Metropolitan planning organizations are federally mandated bodies (MPOs) responsible for urban transportation planning. Billions of dollars are channeled through MPOs, giving them considerable influence over growth patterns and, consequently, social and economic opportunity.
Minnesota implemented the first statewide smoking ban in 1975, and since then, 30 other states and more than 350 cities and towns have enacted restrictions. A meta-study by the Institute of Medicine indicates that the health benefits of such legislation are both immediate and significant.
Firms such as check-cashing companies and payday lenders allow customers who don’t have bank accounts to cash checks, wire money or pay utility bills. While convenient, such services come at a cost. Payday loans typically cost 18% for a two-week term, the equivalent of 468% annually.
The U.S. health care reform effort has centered on how to increase access and contain costs. What gets less attention is the quality of treatment American’s receive. Is it “the best care in the world” or is there work to be done?
Linda Greenhouse, who reported on the Supreme Court for three decades for The New York Times, shared her thoughts about the polarization of the nation’s highest court as well as President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland and and the legacy of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Many colleges and universities nationwide continue to come under increased pressure to justify the value of a college degree. In particular, more policymakers are pushing for accountability among public institutions and making funding decisions based at least partly on the employment rates and salaries of recent graduates.
