Mississippi
Revisiting Vermont: A COVID Update
PBS NewsHour investigates the surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Vermont which, along with Rhode Island, has 75% of its total population fully vaccinated, the nation's highest, as the U.S. appears to enter a winter surge.
Louisiana's Health Care System on Brink of Collapse
We've been here many times before in the pandemic, but without the benefit of a vaccine. Gov. John Bel Edwards, one of a few governors to mandate mask-wearing indoors, warns of a collapse of the health care system, but also rules out restrictions.
Vaccination Disparities Between Urban and Rural America
The pandemic has largely been measured by case incidence, down significantly in recent weeks in most states. A new metric, the vaccination rate, may determine where the virus strikes next. The urban-rural divide is a major factor, says the CDC.
Texas Lifts Coronavirus Restrictions, Ends Mask Mandate, Despite CDC Warning
Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he is reopening Texas 100% and lifting the state mask mandate, as is Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of a variant-induced fourth surge.
Can the Public Be Educated to Wear Masks?
The Midwest has been the epicenter of coronavirus since late August, led by North and South Dakota. Masks have the potential to significantly reduce viral transmission, but neither state mandates their use. Will a public health campaign help?
The Changing Geography of the Pandemic
During the pandemic's first phase in March and April, the Northeast was devastated by COVID-19. After Memorial Day, the surge was in the South and West. As cases decrease nationwide, they are now spiking in the Midwest, particularly North Dakota.
Georgia Mask Ban Reversed After White House Coronavirus Task Force Issues Critical Report
Shortly after a private White House report blasted Georgia's pandemic response, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order allowing cities and counties to impose requirements on mask-wearing. The report was leaked to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
States Not Unified in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
Public health experts were pleased that Trump extended his coronavirus guidelines, but they remain advisory, left to state and local governments to implement. Nine states have yet to issue stay-at-home orders, leaving the nation vulnerable to COVID.
Mississippi Governor First to Preempt Local Stay-at-Home Orders
As more governors order residents to stay at home and/or close nonessential businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Tate Reeves has gone the opposite direction by issuing an executive order that supersedes stricter local measures.
Passenger Rail to Gulf Coast Closer to Reality
Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, stopped after Hurricane Katrina. But recent efforts point to restored service in the coming years.
5 Transit Projects to Watch in the D.C. Region in 2020
Light rail, bus rapid transit, subway cell service, and more.
Coastal States Are Building in Flood Zones Faster Than Anywhere Else
Here's a trillion dollar real estate market on the coasts of the United States—and it's building itself into rising levels of risk.
Algae Bloom Shutting Down Mississippi Beaches
The Gulf Coast is facing the environmental threat of algae blooms that cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Where, and Why, Allergies Are Worst
Your senses (or lack thereof) aren't deceiving you. Some cities really are worse for seasonal allergies than others, and some of the reasons are entirely preventable.
The Political Segregation of U.S. Cities
Not all urban dwellers are as liberal as conventional wisdom would have us believe.
When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays
Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.
Missouri Governor: Don't Show Me a Gas Tax Hike!
It is an understatement that Increasing fuel taxes is challenging. If there is an opportune time to do it, it's when gas prices are relatively low, when the state decides to cut other taxes, and when there's bipartisan support.
A Progressive Gas Tax?
One of the criticisms of gas taxes is that it is regressive, i.e., everyone pays the same per-gallon price. A Mississippi legislator has a solution: Eliminate the income tax on the lowest income bracket in exchange for hiking the gas tax 12-cents.
What is Appalachia, Really?
If you want to understand rural America, critics say, look beyond Hillbilly Elegy.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
