4 minutes
Residents and others are still raising concerns over the potential use of the controversial technology. MPD says it no longer plans to use the technology, and also announced the suspension of an officer for improper use of a different tracking technology. The post Critics still wary of facial recognition technology use by law enforcement appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Residents and others are still raising concerns over the potential use of the controversial technology. MPD says it no longer plans to use the technology, and also announced the suspension of an officer for improper use of a different tracking technology. The post Critics still wary of facial recognition technology use by law enforcement appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
8 minutes
Los adultos mayores de 65 años son el grupo más vulnerable, especialmente en incendios residenciales. La entrada Carolina del Norte reporta 159 muertes por incendios en 2025 se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. Carolina del Norte reporta 159 muertes por incendios en 2025 was first posted on febrero 25, 2026 at 8:00 pm. ©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org
Los adultos mayores de 65 años son el grupo más vulnerable, especialmente en incendios residenciales. La entrada Carolina del Norte reporta 159 muertes por incendios en 2025 se publicó primero en Enlace Latino NC. Carolina del Norte reporta 159 muertes por incendios en 2025 was first posted on febrero 25, 2026 at 8:00 pm. ©2024 "Enlace Latino NC". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at paola@enlacelatinonc.org
12 minutes
The county elections office doesn’t have the 2,000 clerks needed to staff Election Day voting sites.
The county elections office doesn’t have the 2,000 clerks needed to staff Election Day voting sites.
16 minutes
Nebraska U.S. House Republicans want to wait for the findings of a congressional investigation into Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales.
16 minutes
Nebraska U.S. House Republicans want to wait for the findings of a congressional investigation into Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales.
18 minutes
Fort Worth Chamber survey looks at regional workforce needs.
Fort Worth Chamber survey looks at regional workforce needs.
20 minutes
Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox. Thomas Jefferson High School junior Mai Travi has visited Denver’s zoo, museums, recreation centers, and much more, thanks to the city’s MY Denver Card. The card has provided Denver youth ages 5 to 18 with free access to those opportunities since 2013. But she thinks more of her peers could benefit. “Students who live outside the Denver area often have fewer opportunities to explore the cultural educational and enrichment experiences that help shape who they become,” she said. There’s a chance lawmakers will end up agreeing. House Bill 1055 would create a pilot program in a limited number of communities outside of Denver to give students in grades 6-12 a similar My Colorado Card. The card would essentially be a free pass, not a voucher with dollars attached to it. The bill passed its first hearing in the House Education Committee on Tuesday with a 7-5 vote. Students involved with a Denver-based nonprofit organization called FaithBridge helped craft the bill that’s sponsored by state Rep. Mandy Lindsay, an Aurora Democrat. FaithBridge is an advocacy organization that helps students advocate for educational improvements. “When students have access to out of school activities such as public museums and recreation centers, they’re able to explore their interests and find a passion, same as I was,” said junior Travis Baker, who is also a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School and is involved with the nonprofit. The program would be administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and sunset in 2031. The participating communities would be selected in December. Denver school board member Marlene De La Rosa, who testified in support, said the city has provided over half of Denver’s 90,000 students with a MY Denver Card, which is funded by Denver tax dollars approved in a 2012 ballot measure. “They represent safe spaces, friendship, physical activity, cultural exposure, academic reinforcement, and community connection,” she said. “And if one program and the city can reach 45,000 youth, imagine what a statewide investment can do.” The My Colorado Card program would have to be funded through gifts, grants, and donations, the amended legislation says. It would cost about $250,000 in its first year and about $80,000 in subsequent years, according to a legislative analysis. The bill would also require a report to lawmakers that would evaluate the program. Although no one testified against the bill during the Tuesday committee hearing, some lawmakers expressed reservations about the program, including its cost and whether it represented an appropriate role for state government. Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican, said she wanted to know more about how the card would be used and what data would be collected on students. Lindsay said the MY Denver Card helped her kids figure out their interests and more youth deserve that opportunity. “I think we really need to listen to young people when they are telling us and asking us for what they want,” she said. Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
20 minutes
Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox. Thomas Jefferson High School junior Mai Travi has visited Denver’s zoo, museums, recreation centers, and much more, thanks to the city’s MY Denver Card. The card has provided Denver youth ages 5 to 18 with free access to those opportunities since 2013. But she thinks more of her peers could benefit. “Students who live outside the Denver area often have fewer opportunities to explore the cultural educational and enrichment experiences that help shape who they become,” she said. There’s a chance lawmakers will end up agreeing. House Bill 1055 would create a pilot program in a limited number of communities outside of Denver to give students in grades 6-12 a similar My Colorado Card. The card would essentially be a free pass, not a voucher with dollars attached to it. The bill passed its first hearing in the House Education Committee on Tuesday with a 7-5 vote. Students involved with a Denver-based nonprofit organization called FaithBridge helped craft the bill that’s sponsored by state Rep. Mandy Lindsay, an Aurora Democrat. FaithBridge is an advocacy organization that helps students advocate for educational improvements. “When students have access to out of school activities such as public museums and recreation centers, they’re able to explore