Local Government
Mexico’s Drought: Country Faces a Water Emergency
Mexico, or large parts of it, is running out of water. An extreme drought has seen taps run dry across the country, with nearly two-thirds of all municipalities facing a water shortage that is forcing people in some places to line up for hours for government water deliveries. The lack of water has grown so […]
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What if Public Funds Were Controlled by the Public?
Studies have found young people are more likely to vote in local and national elections after they were involved in P.B., more likely to walk into a city-owned building, more likely to consider going into politics, more likely to speak to a public official, more likely to volunteer and more confident in their skills. Any […]
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In a Michigan County, Stimulus Funds Are Remaking Public Health Programs
LANSING, Mich. — In an underserved neighborhood of Michigan’s capital city, a health clinic is being built with nearly $900,000 in federal pandemic relief funds, a project that could transform the community’s access to care. Wedged among new affordable apartments and a community center, the clinic is a symbol of the rapid effect the funds […]
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The Rise of the Crypto Mayors
For now, most crypto-enthused officials are focused on comparatively modest projects. Mark Wheeler, chief information officer for Philadelphia, became fascinated with crypto in 2018 after hearing about an effort in Cook County, Ill., to list property records on a decentralized database. “Improving the quality of property-data management inside city government is like the white whale […]
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Seven Virginia School Boards Sue Over Governor’s Mask Order
Seven school districts in Virginia sued Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday, objecting to his executive order overruling their mask policies and making the wearing of masks optional in public schools. The school districts include the Fairfax County Public Schools, the state’s largest with more than 178,000 students, as well as the school systems in Prince […]
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First They Fought About Masks. Then Over the Soul of the City.
But as the months went by, none of the people he had bought lunch for, or helped get funding for their organizations, stood up for him. A former military member whom he counted as a friend even joined the Enid Freedom Fighters. He felt as if he were living in a town that no longer […]
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India Cities Ban Eggs, Drawing a Backlash
AHMEDABAD, India — The raid came just after sunset. Plainclothes municipal workers swarmed into the busy neighborhood, seizing contraband. The dealers ran or watched helplessly as the authorities took their illicit goods. And with that, the government had conducted a successful crackdown on eggs. Not just the eggs themselves, though city officials had confiscated hundreds […]
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Cities Try to Lure Factories as U.S. Pushes to Fix Chip Shortage
TAYLOR, Texas — The shortage of computer chips has zapped energy from the global economy, punishing industries as varied as automakers and medical device manufacturers and contributing to fears about high inflation. But many states and cities in America are starting to see a silver lining: the possibility that efforts to sharply increase chip production […]
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