State & Local

As remote work persists, cities struggle to adapt

The shift to remote work will prompt cities to focus on broadband access and remote shared workspaces, as they contend for workers who can live anywhere.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

USPS Plans to Close More Facilities and Repurpose Those That Remain

As Louis DeJoy seeks to implement his vision, new confirmed board members could tip the scales for USPS governance.

  • By Eric Katz

New online hub to help cities apply for federal infrastructure funding

The $50 million initiative will provide advice and resources to municipalities, especially small towns, through public sector groups and nonprofits, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies.

  • By Jean Dimeo

How a Virginia county wooed Amazon and Boeing

It takes more than tax breaks to get large tech companies to come to a locality.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Jail voting expands in Illinois

Voting from jail is rare throughout the United States, but lawmakers in Illinois are paving the way for more detention facilities to offer in-person voting.

  • By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline

EV charging station map highlights infrastructure disparities

Today’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure is concentrated along the coasts and in major cities.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

Austin becomes the first Texas city to experiment with 'guaranteed income'

Austin joins at least 28 U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh, that have tried out some form of “guaranteed income” — financial assistance targeted at needy households.

  • By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune

Senate Dems seek full UI administration funding

Decades of underfunding unemployment insurance programs has left state agencies understaffed, saddled with old tech and vulnerable to fraud, lawmakers said.

  • By Natalie Alms

6 in 10 Americans would quit current job for remote position

Work-life balance is increasingly important for today’s post-pandemic workforce.

  • By Frank Konkel

Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants

A new analysis suggests that over half of communities in the West lack the capacity to take advantage of infrastructure bill funding. Now what?

  • By Kylie Mohr and Theo Whitcomb , Grist

Driverless vehicles are finally hitting city streets

In San Francisco, people can now catch rides in cars without anybody behind the wheel. But as the technology spreads, are regulators ready?

  • By Daniel C. Vock

How cities are trying to combat the nation's deadliest weather risk

Heat doesn’t get the same attention as hurricanes or wildfires, but city officials are paying more attention to it as hot temperatures become more common.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

USDA opens grants to streamline SNAP

Grants to state and local governments are designed to improve customer experience, streamline operations and expand enrollment to underserved populations.

  • By Natalie Alms

Maine modernizes election administration with centralized voter registration

The new centralized system will help state and municipal-level election officials maintain voter rolls, facilitate absentee and in-person voting and capture voter participation history.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee
Featured eBooks

Tailoring services delivery to life events, not org charts

Pointing to Michigan's "benchmark" work streamlining benefits applications, the White House says cross-government services should revolve around the needs of Americans.

  • By Natalie Alms

Why the infrastructure bill alone can’t solve digital connectivity challenges

State and local governments must come together with internet service providers to deliver training and devices to Americans that need access to essential services.

  • By Denise Dresser

Rural America gets help tapping into federal funding

Staff from the USDA will help least 25 rural communities apply for federal economic development assistance.

  • By Kery Murakami

States get extension to wind down pandemic benefits

Even with the 90-day extension to the public health emergency, states must still reevaluate which of the 80 million aid recipients still qualify for benefits and construct safety nets for those who don't.

  • By Kery Murakami

How cities are tapping federal aid to make major tech upgrades

Some local officials say setting aside ARPA funds for computers, software and other equipment to make government more efficient and accessible is one of the best ways to use the historic infusion of federal money.

  • By Daniela Altimari

How did public transportation affect COVID's spread?

With data from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey, researchers examined how mobility patterns in 52 of the largest metro areas affected the spread of COVID.

  • By Jason Maderer, Futurity

Diversity can help bridge IT workforce gap, NASCIO finds

Because most job seekers want diversity and inclusion in the workplace, states must prioritize those factors, according to a new report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee