Columbus, OH

Maryland State

Route Fifty

This story is republished from Maryland Matters original article. Maryland is set to be one of two test-subject states for a new federal program that officials hope will improve patient outcomes and bridge inequities while constraining hospital and medical costs. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced...

The road AHEAD: Maryland to be a test-subject state in new federal hospital model

You're reading Route Fifty's Public Finance Update. This article was originally published by The Pew Charitable Trusts. To get the latest on state and local budgets, taxes and other financial matters, you can subscribe here to get this update in your inbox twice each month. You can find a full archive of these newsletters here.

Is it time to dig into rainy day funds?

New York City, NY

Writers represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. Writers are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

writer

Cheryl E Preston

Yesterday was the third time this year that an ad stating Chelsea Clinton lives in a beautiful Virginia home popped up on my laptop. My computer did not warn me this was a dangerous site, so this time, I clicked on the link.

Chelsea Clinton is rumored to be living in Virginia but probably still in NYC

Los Angeles, CA

Local and state governments are grappling with a severe shortage of skilled IT workers, particularly in critical areas such as cybersecurity, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. With their higher salaries and more attractive work environments, the private sector and the federal government are poaching talent from local and state governments.

Stackable certificates could be a lifeline for governments facing an IT talent crisis

Oregon State

This story is republished from ProPublica original article, which was co-published with Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Biden administration released a report last week acknowledging “the historic, ongoing, and cumulative damage and injustices” that Columbia River dam construction caused Northwest tribal nations starting in the 20th century, including decimation of the salmon runs that Indigenous people were entitled to by government treaty.

The federal government just acknowledged the harm its dams have caused tribes. Here’s what it left out.

Philadelphia, TN

A key nonprofit that works closely with governments to connect people with essential benefits like food assistance and health care is abruptly shuttering, and the impact could be far reaching. The Philadelphia-based Benefits Data Trust, or BDT, which advocates for streamlined access to government assistance, said last month in a...

A nonprofit’s abrupt closure puts access to public benefits at risk

Virginia State

Mercurochrome and Merthiolate were in medicine cabinets in many Virginia homes decades ago. They were in bottles with droppers that gallons the red liquid. Looking at that old bottle in the above image brings back many memories.

Mercurochrome and Merthiolate once were in many Virginia homes

For many Americans, prescription drugs are too costly. Last year, 28% of U.S. adults struggled to afford their prescription medications. And from 2017 to 2022, state Medicaid spending on prescriptions saw a 47% increase. The rapid rise of drug prices has been the impetus behind growing state efforts to develop...

How states are cracking down on rising prescription drug costs

Albuquerque, NM

This story is republished from Grist original article. Mark Garcia can see that there’s no shortage of water in the Rio Grande this year. The river flows past his farm in central New Mexico, about 50 miles south of Albuquerque. The rush of springtime water is a welcome change after years of drought, but he knows the good times won’t last.

This city in the West made itself drought-proof. Then its dam started leaking.

Washington State

This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. A newly updated wildfire risk map could help level the playing field for rural communities who don’t have the resources to conduct their own wildfire risk assessments, according to the independent research group Headwaters Economics.

What is your home’s wildfire risk?

California State

California has already seen more than 3,500 wildfires so far this year, in what state officials earlier this week called a “significantly more active [season] than the last five years.”. With an estimated 207,415 acres of land burned—or roughly the length of 150,000 football fields—and 10 wildfires still burning,...

Mapping clean air centers to protect residents against wildfire risks

Coral Gables, FL

Edmond Thorne

Tragic End for South Florida Hispanic Building Tycoon Sergio Pino. Fort Lauderdale, FL - In a shocking turn of events, prominent South Florida homebuilder Sergio Pino was found dead in his Coral Gables home on Tuesday morning. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Pino died from an apparent suicide.

South Florida Tycoon Dead After FBI Raids on Homes and Office

Two years ago the country’s national suicide lifeline downsized from 10 digits to three, with federal policymakers touting the revamped 988 number as easier to remember for individuals in crisis. Since its launch in 2022, more than 10 million Americans have utilized the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline via...

At two-year mark, federal funding for 988 is running dry. Enter phone fees.

Washington, DC

You're reading Route Fifty's State and Local Roundup. To get the week’s news to use from around the country, you can subscribe here to get this update in your inbox every Saturday. In the meantime, be sure to read to the end as we've rounded up headlines from the week.

States, cities consider ‘mansion taxes’ to fund affordable housing

Broward County, FL

Margate, FL

MARGATE, FL. - A sophisticated lottery scam targeting vulnerable seniors across the United States has been uncovered, with a Margate man at its center. The elaborate scheme defrauded victims of approximately $9.5 million, leaving a trail of financial and emotional devastation in its wake.

Broward Man Arrested by Feds in $9.5 Million Lottery Scam: Targets Seniors Nationwide.

Denver, CO

Contributors represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. They have also demonstrated their experience writing hard news for other outlets. Contributors are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

contributor

David Heitz

A dangerous drug that is being mixed into fentanyl is causing those who inject it to develop a rash of sores that resembles a case of flesh-eating bacteria. People experiencing homelessness around Denver can sometimes be seen with these bloody, weeping wounds. I recently mentioned this phenomenon to a fentanyl user who told me about the xylazine connection.

Denver homeless people suffer sores as xylazine enters fentanyl supply

Framingham, MA

This article originally appeared in Grist. You can read the original article here. Along with earthworms, rocks, and the occasional skeleton, there’s a massive battery right under your feet. Unlike a flammable lithium ion battery, though, this one is perfectly stable, free to use, and ripe for sustainable exploitation: the Earth itself.

The secret to decarbonizing buildings might be right beneath your feet

Colorado State

This story is republished from Stateline original article. For decades, states have relied on gas taxes to provide much of the money to maintain roads and bridges. But as cars become more fuel efficient, and some Americans switch to electric vehicles, state leaders say the gas tax won’t pay the bills for much longer.

Gas taxes can’t pay for roads much longer, but Amazon deliveries might

WASHINGTON – Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation. In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register...

Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses

Alabama State

This story is republished from Stateline original article. When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds. But not Matt Fetner. “Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine,” said the resident of...

One state is pioneering paying for roof upgrades as storms boost insurance costs

NewsBreak

Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data

Burnout among government employees has continued to steadily decline, according to new survey data, but researchers say it’s still at a concerning level. “I think that...

Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data

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