Cover Story
The Unlikely Comeback of Cap and Trade
BY J.B. Wogan
With New Jersey's announcement that it will rejoin a multistate compact to limit carbon emissions, 2018 could be a banner year for cap and trade in the states -- even if the idea is dead in Washington.
FEATURES
Management & Labor
Fearing Trump's Trade Policies, U.S. States and Foreign Countries Grow Closer
The president's "America First" message and his new trade barriers have caused anxiety in states where the economy depends on investment from abroad. It's pushing governors to hone their diplomatic skills.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Infrastructure & Environment
All Aboard? The Uncertain Future of America's First Privately Built Railroad in Decades
Some say South Florida's Brightline can serve as a model for infrastructure development. But first, it has to be completed and prove it can make money.
BY Daniel C. Vock
Health & Human Services
How Far Will the Right-to-Die Movement Go?
More states may legalize physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. But even where it is allowed, some doctors still refuse to offer it.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
The Fight for Environmental Justice and the Rise of Citizen Activism
(And the tenacity of a guy named mark! Lopez)
BY Natalie Delgadillo
OBSERVER
Education
Do Charter Schools Worsen Segregation?
They largely serve minority students, but supporters say that’s not a problem -- it’s actually the point.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Politics & Elections
The Tragedy and Politics of the Legionnaires’ Outbreak in Illinois
The disease has claimed 13 veterans’ lives since 2015 and may effect the governor’s reelection chances this year.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Management & Labor
Dismissed for Competence?
Hannes Zacharias helped his Kansas county win national recognition for a variety of programs. The county commissioners had nothing but praise for him. Then they fired him.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Public Safety & Justice
After Reforming Criminal Justice, Alaska Has Second Thoughts
The state rolled back criminal justice reforms it had adopted only a year earlier. Other parts of the country are also reconsidering similar changes.
BY Alan Greenblatt
POLITICS + POLICY
Commentary
A City's Collision of Histories
Can Alabama’s capital honor both civil rights and the Confederacy? It thinks so.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Commentary
The Truth About Rising Health Premiums
Obamacare isn’t the reason they’re going up. It’s state policies.
BY Donald F. Kettl
Politics & Elections
Trump's Voter Fraud Commission May Be Dead, But His Quest Continues
The president has shifted the commission's voter fraud investigation to the Department of Homeland Security. Some see that as a boon to the cause, while others say it could be problematic, especially for immigrants.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Health & Human Services
What Will You Do to Fix Our Mental Health Care System?
That’s what many Iowans, home to the state with the fewest mental health beds, are asking candidates for governor.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
This Map Shows What Climate Change Could Mean for Your Region
It's difficult to put a price tag on global warming, but the effort can help manage risks.
BY Elizabeth Daigneau
Commentary
A Regional Rail Revival
Efforts to bring back passenger trains are happening all over. We need them.
BY Alex Marshall
Commentary
There Are Changes Bigger Than Self-Driving Cars Coming
Online shopping and the automation of jobs are going to transform cities.
BY William Fulton
PROBLEM SOLVER
Urban
The Widening Cost-of-Living Gap
Expenses in different regions are diverging more now than in the recent past.
BY Mike Maciag
Commentary
It's the Money, Stupid
There are a lot of big issues facing officials in 2018. The biggest is funding.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Commentary
How to Reduce the Opioid Epidemic's Stigma
Framing is key. Empathy is not.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Tech Talk
Geeks Come to the Government's Rescue
The organization some refer to as "the Peace Corps for geeks" has launched a major effort to improve the way people apply for benefits.
BY Tod Newcombe
Commentary
Can An Old Tax Tool Teach Us New Tricks?
Fiscal equalization offers three lessons in local tax policy and regional prosperity.
BY Justin Marlowe
Education
Behind the Lens: The Town That Had No Library
Architecture students transformed an old bank into a library for Newbern, Ala.
BY David Kidd
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