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.
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Communities throughout the country share common needs: affordable connections to broadband Internet, modern and reliable energy infrastructure, effective responses to mental health challenges, and ways to resolve legal disputes more quickly and fairly. To address these issues, Pew collaborates with states and local governments to find and promote evidence-based solutions that help provide stability and opportunity.
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Nonpartisan, fact-based improvements in federal policy can create jobs, lower costs, and help the nation prepare for the future. When our research shows that small changes can have a big impact, we work across party lines to improve national challenges like housing affordability, internet access, energy reliability, and health care.
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Conserving natural spaces conveys benefits far beyond the gains to wildlife and their habitats. As scores of studies show, protecting and restoring lands and waters, particularly when done in close partnership with local communities, also improves people’s lives—and local economies—by increasing tourism and outdoor recreation.
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Collaboration powers scientific discovery. Now 14 accomplished researchers are teaming up to lead such a charge as The Pew Charitable Trusts’ 2025 Innovation Fund investigators. The new class, announced Dec. 9, brings together pairs of leading scientists whose studies span immunology, cancer biology, biophysics, and more. Through their interdisciplinary partnerships, these investigators will explore creative research projects at the forefront of health and medicine.
We are living in a time of remarkable medical innovation. While new medications and surgical techniques continue to be discovered, delivering relief for patients and their loved ones, some of the newest advancements are awe-inspiring in their potential to touch every one of us.
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