Equity

Mandatory reporting laws meant to protect children get another look

Some states are considering rolling back these laws, saying the result has been too many unfounded reports that disproportionately harm families who are poor, Black, or Indigenous or have members with disabilities.

  • By Kristin Jones, KFF Health News

Making AI better than us—What could possibly go wrong?

COMMENTARY | Trained on data scraped from all corners of the internet, today’s generative AI applications are rife with biased data. Developing a trustworthy AI framework requires cross-sector collaboration.

  • By Alan R. Shark

With surge in hate crimes, state justice department launches hotline awareness campaign

Oregon's confidential hotline connects victims to government and community services that range from counseling to help filing a police report.

  • By Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Achieving racial equity in college admissions starts in pre-K

COMMENTARY | The class of 2028 is the first college class to be admitted after the end of affirmative action. Without it, we need big-picture reforms.

  • By Bryan J. Cook and Sarah Rosen Wartell

What cities can learn from Seattle’s racial and social justice law

COMMENTARY | Working to end institutional racism is part of every employee’s job and the functioning of municipal government.

  • By Serin Houston and Dan Trudeau, The Conversation

Hundreds of millions up for grabs in environmental justice grants

Housing, air monitoring, green jobs and coastal resilience are some of the initiatives that could receive funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.

  • By Terry L. Jones, Floodlight

Cash isn’t the only thing guaranteed income programs can deliver

Data is starting to show that supplemental income programs can boost participants’ employment, housing stability and family well-being.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

States look to Medicaid to curb maternal mortality

Expanding Medicaid postpartum care from 60 days to 12 months gives states more tools for addressing rising maternal death rates.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

For effective community research, get the right people at the table

When people with lived experience participate in a research project’s design, data collection and analysis, they can increase engagement, build trust and lay the groundwork for system-level change.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Is the deal with the NBA Milwaukee Bucks a model for city development projects?

The community benefits agreement that the Bucks owners signed for $250 million in state aid to build the Fiserv Forum included provisions allowing arena workers to freely unionize. It has turned their low-wage, insecure work into sustainable jobs, according to a new report.

  • By Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner

Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery to honor victims of slavery

The park features sculptures and wall with 122,000 surnames of the 4.7 million people formerly enslaved recorded in the 1870 Census.

  • By Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector

It’s time for local policymakers to cement the Biden administration’s workforce gains

COMMENTARY | By adopting strong job quality standards for government spending, state and local policymakers can improve residents’ quality of life and support a strong, stable workforce for generations to come.

  • By Karla Walter
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States turn to Medicaid to tackle housing insecurity

Section 1115 Medicaid waivers can help states reduce health inequities by covering housing costs and providing meal support for vulnerable populations.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Working-class people rarely have a seat ‘at the legislative table’ in state capitols

The dearth of working-class legislators raises concerns that economic challenges such as wage stagnation and the rising cost of living will get short shrift in state capitols.

  • By Robbie Sequeira, Stateline

Tips for weaving equity into opioid settlement spending

The Equity Expectation Policy framework offers state and local officials insights on how to allocate opioid settlement funds effectively and fairly across communities.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by natural disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable

Residents who don’t know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can’t take time away from work to apply for aid can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies.

  • By Tricia Wachtendorf and James Kendra, The Conversation

Vending machines expand scope, impact of public health initiatives

The self-serve kiosks distribute health and hygiene products for free, which experts say improves accessibility to essential services and helps an increasingly pinched public health workforce.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

EPA expands water program to help more disadvantaged communities apply for grants

Many communities lack the resources necessary to conduct the technical assessments needed to win federal grants. The EPA wants to help.

  • By Kery Murakami

Philly mayor might consider these lessons from NYC before expanding stop-and-frisk

In New York City, stop-and-frisk led to unwanted consequences, such as lawsuits against the city, greater racial disparities in the criminal justice system, citizen unrest and distrust of the police.

  • By Megan Kurlychek, The Conversation

Catching Zs: 4 ways to tap the incoming wave of young workplace talent

COMMENTARY | Connecting with potential hires requires agencies to offer flexible, digital work arrangements, along with an opportunity to meaningfully shape their communities and their world.

  • By Dante Ricci

Power outages leave poor communities in the dark longer

Evidence from of a study of 15 million outages raises questions about recovery times.

  • By Chuanyi Ji and Scott C. Ganz, The Conversation