government

Friday, August 21, 2026

Los Angeles County health officials report first West Nile virus death of 2026

Southland/Health— For Immediate Release: August 20, 2026 First West Nile Virus Death of 2026 Reported in LA County – Public Health Urges Residents to Take Steps to Prevent the Spread of Mosquito-Borne Illness The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed the first local death due to West Nile virus for the 2026 mosquito season. A resident of […]
Thursday, August 6, 2026

ICE controversy over deputizing local law enforcement officers in Wyoming

USA/ICE Controversy—   By Eric Galatas, producer, Wyoming News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Wyoming counties allowing their law enforcement officers to be deputized as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents did so illegally, according to information obtained through a public records request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming. Critics of the federal 287(g) program said it […]
Wednesday, August 5, 2026

A campaign to speed up the ballot count in California elections

California/Elections—   By Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Sometimes it takes days and even weeks to call an election in the Golden State, mostly because it takes time to count tens of millions of mail-in ballots. The California Voter Foundation just published a list of ways to speed up the process. Mail-in ballots […]
Friday, July 31, 2026

Demand growing for the rich to pay higher taxes in USA

USA/Raising Taxes On Wealthy—   By Eric Galatas, producer, Colorado News Connection, a bureau of Public News Service   As families across the U.S. struggle to pay for food, rent and healthcare, efforts to raise taxes on the richest Americans are gaining momentum. A new bill introduced in Congress targets the nation’s 938 billionaires. Instead of taxing reported income, which […]
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The battle over the upcoming November elections is intensifying

USA/Midterm Elections 2026—   By Eric Galatas, producer, Colorado News Connection, a bureau of Public News Service.   Since January, President Donald Trump has used federal law enforcement to raid election facilities to seize ballots and voting machines, all while continuing to cast doubt on the integrity of elections across the nation. Democracy watchdog groups are warning that the administration is setting the […]
Monday, July 27, 2026

SAG-AFTRA joins the fight against the Paramount Warner Bros. merger

BUSINESS/Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Hits Major Snag—   SAG-AFTRA comes out against the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Last Saturday, the union’s national board adopted a resolution opposing the controversial deal. In a news release, SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said, “Our members have every right to expect that the government will do thorough regulatory oversight when a deal of this magnitude takes place. […]
Saturday, July 25, 2026

Los Angeles County Dept of Public Health issues beach warnings

Southland/Beach Warnings—   July 23, 2026 Ocean Water Use Warning for Los Angeles County Beaches   The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advises the public to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters at the following Los Angeles County beaches due to elevated bacteria levels that exceed state health standards:   BEACH AREA WARNINGS:   The warning […]
Tuesday, July 21, 2026

More concerns over controversial deaths involving ICE

USA/ICE—   By Danielle Smith, producer, Tennessee News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Shootings involving federal immigration officers are drawing urgent warnings from human rights leaders. They say fatal encounters with those federal agents are rising across the U.S. Human Rights Watch reports deaths in ICE custody have more than doubled since early 2025, with 52 cases documented […]
Sunday, July 19, 2026

CA launches “One Less Spark” campaign to prevent wildfires

CA/Wildfires Prevention—   By Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Every Californian has a role to play in preventing wildfires and experts have some tips on how to avoid accidentally sparking a blaze. Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the “One Less Spark” campaign last week. Brent Pascua, a battalion chief for Cal Fire, said […]