their interests and find a passion, same as I was,” said junior Travis Baker, who is also a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School and is involved with the nonprofit. The program would be administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and sunset in 2031. The participating communities would be selected in December. Denver school board member Marlene De La Rosa, who testified in support, said the city has provided over half of Denver’s 90,000 students with a MY Denver Card, which is funded by Denver tax dollars approved in a 2012 ballot measure. “They represent safe spaces, friendship, physical activity, cultural exposure, academic reinforcement, and community connection,” she said. “And if one program and the city can reach 45,000 youth, imagine what a statewide investment can do.” The My Colorado Card program would have to be funded through gifts, grants, and donations, the amended legislation says. It would cost about $250,000 in its first year and about $80,000 in subsequent years, according to a legislative analysis. The bill would also require a report to lawmakers that would evaluate the program. Although no one testified against the bill during the Tuesday committee hearing, some lawmakers expressed reservations about the program, including its cost and whether it represented an appropriate role for state government. Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican, said she wanted to know more about how the card would be used and what data would be collected on students. Lindsay said the MY Denver Card helped her kids figure out their interests and more youth deserve that opportunity. “I think we really need to listen to young people when they are telling us and asking us for what they want,” she said. Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
21 minutes
(The Center Square) – Washington state has seen a massive increase in tort claim payouts, exceeding half a billion dollars in the 2024-25 fiscal year, largely driven by claims against the Department of Children, Youth & Families. It often takes many years for victims who were under state supervision to come forward with claims of abuse and neglect. Juries have awarded multi-million-dollar claims, with taxpayers ultimately on the hook for those payouts. In other cases, state employees have sued their state agency employer to the tune of millions, and once again taxpayers are left with the bill. But despite bipartisan support for legislation aimed at reforms to rein in the massive payouts already clearing the Senate, a bill to do just that has stalled in the House and is not expected to advance this session. The legislation, Senate Bill 6239, is sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Mercer Island, requires mandatory arbitration for certain claims, and according to opponents, would have infringed upon the constitutional right to a jury trial. The Department of Enterprise Services’ released a tort liability report in October 2025 detailing the massive increase in claims and payouts. The report says a spike in 2023 was primarily due to then-Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. DSHS and DCYF claim filing doubled in 2024. “Look at how much the state is paying out in tort judgments and settlements. My gosh, it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars per case,” former state Attorney General Rob McKenna said. “When I left office, we thought it was a bad year when it was about $800,000, and now it's a half a billion in a year.” He suggested influence from trial lawyers played a role in stalling the bill. “Trial lawyers are so powerful,” McKenna said. “So influential.” The Center Square reached out to the Washington State Association for Justice, formerly the Washington Trial Lawyers Association, for comment on McKenna’s suggestion that their opposition helped killed the bill. “It is frustrating to hear the finger being pointed at us in that way, because we've been trying to work with the Democrats to address this issue since before the session even started,” personal injury attorney Alex Dietz said on Wednesday. He told The Center Square that WSAJ worked with Dhingra to craft the legislation, but when it was introduced, the bill looked nothing like what the organization expected. “Basically, our efforts to work with them on that front got walked all over by the sponsors of Dhingra’s bill,” Dietz explained. “They came out with something that was wildly different than what we talked about and completely impractical and would have saved no money.” He said the bill as initially filed “proposed taking matters of public concern, whether or not DCYF is protecting kids from child abuse, out of public courtrooms and behind closed doors. And that was unacceptable,” he said. Survivor group advocates argued the bill, which would have required mandatory arbitration for certain claims, would limit public accountability, shield state agencies and force survivors to "tell their stories twice.” During Tuesday’s media availability with Democratic leadership, members were asked about the fate of the tort reform bill. “I'm going to defer to the House on that one, but I think everyone acknowledges and understands that this is a huge problem for the state that we have to address,” Dhingra said. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, confirmed the bill is unlikely to advance in her chamber. “I think our shared goals are to make sure that anybody who is a victim of childhood sexual abuse, or other kinds of misconduct, have access to justice,” she said. “But we have also seen skyrocketing tort claims, so how we find the balance there is something that will continue to work with Sen. Dhingra on, and I think that her bill has moved us along the way.” Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, said the biggest impact on skyrocketing payouts for claims would be to cap damages for victims. “The Supreme Court's already told us that that's not constitutional in our state. We need to get alternative processes for resolving these claims in place. But the really large, bankable reductions would require doing things that are not constitutional,” he said. Dietz told The Center Square that lawmakers are dodging the real issue, which he said is figuring out why DCYF is failing so many kids and families. “This should not be about protecting DCYF from accountability when it drops the ball and lets kids get hurt. We have an agency that is failing to protect children, and the goal should be to stop them from letting kids get hurt and to prevent child abuse,” he said. “The real tort reform is to stop kids getting hurt. And instead of doing that this session, we went with option B, which was to prevent survivors from obtaining any redress when the state screws up.”
