Category: Local Government
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Ketanji Brown Jackson on Verge of Confirmation
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson seemed poised for confirmation to the Supreme Court after a week of grueling hearings in the U.S. Senate. Judiciary committee chairman Richard Durbin from Illinois scheduled a markup meeting for Monday which sets the timetable for confirmation in April. Despite the intense questioning from Republicans, Judge Jackson is expected to be […]
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Texas Primaries Mark Beginning of 2022 Midterms
Democrats and Republicans in Texas turned out on March 1st to select nominees for office in primary elections. As expected, both Republican incumbent governor Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke won their respective contests outright. The primaries in Texas provided few surprises as many candidates were running in safely-drawn seats. The only statewide, high-profile […]
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Public Schools Become Political Battleground
The recent political debate over education arrived in San Francisco as voters in this famously progressive city overwhelmingly recalled three members of the city’s school board. Analysts attribute the recall to unpopular initiatives and for putting politics over the needs of children. Particularly unpopular were the board’s effort to rename a third of the schools […]
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California Joins Other States and Relaxes Pandemic Restrictions
State political leaders in California announced the relaxation of some of the country’s most restrictive COVID policies. Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state would no longer mandate masks in indoor settings for vaccinated residents. The current rules were instituted during the December omicron wave but will be allowed to expire on February 15. California […]
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States Spar Over Redistricting Maps
Several states still had unresolved redistricting maps as midterm elections loomed in November. Congressional districts are redrawn after every decennial census and might determine which party controls the House of Representatives next January. The legislatures are tasked in most states with redistricting, but an increasing number have established commissions to draw more representative districts. Commissions, […]
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New Leaders Take the Helm in VA and NYC
Glenn Youngkin was inaugurated the 74th governor of Virginia on January 15. Youngkin became the first Republican to assume that office in nearly a decade in the increasingly Democratic-leaning commonwealth. Governor Youngkin wasted little time after he was sworn in and signed eleven executive orders on his first day. Among the more controversial actions were […]
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East Coast Braces for Winter Storm
Approximately 50 million Americans braced for heavy snow fall associated with a wave of severe weather that wreaked havoc in the eastern and southeastern United States. Several governors including Roy Cooper from North Carolina and Henry McMaster from South Carolina issued state of emergency proclamations in anticipation of more damage. The storm has forced states […]
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Texas Battered by Winter Storm
A powerful winter storm swept the state of Texas, leaving millions frustrated and reeling from the aftermath. The problems began with failures to the state’s power grid, which forced many Texans to bear the frigid climate without heat. The freezing temperatures also led to significant disruptions in the water supply, leading to a humanitarian crisis. […]