Governing: State and local government news and analysis
From canals covered with solar panels to carbon capturing systems, there are five cost-effective, cutting-edge ideas that could reduce the effects of global warming.
A lot of people either don’t understand the chatroom-like platforms or don’t want to use them. Legal aid advocates also worry that the systems deepen imbalances of power between some parties.
Often overshadowed by its neighbor Minneapolis, the other twin city has survived the pandemic and racial tensions and is ready to move on. Governing talked to Mayor Carter, early in his second term, about the city’s new momentum.
Electric buses, though costly, are beginning to make up more and more of the U.S. transit fleet. Here's a tool where you can look up how many electric buses a transit agency has, as well as how much it's driving them.
The increasing restrictiveness of copyright threatens our commons of creative work that anyone can borrow from and build on. The public domain needs a physical capital where it could be celebrated and encouraged.
Reporters at nonprofit news outlets now make up 20 percent of the total capitol press corps. The total number of full-time reporters, however, continues to decline.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee voters elected Cavalier Johnson as their first new mayor in nearly 20 years. He harbors great hopes of rebuilding a city that suffers from a serious crime problem.
Too many programs place the burden of complexity on citizens, leaving those who need services the most struggling to access them. To include marginalized users, services should be designed for them.
The median net worth of white households in the U.S. is almost eight times greater than that of Black households. Most mayors agree this is a problem but differ on what solutions are best.
Back in the 1970s, the city of Prague pushed an ugly arterial road past some of its most precious landmarks. It’s trying to undo the damage.
As tensions between the U.S. and Russia mount, Cyberspace Solarium Commission members and critical infrastructure owners discussed the work ahead to collaborate more effectively on cyber defense.
The familiar grid has its detractors, but it also has strengths. Could an eccentric Spanish architect from the 1840s teach us how to do it right?
Recipients of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers awards include county CIOs, agency leaders, state CISOs, diversity advocates and technologists.
Defending an "unteachable" classic of American literature has become the life’s work of a Twain scholar, costing him professionally and personally.
Arizona Could Force U.S. Supreme Court to Again Consider Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration
Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that requires Arizona election officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and it could go into effect before the state's primaries in August. But Arizona isn't the only state requiring proof of citizenship.
California’s first-in-the-nation task force to identify reparations for African Americans voted Tuesday to limit eligibility to those who can trace their lineage.
Digital redlining shares many things in common with traditional redlining, the deliberate withholding of loans and other key resources from residents of certain neighborhoods, largely along racial divides.
An enthusiasm gap among young voters has Democrats worried about the upcoming midterms. Plus, Andrew Cuomo wants his old job back, the South Dakota AG dodges impeachment and life imitates art in Indiana as candidate takes advantage of “the name you know.”
The national 988 service can be a big improvement over the current system. But it will need adequate call center staffing and more care providers across the country, along with a strong communications rollout.
In some states, Uber and Lyft don’t have to pay if passengers are hurt by a hit-and-run. There are moves in a number of states to increase protections for riders and drivers in the case of accidents with uninsured motorists.
After a stormy confirmation process characterized by partisan recriminations in the U.S. Senate, Ketanji Brown Jackson appears to be set to take her seat on the Supreme Court. More than three dozen others have been denied over the last 235 years.
The city of Elk Grove uses an app that pushes citizens who participate in citywide housing density discussions to craft their own solutions, not just object to what has been proposed.
Many could quit their jobs because of harassment and burnout, leaving communities at great risk. The public hostility toward the workers has been referred to as “moral injury.”
They’re criticized for failing to solve every problem that affects their constituents. But the discrimination and racism they face must be factored in, and they lack access to institutions that could strengthen their hand.
Nearly one-third of cities and counties would be unable to tell if they were under attack in cyberspace. Many lack sound IT practices, while rigid policies, politics and bureaucracy can hinder better defense practices.
The White House has taken the first step. It’s time for our governments at every level to underwrite a public-private “solidarity bridge” to host many more: up to a million refugees and wartime orphans.
Municipal broadband is booming, growing 600 percent since 2018. These alternatives to private-sector Internet service promise better access and affordability to communities. But are they really cost-effective?
In the 19th century, Franconia Notch, a popular tourist site known for its pristine beauty, came under threat from the logging industry. A coalition of women’s groups started a grass-roots campaign to conserve the region.
Just 51 years old, nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, if confirmed, would join a growing list of relatively young justices who are likely to serve for much longer than was anticipated when lifetime appointments were first codified.
Two platforms are offering another layer of security in the voting process; one offers voters real-time alerts if registration information changes, while another flags unusual patterns of record updates for election officials.