(The Center Square) – Washington state has seen a massive increase in tort claim payouts, exceeding half a billion dollars in the 2024-25 fiscal year, largely driven by claims against the Department of Children, Youth & Families. It often takes many years for victims who were under state supervision to come forward with claims of abuse and neglect. Juries have awarded multi-million-dollar claims, with taxpayers ultimately on the hook for those payouts. In other cases, state employees have sued their state agency employer to the tune of millions, and once again taxpayers are left with the bill. But despite bipartisan support for legislation aimed at reforms to rein in the massive payouts already clearing the Senate, a bill to do just that has stalled in the House and is not expected to advance this session. The legislation, Senate Bill 6239, is sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Mercer Island, requires mandatory arbitration for certain claims, and according to opponents, would have infringed upon the constitutional right to a jury trial. The Department of Enterprise Services’ released a tort liability report in October 2025 detailing the massive increase in claims and payouts. The report says a spike in 2023 was primarily due to then-Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. DSHS and DCYF claim filing doubled in 2024. “Look at how much the state is paying out in tort judgments and settlements. My gosh, it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars per case,” former state Attorney General Rob McKenna said. “When I left office, we thought it was a bad year when it was about $800,000, and now it's a half a billion in a year.” He suggested influence from trial lawyers played a role in stalling the bill. “Trial lawyers are so powerful,” McKenna said. “So influential.” The Center Square reached out to the Washington State Association for Justice, formerly the Washington Trial Lawyers Association, for comment on McKenna’s suggestion that their opposition helped killed the bill. “It is frustrating to hear the finger being pointed at us in that way, because we've been trying to work with the Democrats to address this issue since before the session even started,” personal injury attorney Alex Dietz said on Wednesday. He told The Center Square that WSAJ worked with Dhingra to craft the legislation, but when it was introduced, the bill looked nothing like what the organization expected. “Basically, our efforts to work with them on that front got walked all over by the sponsors of Dhingra’s bill,” Dietz explained. “They came out with something that was wildly different than what we talked about and completely impractical and would have saved no money.” He said the bill as initially filed “proposed taking matters of public concern, whether or not DCYF is protecting kids from child abuse, out of public courtrooms and behind closed doors. And that was unacceptable,” he said. Survivor group advocates argued the bill, which would have required mandatory arbitration for certain claims, would limit public accountability, shield state agencies and force survivors to "tell their stories twice.” During Tuesday’s media availability with Democratic leadership, members were asked about the fate of the tort reform bill. “I'm going to defer to the House on that one, but I think everyone acknowledges and understands that this is a huge problem for the state that we have to address,” Dhingra said. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, confirmed the bill is unlikely to advance in her chamber. “I think our shared goals are to make sure that anybody who is a victim of childhood sexual abuse, or other kinds of misconduct, have access to justice,” she said. “But we have also seen skyrocketing tort claims, so how we find the balance there is something that will continue to work with Sen. Dhingra on, and I think that her bill has moved us along the way.” Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, said the biggest impact on skyrocketing payouts for claims would be to cap damages for victims. “The Supreme Court's already told us that that's not constitutional in our state. We need to get alternative processes for resolving these claims in place. But the really large, bankable reductions would require doing things that are not constitutional,” he said. Dietz told The Center Square that lawmakers are dodging the real issue, which he said is figuring out why DCYF is failing so many kids and families. “This should not be about protecting DCYF from accountability when it drops the ball and lets kids get hurt. We have an agency that is failing to protect children, and the goal should be to stop them from letting kids get hurt and to prevent child abuse,” he said. “The real tort reform is to stop kids getting hurt. And instead of doing that this session, we went with option B, which was to prevent survivors from obtaining any redress when the state screws up.”
23 minutes
Black and Brown artists will be performing across various stages at Summerfest. Here’s a lineup of the headliners and when you can see them. The post Here are the Black and Brown headliners at Summerfest this year appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Black and Brown artists will be performing across various stages at Summerfest. Here’s a lineup of the headliners and when you can see them. The post Here are the Black and Brown headliners at Summerfest this year appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
25 minutes
El presidente batió el récord del discurso sobre el Estado de la Unión más largo en la historia del país al combinar optimismo económico, apelaciones patrióticas y confrontación partidista para marcar el tono político antes de las elecciones de medio término.
