Economy

Buses outside a school in Maine.

Hit the snooze button: States debate later high school start times

BY: - September 13, 2023

California and Florida have become the first states to require later public school start times, a response to reams of research showing significant advantages for high school students who can get more sleep by beginning their day at 8:30 a.m. or later. But such changes come with difficult ripple effects — upended bus schedules, later starts […]

Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour.

Seeing ‘Red’ after Taylor Swift debacle, lawmakers weigh concert ticket rules

BY: - September 1, 2023

There’s no question what motivated state Rep. Kelly Moller to push for changes in Minnesota law on concert ticket sales. “Really, it was the Taylor Swift debacle for me,” she said. A self-professed Swiftie, the Democrat found herself among millions of other Americans unable to buy tickets last year to Swift’s Eras Tour. She preregistered […]

A "now hiring" sign outside an Indiana car wash.

‘Who’s going to work there?’: Lawmakers grapple with labor shortages

BY: - August 22, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS — For years, Indiana’s GOP-controlled legislature has focused on creating a business-friendly climate by pushing favorable tax rates and regulations, aiming to foster the creation of good-paying jobs across the state. The way Republican state Sen. Michael Crider sees it, those moves have worked: Companies such as Amazon and Walmart have built new warehouses and […]

Firefighters in Washington state.

Towns could save themselves from wildfire — if they knew about this money

BY: - August 18, 2023

PACKWOOD, Wash. — Last year, Don Pratt fled from his home as a wildfire swept down the mountainside here in Washington’s Cascade Range. “Heading out, I thought it was the last time I was going to see the house,” he said. As residents evacuated and smoke engulfed the small mountain community, fire crews with bulldozers […]

A geothermal plant in Nevada.

Tech breakthrough could boost states’ use of geothermal power

BY: - August 4, 2023

Lawmakers in some states have been laying the groundwork to add geothermal power to the electrical grid and pump underground heat into buildings. Now, a technological breakthrough could dramatically expand those ambitions — and perhaps unleash a new wave of policies to tap into geothermal sources. Last month, a company announced the successful demonstration in the West of […]

A construction trainee at work in Deerfield, Wis.

A ‘she-cession’ no more: After COVID dip, women’s employment hits all-time high

BY: - July 19, 2023

After fears of a “she-cession” during the pandemic, women have returned to the workforce at unprecedented rates. Much of the gain reflects a boom in jobs traditionally held by women, including nursing and teaching.  Many good-paying jobs in fields such as construction and tech management are still dominated by men, a continuing challenge for states […]

Woman with transgender daughter

Harm of anti-LGBTQ laws includes economic pain for communities, families

BY: - July 17, 2023

Roberto Che Espinoza had been thinking about leaving Tennessee after the 2024 election, but in June they noticed that the state attorney general was seeking medical records on gender-affirming medical care, which Espinoza, a nonbinary transgender man, said included their own records. “Being on any kind of list … I knew after the release of […]

A cruise ship arrives on Lake Superior in Duluth, Minn.

Great Lakes are once again a hot destination for cruise ships

BY: - July 14, 2023

DULUTH, Minn. — The Viking Polaris sliced through the dawn June fog, entering the harbor without fanfare. No horn blasts to this Midwestern port city’s landmark lift bridge. Onboard, all but a handful of cabins were dark as the 666-foot cruise ship ended its maiden Great Lakes voyage. Cruise ships, which once thrived on these […]

A waiter serving customers in New York City.

Despite pandemic pay boost, low-wage workers still can’t afford basic needs

BY: - July 10, 2023

Employers grappling with a nationwide labor shortage gave low-wage workers the largest pay increases in most states between 2019 and last year. But even so, many of those workers — more than 40% of all U.S. households, by one estimate — are struggling to cover the inflated costs of basic expenses. In the past several […]

Seniors compete in an athletic competition.

We’re older than we used to be, especially in these states

BY: - June 26, 2023

The median age rose in almost every state last year, census estimates show, continuing a long-term trend that is pushing states to prepare for aging populations. Seventeen states had median ages over 40 in 2022, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the age at which half of residents are older and half are […]

Railcars in Minnesota.

New Midwest battles brew over CO2 pipelines

BY: - June 13, 2023

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — The Minnesota River cuts through this quiet prairie town, powering a small hydroelectric plant in a 19th century dam. A winding downtown riverwalk flanks the west side of the river while a park stretches across the far bank. The dam’s frothy tailrace holds the promise of fish that attract families and […]

Students on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.

Restricting college tenure could hurt state economies, many warn

BY: - June 12, 2023

Daniel Brinks, who chairs the government department at the University of Texas at Austin, doesn’t usually have a tough time recruiting professors. After all, UT is one of the best research universities in the country, located in a high-tech boomtown with a thriving music scene, a warm climate and first-rate enchiladas. But this year, in […]