hate auto-renewal contracts too
Like millions of Americans, Colorado state Rep. Cathy Kipp started a diet during the pandemic. She used a heavily advertised program called Noom, which came with a discounted deal for the first eight months. She stopped following the program after abou…