El presidente batió el récord del discurso sobre el Estado de la Unión más largo en la historia del país al combinar optimismo económico, apelaciones patrióticas y confrontación partidista para marcar el tono político antes de las elecciones de medio término.
25 minutes
District administrators shared the strategies they are considering and heard what board members want to see when it comes to reducing chronic absenteeism.
25 minutes
District administrators shared the strategies they are considering and heard what board members want to see when it comes to reducing chronic absenteeism.
28 minutes
The HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health encouraged residents to rally against the new Anti-Discrimination Chapter.
28 minutes
The HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health encouraged residents to rally against the new Anti-Discrimination Chapter.
29 minutes
Former Republican New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce faced multiple rounds of questions about his public lands record Wednesday during his first U.S. Senate committee confirmation hearing for director of the federal Bureau of Lands Management. If the Senate confirms him, Pearce, who represented the state’s 2nd Congressional District from 2011 to 2019, would oversee 245 […]
29 minutes
Former Republican New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce faced multiple rounds of questions about his public lands record Wednesday during his first U.S. Senate committee confirmation hearing for director of the federal Bureau of Lands Management. If the Senate confirms him, Pearce, who represented the state’s 2nd Congressional District from 2011 to 2019, would oversee 245 […]
32 minutes
Presidenta nacional do partido e deputada estadual do RJ alertam para escalada da violência política contra mulheres negras Fonte
Presidenta nacional do partido e deputada estadual do RJ alertam para escalada da violência política contra mulheres negras Fonte
33 minutes
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said President Donald Trump’s administration has “lost credibility” on election security issues after a Wednesday call between top state elections officials and federal law enforcement agencies. Griswold, a Democrat who is also a 2026 candidate for Colorado attorney general, echoed concerns from other Democratic secretaries of state over what […]
33 minutes
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said President Donald Trump’s administration has “lost credibility” on election security issues after a Wednesday call between top state elections officials and federal law enforcement agencies. Griswold, a Democrat who is also a 2026 candidate for Colorado attorney general, echoed concerns from other Democratic secretaries of state over what […]
34 minutes
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday announced that her office will focus on childhood education and trying to put more money in Michanders’ pockets during her final year in office, proposals that will include lifelong literacy efforts, increased school funding and what she called the “Every Child Reads” program. “We’ve been working together to make our […]
34 minutes
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday announced that her office will focus on childhood education and trying to put more money in Michanders’ pockets during her final year in office, proposals that will include lifelong literacy efforts, increased school funding and what she called the “Every Child Reads” program. “We’ve been working together to make our […]
36 minutes
Investigaciones realizadas en Europa y Estados Unidos señalan que una siesta breve y regular puede reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, mejorar la concentración y contribuir a una mayor longevidad.
Investigaciones realizadas en Europa y Estados Unidos señalan que una siesta breve y regular puede reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, mejorar la concentración y contribuir a una mayor longevidad.
38 minutes
(The Center Square) – Residents buying health benefits on Pennsylvania’s insurance marketplace pay twice as much now for worse coverage, and it’s a problem the state expects will get worse. Since federal Medicaid expansion expired in October, more than 104,000 Pennsylvanians dropped coverage, including 20,000 over the last month alone, according to Devin Trolley, who oversees the commonwealth’s insurance market called Pennie. “Having more uninsured in Pennsylvania is a lose-lose for everyone,” she told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. “While the federal government saves money now, the long-term costs of the uninsured beg the question of whether or not we are all ultimately paying more.” The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says taxpayers, even those with private health insurance, are indeed paying more. Providers likewise turn into “bill chasers,” while services suffer, medical debt for uncompensated care grows and rates rise for everyone. “Those that think they can forgo insurance are the generally the first that pull out of having insurance coverage,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. "So the remaining pool tends to be less healthy than those that were in the pool prior.” He said that means insurance providers raise rates in anticipation of paying out more expensive claims for sicker people, impacting “the entirety of the health care system.” Medical debt and charity care have long burdened hospitals and other providers who are bound to treat everyone, even those with no ability to repay. In May, the House approved legislation that would make medical bills easier to understand throughout the intake and discharge process. Efforts to erase some of the $1.8 billion medical debt impacting Pennsylvania have been unsuccessful. The administration said the unpaid bills impact 13% of the state, with a disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities. For hospitals to remain viable, many are forced to cover the financial gap left by uncompensated care by cutting costs and increasing revenue from paying patients, insurance companies and government programs. This ultimately results in higher costs being passed down to taxpayers, patients and insurance providers. Eligible hospitals are able to report uncompensated care for reimbursement through the state’s Hospital Uncompensated Care Program. Participating hospitals must open their doors to anyone and offer charity care to remain compliant with the program. Increased immigration also strains the system, as The Center Square previously reported. In 2024, House Bill 2591 would have required the reporting of costs associated with health care provided to undocumented migrants, similar to recent taken in Florida and Texas. Earlier that same year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring hospitals accepting Medicaid to report patient citizenship status. From June to December 2023, care for undocumented immigrants cost over $566 million. Similarly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order for state agencies to track healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants and seek federal reimbursement. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, or PHC4, which has reported on the financial health of the state's hospitals since 1989, says "a high-quality, cost-effective healthcare system depends on financially stable hospitals and health systems." The council’s 2023 financial report found that 51% of the state’s general acute care hospitals posted a negative operating margin – 15% had margins between 0-4%, and 34% were above 4%. The statewide average operating margin decreased 2.11 percentage points, dropping from 4.37% in 2022 to 2.26% in 2023. The forgone dollar value for statewide uncompensated care increased 2.9% - from $752 million in 2022 to $774 million in 2023. In 2022, Pennsylvania, with 12.5 million residents, had an immigrant population of 7.8%, including 3.3% noncitizens. An estimated 5.4% of the population, or 672,800 people, were uninsured, according to KFF, a nonprofit that conducts health policy research. Lauren Jessop contributed to this report.
