What the election of two senators from Georgia means for US cities
The results of Tuesday's run-off races have major implications for the fiscal future of local governments across the country.
Pandemic austerity
Even with stimulus, US mass transit faces a death spiral
The fear is that service cuts today could reduce the constituency for public transportation later. In this looming disaster, the US is an outlier among the world’s wealthy nations.
Cleveland is still suffering from the last recession. It can’t afford another
Austerity feeds on the US's unique form of urban decline. To understand how, just look to Northeast Ohio.
This time could be different: Governments have alternatives to austerity
State and local officials in the US are faced with a lot of bad options, but they don't have to cut jobs and services.
Cities now have less money to drive the green transition
The financial fallout from Covid-19 is starting to affect local governments' renewable-energy transition plans and climate action efforts.
Absent aid, few US cities will be able to avoid austerity
Congress appears unlikely to help with the looming Covid-related budget disaster that nearly every local government in America now faces. And cuts in the public sector will only worsen the recession.
Post-pandemic, the risk to public transport is that it might never be the same
Unpacking the financial reality of mass transit's uncertain future.
