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WI: Wisconsin governor calls special session on reducing police brutality after shooting of Jacob Blake
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, is calling lawmakers into session to take action on a package of bills aimed at reducing the prevalence of police brutality a day after a police officer repeatedly shot a Black Kenosha man. The move would ban police chokeholds and no-knock search warrants and make it harder for overly aggressive officers to move from one job to another.
FL: Judge strikes down Florida school reopening order
The Leon County, Florida, judge found the state order, which forced schools to open this week, trampled on school boards’ constitutional authority to operate their own school systems. The ruling said Department of Education officials “ignored the requirement of school safety.”
OH: Ohio House speaker opposes move to impeach governor
Eight hours after an impeachment resolution was announced by some of Ohio’s most conservative lawmakers to remove Republican Gov. Mike DeWine over how he’s handled the novel coronavirus, Republican House Speaker Bob Cupp came out against the move.
SD: Revved by South Dakota Sturgis rally, COVID-19 infections move fast, far
The hundreds of thousands of bikers who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally may have departed western South Dakota, but public health departments in multiple states are trying to measure how much and how quickly the coronavirus spread in bars, tattoo shops and gatherings before people traveled home to nearly every state in the country.
TX: Distance learning fees drive up Texas tuition
Students grappling with financial upsets and a hurting economy say tuition should be lowered at their Texas universities. But some colleges are adding new fees related to an increase in distance learning.
GA: Officials say some Georgians treat COVID-19 with bleach-like cleaner
The Georgia Department of Public Health has received reports that people are using diluted chlorine dioxide to “treat” COVID-19, according to the office of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
OK: Oklahoma school COVID-19 guidelines widely ignored in rural districts
Oklahoma advises schools to close and have students learn from home when their county reaches Orange Level 2 — 25 cases per 100,000 people — in the state’s color-coded alert system. The Oklahoman and StateImpact surveyed 136 districts in counties at Orange Level 2 or the higher Red Level and found only six will start the year with distance learning.
NJ: New Jersey families fear funding cuts as coronavirus increases need for youth mental health help
Advocates from 16 nonprofits that support families around New Jersey who have children with developmental disabilities, behavior problems or mental health illness launched an email campaign urging lawmakers not to slash funding when they draw up the state budget.
MO: Missouri lawmakers jettison at least two parts of governor’s crime package
Meeting in an emergency special session, Missouri lawmakers avoided debate on a controversial plan to let judges decide whether juveniles should be prosecuted as adults for certain crimes using weapons.
KS: In rural Kansas, residents fear post office will face cuts
In rural Kansas, the Postal Service is a vital lifeline to those who live away from city lights, providing a dependable flow of medicines, newspapers, magazines and all manner of correspondence. The mail is as an essential link to the larger world, especially for seniors and for those without broadband.
IA: COVID-19 cases rise at the University of Iowa
A total of 107 University of Iowa students and four staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 18.
ME: University of Maine System expands COVID-19 testing as more students test positive
The University of Maine system announced it would conduct random testing of asymptomatic individuals throughout the fall.
CT: Connecticut union leaders say some school districts aren’t following health and safety guidelines
Just a week away from when some Connecticut schools will reopen, educators and other staff members are continuing to raise concerns about districts failing to follow state health and safety guidelines, as well as denying accommodations for workers with health concerns.
RI: Rhode Island to inspect every school before reopening
Every public school in Rhode Island will receive a walkthrough by a team of experts to make sure they are safe and prepared to reopen for classes as scheduled next month, Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo said. The inspections will include a nationally certified air-quality expert.
LA: How close is close contact? Louisiana schools try to figure out who is exposed
As schools across Louisiana reopen after five months of being shuttered, they are struggling to figure out who has had significant exposure to the coronavirus given the complexity of a working school building.
MN: University of Minnesota regents OK delayed reopening of 3 campuses
The University of Minnesota’s governing board voted to delay the opening of dormitories and the start of in-person undergraduate classes at the Twin Cities, Duluth and Rochester campuses by at least two weeks. Officials say they will soon make a permanent decision on whether to reopen dorms and classrooms this fall.
WI: Use of absentee ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin is expanding as concerns over mail delivery mount
Election officials in Wisconsin’s two largest cities, Milwaukee and Madison, are expanding the use of absentee ballot drop boxes this fall as an influx of absentee ballots is expected and fears mount about delays with mail. Milwaukee is installing 15 drop boxes across the city — three times as many as it had for the April election for state Supreme Court.
PA: Gray area of mail-in voting law up to Pennsylvania court
With the Trump campaign’s lawsuit in federal court on hold until October, it could be up to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to settle crucial questions of election law in the presidential battleground, including whether ballots mailed without secrecy envelopes can be counted.
WY: Wyoming among worst states for gender equality
Wyoming, the Equality State, is considered one of the worst states in the country when it comes to women’s equality. According to a recent study by personal finance website WalletHub, women have been laid off at a greater rate than men and are being re-employed more slowly. The share of the workforce that is female is at its lowest point since 2008.
DE: Delaware works to help students get internet access
Delaware is investing $20 million in federal CARES Act funding to expand rural wireless broadband coverage and improve access among low-income families. The state plans to use the federal funding to tackle two connectivity issues: access and affordability.
AL: Alabama facing shortage of school workers during pandemic
The head of the Alabama Department of Education says that state schools are facing a shortage of workers that’s being made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
MI: Student parties prompt Michigan virus emergency
COVID-19 cases more than quadrupled near Central Michigan University as students returned to campus for face-to-face classes and attended large parties, prompting an emergency order in Isabella County. Fraternity activities and large outdoor gatherings were suspended.
NY: New York gyms reopen to cheers of fitness fans, but with questions
Gyms in New York must operate at one-third capacity and masks are mandatory. But the opening was also marked by confusion among some fitness operators, as well as a mad dash by county health officials, to determine exactly what they should be doing.
WV: West Virginia eases second nursing home visitation ban
Despite COVID-19 outbreaks at 31 nursing homes or long-term care facilities around West Virginia, the administration of Republican Gov. Jim Justice is lifting an Aug. 12 executive order barring nursing home visitation in 53 counties that are either green or yellow on the state’s COVID-19 risk map, indicating nominal to low spread of the virus.
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