(The Center Square) – Residents buying health benefits on Pennsylvania’s insurance marketplace pay twice as much now for worse coverage, and it’s a problem the state expects will get worse. Since federal Medicaid expansion expired in October, more than 104,000 Pennsylvanians dropped coverage, including 20,000 over the last month alone, according to Devin Trolley, who oversees the commonwealth’s insurance market called Pennie. “Having more uninsured in Pennsylvania is a lose-lose for everyone,” she told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. “While the federal government saves money now, the long-term costs of the uninsured beg the question of whether or not we are all ultimately paying more.” The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says taxpayers, even those with private health insurance, are indeed paying more. Providers likewise turn into “bill chasers,” while services suffer, medical debt for uncompensated care grows and rates rise for everyone. “Those that think they can forgo insurance are the generally the first that pull out of having insurance coverage,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. "So the remaining pool tends to be less healthy than those that were in the pool prior.” He said that means insurance providers raise rates in anticipation of paying out more expensive claims for sicker people, impacting “the entirety of the health care system.” Medical debt and charity care have long burdened hospitals and other providers who are bound to treat everyone, even those with no ability to repay. In May, the House approved legislation that would make medical bills easier to understand throughout the intake and discharge process. Efforts to erase some of the $1.8 billion medical debt impacting Pennsylvania have been unsuccessful. The administration said the unpaid bills impact 13% of the state, with a disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities. For hospitals to remain viable, many are forced to cover the financial gap left by uncompensated care by cutting costs and increasing revenue from paying patients, insurance companies and government programs. This ultimately results in higher costs being passed down to taxpayers, patients and insurance providers. Eligible hospitals are able to report uncompensated care for reimbursement through the state’s Hospital Uncompensated Care Program. Participating hospitals must open their doors to anyone and offer charity care to remain compliant with the program. Increased immigration also strains the system, as The Center Square previously reported. In 2024, House Bill 2591 would have required the reporting of costs associated with health care provided to undocumented migrants, similar to recent taken in Florida and Texas. Earlier that same year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring hospitals accepting Medicaid to report patient citizenship status. From June to December 2023, care for undocumented immigrants cost over $566 million. Similarly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order for state agencies to track healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants and seek federal reimbursement. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, or PHC4, which has reported on the financial health of the state's hospitals since 1989, says "a high-quality, cost-effective healthcare system depends on financially stable hospitals and health systems." The council’s 2023 financial report found that 51% of the state’s general acute care hospitals posted a negative operating margin – 15% had margins between 0-4%, and 34% were above 4%. The statewide average operating margin decreased 2.11 percentage points, dropping from 4.37% in 2022 to 2.26% in 2023. The forgone dollar value for statewide uncompensated care increased 2.9% - from $752 million in 2022 to $774 million in 2023. In 2022, Pennsylvania, with 12.5 million residents, had an immigrant population of 7.8%, including 3.3% noncitizens. An estimated 5.4% of the population, or 672,800 people, were uninsured, according to KFF, a nonprofit that conducts health policy research. Lauren Jessop contributed to this report.
