The Latest

  • Kristi Noem and Tom Homan
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Trump sues NYC over sanctuary policy as mayor, City Council trade blame

    The lawsuit revives constitutional questions about federal authority over cities and ignites a new front in tensions over federal immigration policies.

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a blue suit and tie, gestures with a crowd behind him.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Smartphone, connected vehicle data could help states comply with DOT’s ‘Safe Roads’ demand

    Governors must respond by August 30 to the Transportation Department’s letter asking for information on accident-prone arterial roads.

  • Aerial shot of vehicles on intersecting roads, with circle icons connected by lines in the foreground
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    metamorworks via Getty Images
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    Bill looks to expand AI, cybersecurity resources for local governments

    House lawmakers this week reintroduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act, which would allocate $1.1 billion for technology, but similar proposals have struggled to advance in the past. 

  • Cropped view of a person wearing a blue uniform that says "POLICE"
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Cities move beyond law enforcement to treat root causes of crime

    Concerns about emergency response to suicide, substance abuse and mental health are prompting a more holistic vision of police-community response, a National League of Cities report finds.

  • Illustration of a blue and white locomotive pulling a passenger train with city buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Siemens Mobility
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    NY transit authority orders nation’s first battery-electric passenger locomotive

    Siemens Mobility will supply locomotives that can run on batteries or overhead wire, up to 125 mph and with a range of up to 100 miles on battery power alone.

  • A methane detection satellite named Tanager-1
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    Courtesy of Planet
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    Colorado regulators press forward with landfill rule despite industry pushback

    The proposal, which would be among the strictest in the nation, could be approved as soon as August.

  • Two young children are crossing the street at a crosswalk while a car waits for them.
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    KatarzynaBialasiewicz via Getty Images
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    Pedestrian-friendly traffic signals cut injuries 33% in NYC: study

    Allowing pedestrians a several-second head start when crossing an intersection “can mean the difference between life and death,” a researcher said.

  • Aerial view of homes in a dense neighborhood.
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    KenWiedemann via Getty Images
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    Maine clears the way for more multifamily housing, ADUs

    New laws in Maine ban parking minimums and relax zoning rules as it joins a growing list of states adopting top-down strategies to drive housing growth.

  • Ron DeSantis speaks in a navy blue suit and light blue shirt, at a wooden podium that reads "$2 in 2025" in red about a red gas can over the words "Fueling American Freedom" in blue.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Florida governor, CFO launch DOGE-style local government audits

    Broward County and Gainesville are the first communities to receive letters from the governor requesting financial and DEI information and access to offices, data and personnel.

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stands at a podium, with sign reading "America is building again."
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    White House announces infrastructure priorities, permit updates

    DOT head Sean Duffy announced $488 million in grants, proposed streamlining the grant process, encouraged state-led environmental reviews and conditionally endorsed high-speed rail.

  • A person holding a small dog walks in a flooded street.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    3 keys to building climate resilience from the ground up

    Cross-department alignment, community engagement and data are essential for preparing communities to weather climate crises, experts say.

  • Several scooters parked on a sidewalk, man riding e-bike in a bike lane amid city streets.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    California’s clean mobility push is leaving low-income residents behind

    Rebates for electric bikes in California have been successful but can leave out people who most need an alternative to private vehicles and public transit.

  • Futuristic yellow aircraft with multiple propellers on the ground in front of a commercial building.
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    Courtesy of Wisk Aero
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    Boeing’s Wisk Aero plans autonomous air taxi service in US cities by 2030

    Houston, Los Angeles and Miami are the first U.S. cities likely to see Wisk Aero's unpiloted commercial flights.

    Updated July 22, 2025
  • A person wearing a yellow vest holds a white helmet and wipes their brow.
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    Mindful Media via Getty Images
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    Bill seeks to fill federal void on heat protection for public workers

    Proposed legislation backed by AFSCME and other major unions could raise the bar for how cities protect municipal workers from rising temperatures.

  • Construction worker pushes water cart to worksite during heat wave
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How to protect employees from heat and other climate extremes

    Clear protocols for identifying heat illness, safety training, paid breaks and access to water and shade are among the steps cities can take to protect workers as temperatures rise.

  • Person wearing law enforcement uniform with star badge speaks at a podium
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    Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
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    DOJ threatens to subpoena California sheriffs in seeking county jail data

    The Los Angeles County sheriff said his department won’t hand over inmate data without a judge-signed warrant, setting up a potential showdown over federal authority, state sovereignty and local law enforcement discretion.

    Updated July 18, 2025
  • People riding bikes in a bike lane with cars and a bus on the main street.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    More than 30K warnings issued in first weeks of San Francisco speed cameras

    Mayor Daniel Lurie sees automated traffic enforcement tools as a critical addition in the face of an understaffed police department.

  • An interior rendering of a new, state-of-the-art soccer stadium, with players on the pitch and fans packing the stands.
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    Courtesy of Chicago Fire FC
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    Chicago unveils $650M stadium plan key to neighborhood redevelopment

    The new Chicago Fire stadium is the catalyst for a 62-acre, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood featuring a riverwalk and interconnected community developments.

  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    The U.S. Department of Transportation canceled $4 billion in unspent grants to the California high-speed rail project.

    Updated July 17, 2025
  • A person with an umbrella and a person wearing a stars-and-stripes shirt stand on rocks looking at muddy river water
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    Eric Vryn via Getty Images
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    Local officials hold the key to life-saving flood and weather warnings

    Accurate weather warnings are useless if they don’t reach residents in time. Take these steps to avoid mistakes that may have contributed to the tragedy in Texas.

    Updated July 17, 2025
  • metal thefts, copper tubing, copper wire
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    Denise Hasse via Getty Images
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    Surging copper thefts heighten facility risks

    Buildings and infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable as copper prices hit record highs.

  • A man helps a person in a wheelchair up a ramp into a vehicle.
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    Courtesy of May Mobility
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    May Mobility’s robotaxis will come to 2 more US cities this year

    The company will integrate its autonomous vehicles with Uber and Lyft.

  • A red "For Sale" sign on a white post and a smaller sign about private fire debris removal in front of a bulldozed lot with burned trees in the background.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    $10B lawsuit targets LA over ‘epic failures’ in Palisades Fire

    Class action and amended complaints accuse city and state agencies of negligence, mismanagement and cover-up in the January fire.

  • A facade of a sustainable glass office building with a tree for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    New certification strategy helps align cities’ green, healthy building goals

    A WELL-LEED dual certification shortcut has led to more than 250 million square feet of building space meeting both climate and wellness targets.

  • Men and woman sitting along a large desk.
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    (2025). "Subcommittee Markup of FY26 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill" [Video]. Retrieved from House Appropriations Committee/YouTube.
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    Amtrak, high-speed rail, public transit take cuts in House 2026 budget proposal

    In a markup session Monday, a House subcommittee proposed slashing the transportation department’s discretionary spending by over $3 billion.