Politics

Houston is at a financial crossroads, with Mayor John Whitmire’s recent announcement highlighting the city’s precarious situation. The agreement born from a lawsuit demanding at least $100 million annually for drainage and road repairs signals a critical shift in how Houston operates financially. While the intention behind this agreement is to address long-standing infrastructure issues,

In the aftermath of severe natural disasters, one would expect the federal government to mobilize its resources to aid states in distress. Yet, the recent denials of disaster recovery funding to Washington and North Carolina illuminate a disconcerting trend in FEMA’s operations. With both states devastated by calamities during the fall, the inability of this

In a move that has ignited fierce debate across the political landscape, California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 100, a supplemental budget bill allocating an eye-popping $2.8 billion to fund higher-than-expected costs associated with the state’s Medi-Cal program. While health care for the less fortunate is undeniably important, this expansion raises serious questions

In an unprecedented move reflecting dire educational needs post-pandemic, California, New York, and 14 other states, along with the District of Columbia, have launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration over abrupt cuts to federal education funding. This lawsuit emphatically underscores a rising tension between state-level educational priorities and federal funding policies, illustrating the

In a recent turn of events, President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, dubbed the “big beautiful bill,” clawed its way through the House of Representatives with a narrow 216-214 vote. However, this so-called victory should serve as a wake-up call to both conservatives and liberals alike. As the gavel slammed down, the sheer audacity of a

In a disheartening turn of events for state and local pension funds, a staggering $250 billion evaporated from the investments tied to public equities in 2025. This catastrophic financial slide has become a focal point for analysts and policymakers alike. Notably, $169 billion of these losses transpired within just a few days following President Trump’s

The financial management of the District of Columbia is spiraling into precariousness following critical implications from a recent continuing resolution (CR) passed by the House. For the average citizen, this bureaucratic impasse may feel like a minor nuisance, but beneath the surface lies a brewing crisis threatening to upend the D.C. government’s fiscal stability. A

The recent surge in discussions surrounding tax-exempt municipal bonds reverberates through the hallways of Congress, where the stakes are remarkably high. Academics from prestigious institutions, like the University of Chicago and the University of Texas at Austin, are sounding alarms about the government’s potential move to curb or eliminate tax exemptions. Their policy brief serves

The recent shift in the U.S. budgetary landscape, marked by the expected deliberation in the House of Representatives regarding the fiscal year 2025 budget, has ignited inter-party frictions that merit serious reconsideration by conservative lawmakers. The Senate’s earlier passage of a budget resolution, which some describe as an imposition rather than a logical extension of

As the economic landscape shifts under the weight of the Trump administration’s latest policies on tariffs, immigration, and government spending, the Federal Reserve’s cautiously stagnant response raises eyebrows. Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently reflected the central bank’s hands-off approach, suggesting that it’s too early to determine the impact of changing policies. While a wait-and-see method