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Alaska's Public Universities May Declare 'Academic Bankruptcy'

Lawmakers failed to override the Republican governor's decision to cut 40 percent of the university system's state funding.

Students hold up and carry signs during a rally in support of the University of Alaska system.

From 42 Agencies to 15: How Arkansas Overhauled State Government Without Laying Anyone Off

Gov. Asa Hutchinson spearheaded the streamlining.

California Takes Obamacare to a New Level as the Law's Fate Looms

The state is restoring the individual mandate and making an unprecedented effort to help the middle class afford health insurance.

• After Midterm Wins, Momentum for Medicaid Expansion Slows

Welfare's Once-Popular Cap on Kids Loses Favor in States

The policy was intended to discourage government dependence. It didn’t seem to work.

Students watching something on the projector.

White Communities, Black Students: Counties With the Biggest School Race Gap

White enrollment in private schools creates stark disparities in many districts.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder

Will the Gerrymandering Ruling Motivate Donors and Voters?

The decision increases the focus on often-ignored state legislative elections, where the GOP has recently dominated.

• Supreme Court Punts Partisan Gerrymandering to States and Congress, But They May Not Act

This Vacant City Block Will Soon Be the Tallest Building in Michigan

Photos and musings from our photographer.

Nurse helping a woman walk down a hallway.

One State's Big Leap to Reduce Medicare and Medicaid's Out-of-Pocket Costs

Washington state is going further than any other to cover aging Americans' medical bills.

WANTED: Public Employees Who Live Where They Work

Local governments are offering employees home loans and even housing if they reside among the people they serve.

COMMENTARY

Developers Are Helping to Build Our Cities, Not Killing Them

Rather than treating them as the enemy, cities should collaborate with them.

COMMENTARY

The GovLove Generation: How Millennials Are Redefining Public Service

They're beginning to reshape local government in a big way.

COMMENTARY

America's Demographic Destiny Can't Be Ignored

The birth rate is at an all-time low. That’s going to have a major impact on public services.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

1.2 miles

Length of the six-lane, high-speed “smart” intersection that companies and researchers are using to test driverless vehicles in Ohio. It's touted as the industry's longest.

MORE DIGITS

Many Students Are in Crisis. So Is America's School Counseling System.

Counselors say budget cuts have left them unable to respond to students’ mental health needs.

MOST READ

  1. 1

    Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters Threatens Fire Departments' Existence
  2. 2

    Alaska's Public Universities May Declare 'Academic Bankruptcy'
  3. 3

    GOP Holds Voter-Registration Advantage in Races for Governor and President
  4. 4

    White Communities, Black Students: Counties With the Biggest School Race Gap
  5. 5

    One State's Big Leap to Reduce Medicare and Medicaid's Out-of-Pocket Costs
  6. 6

    Welfare's Once-Popular Cap on Kids Loses Favor in States
  7. 7

    How Nevada Plans to Solve the Marijuana Banking Problem

Will Up-Zoning Make Housing More Affordable?

Making neighborhoods denser is an idea with growing appeal. The question is whether it works.

WHO SAID THAT?

“I didn't know whether to cry, throw up, get mad. I honestly did not think the federal government would do this to someone.”

MORE QUOTES

Should a Private Tech Giant Be Designing Cities?

Google’s sister company wants to build the city of the future on Toronto’s waterfront, raising concerns over privacy and the role of government.

The Mayors Changing Local Government's Status Quo

They're bringing new perspectives and ideas.

How Federal Tax Reform Is Changing Government Borrowing

Fearing more changes from Congress, states and cities are turning less and less to the municipal bond market.

• Governments Rethink Their 'Moral Obligation' to Bondholders

Cities Confront the 'Forever Chemicals' Contaminating Drinking Water

As the EPA and Congress debate PFAS regulations, local governments are taking action to protect people from toxic chemicals used in the production of practically everything.

CONTENT PROVIDED BY OPTUM

How can modern solutions pave a new path to healthcare?

We know how. We are the how.

SEE HOW
People sitting in waiting room.

How Trump's Plan to Redefine Poverty Would Impact Health Care and Food Stamps

The potential change in the federal poverty line would lower the number of people who qualify for social services by almost 1 million.

To Find More 'Good Cops,' a Few Big Cities Change Their Hiring Process

They're putting more emphasis on applicants' emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.

18 and On Your Own: A New Way to Ease the Transition From Foster Care

Aging out of the system brings tough challenges that states are trying to help young adults overcome.

How Trump Became Counties' Best Friend and Biggest Ally

The administration is focusing on a level of government that past presidents have often neglected.

Republicans registering people to vote.

GOP Holds Voter-Registration Advantage in Races for Governor and President

More people are registering as Republicans than Democrats in states with gubernatorial elections this year and in some 2020 battleground states.