Blogs

Most of us are used to polling stations being located in schools, firehouses and the like. But what about a Vietnamese restaurant? Or a laundromat? If that isn’t high end enough, would the Beverly Hills Hotel do? Too hoity-toity, you say? Perhaps...

The race is tight, so coloring in the electoral map has proven to be an arduous task. Media monitoring and social media analysis may help to color in some of those states by providing a glimpse into voter sentiment and enthusiasm that polls might not...

The white rural voters who helped propel Donald Trump to his stunning victory in the presidential race and enabled Republicans to keep their majorities in both houses of Congress on Nov. 8 may have helped some GOP candidates further down-ticket too, with...

Going into the Nov. 8 election, Republicans controlled both chambers of the legislature in 30 states, while Democrats controlled both chambers in 12, and 7 statehouses were split between the two parties. (Nebraska’s Legislature is technically nonpartisan...

Among the more notable local ballot measures contested on Nov. 8 were proposed soda taxes in three California cities and Boulder, Colorado. Despite $40 million in spending from soda giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, Boulder’s Measure 2H, a levy...

The most significant recommendation this month from a consulting firm hired by Oklahoma to review the hundreds of millions of dollars in business incentives it doles out every year was to limit an income tax credit for wind-power electric generating plants...

AR Gov Outlines State Budget ARKANSAS Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) outlined a budget proposal for state lawmakers last week that includes a $50 million tax cut and increased funding for education and foster care but no money for executive and legislative...

Election Day didn’t come off entirely without a hitch last week. Among the more consequential occurrences was the breakdown of a computerized voter registration system in some precincts of Durham County, North Carolina, causing long lines in some...

A week after deeming Atlantic City’s proposed five-year turnaround plan insufficient to return the struggling resort city to financial stability, the state of New Jersey took over control of the city’s main governmental functions. The state...

HI Senate to be Controlled Exclusively by Dems HAWAII’s sole Senate Republican Sam Slom was defeated by Democrat Stanley Chang on Nov. 8. As a result, the state’s 25-member Senate will become the nation’s first single-party chamber...

In another huge electoral night for Republicans, the GOP picked up three additional governorships, with at least one more race too close to call. The party gained the chief executive office in three states previously held by Democrats – Vermont...

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) filed paperwork last Thursday to establish a legal defense fund in preparation for an expected legal battle over Tuesday’s election. Democratic challenger Attorney General Roy Cooper, who now holds a slight lead...

Oregon Elects First LGBTQ Governor OREGON Gov. Kate Brown’s (D) re-election marks the first time an openly LGBTQ person has been elected governor in any state. Brown is bi-sexual. She was looking to fill out the remainder of former Gov. John...

Business In Pennsylvania A PENNSYLVANIA court rules that employee drug tests are not confidential. The court ruled that a Keystone State law barring disclosure of patients’ substance abuse and addiction treatment records to third parties does...

Health In Mississippi A federal judge in MISSISSIPPI temporarily blocks a new rule from the Obama administration that gives patients at federally funded nursing homes the right to settle disputes in court. The rule issued by the Centers for Medicare...

Last week California voters handily endorsed Proposition 63, a ballot measure to regulate ammunition being sold in the Golden State. In the days leading up to the election, voters received a slick, glossy mailer featuring Senate President pro Tem Kevin...

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he stuck to his plan to not cast a vote for president last week. As the Boston Herald reports, it was a first for Baker, which he noted left him “disappointed.” Here’s guessing it wasn’t half...

It's not enough to only score Public Relations victories when there is a new product to promote or a major news event to link. Keeping excitement for a brand at a simmering level for a long time keeps companies in touch with news providers and the...

Earlier this year, the BBC reported on the use of forced labor on construction projects as Qatar prepares to host the biggest soccer matches of 2022. Citing Amnesty International ‘s interviews with more than 200 migrant workers employed in and around...

Guest written by: John Haydon Co-Authored by: Kari Abitbol #GivingTuesday , a global day of giving fueled by social media, is growing in popularity as a major opportunity for nonprofits to capitalize on the generous spirit of the holiday season...

Retirement has become a distant dream for millions of Americans. Nearly half of American families lack any retirement savings, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Pensions with defined benefits have become a rarity in the private sector and savings...

In September California became the eighth state to pass a retirement savings plan for private-sector workers, since Massachusetts became the first to do so in 2012, according to Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives. Another...

To stimulate America’s economy, President-elect Donald Trump wants to cut personal income and business taxes by about $6 trillion over the next decade, a little more than 10 percent of federal revenues. That plan seems to be music to the ears of...

On election night President-elect Donald Trump told a crowd of cheering supporters: “We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure,...

A bill appears to be on the way in Georgia that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described as that state’s “first piece of Trump-era legislation.” According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which advocates for immigration...