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Pension Politics: Should States Be Investing in Controversial Companies?

It’s an increasingly divisive question. If the goal is to affect change -- from gun control to climate change -- some argue that to divest is the best, while others believe pensions would have more power keeping their financial stake.

Feds Threaten Jail for Opening a Supervised Injection Site in America

The response from city officials: So what? They are pushing forward to open the controversial facilities that exist in other countries as a way to reduce drug overdoses.

Citing Racial Disparities, Cities Rethink Punishment for Transit Fare Evasion

Should jumping the turnstile be treated as a crime or a civil violation akin to missing a toll?

Defying Predictions, Union Membership Isn't Dropping Post-Janus

The Supreme Court’s ruling was expected to diminish union membership. But so far, many unions have actually increased their numbers since the verdict. Conservative groups are working to reverse that trend in the long run.

• ALEC Outlines 2019 Agenda to Erode Union Power
The Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in Cincinnati

Why More and More Cities Aren't Prioritizing Your Parking Troubles

Cities are eliminating requirements for new buildings to have parking.

Lauren Matsumoto

A Cautionary Tale for the Newly Elected

By the end of her first term, Hawaii state Rep. Lauren Matsumoto was hospitalized for exhaustion from trying to "do it all."

As Protections for Pregnant Workers Falter in Congress, States Step Up

The 1978 federal pregnancy discrimination law hasn’t kept up with changes in the workplace, and efforts to reform it have failed.

Is the Next Recession Near? 2 Ways to Know

Economists say the unprecedented period of economic growth may be coming to an end.

1 State and 1 County Now Accept Bitcoin. Will Others Follow?

Governments in the U.S. are starting to accept cryptocurrencies, a controversial method of payment that got its start on the dark web.

COMMENTARY

How a Smart Mayor Can Harness the Strength of a Nonprofit

The turnaround of Central Park is more than an urban success story. It's about shared responsibility and trading power for results.

COMMENTARY

The Governors’ Bipartisan Opportunity to Reform Criminal Justice

States don't need to wait for Washington to act. They can build on the substantial progress some of them have already made.

COMMENTARY

It’s Hard to Get Cities to Share Services. States Can Help.

Fiscal incentives can encourage local governments to consolidate redundant operations.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

22,000

Employees accidentally invited to a potluck hosted by Utah's Department of Corrections. The evite was only meant for 80 people, but a technology glitch sent it to almost the entire state workforce.

MORE DIGITS

Lame-Duck Power Grabs Aren't New, But Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan Are ‘More Aggressive’

Legislatures in recent years have increased, and intensified, their attempts to assert authority over other branches of government.

• 'Nobody Ran on Stripping Power Away': Putting the Wisconsin Vote in Context

MOST READ

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    Defying Predictions, Union Membership Isn't Dropping Post-Janus
  2. 2

    ALEC Outlines 2019 Agenda to Erode Union Power
  3. 3

    The Biggest Issues for States to Watch in 2018
  4. 4

    This Small New England City Was on the Verge of Bankruptcy. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story.
  5. 5

    Lame-Duck Power Grabs Aren't New, But Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan Are ‘More Aggressive’

  6. 6

    Trump's New Immigration Rule Could Threaten Health Care for 6.8 Million Children Who Are U.S. Citizens
  7. 7

    Is the Next Recession Near? 2 Ways to Know
Recycled plastic.

Under China's New Rules, U.S. Recycling Suffers

Some cities are closing recycling plants. Others are ending curbside pickup. For recycling to be sustainable, consumers must learn to sort their trash better.

WHO SAID THAT?

“The punishments didn’t fit the crimes. ‘Interfering with public transit’ was a Class A misdemeanor, the same as a DUI. And ‘interfering with public transit’ could be anything, including fare evasion.”

MORE QUOTES
Nurse walking child through hospital hallway.

Trump's New Immigration Rule Could Threaten Health Care for 6.8 Million Children Who Are U.S. Citizens

There is less than one week left of the public comment period for the proposed "public charge" rule.

Who Needs the State? New York City Goes Rogue to Reform Bail

While state lawmakers have been locked in a stalemate on the issue, the city has implemented new rules and programs that have helped it achieve the lowest incarceration rate of any big U.S. city.

Newly Elected Democratic Socialists Bring New Ideas on Affordable Housing

The fresh crop of progressives taking state office next year could shake up the conversations about how to lower the cost of living.

This Small New England City Was on the Verge of Bankruptcy. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story.

Springfield, Mass., is in the best shape it’s been in a generation.

Trump Administration Gives States New Ways to Rewrite Obamacare

Who gets health insurance subsidies, and how they're used, could drastically change if states take the federal government's guidance released on Thursday.

• During Obamacare Enrollment in the Trump Era, States Face Greater Challenges

To Get Rid of Blight, Baltimore Tries Something New

The city, which has more empty and dilapidated houses than most, is making buyers prove that they can afford to purchase a home -- and to fix it up.

Why States Hoping for Online Holiday Sales to Boost Budgets May Not Get Their Wish

This is the first holiday season since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to tax online shopping.

A Potential Turning Point in How Cities Treat the Homeless

A recent federal ruling is driving cities to revisit their local ordinances and methods of reducing homelessness.

Meet the 2018 Public Officials of the Year

These honorees didn’t just set goals; they set ambitious, attention-grabbing goals that they're accomplishing.