For the past two years, state and local governments have been a major force in the job market, hiring new employees at a pace not seen in decades and helping drive the nation’s overall employment ...

State population growth has steadily accelerated from the record lows of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 42 states’ populations rising faster in 2024 than they did over the preceding 15 years (2009 to ...

Federal dollars are the second-largest source of funding for state governments, historically ranging from about a quarter to a third of total state revenue. In fiscal year 2024, Medicaid—which ...

Despite the strong bipartisan action the Arizona Legislature took last year to allow more homebuilding, the state’s housing shortage — and high costs for renters and homebuyers — persists. The ...

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which governs deep-sea mining in international waters, could face its first application for seabed mining this year, despite the fact that it has not yet ...

Retirement security depends on individuals saving for their future, but millions of Americans lack access to an employer-provided savings plan that might help them do so. Research shows that workers ...

For U.S. communities, preparing for and adapting to the threat of flooding, wildfire, drought, and other disasters is essential now more than ever. But it’s nearly impossible without sufficient ...

Businesses, communities, and wildlife across a vast portion of western Washington, western Oregon, and northwestern California rely on healthy national forests. Since 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan ...

Most public pension plans without Social Security coverage—which account for about 27% of state and local workers, including 40% of teachers—fail to meet The Pew Charitable Trusts’ guidelines for ...

Philadelphia has often been described as a city of neighborhoods, with more than 150 of them throughout the city. These communities’ history, landscape, and vibrancy—as well as their residents—are as ...

Bank overdraft fees are back in the news. Designed in the late 1960s to help customers avoid bounced checks, overdraft—when banks allow payments (for a fee) even though customers don’t have enough in ...

Most homebuyers in the United States use mortgages to purchase their homes. But outdated policies have made small mortgages—loans for homes priced below $150,000—increasingly expensive for lenders and ...