skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

COVID-19 a Top Issue for Missouri City Leaders in D.C.

play audio
Play

Friday, March 13, 2020   

JOPLIN, Mo. - Coronavirus fears did not stop some local leaders from Missouri from attending this year's National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in the nation's capital.

The primary focus of the event this week was the creation of the 2020 Cities Agenda, an outline of top priorities for the presidential election.

Joplin council member Melodee Colbert Kean says with COVID-19 also top of mind, Centers for Disease Control experts updated city leaders about the pandemic.

"They've been giving us information that we can take back to our cities to make sure that people aren't put in a panic, that they're getting relevant information and not relying on rumors," says Kean. "Because this is not only affecting health, it's affecting economics in all our communities."

Kean is a past president of the NLC, which she says helps form powerful partnerships between local officials and senators and members of Congress.

This year's 2020 Cities Agenda outlines four top priorities: building sustainable infrastructure, creating a skilled workforce, ending housing instability and homelessness, and reducing gun violence.

Lindsey Constance is a city councilmember from Shawnee, Kansas - which is part of the Kansas City metro area. While COVID-19 is a global issue, she says local leaders are on the front lines.

She says the conference provided an opportunity to learn how other communities are responding.

"It's really been something that's intertwined throughout when we are talking about communities that are more at risk," says Constance. "And challenges with people who perhaps don't have leave from work, maybe inadequate health-care services."

Kean says it will take the coordination of all levels of government to protect public health.

"We have our local health department in touch with our governor, which is also in touch with federal," says Kean. "The CDC has been doing calls to the health department and making sure that they have relevant, up to date information that they're able to relay to the residents."

More than three dozen municipalities in Missouri are members of the NLC.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021