The Latest

  • President Donald Trump, wearing blue suit and red tie, speaks into microphone at podium with presidential seal in front of several U.S. flags.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Chicago, New York mayors vow to fight Trump’s ‘sanctuary’ city funding cuts

    “We will be relentless until we restore every dollar that has been withheld by the Trump administration,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

  • 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

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she will propose legislation expanding testing of robotaxis outside New York City.

    Updated Jan. 14, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    The Municipal Cost Index

    The Municipal Cost Index for November 2025 is now available after a series of delays in the release of federal data following last year’s government shutdown.

    Updated Jan. 14, 2026
  • Closeup of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York AG wants RealPage’s lawsuit tossed

    The real estate software company asked for a preliminary injunction in November in an attempt to halt the state’s recent ban on rent-pricing algorithms.

  • Two people hold cardboard signs up to a black SUV with "ICE" and "Police" written on the side.
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    Stephen Maturen via Getty Images
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    Illinois and Minnesota sue to halt federal immigration enforcement tactics

    The lawsuits allege mass ICE and Border Patrol deployments in Chicago and the Twin Cities have undermined public safety, strained municipal resources and violated constitutional limits on federal power.

  • U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Trump administration unlawfully cut clean energy grants, court rules

    The decision is a victory for St. Paul, Minnesota, and a coalition of energy and environmental groups that sued the U.S. Department of Energy after it canceled $7.5 billion in financial awards.

  • Residential homes in various stages of redevelopment
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    Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    A year after LA fires, thousands of homes remain unbuilt. State funds aim to curb displacement.

    California will inject another $107.3 million into communities impacted by last year’s wildfires to fund 673 new affordable rental homes.

  • A head-on view of a stainless steel train painted yellow and black on the front end alongside a station platform.
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    Courtesy of Hitachi Rail
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    New Baltimore subway cars begin to replace 40-year-old trains

    Assembled at a Hitachi factory in Maryland, the rail cars represent a “generational investment,” said a Maryland transportation official.

  • A person wearing a black coat, black hat and sunglasses holds a U.S. flag in front of a statue.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Local officials move to hold federal immigration agents accountable after Minneapolis shooting

    City and state leaders are launching investigations and public reporting portals and testing new legal tools as they weigh questions about jurisdiction, liability and the limits of federal authority.

  • A silver and black train at an underground station with some people on the platform.
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    Getty Images
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    Atlanta region transit agency prepares for FIFA World Cup

    A redesigned bus network and new trains are among the improvements expected to be ready by summer.

  • A city's downtown seen from across a river
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    Getty Images
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    Louisville, Kentucky, joins growing number of cities bringing AI to permitting

    The city also appointed its first-ever chief AI officer to lead its effort to “harness the power” of artificial intelligence.

  • Trump stands at a podium with American flags in the background.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Investors, analysts react to Trump’s single-family home buying ban

    The president’s announcement that he would seek to bar institutional investors from acquiring single-family homes raises big questions for the housing industry.

  • A modern residential building in red and silver stands prominently, with a crane towering behind it.
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    Alamy
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    Senate ‘housing emergency’ bill seeks to spur construction of 4 million US homes

    New legislation asks the federal government to curtail local housing regulations and use the Defense Production Act to boost domestic production of construction materials.

  • Aerial view of many colorful buildings with mountains and a blue sky in the background.
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    Getty Images
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    US DOT awards $1B in SS4A funds for road safety

    Under a revised Safe Streets and Roads for All program that eliminated equity and environmental justice considerations, awards went to 521 projects.

  • Petaluma, Morgan Hill, Trump lawsuit, gas bans
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    Getty Images
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    Trump administration sues cities to stop gas appliance bans

    Federal courts have been mixed on whether the bans run counter to a federal law that sets appliance efficiency standards, which the government argues preempts the bans.

  • Looking up at a four-story stone building with metal fire escapes.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    As federal safety nets disappear, states and cities need rent control

    With America’s rent crisis deepening, state and local leaders should use rent control to protect residents, preserve communities and stabilize the economy.

  • Rendering of futuristic aircraft with Manhattan skyline.
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    Courtesy of Archer Aviation
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    2026 Trends to Watch

    8 trends that will shape cities in 2026

    As federal funding becomes less predictable, cities face major shifts in transportation, housing and climate resilience in the new year.

  • Two people wearing winter coats and hats kneel in front of a pile of flowers on a street.
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    David Berding via Getty Images
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    State, federal authorities clash on Minneapolis ICE shooting

    The Trump administration has removed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from investigating the death of a resident during an immigration enforcement surge.

  • A closeup of a man in a suit and tie speaking into a microphone on a stage.
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    One week in, Mamdani begins reshaping NYC housing

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to improve New York City’s beleaguered housing supply. His first week in office saw a number of executive orders aimed at accelerating housing and cutting costs.

  • Two futuristic electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft fly over farmland.
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    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
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    Tracker

    Air taxis and urban air mobility: The latest developments

    Joby Aviation acquired a manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, that will double its production capacity next year.

    Updated Jan. 8, 2026
  • Aerial view of city buildings and lights at night.
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    Getty Images
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    2026 Predictions

    14 predictions about what 2026 may hold for cities

    AI, infrastructure needs and shifting mobility patterns will shape how cities function in 2026, experts say.

  • A construction worker stands in a cherry picker high above a worksite, where a long concrete viaduct is visible.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    California high-speed rail project pivots toward public-private partnership

    Abandoning funding from the federal government, the California High-Speed Rail Authority said it sees strong interest from the private sector.

  • A black Lucid Gravity robotaxi riding on a an urban street at night with its lights on.
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    Courtesy of Lucid Group
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    Uber, Lucid and Nuro unveil jointly developed ‘global robotaxi’ at CES

    The robotaxi is purpose-built for Uber’s ride-hailing network and features Nuro’s autonomous driving technology.

  • A woman wearing a white hard hat labeled "MTA" in a dark tunnel.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    New York’s congestion pricing will face off with Trump administration in court this month

    After a year, the tolling program has reduced air pollution and traffic congestion while improving economic activity in Manhattan, the region’s transit authority said.

  • A person wearing a blue uniform and a yellow helmet walks with a dog in front of a pile of rubble.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Court blocks ‘arbitrary and capricious’ changes to FEMA grants

    FEMA’s “abrupt change in policy is particularly harmful to local emergency management,” the judge stated.