38 minutes
(The Center Square) - Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford's trial against social media site Snapchat, which alleges harmful design for children, has been allowed to continue after the Nevada Supreme Court denied an appeal. Snapchat had previously attempted to dismiss the case, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the lawsuit could continue. Across the country, Snapchat and other social media companies are in courts over similar issues of alleged harmful practice and its impacts on young people. “I don’t think social media is inherently dangerous – it can be,” said Benjamin Morse, a social media professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “But so can just about anything," Morse told The Center Square. Nevada’s lawsuit against Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc. was lodged in January 2024. In March 2025, Snap asked the Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss the suit. Snap’s main argument was its decisions were outside of Nevada’s jurisdiction, as the international company did not specifically target Nevada users. On Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court denied Snap’s request to dismiss the case, agreeing with Nevada that Snap's operations impacted state residents and could be reviewed by state courts. The state is asking for financial compensation for victims of Snap’s alleged deceptive trade practices, including up to $25,000 per violation against a minor. “Today’s decision sends a clear message: Tech companies cannot evade accountability when Nevada's children are harmed,” Attorney General Ford said in a news release. "We look forward to holding Snapchat accountable before a Nevada judge and jury and will continue pursuing this litigation to ensure social media platforms prioritize the safety and well-being of young users over engagement-driven design features.” The state is also asking for Snap to be forced to end certain features on its platform. This includes “endless scroll” and "interaction streaks.” Endless scroll, which the suit said is a feature across social media sites, is where “A user is continuously fed more pieces of content, with no endpoint, as they scroll down a feed or page.” The suit alleged the feature is purposefully addictive for users. Interaction streaks encourage use of the site by displaying how many consecutive days users have sent Snaps, or photos, to each other. “Streaks are design features that pressure users to continue an ongoing series of interactions with the service or another user,” as per the Nevada lawsuit. According to the company, Snapchat has 946 million monthly users across the world. The Office of the Nevada Attorney General denied an interview request by The Center Square on the lawsuit, while Snap did not respond to a request for comment. “We cannot expect them [social media companies] to do the work. There's no reason for them to make their platforms less addictive,” said Morse. “If they make their platforms less addictive. They're losing money. And that's not what they're in the game to do.” Earlier last week, Meta CEO and Facebook primary founder Mark Zuckerberg tried to convince a Los Angeles Superior Court jury that longer engagement on the Instagram site was not a company goal. Snap settled for an undisclosed amount before the trial over a similar issue of youth mental health in January with the state of California. Meanwhile, the state of Nevada is filling up courts with four other major social media companies – Meta (Facebook), TikTok, YouTube and Kik – over similar consumer protection complaints. None of these other cases have been finalized yet. “I'm a parent, so I absolutely don't want these social media companies being unregulated and running amok,” said Morse. “Just in terms of human decency, they do have some obligation to protect kids and provide environments that are not dangerous.” Morse argued future changes to social media would have to at least partially come from consumers themselves. He also warned that regulations, if done wrong, could threaten freedom of speech rights and create new problems. He likened the current situation for social media companies to the turning point for tobacco companies several decades ago. “This is not something we're going to fix next week … But it also is not something we can drag our heels on and figure out over the course of the next decade,” said Morse. “We’ve got to get moving. So I think it's important to keep this conversation going.”
(The Center Square) - Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford's trial against social media site Snapchat, which alleges harmful design for children, has been allowed to continue after the Nevada Supreme Court denied an appeal. Snapchat had previously attempted to dismiss the case, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the lawsuit could continue. Across the country, Snapchat and other social media companies are in courts over similar issues of alleged harmful practice and its impacts on young people. “I don’t think social media is inherently dangerous – it can be,” said Benjamin Morse, a social media professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “But so can just about anything," Morse told The Center Square. Nevada’s lawsuit against Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc. was lodged in January 2024. In March 2025, Snap asked the Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss the suit. Snap’s main argument was its decisions were outside of Nevada’s jurisdiction, as the international company did not specifically target Nevada users. On Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court denied Snap’s request to dismiss the case, agreeing with Nevada that Snap's operations impacted state residents and could be reviewed by state courts. The state is asking for financial compensation for victims of Snap’s alleged deceptive trade practices, including up to $25,000 per violation against a minor. “Today’s decision sends a clear message: Tech companies cannot evade accountability when Nevada's children are harmed,” Attorney General Ford said in a news release. "We look forward to holding Snapchat accountable before a Nevada judge and jury and will continue pursuing this litigation to ensure social media platforms prioritize the safety and well-being of young users over engagement-driven design features.” The state is also asking for Snap to be forced to end certain features on its platform. This includes “endless scroll” and "interaction streaks.” Endless scroll, which the suit said is a feature across social media sites, is where “A user is continuously fed more pieces of content, with no endpoint, as they scroll down a feed or page.” The suit alleged the feature is purposefully addictive for users. Interaction streaks encourage use of the site by displaying how many consecutive days users have sent Snaps, or photos, to each other. “Streaks are design features that pressure users to continue an ongoing series of interactions with the service or another user,” as per the Nevada lawsuit. According to the company, Snapchat has 946 million monthly users across the world. The Office of the Nevada Attorney General denied an interview request by The Center Square on the lawsuit, while Snap did not respond to a request for comment. “We