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Surging Interest in Black History Gives a Lift to Museums, Tourism
Black history museums and historic sites are flourishing across the South, riding a wave of interest in African-American history that has made a stunning success of the two-year-old National Museum of African American History and Culture in the nation’s capital. In the past year, museums documenting the civil rights struggle and memorializing lynching victims have […]
Nuclear Plant Closures Bring Economic Pain to Cities and Towns
BUCHANAN, N.Y. — From the road, overgrown greenery and a formidable razor-wire fence block the view of the twin domes of Indian Point Energy Center. But Indian Point’s neighbors in this densely populated New York City suburb have a clear picture of what will happen in 2020 when this 45-year-old nuclear power plant starts to […]
In Wake of Charlottesville, New Scrutiny for Native American Statues
The controversy that swept Southern states over Confederate monuments is spreading across the nation, as cities contend with calls to remove statues depicting stereotyped and subjugated Native Americans. Among them: a sculpture in San Francisco’s Pioneer Monument near City Hall that shows a Native American at the feet of a Spanish missionary and vaquero, and […]
‘What’s Your Current Salary?’ ‘None of Your Business!’
Editor’s note: This story was updated June 25 to describe the Institute for Women’s Policy Research as a social science research institute. The group does not advocate for state pay-history bans. Next time you get asked, “What’s your current salary?” in a job interview, check your ZIP code. It is now illegal for employers to ask […]
More Cities Are Banishing Highways Underground — And Building Parks on Top
Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park houses community events, such as this Jeff Gordon day in 2015. First-time visitors might not realize at first that the park was built on a deck constructed across a freeway, part of a trend of cities nationwide building “highway cap parks” to bring more green space to downtowns. Sarah Glenn/Getty Images […]
Billions From VW Settlement Boost Push to Clean Vehicles
School buses await students at a York, Maine, middle school. Clean-energy advocates say school buses are likely targets for state programs for diesel replacement. © Robert F. Bukaty, The Associated Press South Carolina wants to replace aging school buses. Colorado plans to electrify Denver’s bus system. And Washington wants electric ferryboats for Puget Sound. As […]
Should Utilities Build Charging Stations for Electric Cars?
An electric vehicle charging station in Darien, Connecticut. Connecticut is one of eight states that have set a target of putting 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. © The Associated Press Faced with deadlines to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road, states are being asked to decide whether utility […]
Why More States Are Getting Serious About Sunscreen
A boy sprays sunscreen in Scottsdale, Arizona. Arizona and several other states recently have enacted laws declaring that students may use sunscreen in school and at after-school activities without a doctor’s note. © The Associated Press State Rep. Craig Hall of Utah has four redheaded school-age children, lives in the state with the highest rate […]
States Tell ‘Slowpoke’ Drivers to Get Over — Or Else
Traffic on Interstate 5, headed north through Fife, Washington. Washington is one of many states where lawmakers have considered fining “slowpoke” drivers who piddle in passing lanes. © The Associated Press Maybe you’re a bit of a lead-foot. Maybe you don’t like driving behind trucks. Or maybe you just really like the view from the […]
Remaking Vacant Lots to Cut Crime
A vacant lot in Detroit that has been replanted with pennycress, a cover crop that is considered suitable for conversion to biofuel. Many cities are clearing vacant lots as a way to fight crime as well as blight. © The Associated Press Many cities are finding that something as simple as installing a split rail […]