Decorating for winter celebrations is an ancient tradition. The contemporary American version of the tradition comes in many forms.

An article by Rachel Jones digs into the work of photographer Jesse Rieser, who "has spent nearly a decade mining the exultant spasm of American Christmas decorations, and the messages they telegraph about their surrounding communities."
Rieser has collected photos from 18 states for a project titled "Christmas in America: Happy Birthday, Jesus."
The article shares a mix of those photos, from Santa playing pool to Jesus checking text messages. Then there are incredibly ornate interior decorations.
Meanwhile, the text of the article traces the tradition of decorating for Christmas back to pagan celebrations like Saturnalia in Early Rome and even further back to Ancient Egypt.
FULL STORY: See the electric and eclectic ways Americans decorate for Christmas

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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City of Laramie