cannot expect them [social media companies] to do the work. There's no reason for them to make their platforms less addictive,” said Morse. “If they make their platforms less addictive. They're losing money. And that's not what they're in the game to do.” Earlier last week, Meta CEO and Facebook primary founder Mark Zuckerberg tried to convince a Los Angeles Superior Court jury that longer engagement on the Instagram site was not a company goal. Snap settled for an undisclosed amount before the trial over a similar issue of youth mental health in January with the state of California. Meanwhile, the state of Nevada is filling up courts with four other major social media companies – Meta (Facebook), TikTok, YouTube and Kik – over similar consumer protection complaints. None of these other cases have been finalized yet. “I'm a parent, so I absolutely don't want these social media companies being unregulated and running amok,” said Morse. “Just in terms of human decency, they do have some obligation to protect kids and provide environments that are not dangerous.” Morse argued future changes to social media would have to at least partially come from consumers themselves. He also warned that regulations, if done wrong, could threaten freedom of speech rights and create new problems. He likened the current situation for social media companies to the turning point for tobacco companies several decades ago. “This is not something we're going to fix next week … But it also is not something we can drag our heels on and figure out over the course of the next decade,” said Morse. “We’ve got to get moving. So I think it's important to keep this conversation going.”
40 minutes
COLUMBIA — The athletics directors for South Carolina’s major public universities pleaded their case Wednesday to keep direct payments to athletes a secret after senators put the matter in the penalty box. The fast-moving legislation, which would allow public colleges to conceal the so-called name, image and likeness payments they make directly to athletes, appeared […]
COLUMBIA — The athletics directors for South Carolina’s major public universities pleaded their case Wednesday to keep direct payments to athletes a secret after senators put the matter in the penalty box. The fast-moving legislation, which would allow public colleges to conceal the so-called name, image and likeness payments they make directly to athletes, appeared […]
43 minutes
(The Center Square) – Spokane Valley officials are considering raising business license fees this year for the first time since 2020 as public safety costs increase, citing a need to fund a new oversight position. The Spokane Valley City Council held a more than five-hour-long budget workshop on Tuesday to dive into rising public safety costs ahead of its policing contract with the county expiring in 2027. The city’s nine public safety contracts run about $44 million, with the policing contract accounting for $38 million. Policing services from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office currently account for about 56% of the general fund budget, as the Valley runs on thin margins. City officials say the annual “settle-and-ajust” process is falling behind, with the county currently working on 2024, making it hard for the Valley to plan ahead. “All of our other departments do have directors, and so it really makes sense that you would have a public safety coordinator overseeing all of these,” Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb said Tuesday. “We don’t have revenues in the existing budget, so one possibility would be looking at business license increases.” Some of Valley’s other public safety contracts include services such as the county jail, district court, public defenders, prosecutors, emergency management, animal control and more. Tuesday's presentation claims the reconciliation process hasn't been completed for some of these contracts since 2022. Lamb said he and City Manager John Hohman don’t have enough time to provide the oversight needed for the public safety contracts while also helping out all of the other departments. The Valley created a public safety coordinator position in 2025, but ultimately never filled the role after pulling the funding. According to council documents, the city defunded the position to offset legal fees as the dais moved to sue Councilmember Al Merkel for alleged violations of the Public Records Act and city policies. Lamb said internal discussions around raising business license fees last year ultimately didn’t move forward. He wants the city to fund the public safety coordinator position before renewing the sheriff’s contract or taking a different route in 2027. City Services Administrator Gloria Mantz said the last time the dais raised business license fees was in 2020, from $13 to $25. For comparison, the city of Spokane has a $131 fee for standard business licenses. She said the Valley’s fee generated about $254,000 in 2025. The city of Spokane also charges fees per employee, increasing the cost of a business license to more than $1,000, depending on the employer's size. Councilmember Pam Haley noted that she pays more than $1,000 for each of the daycare centers that she operates in the Valley’s neighboring jurisdiction. “If we don't make any increases to the business license fee, we're actually going to see a decrease in that revenue,” Mantz said, citing changes to state law that raised the exemption threshold for these fees. After salary, benefits and a city vehicle, she said the public safety coordinator could cost the city about $270,000 in the first year. Mantz recommended increasing the business license fee to $60, which could raise an estimated $330,000; then raise it again in 2027 to $75, and then to $95 in 2028 to generate an estimated $670,000 annually, which could fund the new role and cushion future reconciliation bills. When asked by Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg, Mantz confirmed that a $95 fee would still put the city among the lowest in the region, with Liberty Lake, which currently charges $90. Hattenburg noted that Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce board members had told him they’re not opposed to this idea. “I don’t know if I would say very supportive,” Hattenburg said Tuesday, “but they’re not against this.” Merkel said that he thinks hiring a public safety coordinator is premature, arguing that the workload that staff are under is due to how the contracts were written at the time. He suggested writing future contracts to be more predictable regarding the city’s share of indirect costs and reconciliation billing. The council was generally opposed to increasing fees, but expressed concern about the reconciliation process with the county. A majority supported exploring the idea, but no formal decisions were made on Tuesday. The city will continue discussing this, including with the chamber, in the months ahead. “We get a great service from our police department and, in many ways, from the [sheriff’s office], and we just got to iron out these difficulties,” Mayor Laura Padden said, “but there's more to this than just what the county does or doesn't do. It's a very broad issue and a very broad project.” Sheriff John Nowels and County Commissioner Mary Brooks will give a presentation to the council on March 17.
