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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 Protester holding sign that says "I'm Sticking With thw Union."

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

Cities are eliminating requirements for new buildings to have parking.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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
COMMENTARY

What Citizens Really Think

Civic-engagement platforms have their uses, but they're no substitute for public opinion research.

COMMENTARY

Is Statehouse News Actually Declining, or Just Different?

There’s still plenty of coverage of governors and legislatures. But the void of newspaper reporters has been filled with partisan-slanted bloggers.

COMMENTARY

What Urban Policymakers Can Learn From the Rideshare Wars

New transportation options that make increasing demands for curb and sidewalk space call for innovative regulatory approaches.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

113 million

Americans with an immediate family member who has been incarcerated in jail or prison, which represents nearly half the population, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

MORE DIGITS
An inmate sitting on the floor making a phone call from jail.

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.

MOST READ

  1. 1

    ALEC Outlines 2019 Agenda to Erode Union Power
  2. 2

    This Small New England City Was on the Verge of Bankruptcy. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story.
  3. 3

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

    Defying Predictions, Union Membership Isn't Dropping Post-Janus
  5. 5

    Under China's New Rules, U.S. Recycling Suffers
  6. 6

    Why We Need to See the Grisly Reality of Gun Carnage
  7. 7

    A Potential Turning Point in How Cities Treat the Homeless
Vaughn Stewart at a meeting with people.

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.

WHO SAID THAT?

“There's a lot of interest with what's happening with Trump, but when you look at what's happening in states and particularly Wisconsin, you see how easy it is to have what amounts to minority rule.”

MORE QUOTES

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.

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.

Your ZIP Code Determines Your Life Expectancy, But Not in These 7 Places

What sets these outliers apart?

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.

A couple, center, who were living under a bridge carry their possessions out as police move in to clear a homeless encampment in Philadelphia.

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.

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.

How a Tiny Office in Ohio Is Transforming Health Care

Some say John Kasich is "the first governor who has been able to move the private sector to really participate in health-care reform."

Year of the Woman? Not So Fast.

An expert on women in politics dissects the 2018 midterms.

Offshore Wind Could Be the Next Big Breakthrough in Renewable Energy

After decades of false starts, turbines are starting to turn in several coastal states.

• Renewable Energy Is Growing Faster Than Many Experts Expected