*** Former New York Mayor, billionaire and Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg is proposing to bring the 311 phone service he pioneered as Gotham's chief executive to the national scene. In New York, NYC311 gave residents a one-stop telephone service to make and track non-emergency service requests. The service has been rolled out in other U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.
"President Trump has spent three years undermining our government's basic functions and our ability to respond to a crisis. I will change that -- including through a national 311 hotline that gives Americans instant access to critical information and resources," Bloomberg said in a March 2 statement.
*** Two senators allege that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has cut critical staff such as attorneys and field investigators who are needed to assessment claims of workplace harassment and discrimination. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to EEOC Chair Janet Dhillon demanding an explanation for the staff reductions, which come despite instructions from Congress to use a funding increase to address personnel gaps.