Storms, wildfires, and extreme heat are hitting communities harder than ever, even as the federal posture toward disaster funding and engagement is in flux. To learn more about how these forces are affecting decision-making on the ground, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Association of Counties (NACo) in October 2025 held a discussion with county leaders from throughout the country.
After years of waiting, states and territories will soon begin breaking ground on projects intended to expand access to high-speed internet nationwide under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
The budget decisions that states make in 2026 are likely to be defined by an increasingly perilous long-term fiscal outlook. For some states, the coming year might represent their last opportunity to prepare before budget stress begins in earnest. For others, budget shortfalls have already begun, and lawmakers will need to contend with short-term problems and get ready for long-term ones.
Medicaid—the health care provider for roughly 1 in 5 Americans and the largest single source of federal funding for state governments—is entering a period of major change that could reshape state budgets for years to come. State policymakers must now manage the budgetary and operational impacts of some of the most sweeping revisions in Medicaid’s 60-year history—changes enacted through H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation law passed last July—while also contending with substantial and growing underlying cost pressures.
States may be facing a nearly $100 billion backlog for maintenance and repairs of publicly owned buildings after decades of insufficient investments in upkeep. Although comprehensive estimates of deferred maintenance for buildings are difficult to pin down, recent disclosures include reported funding gaps of $38 billion for public schools nationwide, as much as $32 billion for state and local correctional facilities, and more than $76 billion for higher education facilities.
In one of the world’s most urbanized coastal environments—the waters around Hong Kong—pressure from human activities is threatening the vulnerable Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, known locally as the Chinese white dolphin.
This year, more than 2 million Americans will hear the words "you have cancer." That's 5,500 people each day—about one every 15 seconds. And as upsetting as that phrase might be, even more distressing is the word that often comes next: chemotherapy.
After years of waiting, states and territories will soon begin breaking ground on projects intended to expand access to high-speed internet nationwide under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
The budget decisions that states make in 2026 are likely to be defined by an increasingly perilous long-term fiscal outlook. For some states, the coming year might represent their last opportunity to prepare before budget stress begins in earnest. For others, budget shortfalls have already begun, and lawmakers will need to contend with short-term problems and get ready for long-term ones.
The U.S. electric grid is under growing pressure. Energy demand is skyrocketing, electricity costs for customers are rising, and extreme weather events—which often cause grid disruptions— are increasing in frequency and intensity. One emerging solution could provide some relief. Virtual power plants (VPPs) can play a key role in providing reliable and affordable power on demand in seconds.
Addressing fentanyl overdose deaths is a bipartisan priority in Congress and statehouses across the country. As a result, many policymakers are working to increase access to drug checking equipment in tandem with greater access to treatment and services for people with substance use disorders.
Like a highway for electrons, the power grid carries electricity from generation sites, such as power plants and solar farms, to customers. However, much of the nation’s transmission infrastructure is decades past its expected lifespan and is inadequate to meet rapidly growing energy needs. Fortunately, policymakers are starting to address this challenge.
