FEATURES

• Are Cities' Pledges to End Homelessness Working?
• By: Jonathan Walters
• Though the number of homeless has increased since numerous pledges were made in the early 2000s to end it, some progress has been made on the nation's understanding of the phenomenon.

• The 5 Biggest U.S. Infrastructure Projects, Plus 5 at Risk
• By: Ryan Holeywell, Daniel Lippman
• From Washington, D.C., to California, read about the five biggest projects in the country right now -- and the five biggest ones in jeopardy.

• State Broadband Initiatives Accelerate to Bridge Digital Divide
• By: Mike Maciag
• States pursue efforts to boost Internet connection speeds and expand access to unserved regions

• State Broadband Projects and Initiatives
• By: Mike Maciag
• A summary of various initiatives states are pursuing to expand broadband access.

• Results-Only Work Environment Goes Public Sector
• By: Heather Kerrigan
• The Results-Only Work Environment, which allows work to be done at nearly anytime and anywhere, has the potential to cut workforce costs and boost morale.

• Cities of the Future May Soon Look Like Those of the Past
• By: Alan Ehrenhalt
• Urbanist Alan Ehrenhalt explains how America’s cities are changing, why and what this means for urban life in the future.

POLITICS + POLICY

• Wisconsin Recall Elections Draw Lots of Attention -- and Cash
• By: Alan Greenblatt
• The recalls of Gov. Scott Walker, his lieutenant and four state senators could top $100 million, but that's just a prelude to the fall when the parties will fight for control of the state House.

• GIS Mapping Helps Frogtown, Minnesota Track Neighborhood Data
• By: Alan Greenblatt
• Residents use data from public records and their neighbors to understand more about where they live.

• Grease Disposal Laws Target Thieves
• By: Alan Greenblatt
• California and Virginia have passed statutes to regulate the disposal of cooking grease -- a hot commodity because of the demand for biofuel -- to keep people from stealing it from restaurants.

• Tuition? UC Riverside Students Say Bill Me Later
• By: Alan Greenblatt
• A student group called “Fix UC” suggests colleges take a share of each student’s salary for the first 20 years after they graduate.

• Prison Counts Decline As States Enact Reforms
• By: Mike Maciag

• Sunday Alcohol Sales Making a Comeback
• By: Alan Greenblatt
• In the last decade, 15 states have repealed so-called blue laws that banned Sunday sales of beer, wine and liquor.

• Ex-Police Chief William Bratton Discusses Government Collaboration in New Book
• By: John Buntin
• In Collaborate or Perish!, William Bratton and Harvard Kennedy School professor Zachary Tumin tell governments how they can work together more often and more effectively.

• Recession Recovery: Local Governments Must Guide the Way
• By: Paul W. Taylor
• People are finally starting to bounce back from the recession, and they’re looking to local governments -- not the feds or the states -- to guide them into a better future.

• Insourcing Jobs Can Only Happen with States’ Help
• By: Donald F. Kettl
• Much of President Barack Obama's federal effort to bring jobs back home depends on states' ability to educate and train workers.

• Can America Fix Its Infrastructure by Ending Its Wars?
• By: Ryan Holeywell

• If Anti-Smoking Programs Save Millions, Why Are States Cutting Them?
• By: David Levine
• States are slashing or eliminating programs that could save them money.

• Cities Tout Municipal Tap Water as Better Than Bottled
• By: Elizabeth Daigneau
• Municipal drinking water is safer, more cost effective and better for the environment -- three facts cities want their residents to know.

• Encouraging Biking, Walking in Large U.S. Metro Areas
• By: Alex Marshall
• When home, work, school and shopping are in closer proximity, travel is easier. What can cities do to help get people out of their cars and onto their feet?

• Railroad Park Unites Birmingham, Alabama
• By: Tod Newcombe
• The park, which is part of a trend of turning urban, industrial spaces into green space, has inspired the city to eventually have the most park acreage per capita in the U.S.

PROBLEM SOLVER

• Meth Lab Cleanup Program Contains Costs for Tenn.
• By: Caroline Cournoyer
• Meth labs are on the rise again and federal funding can’t keep up. Now states have to pick up the mess -- and the bill.

• Government Fleets’ Costs Driven Down with Technology Tools
• By: Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
• The technology is there, but many state and local agencies still aren’t using it.

• Maryland Considering Incentives for Work in ‘Health Enterprise Zones’
• By: Caroline Cournoyer
• The idea of offering financial incentives to boost services in select areas is common for economic development -- but rarely used to improve health care.

• Transferring 911 Mental-Health Calls Could Reduce Harm
• By: Caroline Cournoyer
• An Oregon county will begin transferring 911 calls from people having mental-health crises to qualified professionals who can keep callers out of jail and danger.

• Colorado Government Takes a Play from ‘Moneyball’
• By: Steve Towns
• The hit movie details how the Oakland Athletics baseball team analyzed patterns and huge sets of data to improve their record. Colorado is doing the same to improve public policy.

• OPEB Made Easier
• By: Girard Miller
• A new set of best practices for 'other post-employment benefits'

• Occupy Salt Lake City Ends Peacefully
• By: Dylan Scott
• Police Chief Chris Burbank’s diplomatic ways helped the city avoid the violent clashes that plagued other places.

Training Opportunities

• Health Care Reform After the Decision
• In this Mercer Report, you’ll learn how different organizations plan to tackle the new requirements of ACA and discover where most employer concerns are focused, who expects to be hardest hit, and how different health plans and Medicaid may impact overall costs.
• Crime Prediction and Prevention


• Accelerating Economic Growth and Vitality