The Latest

  • Double exposure of coin stack and notebook laptop computer with financial graph on white paper business planning vision and finance analysis concept
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The Municipal Cost Index

    Local governments and contractors use the MCI to calculate budgets. Following a delay it attributed to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced updated data will be published next week.

    Updated Nov. 20, 2025
  • People walk across a makeshift bridge as a damaged bridge is repaired.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Power outages getting longer as extreme weather takes larger toll, report says

    The average length of the longest power outage has increased in all regions since 2022, according to JD Power. 

  • Aerial view of a water treatment plant with 5 large circular pools of blue water and rows of pipes.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    The water workforce is graying. Here’s what we need to do to restart the pipeline.

    Broad-based coalitions must raise awareness of the industry, create training and employment programs and embrace artificial intelligence to grow the U.S. water infrastructure workforce.

  • The entrance to Mississippi's state capitol building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    States agree on AI’s economic advantage — whether they’re ready for it is another story

    While 88% of economic and workforce development leaders see the importance of artificial intelligence, only 6% of states have a plan to act on it, a new survey says.

  • A person carrying a wet dog wades through a flooded street while two people look on.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andy Manis via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Building climate-resilient communities: The case for performance-based codes

    As communities face increasingly severe climate-related disasters, a shift to performance-based building codes is one of the most effective tools they have for protecting against future natural catastrophes and reinforcing community resilience.

  • A man in a heavy coat surrounded by men and woman holding signs reading "Fair pay & safe jobs for Amazon Teamsters" and "Pass the delivery protection act."
    Image attribution tooltip
    (2025). "LIVE: Last Mile Report" [Video]. Retrieved from Comptroller Brad Lander/YouTube.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Package delivery has taken a toll on New York City, comptroller says. He’s urging action in response.

    Increased traffic collisions, workplace injuries and air pollution are tied to last-mile delivery operations, the comptroller’s report says.

  • New Orleans as seen from the MIssissippi River at night.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New Orleans’ housing market is stagnating. Affordability mandates are holding it back, a study says.

    The city requires 10% of units in new residential developments to be affordable.

  • A gray structure with red doors and white gates and a seal that says "Livingston Emergency Management."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Livingston County
    Image attribution tooltip

    Investing in next-generation emergency response: 2024 Crown Communities Award

    Livingston County, N.Y., turned federal pandemic funds into a regional emergency training asset by building a state-of-the-art fire training tower.

  • A curved beige building with rows of square windows.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Highsmith, Carol M. (2011). "Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, headquarters of HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
    Image attribution tooltip

    HUD is back online — and is making cuts to its homelessness program

    Housing and rental assistance programs are returning after the federal government shutdown, but funding for permanent housing is getting the ax.

  • A white-painted subway train arrives at an underground station with several people standing on the platform.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Laser1987 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    San Francisco commuter railroads face fiscal cliff in 2027

    A November 2026 ballot measure would tax San Francisco and five Bay Area counties to help Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit close their budget gaps.

    Updated Nov. 14, 2025
  • Close-up of a person's head covered with black mask, wearing black baseball hat and gray hoodie.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    ICE can access most state driver databases. States have the power to stop it, these federal lawmakers say.

    Federal agents can access driver’s license photos and records through a little-understood interstate network, the elected officials said in a letter to governors. Five states have restricted access.

  • Apartment for rent sign
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Rents continue to slip in October, report finds

    Economic uncertainty is cracking consumer confidence, and multifamily operators are responding with concessions, according to a new Yardi Matrix report.

  • A side view of a person's torso and arm, wearing blue uniform with "Chicago Police" patch and three upward-arrow stripes on the sleeve.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Cities sue over DOJ’s bid to tie policing grants to immigration, DEI policies

    Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, claim new conditions on COPS funds violate the 10th Amendment and unlawfully undermine local control. In Chicago, $6.25 million is at stake.

  • Aerial view of mobiel phone cell tower over forested rural area of West Virginia to illustrate lack of broadband internet service.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump called the Digital Equity Act ‘racist and illegal.’ This nonprofit is pushing back.

    The National Digital Inclusion Alliance is suing the Trump administration after its $25.7 million grant to bridge the digital divide was terminated.

  • A group of people around President Donald Trump, who holds up a signed bill.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    SNAP funding restored through September 2026

    The funding bill President Donald Trump signed Wednesday includes $107.5 billion for SNAP and $8.2 billion for WIC.

  • A person stands at a podium and gestures with a raised finger.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jemal Countess via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    St. Paul, Minnesota, and environmental groups sue over canceled DOE clean energy grants

    The lawsuit claims the Trump administration’s cancellation of $7.56 billion in grants for projects in 16 states was politically motivated.

    Updated Nov. 13, 2025
  • A man cycling to work on an e-bike in Downtown Los Angeles.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    CARB defunds California e-bike incentive program

    Overwhelming demand plagued the program, but it could return in “future years,” according to the California Air Resources Board.

  • San Francisco, housing, neighborhood, residential, california, city
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    AI came to San Francisco. A ‘homebuying boom’ followed.

    Homes are being scooped up as high-paying AI jobs flood the city — but a lack of supply looms, a Redfin analysis shows.

  • The exterior of a rear-loading garbage truck with the New York City Sanitation Department's logo emblazoned on the side.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jacob Wallace/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York seeks feedback on 10-year waste strategy

    The city’s sanitation department sets goals for expanding composting and rethinking its recycling infrastructure as it looks to boost diversion and phase out landfill reliance.

  • A person wearing an inflatable frog costume holding a sign that says "Frogs Together Strong," surrounded by officers wearing military gear.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mathieu Lewis-Rolland via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Federal judge permanently bars National Guard troops in Portland

    The U.S. District Court judge sided with Portland and Oregon officials who argued the attempted deployment violated states’ rights under the 10th Amendment and violated federal law.

    Updated Nov. 10, 2025
  • AI Artificial Intelligence technology for data analysis
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    AI is moving fast. This project aims to help states keep up — responsibly.

    The Rockefeller Foundation and Center for Civic Futures launched the AI Readiness Project to help public officials collaborate on artificial intelligence use.

  • The Department of Agriculture (USDA) building in Washington DC.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    USDA reverses course on SNAP

    The agency that runs the food aid program said Saturday that states are not authorized to load full November benefits.

  • Torso of a person wearing Los Angeles Police Department uniform with a body camera.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    AI tools for law enforcement are proliferating. Now cities and states are setting guardrails for their use.

    From automated reporting to AI-powered 911 systems, AI is reshaping law enforcement faster than regulations can keep up. New state laws in California and Utah aim to set the first limits.

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

    Air taxis and urban air mobility: The latest developments

    Air taxi developer Archer Aviation is buying a Los Angeles-area airport as its base of operations for Southern California.

    Updated Nov. 7, 2025
  • A masked federal agent stands holding a pepper ball gun in a cloud of tear gas as protesters look on.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson / Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    As ICE raids rage on, Chicago is faced with a question: Should evictions be paused?

    Tenant advocates are asking the city for relief reminiscent of the pandemic era as “Operation Midway Blitz” upends daily life for many.