(The Center Square) – Spokane Valley officials are considering raising business license fees this year for the first time since 2020 as public safety costs increase, citing a need to fund a new oversight position. The Spokane Valley City Council held a more than five-hour-long budget workshop on Tuesday to dive into rising public safety costs ahead of its policing contract with the county expiring in 2027. The city’s nine public safety contracts run about $44 million, with the policing contract accounting for $38 million. Policing services from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office currently account for about 56% of the general fund budget, as the Valley runs on thin margins. City officials say the annual “settle-and-ajust” process is falling behind, with the county currently working on 2024, making it hard for the Valley to plan ahead. “All of our other departments do have directors, and so it really makes sense that you would have a public safety coordinator overseeing all of these,” Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb said Tuesday. “We don’t have revenues in the existing budget, so one possibility would be looking at business license increases.” Some of Valley’s other public safety contracts include services such as the county jail, district court, public defenders, prosecutors, emergency management, animal control and more. Tuesday's presentation claims the reconciliation process hasn't been completed for some of these contracts since 2022. Lamb said he and City Manager John Hohman don’t have enough time to provide the oversight needed for the public safety contracts while also helping out all of the other departments. The Valley created a public safety coordinator position in 2025, but ultimately never filled the role after pulling the funding. According to council documents, the city defunded the position to offset legal fees as the dais moved to sue Councilmember Al Merkel for alleged violations of the Public Records Act and city policies. Lamb said internal discussions around raising business license fees last year ultimately didn’t move forward. He wants the city to fund the public safety coordinator position before renewing the sheriff’s contract or taking a different route in 2027. City Services Administrator Gloria Mantz said the last time the dais raised business license fees was in 2020, from $13 to $25. For comparison, the city of Spokane has a $131 fee for standard business licenses. She said the Valley’s fee generated about $254,000 in 2025. The city of Spokane also charges fees per employee, increasing the cost of a business license to more than $1,000, depending on the employer's size. Councilmember Pam Haley noted that she pays more than $1,000 for each of the daycare centers that she operates in the Valley’s neighboring jurisdiction. “If we don't make any increases to the business license fee, we're actually going to see a decrease in that revenue,” Mantz said, citing changes to state law that raised the exemption threshold for these fees. After salary, benefits and a city vehicle, she said the public safety coordinator could cost the city about $270,000 in the first year. Mantz recommended increasing the business license fee to $60, which could raise an estimated $330,000; then raise it again in 2027 to $75, and then to $95 in 2028 to generate an estimated $670,000 annually, which could fund the new role and cushion future reconciliation bills. When asked by Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg, Mantz confirmed that a $95 fee would still put the city among the lowest in the region, with Liberty Lake, which currently charges $90. Hattenburg noted that Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce board members had told him they’re not opposed to this idea. “I don’t know if I would say very supportive,” Hattenburg said Tuesday, “but they’re not against this.” Merkel said that he thinks hiring a public safety coordinator is premature, arguing that the workload that staff are under is due to how the contracts were written at the time. He suggested writing future contracts to be more predictable regarding the city’s share of indirect costs and reconciliation billing. The council was generally opposed to increasing fees, but expressed concern about the reconciliation process with the county. A majority supported exploring the idea, but no formal decisions were made on Tuesday. The city will continue discussing this, including with the chamber, in the months ahead. “We get a great service from our police department and, in many ways, from the [sheriff’s office], and we just got to iron out these difficulties,” Mayor Laura Padden said, “but there's more to this than just what the county does or doesn't do. It's a very broad issue and a very broad project.” Sheriff John Nowels and County Commissioner Mary Brooks will give a presentation to the council on March 17.