Justice Department Finds “Cascading Failures” Contributed to Botched Uvalde Police Response
Eric Gay/AP Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.The police response to the May 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed two teachers and 19 elementary school students at Robb Elementary School, was significantly botched by “cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy, and…
Puerto Rico Is Harnessing Home Solar Rigs to Stabilize Its Power Grid
Courtesy Sunrun This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Puerto Rico has begun using batteries connected to residents’ rooftop solar panels to provide backup power for its grid, helping prevent blackouts and offering an alternative to fossil fuel-burning peaker plants. It could be the first step toward building one…
Congress speeds through short-term government funding bill before Friday shutdown deadline
Congress on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 cleared a short-term spending bill that will temporarily keep federal departments and agencies under current spending levels. Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — Congress will have until early March to finish work it was supposed to complete last fall — and will avert a partial government shutdown — under a…
Judge in Georgia 2020 election interference case sets hearing on accusations of prosecutor misconduct
On Aug. 14, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis unveiled a grand jury’s charges against former President Donald Trump and 18 others as part of a wide-ranging RICO case. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee has scheduled a Feb. 15 hearing to discuss accusations that District Attorney Fani Willis was involved in a…
State spending to prosecute – and defend – gang members on the docket for Georgia General Assembly
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed during the 2023 legislative session street gang crackdown legislation that creates a five-year mandatory prison sentence for gang-related offenses and adds five years for recruiting minors into gangs. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder (File) Several state agencies are seeking millions more in state funds to handle the growing caseload resulting from the…
State agency heads outline spending plans for Georgia’s child welfare, safety-net, mental health
A parade of state agency heads is appearing before legislative budget writers this week. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Lawmakers continue to spend this week digging into the governor’s budget plans, which include billions of dollars more in spending increases. Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed a $37.5 billion amended budget for the current year, which is a…