Management

Lawsuit Reveals New Allegations Against PG&E Contractor Accused of Fraud

Former PG&E employees are accused of taking bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company.

Health & Human Services

Air Pollution Puts Kids at Higher Risk of Disease in Adulthood

Even brief exposures to air pollution can cause future problems for kids, according to new research.

Sponsor Content

How Clear Purpose and Vision Drive Agency Transformation

To achieve their goals, agencies must unite purpose and vision around a transformation program that aligns with the needs of the state and local government residents that they serve.

Finance

House Passes $1.9 Trillion Covid Response Bill

The legislation includes $350 billion in direct aid for state, local, and tribal and territorial governments.

Health & Human Services

Family Caregivers are the Health Care Workers that Vaccination Plans Overlook

COMMENTARY | Millions of family members provide medical care for loved ones with disabling conditions. Excluding them from vaccination plans is symptomatic of a failure to formally integrate and recognize them as part of the health care system.

Tech & Data

Four Causes of 'Zoom Fatigue' and What You Can Do About It

Videoconferencing platforms like Zoom can really lead to real fatigue, researchers warn.

Management

Part South By Southwest, Part Burning Man—But for Local Leaders. Introducing: Govapalooza

COMMENTARY | Organizers of the five-day virtual festival want local governments to rally around the concept of “anti-fragility” and embrace big, bold changes.

Tech & Data

Feds Up Share of FEMA Grants That Must Be Spent on Cybersecurity

The Department of Homeland Security is also evaluating the possibility of a new grant program to help states and localities fund cybersecurity upgrades.

Health & Human Services

Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for the Blind

An investigation finds that covid vaccine registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels are flouting disability rights laws and limiting the ability of people who are blind or visually impaired to sign up for shots.

Management

Illinois Becomes First State to Abolish Cash Bail

Judges will instead use a risk assessment tool to determine a defendant's fitness for release. The change is part of a broader criminal justice reform bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed this week.

Sponsor Content

Showcasing Government Innovators in the Modern Age

It’s a good time to be an innovator. The pace of change in government is accelerating as cloud and other emerging technologies facilitate digital transformation.

Tech & Data

Public Employees’ Use of Personal Phones, Tablets Puts Local Governments at Risk

A cybersecurity report found that 25% of state and local government employees use personal digital devices to telework while only 9% of federal employees do so.

Health & Human Services

New Index Ranks State Efforts to Alleviate Youth Homelessness

The research findings suggest it’s an area where many states have room for improvement.

Public Safety

This New Advancement in Interpreting DNA Evidence Could be a Game Changer

COMMENTARY | Probabilistic genotyping software has helped forensic labs close more cases and exonerate individuals wrongly accused of a crime.

Public Safety

Lawyers Who Were Ineligible to Handle Serious Criminal Charges Were Given Thousands of These Cases Anyway

In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.

Health & Human Services

Study: Vaccinating Teachers Could Help Get Kids Back in Classrooms

Federal researchers examined coronavirus cases in a Georgia school district and their findings suggest that educators had a central role in transmitting the virus in schools.

Public Safety

Texas Plants Released Nearly as Much Pollution During Winter Storm as During Hurricane Laura

Oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial operators emitted 3.5 million pounds of excess pollution during the winter storm and power crisis in Texas, according to an analysis of company notices provided to state regulators.

Public Safety

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink

Emergency medical services work has long been grueling and poorly paid. Covid-19 has added stress and new risks for workers in the profession.

Health & Human Services

California Will Provide $600 Relief Payments to Many Individuals

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Tuesday that will extend pandemic aid to low-income and immigrant households.