This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Cross-department alignment, community engagement and data are essential tools for preparing communities for extreme weather and climate crises, experts say.
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Dawn Price signs rent checks worth about $160,000 every month for 79 people that her nonprofit helps house in Laguna Beach, California. Usually, she logs into an online portal to withdraw enough from an account funded by a grant from the federal housing agency. But in February, she couldn’t. Access …
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Godfrey: Conservatives pride themselves on demanding receipts, progressives on demanding equity. Without national metrics, both lose their yardstick.
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Rebates for electric bikes in California have been successful but can leave out people who most need an alternative to private vehicles and public transit.
This report details findings from the first randomized controlled trial regarding intake processes in a local prosecutor’s office in the United States. Evidence from the study demonstrates that a change in process to quickly review low-level cases and remove those that lack legal sufficiency can…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. La Becky Roe remains focused on optimism. The founder and executive director of Let’s Talk About It-The Autism Center, a Charlotte-based nonprofit for …
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Darrell West discusses how employers and policymakers can best support workers who may be affected by the transition to AI.
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. “A robust Commonsverse already exists, poised to liberate us from a market/state system that otherwise limits the scope of possible change.”…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced on June 30 that the agency has postponed enforcement of new rules designed to reduce the exorbitant cost of phone and video calls for loved ones of people in prisons and jails. Research shows that staying in touch with loved ones who are incarcerated increases safety in prisons and jails, promotes positive mental health, and has long-term benefits that include lower risks of reoffending and an increased likelihood of successful re-entry. But many families struggle with the high cost of phone calls and video visits, which are especially critical for people incarcerated far away from their families. Staying connected can cost families as much as $500 per month, and more than one in three families reported going into debt or going without food, medical care, and other basic needs to stay in touch with their loved ones. Family members, people of faith, and advocates have worked for decades to lower the cost of prison phone calls. Despite opposition from private prison telecom companies, Congress passed the bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022, named for an early leader of the effort to reduce unconscionably high phone rates. In accordance with the law’s requirement that it ensure “just and reasonable” charges for phone and video calls with people in jails and prisons, the FCC unanimously adopted new rules in July 2024 that cap rates, eliminate “ancillary service” charges, and prohibit telecommunications companies from paying commissions or kickbacks to jail and prison operators in exchange for lucrative contracts. As much as 50% of the money that incarcerated people and their families spend on phone and video calls is paid in kickbacks to the government or private corporation (such as GEO Group and CoreCivic) that operates the facility, according to reports. Kickbacks drive…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Federal cuts and a lack of dedicated mental health funding from the state could erode programs to address chronic absenteeism, crises and more.
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Republican reconciliation bill cuts to social programs will prevent money from circulating among local businesses and damage regional economies.
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. SNAP-Ed funds nutrition education, and anti-obesity initiatives, reaching more than 2 million New Yorkers last year. Under Trump’s new legislation, it will end on Sept. 30.