The Latest

  • A woman wearing glasses sits at a dais with a sign reading, "Mrs. Dingell, Michigan."
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    (2026). "CMT Hearing: Examining Ways to Strengthen Automotive Safety, Affordability, and Leadership" [Video]. Retrieved from House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
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    AV bill narrowly passes through House committee

    Democrats balked at limits to state and local governments' ability to regulate AVs, but they expect a bipartisan bill to emerge.

    Updated Feb. 11, 2026
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    More cities are looking to expand multilingual access to services. Could AI spell the answer?

    Wordly launched an AI platform designed to expand real-time captioning and translations for local government operations.

  • Metal sign that says Environmental Protection Agency on stone wall of building.
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    White House will revoke EPA climate endangerment finding Thursday, Leavitt says

    The Trump administration is calling it the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. Environmental leaders say local governments must now safeguard public health and climate resilience.

    Updated Feb. 11, 2026
  • An articulated blue bus stopped at a curb with a woman on the sidewalk and apartment buildings with fire escapes behind.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Bus driver retention requires better scheduling, communication: report

    “Driver retention is about quality of life,” said an Optibus executive who helped lead a 22-page study released today.

  • A person points to a screen showing a hurricane map.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    6 investments to maximize climate resilience

    Cities can get the most economic return on their preparedness spending — while protecting jobs and businesses — with these strategies, new research says.

  • A blue tent on a city street with a view of skyscrapers in the background
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    Los Angeles’ encampment cleanup program may displace more people than it helps, study finds

    As efforts to clear encampments continue, unhoused individuals in LA are being forced to move around, according to a UCLA study.

  • A red construction frame in front of a high-rise building under construction.
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    What needs to happen for urban apartment development to return?

    Parking requirements, permit fees and zoning reform are among the solutions that would incentivize higher-density development, housing advocates say.

  • Red sign that says "Now hiring"
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    Gwengoat via Getty Images
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    Local governments hired hundreds of former federal workers last year

    Following DOGE efforts that led to a mass exodus of federal employees in 2025, Civic Match says it has connected nearly 200 of them with local government jobs.

  • A person wearing a suit and tie talks into a microphone surrounded by other people.
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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    A US senator introduced a bill to ‘end sanctuary cities.’ The cities are doubling down.

    The new Senate bill, introduced Thursday, would condition federal dollars on cooperation with immigration enforcement. On Friday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani expanded restrictions on ICE operations and data access.

  • Two people wearing black seen from the wait down walk by a sign with an arrow and the word "Uber."
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Uber prepares for World Cup with payment kiosks for international tourists

    The kiosks, to be installed at airports, hotels and ports, enable visitors to easily book and pay for a ride.

  • People entering a bus stopped at a curb.
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    Courtesy of Valley Transportation Authority
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    How one city increased transit bus speeds by 20%

    San José, California, employs AI traffic signaling to favor buses, helping keep them on schedule.

  • Downtown with tall buildings along a river.
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    Kansas City, Missouri, moves to the forefront of data center zoning with new ordinance

    U.S. communities are watching closely as Kansas City reclassifies data centers as industrial facilities and launches a review of their impacts on water, power, climate goals and economic growth.

  • A sign that welcomes visitors to the city of Sacramento sits in the foreground, in front of a tall, white, domed building. Ahead is a long shot of grass, with buildings on the periphery.
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    With a boost from Meta, Sacramento eyes more affordable student housing

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged $50 million for a downtown project that will facilitate affordable housing, STEM facilities and an AI center.

  • A technician replaces a light bulb outside a senior's home.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Federal energy-assistance programs survive budget gauntlet

    President Trump signed budget bills to maintain funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program on Feb. 3, 2026.

  • A shot at night of the Philadelphia skyline.
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    Philadelphia’s $2B bet on affordable housing

    The city’s HOME initiative aims to build and preserve 30,000 housing units.

  • Two people standing inside a train wearing uniforms reading "transit ambassador."
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    The image by Battlesnake1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY 1.0
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    US House bill would fund transit safety ambassadors

    The bill aims to provide federal grants for programs based on a successful initiative to reduce crime on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

  • Burned-down neighborhood
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Column

    Beyond resilience: The case for regenerative, restorative cities

    City leaders are redefining resilience as a system that regenerates ecosystems, restores communities and listens to residents.

  • Back view of a man holding a smartphone in front of a white Waymo vehicle with an Uber sign on the front door.
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    Courtesy of Uber Technologies
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    Uber CEO outlines AV plans

    Uber expects to have robotaxis in 15 cities by the end of this year, but AVs will not replace all human drivers, the company’s CEO said.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands in front of a podium, speaking with a hand raised.
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    Getty Images
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    HHS launches $100M program to address homelessness, substance abuse in 8 localities

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the pilot program will be open to faith-based organizations.

  • Mercy Othello Plaza Apartments TOD March 22, 2019.
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    Courtesy of Sound Transit
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    Transit-oriented development bill introduced in Congress

    The bipartisan Build HUBS Act would incentivize construction of more housing near transit lines nationwide.

  • Yellow sign with graphic of a traffic signal reads "Red light photo enforced" over another yellow sign depicting pedestrians against a blurred backround of a city street.
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    US DOT looks to limit traffic safety camera funding

    Automated red-light and speed enforcement cameras will no longer be eligible for certain federal grants except in school or work zones.

  • A main streeet with parked cars and low storefronts on a sunny day.
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    The image by Dwight Burdette is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Can the maker economy drive local economic revitalization? 6 Michigan communities are about to find out.

    Leaders from six Southeastern Michigan communities will receive training on revitalizing downtowns by supporting small-scale manufacturing.

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    The Municipal Cost Index

    The Municipal Cost Index, which provides results that local government officials use to monitor commodity price increases and trends, is now available for December 2025.

    Updated Feb. 3, 2026
  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
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    The image by Utah Reps is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Utah is planning to construct a vast homeless shelter. Some critics are calling it a ‘detention camp.’

    Two members of Congress joined the National Homelessness Law Center in calling for a rejection of federal funding for the 1,300-bed facility in Salt Lake City.

  • A white vehicle outfitted with many sensors stopped at a curb in with people and buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Tracker

    Robotaxis: The latest developments

    The Tesla Cybercab will go into production in April, according to Elon Musk, and Tesla owners could one day enlist their vehicles in the company’s robotaxi fleet.

    Updated Feb. 2, 2026