NEWS: Dec. 1, 2016
Human Services | The Nation
Few Want Obamacare Repealed, Poll Finds
Despite sharp partisan differences over the Affordable Care Act, most Americans--including voters who backed President-elect Donald Trump--strongly support most of the law's key provisions, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Just a quarter of Americans say they want to scrap the law, down from nearly a third in October.
>> Los Angeles Times
For-Profit Firms Running Iowa Medicaid Losing Millions
The three for-profit companies managing Iowa's Medicaid program continue to lose tens of millions of dollars on the project, reporting losses ranging from 18 percent to 25 percent for the three months ending in September, according to a new state report.
>> Des Moines Register
HUD to Ban Smoking in All Public Housing
Department of Housing and Urban Development officials said more than 1.2 million households will be affected by a new federal rule prohibiting smoking in public housing residences nationwide.
>> New York Times
Corrections | The Nation
Sweeping Changes Aim to Help Federal Inmates
The Justice Department unveiled sweeping changes to the federal prison system, including creating a "school district" for inmates and agreeing to pay for every inmate to get a birth certificate and state ID card. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch lauded the changes as "critical" to helping those leaving prison adjust to life on the outside.
>> Washington Post
Public Officials | DeKalb County, Ga.
High Court Throws Out
County CEO's Conviction
The Georgia Supreme Court delivered a stunning blow to DeKalb County prosecutors when it threw out the conviction of county CEO Burrell Ellis for attempted extortion and perjury, ruling that he was denied a fair trial. Ellis, whose term expires at the end of this year, has been suspended since he was indicted three and a half years ago and has served an eight-month prison sentence.
>> Atlanta Journal-Sentinel
L.A.'s City Administrative Officer to Head Fair Association
Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, a high-level budget analyst who pushed for layoffs and furloughs as the city dealt with budget shortfalls, will become the top executive of another organization in turmoil: the Los Angeles County Fair Association.
>> Los Angeles Times
Elections | North Carolina
County Recount Ordered in Governor's Race
The state elections board voted 3-2 along party lines to order a machine recount of 90,000 votes in Durham County, backing a request from Republicans and Gov. Pat McCrory's campaign. McCrory had appeared to be leading Democrat Roy Cooper until the Durham County votes were added. Cooper has been leading ever since.
>> Raleigh News & Observer
The Presidency | The New York City Region
Trump Wants Corruption-Fighting
Federal Prosecutor to Stay in Job
President-elect Donald Trump has asked Preet Bharara, the aggressive and fiercely independent U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who's made his name going after cases of public corruption, to stay on. Bharara, who was born in India and whose parents brought him to the United States as a child, heads one of the highest-profile federal prosecutors' offices.
>> Washington Post
Agency Lauds Trump for Ethics Promise He Hasn't Made
The federal Office of Government Ethics released a bizarre series of tweets praising Trump for a commitment to remove himself entirely from his business--a commitment that Trump has yet to make.
>> Government Executive
Public Workforce | Jacksonville, Fla.
Pension-Cost Spike Roils City Hall
A new financial analysis shows that Jacksonville's pension costs for public-safety employees could jump $44 million next year, a startling revelation that set off a swirl of controversy and acrimony between City Hall and the pension fund's longtime consultant. Pension costs for police and firefighters are expected to rise to $202.6 million.
>> Florida Times-Union
Michigan Lawmakers Push to Curb Retiree Health Benefits
Michigan House Republicans introduced an aggressive plan to limit retirement health-care benefits for police officers, firefighters and other government workers in cash-strapped municipalities. New hires would not be offered retiree health-care coverage at all.
>> Detroit News
Technology Management | Oregon
Audit Slams State Officials on Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity weaknesses at state agencies are putting Oregonians' sensitive data at risk, according to a new audit finding that state information-technology officials were unprepared to shoulder responsibility for fixing the agencies' issues.
>> The Oregonian
Higher Education | The Nation
GAO: Education Dept. Underestimated Cost
of Student Loan Repayment Plans by Billions
The Education Department drastically underestimated the cost of the federal government's income-driven repayment plans for student loans in its original calculations, the Government Accountability Office reported, finding that the cost of the plans jumped from $28 billion to $53 billion for student loans issued from 2009 to 2016.
>> Inside Higher Ed
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DATAPOINT
At least 50
Number of public colleges and universities that have lowered non-resident tuition by more than 10 percent in recent years without making similar reductions for in-state students, aiming, particularly in areas seeing declining numbers of traditional college-age students, to reverse enrollment dips and increase revenue
>> AP/Yahoo News | More data
VIEWPOINT
Innovation | Bruce Katz
The Metropolitan Revolution
For the past eight years, gridlock in Washington, D.C., has left city and metro leaders with an inconsistent partner in the federal government, spurring a "metropolitan revolution" of bottom-up innovation across the country. With Donald Trump and the Republicans' electoral victory, a wide range of policies relating to taxes, trade, the environment, immigration, infrastructure and health care seem likely to be upended. But some things will stay the same: Metropolitan areas will continue to drive our economy forward, and they will remain the geographies most capable of bridging partisan divisions. Local leadership will now be more important than ever.
>> Brookings Institution | More commentaries
QUOTABLE
“First, you've got to be asked, and nobody's asked.”
Tony Scott, the federal government's chief information officer, saying he's excited about the progress that's been made during his time in government and is open to the idea of remaining beyond President Obama's administration, adding that maintaining the momentum of modernizing federal information technology is not a partisan issue
>> Federal Computer Week | More quotes
UPCOMING EVENTS
Heritage Foundation and Foreign Policy Initiative
Book discussion: "Aid for Elites: Building Partner Nations and Ending Poverty Through Human Capital"
Today, noon-1 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
GovLoop
Online training: "Leveraging Smart Communities Framework for Installations"
Today, 2-3 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
American Enterprise Institute
Discussion: "Conservatism in the 115th Congress: Views from House Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores and Chairman-elect Mark Walker"
Today, 3-4 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
Heritage Foundation
Discussion with Ambassadors Kim Darroch and Kenichiro Sasae: "The Value of Strong Alliances: Looking at U.S. Alliances with the United Kingdom and Japan"
Today, 3-4 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
Brookings Institution
Report release, address by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and discussion: "Transforming Transportation with Autonomous Vehicles and the Sharing Economy: Are we ready?"
Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-noon ET, Washington, D.C.
Governing
California Leadership Forum
Dec. 6, Sacramento, Calif.
Urban Institute
Discussion: "Community Colleges Since the Great Recession"
Dec. 6, 9:30-11 a.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
American Society for Public Administration
Webinar: "Big Data and Smart Cities Development"
Dec. 6, 1 p.m. ET
Government Technology
Webinar: "Protecting Your City Identity on Social: How Deerfield Beach, Fla., Defends Its Brand with Social Media Archiving"
Dec. 6, 2 p.m. ET
American Society for Public Administration
BookTalk webinar: "Peak Performance"
Dec. 7, 1 p.m. ET
>> Full events listings
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