News
The national unemployment rate for Black Americans rose to 7.5 percent in August, up 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier ...
Chicago Alderman David Moore countering Mayor Brandon Johnson’s push to reinstate the city’s corporate head tax during a heated town hall. Johnson argued the levy — a $21-per-employee tax on large corporations — would help fund services for working families, while Moore warned it could harm small franchise owners in his ward. (Chicago Tribune)
About 90 percent of federal lands are located in Western states. Dave Upthegrove, public lands commissioner of Washington state, discusses how changing federal priorities are affecting his job.
After a series of in-custody deaths, the Sheriff’s Office is piloting smartwatch-style biometric devices to alert staff when inmates show signs of medical distress. The move has been hailed as promising but fraught with privacy and technical challenges.
After polling close to Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the Republican’s 13-point loss stunned party insiders — who now blame Trump’s shutdown, mixed messaging and a campaign that failed to reach beyond its base.
How one organization in Pasadena, Calif., is mobilizing amid a shortage of federal food aid during the government shutdown.
Just about every jurisdiction measures them differently. The data should differentiate between life-and-death situations and less serious ones. Doing so could save lives — including those of first responders.
The amount Idaho has requested annually from the federal government to bolster rural health care through a new grant created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ...
Eric Schickler, political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s legacy following her announcement that she will not seek a 21st term in Congress. Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to serve as speaker, helped steer landmark legislation including the Affordable Care Act, post-financial crisis reforms, and President Biden’s infrastructure bill. Her nearly four-decade career reshaped Democratic politics and solidified her reputation as one of the most influential leaders in modern U.S. history. (Roll Call)
Voters in four suburban cities will decide next year whether to abandon Dallas Area Rapid Transit, a potential blow to the $850 million system that carries more than 50 million riders annually.
Residents in four industrial corridor towns can see real-time air quality data — a project environmental groups hope will prompt voluntary emissions fixes without relying on regulation.
Two investigator positions meant to tackle school discrimination cases went unfilled for over a year and a half, illustrating how bureaucracy can slow even urgent state priorities.
A new California law overrides local regulations to provide multifamily housing around transit corridors. Can it succeed in finally getting much-needed housing built? And is sprawl really such a bad thing?
The Trump administration plans to cut flight traffic by 10% in 40 major U.S. markets starting Friday ...
The issues that drove the winning campaigns reflected a mix of local and national concerns, and the results pointed to divergent, sometimes contradictory, priorities for big-city voters.
After generations in supporting roles, Black women are now leading some of America’s largest cities and reshaping how cities confront challenges from housing to public safety.
The Zone Zero regulations, designed to keep embers from igniting homes, have drawn more than 4,000 public comments and fierce debate over plants, property rights and policy.
Denver, Minneapolis and other cities want to avoid paying large sums owed to victims of some types of misconduct. But will the officers pay up?
“The child tax credit is the single most effective anti-poverty program this country has ever seen.”
Zachary Parker, Washington, D.C., Council member, on the council’s vote to establish the nation’s first local child tax credit. The measure, approved Tuesday, supplements the federal credit and redirects hundreds of millions in revenue made available after Washington lawmakers moved to separate the district’s tax code from President Donald Trump’s federal tax overhaul. Parker and other supporters said the new credit will provide meaningful relief for struggling families and strengthen local programs for housing and health care. (Washington Post)
The media and politicians focus on which party is winning or losing congressional seats. But moving 20 million Americans into new districts mid-decade will represent a major tear in the fabric of representative democracy.
States are reducing subsidy slots, slashing provider reimbursement rates and raising co-pays for low-income parents amid shrinking federal aid.
The drop in homicide rates seen this year in several major U.S. cities — including Buffalo, Denver, Orlando and Seattle— compared to the same period in 2024 ...
Zohran Mamdani, newly elected mayor of New York City, delivering a pointed jab at his opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during his victory speech. Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, became the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, capturing more than 50 percent of the vote and declaring his win “a mandate for change.” (New York Times)
With hospitals operating on margins as low as 1 percent, new federal policy changes could undercut care access in rural communities.
By automating tasks like lesson planning, grading and progress tracking, classrooms in North Dakota are freeing up instructor hours.
Results in New Jersey, Virginia and key ballot measures highlight voter unrest with the status quo — and raise new questions about Republican momentum heading into 2026.
Abigail Spanberger’s comfortable win in the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, and Mikie Sherrill’s in New Jersey, gave Democrats their biggest electoral triumphs since Trump’s return to power.
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams is one of the few public officials who's found a way to address both election security and ballot access concerns.
The federal funding reductions and new eligibility rules will have severe consequences for those with substance use disorders and returning from incarceration. States have ways to keep many of them covered.
Sherrill’s decisive victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli keeps the governor’s mansion blue for a third straight term, fueled by suburban voters and anti-Trump momentum.
