Cover Story

How States and Cities Reinforce Racial Segregation in America

BY Daniel C. Vock

The black-white divide is still a major problem. Government policies are partially to blame.

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Still Separate After All These Years: How Schools Fuel White Flight

Segregated schools aren’t just the products of segregated neighborhoods. In many cases, predominantly white schools are driving the racial divide. BY J. Brian Charles, Daniel C. Vock, Mike Maciag

Distressed Cities Find Hope in Federal 'Opportunity Zones'

A new program may be a boon to struggling cities -- if it targets the right ones. BY J. Brian Charles

How Nurses Prove the Power of Unions

In an anti-union era, nurses may have found a model for effectively organizing labor. BY Graham Vyse

OBSERVER

Hmong Americans Gain Political Representation

The number of Hmong legislators, who came from Southeast Asia as refugees, tripled in the Minnesota state House this year. BY Alan Greenblatt

Amazon's Curse of an Exploding Job Market

Voters aren’t satisfied with how Seattle is managing its growth, which has largely been driven by Amazon's presence. BY Alan Greenblatt

With New Judges, Houston Could Flip the Script on Evictions

After Democrats swept judicial elections last year, Harris County is set to become much less landlord-friendly. BY Alan Greenblatt

How Lawmakers Can Raise Their Own Pay in a Less Controversial Way

There are lessons to be learned from New York and Pennsylvania. BY Alan Greenblatt

How Will Driverless Cars Really Change Cities? Who Knows.

There are plenty of theories about how they will reshape urban areas. But it’s anybody’s guess. BY Alan Ehrenhalt

Why Rebuilding 'Bigger and Better' After Disasters Is a Mistake

Communities destroyed by natural disaster all want to start over. Somebody has to pay for it. BY Donald F. Kettl

The Rent Is Too Damn Low

America's housing crisis is about more than high prices. BY Pete Saunders

Where Have All the Black Men Gone?

There's a gender imbalance in many African-American neighborhoods. Mass incarceration is largely to blame. BY Mike Maciag

BY Daniel C. Vock

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