State and Federal Relations

More Than 500,000 Public Workers Likely to See Debt Relief Under Student Loan Forgiveness Overhaul

The U.S. Department of Education announced a host of changes Wednesday to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which guarantees debt forgiveness to qualifying public sector employees.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

House to Vote This Week on Infrastructure Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill, which will send billions to states and localities, will go to the floor Thursday even as negotiations over a larger social spending package continue.

  • By Andrea Noble

Audit Warns State Could Lose Over $330M in Rental Aid

The way California defines whether or not emergency rental assistance has been “obligated” could put it at risk of forfeiting funds, a state watchdog says.

  • By Andrea Noble

Top Democrats Announce Deal on Raising Revenue for $3.5T Package

The announcement comes as President Biden is trying to shore up support within his party for sweeping domestic legislation that would direct funding towards areas like education, health care and climate initiatives.

  • By Andrea Noble

Feds Step In to Assist States With Unemployment Fixes

The Labor Department has deployed “tiger teams” to six state unemployment agencies, with experts looking for solutions to speed up payments and reduce fraud.

  • By Andrea Noble

Supply of Antibody Drugs Could Drop in Some States as Feds Take Over Distribution

The Biden administration announced the new policy after a handful of states, most of them with low vaccination rates, accounted for nearly three-fourths of orders for the Covid-19 monoclonal antibody treatment.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Treasury Releasing $13B More in Rental Aid to Successful Programs

At least 50 state and local government grantees have met funding distribution benchmarks that would make them eligible for additional money.

  • By Andrea Noble

He Left a War-Torn Country as a Refugee and Went on to Become a US Mayor

Helena, Montana Mayor Wilmot Collins came to the United States in 1994 from Liberia. His life journey is a true immigrant success story.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

GOP Governors Balk at Biden’s Business Vaccination Order

Deriding the mandate as ‘un-American,’ several Republican governors have promised to sue.

  • By Andrea Noble

Hoping to Boost Vaccine Rates, One State Announces Grants for Primary Care Doctors

The Colorado program will use federal relief money to help health care practices boost vaccine distribution.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

States Borrowed Billions to Pay Unemployment Benefits. Soon Interest is Due.

Fourteen states owe $54 billion to the federal government for loans to keep unemployment trust funds solvent during the pandemic.

  • By Andrea Noble

Only 11% in Rental Assistance Spent, Treasury Department Prepares to Reallocate Unspent Aid

State and local rental assistance programs have doled out little of the $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance and jurisdictions that don’t disperse money soon could have to return it.

  • By Andrea Noble
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Full FDA Approval of Pfizer Vaccine Prompts Swift Mandates for State, Local Government Workers

Following approval for the vaccine, some leaders across the country immediately tell public employees and college students to get vaccinated now.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

States Can Pay Enhanced Unemployment Beyond Cut Off with ARPA Funds

Extra federal benefits end Sept. 6, but Biden administration officials said using some of the federal relief dollars will allow for a more gradual wind down.

  • By Andrea Noble

States Snag $240M to Combat Unemployment Fraud

The federal grant funding can be used to pay for identity verification services, cybersecurity, or other expenses related to fraud detection.

  • By Andrea Noble

Amid State Hospital Closures, a Federal Funding Plan to Shore Up Mental Health Staffing

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam proposed a $485 million spending package to increase high turnover and vacancies at state-run behavioral hospitals, which have struggled during the pandemic.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Using Federal Relief Funds to Ensure Equitable Recovery for Small Businesses

Governments can leverage American Rescue Plan dollars to help local companies impacted by the pandemic, including those owned by women and minorities.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

White House Says CDC Eviction Ban Will Expire Saturday

President Biden said he would have supported an extension of the moratorium but the administration was bound by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

  • By Andrea Noble

Senate Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Infrastructure Package

The proposal has cleared a key procedural vote, which will allow it to advance.

  • By Andrea Noble

Students and Staff Should Mask Up in Schools, CDC Recommends

The CDC revised mask wearing guidance on Tuesday to help contain the spread of Covid-19. But nine states ban school districts from enacting mask mandates.

  • By Andrea Noble

Community Colleges Begin Using Federal Coronavirus Funding to Erase Student Debt

The money, from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act, is available for students who have struggled financially as a result of the pandemic.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram