Have we forgotten the true meaning of Labor Day?
The first Labor Day was hardly a national holiday. Workers had to strike to celebrate it. Frank Leslie’s Weekly Illustrated Newspaper’s September 16, 1882 Labor Day is a U.S. national…
Labor then and now: 90 years after the Minneapolis Teamsters’ strikes
The General Drivers strike of 1934 turned bloody when police began firing into crowds of picketers. Photo courtesy of the Minnesota History Society. This year marks the 90th anniversary of…
Even if they can’t always agree at Capitol, lawmakers bond over the blues in downtown Jackson
On Monday nights during the Mississippi legislative session — sure as the looming sine die— legislators gather around dimly lit tables in downtown Jackson. It’s a backroom deal, but not…
For 32 years, dozens of deaths tied to nurse at Columbia’s VA hospital have been unresolved
Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent). In September 1992, as I performed one of the perfunctory duties of my job as assistant city editor of…
Do some kids learn better online? A new Kansas City virtual academy thinks so
Students pick up laptops and other school supplies during orientation for Brookside Virtual Academy on Aug. 20 in Kansas City. Brian Wilson (left) said he and his wife like giving…
Elected trustees – 1,500 champions for public education
Photo illustration by Getty Images. Late summer marks the beginning of the back-to-school season, as teachers, students, parents, staff and administrators eagerly prepare for the upcoming school year. Parents equip…
Market problems, poor planning cause price hikes in nation’s largest electric market, critics say
The coal-fired Brandon Shores Power Plant in Baltimore, in a 2018 photo. Critics say that PJM, which is responsible for coordinating the flow of electricity in 13 states and the…
Maryland has a clear path for cleaner waterways
A great blue heron finds a resting spot in Chesapeake Bay. Stock.adobe.com photo by flownaksala. Progress and potential. That is how the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) described current Chesapeake Bay…
Report shows improvements for Wisconsin workers while shortcomings persist
Wisconsin jobs are at a record number, unemployment is low and low-wage workers have seen their wages rise in 2023, according to the annual State of Working Wisconsin report from…
Governments often struggle with massive new IT projects — including Idaho’s Luma system
Government requirements and culture can make upgrading aging computer systems difficult, experts say. (Getty Images) Idaho’s state government was facing a problem. In 2018, its 86 state agencies were operating…