The United States’ water infrastructure is aging. Federal surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022 found that the country’s drinking and clean water systems will need more than $1.2 trillion in repairs, maintenance, and upgrades over the next two decades. The bulk of this investment will be financed at the local level through higher water rates, which have not kept pace with rising operations and maintenance costs.
The share of states’ total revenue coming from federal funds declined again in fiscal year 2024, continuing a drop from pandemic-era peaks. The decrease largely reflects an uptick in state-generated revenue—particularly from taxes and other funds—alongside the phaseout of federal COVID-19 aid. Looking ahead, the federal share is likely to remain below pandemic highs, although changes in federal policy and fluctuations in state tax collections could swing it in either direction.
Federal funds have consistently played an important role in state budgets, accounting for more than a third of state revenue in recent years. However, recent changes in federal priorities—including funding pauses and spending reductions—have introduced uncertainty about how and to what extent federal funds support state programs and activities.
Tens of millions of Americans don’t have access to workplace retirement benefits, threatening their future financial security and burdening state budgets. In the last decade more than a dozen states and cities passed legislation establishing automated savings programs designed to help workers save for retirement. Also known as auto-IRAs, work and save, and secure choice, these programs allow small businesses to recruit and retain workers by offering a no-cost retirement benefit. And when workers are more financially secure, they are less reliant on taxpayer-funded government programs, better able to withstand financial shocks, and more likely to save for their future.
New Mexico made national headlines in the fall by announcing that it would become the first state to provide no-cost child care for all families. The state is expanding eligibility even as others are scaling back their child care ambitions and broader spending initiatives in the face of mounting budget pressures.
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.
To help celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, The Pew Charitable Trusts is a lead supporter of “TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures,” being hosted by Visit Philadelphia and the TED organization. The all-day event on Saturday, June 13, will explore themes of modern democracy in the city where it all began.
For America's 250th, a look at lessons from our past, voices from our present, and how the power of nonpartisan problem-solving can bring us together.
With the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, the youngest generation of lawmakers is demonstrating how they’re working together more effectively and rebuilding trust in U.S. democracy.
States continue to make headway on the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42 billion federal initiative to connect all Americans to high-speed internet.
For millions of Americans, a rented home provides the foundation for building a family, a career, and a community. But over the past two decades, rental costs have outpaced income growth, leaving many renters—especially lower-income families with children—vulnerable to eviction. From 2007 to 2016, roughly 2.7 million households faced eviction filings each year, and more than half of those families included children.
