Good Governance
What does good governance look like? In this good news section, we share international examples of good governance, from efforts directed at the protection of civil rights to initiatives aimed at the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.
Community input stretches the impact of Covid relief dollars
As $350 billion in Covid-19 relief funds make their way to cities and states, many are pondering the most impactful way to spend that money. Some, like Nashville, are putting towards affordable housing while others look at infrastructure or making up for lost tax revenue during the pandemic. To Read More...
Minnesota law improves conditions for pregnant women in prison
Resources for pregnant mothers in US prisons are scarce, to say the least. Most offer limited prenatal care and in some states, newborns are only allowed to reside with their incarcerated mothers for 24 hours before they must be turned over to a relative. In a bid to make conditions for pregnant Read More...
Four science-backed solutions to address the opioid crisis
During the Covid-19 pandemic, another epidemic has been raging in the US, largely unnoticed: the opioid crisis. As the number of drug overdose deaths reaches a record high in the US, researchers have identified several science-backed actions that could be taken at a federal level, and are indeed Read More...
How cities can brace themselves for the rising risk of cyberattacks
Cyber threats are a growing concern among both national and local governments, and unfortunately, old systems with multiple points of entry make most municipalities an easy target. The good news is that some preventative measures can vastly improve the security of both private and public systems, Read More...
California’s Bay Area is cracking down on refinery pollution
San Francisco is known as the city by the bay, but just across that bay sit two petrochemical refineries that spew harmful particulate matter and contribute to severe lung and heart disease in nearby communities. Fortunately, after years of advocacy by environmental justice groups, the Bay Area Air Read More...
White Mountain Apache Nation shows efficacy of community public health
Back in March, we shared how Native American Nations were improving Covid-19 vaccination rates across Oklahoma, but that isn’t the only state where Native American communities are taking pandemic management into their own hands. In Arizona, the White Mountain Apache Tribe has proved to be a model Read More...
Collaboration and Creativity: Housing for the unsheltered in Dallas
North Texas is making a big commitment to ending inner-city homelessness. Last month, the city of Dallas announced a multimillion-dollar partnership projected to provide housing to over half of its four thousand unsheltered inhabitants. The collaboration will be the largest one in North Texas Read More...
Michigan school district to introduce universal preschool this fall
Universal preschool makes education more equitable and improves overall student performance, but the US has been slower than other countries to offer preschool for all. Fortunately, one school district in Michigan is taking matters into its own hands and introducing universal preschool this Read More...
California now offers free school meals to all students
We’ve written about how nutritious and affordable school lunches can drastically reduce childhood hunger. Realizing the public health benefits of school lunches, the state of California will now make school meals free for all public school students. During the 2019-2020 school year, 60 percent Read More...
EU announces new climate action legislation
To reach their goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the EU has released a draft of new climate change legislation to further cut emissions. The new legislation, which must still be approved by the EU’s 27 member states and parliament, proposes laws such as increasing taxes on jet fuel and Read More...