Public Safety

Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough

Prescribed burns, which create buffers against larger fires, can do only so much.

  • By Amanda Monthei, The Atlantic

Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough

Prescribed burns, which create buffers against larger fires, can do only so much.

  • By Amanda Monthei, The Atlantic
Public Safety

Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough

Prescribed burns, which create buffers against larger fires, can do only so much.

  • By Amanda Monthei, The Atlantic

Philadelphia Imposes Curfew, Calls National Guard to Quell Violence Over Police Shooting

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Thousands in Oklahoma City are without power after an autumn ice storm… The Justice Department launches probe of New Jersey veterans’ homes… New study says a flu shot could reduce the risk of catching Covid-19.

  • By Andrea Noble

As Anxieties Rise, Californians Buy Hundreds of Thousands More Guns

Gun rights activists, gun control supporters and public health experts largely agree that the increase in gun sales is driven by fear, uncertainty and longing for a greater sense of protection.

  • By Phillip Reese, Kaiser Health News

Judge Strikes Down Michigan Ban on Open Carrying Guns at Polls

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | New report warns of increased militia activity … A Nevada county and airport fined by state for President Trump’s rally violating Covid rules … Pandemic negotiations falter before election.

  • By Laura Maggi and Andrea Noble

Breonna Taylor Killing Spurs Action Against No-Knock Warrants

More than a dozen local jurisdictions have changed their policies.

  • By Lindsey Van Ness, Stateline
Sponsor Content

New Tools Help State and Local Governments Battle Ransomware, Other Big Disasters

When governments find themselves being ransomed, their choices are typically to pay, which will undercut their ability to deliver key services to their communities due to budget restrictions, or not pay, resulting in the immediate inability to serve their communities and the loss of key data that will inevitably plague them for years afterwards.

  • Presented by Veeam

Carjackings, Delivery Vehicle Thefts Spike During Pandemic

"These are crimes of opportunity."

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

In One State, a Battle Over Publicly Naming Disciplined Police Officers

A state appeals court in New Jersey ruled that the attorney general does have the power to compel police departments to disclose the names of police officers who have been disciplined for misconduct.

  • By Emma Coleman

Bill in New York City Aims to Stop Police From Collecting Minors’ DNA

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Fauci suggests Americans should skip traditional Thanksgiving gatherings … Voter-approved initiative on car fees struck down by Washington Supreme Court … A third Republican governor won’t endorse Trump in election.

  • By Emma Coleman

Inside the Covid Unit at the World’s Largest Women’s Prison

The Central California Women’s Facility quarantined prisoners with Covid-19 with those who never tested positive for the virus.

  • By Ko Bragg and Kate Sosin, The 19th

Virginia Governor Was Also Considered in Kidnapping Plot, Federal Agent Says

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Men accused in Michigan governor kidnapping also discussed kidnapping Virginia governor … Anchorage mayor resigns after admitting texting relationship with news anchor … Court-packing efforts at the state level.

  • By Emma Coleman

Emboldened Far-Right Groups Challenge Cities, States

Armed vigilantes have shown up at protests, sometimes with the tacit support of police.

  • By Erika Bolstad

Why We Need to Pay Attention to Police Officers’ Mental Health

COMMENTARY | A new study found that as police are under more scrutiny than ever, their mental health struggles remain profound.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Featured eBooks

Cybersecurity in State and Local Government
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Militia Group Plotted to Kidnap Michigan Governor, Feds Say

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | West Virginia selected for $500 million hyperloop site … Vermont moves ahead with retail marijuana … Library worker allegedly stole $1.3 million in printer toner ... Tofurky sues over Louisiana “burger” labeling law.

  • By Bill Lucia

About 750,000 People Are in Jail On Any Given Day. Can They Vote?

A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative says that most people in jail are eligible to vote, but ultimately won’t be able to due to barriers to voter registration and lack of access to ballots.

  • By Emma Coleman

Another Hurricane Barrels Toward Gulf Coast

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Hospital capacity concerns in Nebraska … ‘Ticking bomb’ septic tanks in Florida … Oklahoma jail workers charged after making inmates listen to ‘Baby Shark’.

  • By Bill Lucia

Covid Curbs Community Policing at a Time of Diminishing Trust

The coronavirus has emerged as the nation’s deadliest police killer.

  • By David Montgomery, Stateline

California Will Require Prisons to House Transgender People By Gender Identity

A new law will require California correctional facilities to place transgender people in housing units that align with their gender identity, not their sex assigned at birth.

  • By Emma Coleman

St. Louis Police Will No Longer Have to Reside Within City Limits

By temporarily doing away with the city’s residency requirement for first responders, St. Louis officials hope it will become easier to recruit and hire officers to fill current vacancies.

  • By Andrea Noble

Plea Bargaining Needs to be More Transparent, Report Argues

Widespread plea bargaining in the criminal justice system may be fueling racial inequities and leading innocent people to plead guilty, says a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice.

  • By Emma Coleman

Millions Raised to Pay off Debts so Floridians with Criminal Records Can Vote

The money, partially raised by Mike Bloomberg, will go towards paying off the court fines and fees of thousands of people with criminal records, allowing them to vote in the upcoming election.

  • By Emma Coleman

Justice Department Dubs New York, Seattle, and Portland as ‘Anarchist Jurisdictions’

The three cities were flagged for “permitting anarchy, violence and destruction” as part of the Trump administration’s bid to cut funding to cities where recent protests over racial injustice and police brutality have occurred.

  • By Andrea Noble