News
The circumstances have to be right, and real urban change agents know not to promise the impossible.
Outdated assessment systems are opaque and structurally biased, leading to “data rot.” Local governments should invest in tools that make it easier for taxpayers to understand how their property is valued.
Changes at the U.S. Postal Service could harm political campaigns and voters alike. To safeguard democracy, they will need to adjust to new realities.
That’s the number of confirmed measles cases reported nationwide so far this year ...
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore after learning he had been uninvited from a White House dinner traditionally held during the National Governors Association (NGA)’s annual Washington summit. Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were among several Democratic governors excluded from events that have historically been bipartisan, including a White House meeting with governors and a dinner tied to the NGA summit. Moore, the NGA’s vice chair, said the decision was especially perplexing given his recent participation in a bipartisan meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. The White House did not explain why Moore, Polis and other Democrats were excluded, and officials did not respond to requests for clarification about which Democratic governors remained invited. (Washington Post)
A new federal survey finds roughly a 20 percent difference in school readiness between children from the poorest and wealthiest families.
Ranking near dead last among major cities, the city is launching a public-private Housing Gateway program aimed at coordinating services and moving people into housing faster.
Citing rising SNAP and public benefits fraud, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley says the new position will centralize investigations and increase prosecutions.
State Republicans and city Democrats often diverge on questions of public transit. In Arizona, GOP leaders are trying to prevent a light rail project from reaching the state Capitol building.
What happens when familiar words of government are blended to take on new meanings? Perhaps a chortle or two.
Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at University of California, Berkeley and University of Southern California, was assessing Gavin Newsom’s long-running struggle to shake his image as a California elitist. He said Newsom’s forthcoming memoir may not erase the cultural and political distance between the governor and voters in swing states like Ohio or Pennsylvania but could help narrow it by offering more personal context as Newsom’s national profile and 2028 speculation continues to grow. (The Sacramento Bee)
That’s the number of registered voters in Texas whose names, addresses and Social Security numbers were turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice under a December agreement aimed at reviewing voter rolls ahead of the midterm elections ...
Unlike parcel carriers that document every drop-off, many civil courts rely on bare-bones service records, leaving defendants unaware of lawsuits and default judgments looming.
New eviction data underscores the state’s housing crisis, as a school board member’s case shows how quickly tenants can be displaced amid scarce affordable housing.
It’s the most significant step yet in a state program set to launch next school year.
The lithium-ion devices that power our electrifying society pose serious safety and environmental risks. Life cycle stewardship must keep pace, and governments have a major role.
That’s how much Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved cutting from homeless services programs as officials grapple with a more than $270 million budget gap, despite voters backing a sales tax increase to address homelessness ...
Arizona state Rep. Gail Griffin, arguing that Arizona must be prepared for a potential legal battle over Colorado River water as interstate negotiations remain stalled. Griffin made the comments after the Arizona House voted unanimously to add another $1 million to the state’s Colorado River Litigation Fund, bringing its total to $4 million. She said other states have been positioning themselves for court for years and warned that, while litigation is not the preferred outcome, Arizona needs the resources to defend water supplies that support millions of residents and billions of dollars in economic activity if a deal isn’t reached. (AZ Mirror)
As federal safeguards erode, state lawmakers are laying the groundwork for restoring and protecting wetlands left vulnerable by Clean Water Act rollbacks.
With a multibillion-dollar deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget leaves tens of thousands of promised subsidized slots unfunded, keeping families on waitlists for years.
As the president calls for federal control of voting, administrators who endured bomb threats and burnout warn that long-standing guardrails are fraying.
Transportation funding fights and limited progress on core priorities have dented the governor’s popularity, setting up a risky re-election year.
Police are working taxing overtime hours as calls over ICE-related activity soar. The police chief is trying to keep everyone safe, maintain community trust and prevent stressed-out officers from quitting.
The state will need to reform its antiquated tax code, warily approach bond measures that tie the hands of policymakers, and get serious about spending oversight.
That’s the estimated number of hospital workers in Minnesota who suffered violent, work-related injuries in 2023 and 2024 severe enough to force time off, restricted duties or job changes ...
Juan Pagan, president of the Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, reacting to a decision by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to stop offering driver license exams in any language other than English beginning Feb. 6. The change eliminates translated and oral exams in other languages across all license types. While acknowledging the importance of drivers understanding English, Pagan said the policy reflects what he called an “adversarial approach to assimilation” that sends an exclusionary message to immigrants. (Sun Sentinel)
In communities where agriculture is central to local identity and economy, opposition to wind and solar projects is reshaping the pace and location of energy investments.
States that had historically high immunization coverage are seeing rising exemption rates and declining vaccine uptake, posing new public health challenges for legislators.
Despite fears they’d shift Idaho left, newcomers from California are reinforcing the state’s conservative tilt.
Oklahoma puts its tobacco settlement funds in a trust, spending only the interest. The strategy has had long-term public health benefits.
