California State

The Hill

A massive wildfire is engulfing Northern California in flames — ravaging structures and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents from their homes. The Park Fire, California’s largest blaze this season thus far, was ripping through Butte and Tehama counties and was only 3 percent contained as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire. The blaze had ballooned to 164,286 acres by this point — growing more than threefold in just 24 hours.

‘Extreme’ California blaze could mark dangerous turning point for wildfire season

The Atlantic

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration. For two years, the fire gods cut California a break. The winter rains came down heavy and brought the state’s yearslong drought to an end. Plants started growing again. Grasses were green. The poppies bloomed larger than normal. For awhile, living here meant seeing the place’s better nature—going outside and exploring the mountains and lakes and vineyards without thinking of breathing in toxic smoke plumes. The apocalyptic scenes of 2020 and 2021 receded like a bad dream; any worries about fire were a problem of the past, or the future.

California’s Fire Luck Just Ran Out

Lubbock, TX

Route Fifty

LUBBOCK — With the bright sun shining down over them, kids and teenagers in Mae Simmons Park cooled off Monday, zig-zagging through sprinklers at one of the city’s new splash pads. The relief couldn’t come soon enough. Like the rest of Texas, it’s been a hot summer in...

Splash pads make waves across communities, replacing public pools

This story is republished from High Country News original article. When the largest dam removal in U.S. history began on the Klamath River this year, it seemed as if the era of dam building was over in the West. Just a month later, however, the federal government finalized $216 million dollars in funding for a controversial dam project south of the Klamath, adding to the $1 billion in direct grants already pledged to the project known as Sites Reservoir. Rights for the water are being distributed this summer.

In an era of dam removal, California is building more

The Independent

California's largest active fire exploded in size on Friday evening, growing rapidly amid bone-dry fuel and threatening thousands of homes as firefighters scrambled to meet the danger.The Park Fire's intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.More than 130 structures have been destroyed by this fire so far, and thousands more are threatened as evacuations were ordered in four counties — Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Shasta. It stood at 374 square miles (967 square kilometers)...

California's largest wildfire explodes in size as fires rage across US West

Their findings were published in the scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Large wildfires may be generating weather conditions that favor more fires. The author of a new study suggests more prescribed burns might help prevent giant future fires. What's happening?. A new study found that large wildfires are creating...

Scientists uncover concerning impacts of large wildfires: 'It appears these fires are creating their own fire weather'

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

Missouri State

This story was originally published by The Beacon, an online news outlet focused on local, in-depth journalism in the public interest. Missouri Medicaid began covering teeth cleanings, and almost no other routine dental work, for adults a few years ago. But the bill for the dentist actually peering in your...

Missouri is getting more people to the dentist—for more than a pretty smile

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

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Herbie J Pilato

Actor Buddy Ebsen, who died at age 95 in 2003, found fame by starring in two of the most popular classic television shows in history: The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS, 1962 to 1971) and Barnaby Jones (CBS, 1973 to 1980). On the Hillbillies, he played former Tennessee country mountain-folk-turned-wealthy Beverly Hills resident Jed Clampett. On Barnaby Jones, he was one of TV's most senior, slyest, health-conscious detectives. Ebsen, however, almost became even more famous for a certain big-screen classic film in which he ultimately did not appear.

'Beverly Hillbillies" Actor Buddy Ebsen Was "Bitter" about not playing the Tin Man in 'Wizard of Oz'

Maryland State

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore recently signed the Gift Card Scams Prevention Act of 2024, creating the country’s first law aimed at curbing a rising form of gift card fraud called card draining. Card draining is a scheme in which thieves remove gift...

The nation’s first law protecting against gift card draining has passed. Will it work?

As the risk of wildfires is only increasing, researchers stress that multiple steps should be taken. Not only are wildfires posing an immediate risk for homeowners and wildlife, but the natural disasters are also causing long-lasting effects on our water, according to researchers. The warning comes as more than 425,000...

Researchers warn of threat expected to linger after California Park Fire — here's how it could impact the country

Orange County, CA

Saint Louis County, MO

When St. Louis County, Missouri, kicked off its redistricting process after the 2010 Census, local officials used colored pencils on transparent paper to redraw their legislative boundaries and reflect population shifts. Ten years later, following the 2020 Census, officials in Missouri’s most populous county had traded in their pencils and...

How mapping tech is revolutionizing election administration

Wildfires are raging out of control in the Western United States and Canada – destroying homes, forcing evacuations and injuring residents. One inferno has reportedly destroyed the historic mining community of Havilah. Another has scorched more than 360,000 acres of California – an area larger than the city of Phoenix. Here’s the latest:

A historic mining community is decimated as the Park Fire and other massive wildfires rage in the Western United States

Long Beach, CA

TheBoutiqueAdventurer

When you think of the United States, perhaps things like baseball, McDonald’s, the New York Times Square, or the Grand Canyon are the first things to pop into your mind. But what about pollution? Probably not.

Top 10 Most Polluted US Cities: A Shocking Smog Crisis

This story was originally published by Grist original article. The city is a growing paradox. Humanity needs its many efficiencies: people living more densely and taking up less land—with easy access to decarbonized public transportation—collaborating and innovating as urbanites have always done. But as the climate warms, city dwellers suffer extreme heat more than their rural counterparts as a result of what’s known as the urban heat-island effect. All that concrete, asphalt, and brick absorbs the sun’s energy, accelerating urban temperatures well above those in the surrounding countryside.

The surprisingly simple way cities could save people from extreme heat

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.

After several years of rapid growth, state budgets are downsizing

Coping with future public health threats means more state and local agencies—many of which rely on aging infrastructure and still collect data by faxes and manual entry—must modernize their data systems, experts say. To do that, a new $255 million federal program will support state, local and tribal...

New $255M federal grant will help state, local public health agencies modernize data systems

Chicago, IL

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Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

Mcallen, TX

This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune. McALLEN, Texas — The smell was the giveaway. For more than a year, Hilda Luna suspected something was off inside the house that sat behind hers in a neighborhood in North McAllen. Watering her plants every evening, Luna would see...

The Rio Grande Valley’s pet population is out of control. Will a proposed limit in one city help?

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California’s aging population is on the front lines of extreme heat

This article was originally published by Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization. Find out more at publichealthwatch.org. SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, California — Every year,...

California’s aging population is on the front lines of extreme heat

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