Why are Democratic-run cities struggling despite holding power? The Economist explores the challenges and the path to reform. Big problem: High taxes and a high cost of living have not correlated with excellent services. #Cities #Housing #Affordability economist.com/united-states/…

Absent state support, the adopted SEPTA budget slashes service by 45% and raises fares by 21.5% A loss of 50 bus routes, 66 rail stations, and five regional rail lines, starting Aug 24 with a full hiring freeze in Sept. #Transit #PublicFinance #Cities bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

NY Governor signed legislation requiring local govts in the state to begin reporting cyberattacks within 72 hrs of a hack. It also obliges these orgs to report any ransom payments made to hackers within 24 hours. #NewYork #Cybersecurity #LocalGov wsj.com/articles/new-y…

Rare bankruptcy filing in Washington State: A court ordered Cle Elum to pay $26mln at 12% interest for a civic project years from completion. The city employs ~29 people w/ an annual budget of just under $5mln. #LocalGov #Finance #PublicFinance #Towns komonews.com/news/local/cle…

Michigan officials are expected to submit a progress report confirming that nearly 11,000 lead pipes were replaced and more than 28,000 properties were excavated and checked for lead pipes in Flint, MI. #Infrastructure #Water washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…

State and local govt hiring strength continues. Employment in state government increased by 47,000, largely in education (+40,000). Employment in local government education continued to trend up (+23,000). #JobsDay #LocalGov #Government

Thinking about OBBBA and what comes next for state budgets. While federal aid to state-local governments has remained flat as a share of GDP, it has been rising as a percentage of federal government receipts -- this is likely to reverse. #OBBBA #Government #LocalGov #Taxes

The shuttering of the Crown Heights clinic represents a milestone in New York’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, via THE CITY thecity.nyc/2025/07/09/las…

A reminder that flooding in NYC's subway is a topography problem requiring constant maintenance. During extreme rain events existing pumps aren't enough. #NYC #NewYorkCity #Subway #Weather #flooding

A record number of Americans have applied to undergraduate courses at UK universities, according to new data. on.ft.com/46JHOUf

In 15 major U.S. metro suburbs, renter households more than doubled between 2018 and 2023. Link: nytimes.com/2025/07/17/rea… #Housing #Renting #Metros #Cities

In recent years, highway funding has exceeded highway revenues, and the introduction of electric vehicles has made the gas tax increasingly obsolete. Read more: hubs.ly/Q03xCNN30

"The list of uncertainties is long and daunting... The tasks ahead are difficult." By Mohamed A. El-Erian in Foreign Affairs. #EconomicNews #Uncertainty #News #WeekendReads foreignaffairs.com/united-states/…

In 1960 America’s total fertility rate, or the avg no. of children a woman could be expected to have, was 3.6. By 2022 it fell to 1.7. Recent data shows a further drop to just under 1.6—the lowest rate on record. #Demographics #Births #population economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Employers in New York City significantly reduced hiring in the first half of the year, adding just 956 private-sector jobs, the city’s slowest growth in payrolls outside a recession in decades. #NYC #Jobs #NewYork nytimes.com/2025/08/13/nyr…

“People are spending money ... Whether or not they have it or not is a different story, but they’re spending it.” #Cincinnati #Retail #Shopping #Cities on.ft.com/3Hzlpip

Chef Daniel Humm’s moral and creative pivot in 2021 made EMP the world’s first Michelin three-star vegan restaurant. But now, he’s walking back that decision. #NYC #Restaurants #Dining #NewYorkCity Eater NY ny.eater.com/news/403748/el…

After a century of mainly expanding outward, cities across the country are nearing the limits of suburban sprawl. Next comes building upward. The success of DC's NoMa neighborhood. Article in The Economist: economist.com/united-states/… #YIMBY #DC #Housing #Cities

Philadelphia's transit system, SEPTA, is about to head over the "fiscal cliff." Serving about 800,000 riders daily; will curtail service on all bus and rail lines by 20 percent as well as eliminate 32 bus routes on Sunday. #Philadelphia #Tansit #Cities wapo.st/45NznoK

A new minister in Albania charged to handle public procurement will be impervious to bribes, threats, or attempts to curry favour ... because Diella, as she is called, is an AI-generated bot. #PublicFinance #AI reuters.com/technology/alb…