story archive
Stories by Jenni Bergal
Posted Aug 8, 2022, 9:17 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
States are creating a Yellow Alert system for fatal hit-and-run crashes - similar to an Amber Alert for abducted children - in hopes it will help make it easier for police to track down hit-and-run drivers.... Read more»
Posted Jul 27, 2022, 10:52 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Across the United States, many local governments and states — as well as private companies — are discovering their cyber insurance premiums have skyrocketed and that they must meet stricter guidelines if they want to get coverage or renew their policies.... Read more»
Posted Jul 16, 2022, 8:21 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Several recent reports have shown that police in some areas disproportionately ticket people of color for jaywalking - and critics say citing people for crossing at the wrong place just gives them another reason to drive instead of walk. ... Read more»
Posted May 18, 2022, 8:18 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
In the past few years, a growing number of hospitals and health care organizations across the U.S. have faced cyberattacks, interrupting care and putting patients at risk, including some public health facilities run by state or local governments. ... Read more»
Posted May 9, 2022, 6:35 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
During the COVID-19 pandemic, states gave a boost to struggling restaurants by allowing cocktails to-go - but the expansion has strained understaffed alcohol enforcement agencies, which have been hard-pressed to prevent underage drinking.... Read more»
Posted Dec 28, 2021, 3:50 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
The federal government has announced that it is giving nearly $260 million in grants to states to beef up their highway safety - funding which will comes from the recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law and be used to support a broad range of traffic safety priorities.... Read more»
Posted Nov 21, 2021, 11:53 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Despite the magnitude of the problems caused by ransomware attack, most states don’t have such statutory requirements, so they can’t always warn other agencies that might be hit or help bolster their defenses - but that’s starting to change.... Read more»
Posted Nov 5, 2021, 11:32 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
The number of catalytic converter thefts has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and state legislators around the country have responded with measures to thwart the thieves and prevent the sale of stolen devices.... Read more»
Posted Oct 13, 2021, 9:33 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
As state and local officials struggle to deal with an increase in homelessness caused by the financial stress of the pandemic, some are investing in programs to employ people who don’t have jobs or homes while beautifying streets and neighborhoods.... Read more»
Posted Sep 17, 2021, 10:13 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
COVID-19 has sparked a surge in cycling, as Americans have sought alternatives to crowded gyms, buses and trains, and there also has been an uptick in distracted drivers and speeding over the past 18 months, raising the risks for cyclists on the road.... Read more»
Posted Aug 30, 2021, 10:51 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many states issued emergency declarations allowing driver’s licenses to remain valid past expiration dates, but those extensions mostly have ended and scammers are exploiting the need to make sure licenses are renewed.... Read more»
Posted Jun 11, 2021, 11:07 am
Jenni Bergal
/Stateline
Transit agencies and cities around the country are considering scrapping or reducing fares after the pandemic highlighted transit inequities, as the majority of those who continued to ride buses and trains were lower-income essential workers, often people of color.... Read more»
Posted Mar 29, 2021, 1:28 pm
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Pedestrian fatalities grew in 27 states in the first half of 2020, despite a large drop in traffic volume during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found. The pedestrian death rate rose 20% during that period, alongside jumps in speeding, distracted and impaired driving.... Read more»
Posted Nov 14, 2019, 11:58 am
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Starting Wednesday, if you want to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes in New York and you’re under 21, you’re out of luck. The state joined 17 others and the District of Columbia in raising the legal age to buy cigarettes.... Read more»
Posted Dec 10, 2015, 1:39 pm
Jenni Bergal
/Kaiser Health News
Nearly three dozen states allow firefighters with cancer to qualify for job-related disability benefits without having to prove a direct link between their illness and their job — something cities and counties oppose as too costly. ... Read more»
Posted Apr 28, 2015, 10:43 am
Jenni Bergal
/Stateline
More than 200 state legislators have participated in workshops aimed at improving civil discourse and building bipartisan trust.... Read more»