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Guns Kill More U.S. Children Than Other Causes, but State Policies Can Help, Study Finds
More American children and teens die from firearms than any other cause. Black children, especially, suffer when laws allow more guns to circulate, researchers found. There are more deaths — and wider racial disparities — in states with more permissive gun policies, according to a new study.
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With Troops in Los Angeles, Echoes of the Kent State Massacre
The 1970 shooting of student demonstrators underscores the risks of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the military against protesters, a history professor explains.
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Local Police Join ICE Deportation Force in Record Numbers Despite Warnings Program Lacks Oversight
ICE officials tout an unprecedented expansion of its 287(g) Program, driven by agreements that allow local officers to function as deportation agents during routine policing. But advocates warn such agreements come at a high cost to communities.
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States, Sheriffs Puzzle Over Trump’s Error-Filled List of Immigration Sanctuaries
A list of 14 states, 298 counties and 200 cities deemed immigration sanctuaries by the Trump administration has disappeared from a government website but continues to hang over the heads of officials who face threats of losing federal funding. “The list is gone. Am I satisfied that it was rectified? Yes. Am I satisfied that it’s over? No,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood of Orange County, North Carolina.
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Texas Moves Close to Ban on Some Land Sales to Foreigners
The House has approved a conference committee report that lists sales to certain people from China, North Korea, Russia and Iran as threats to national security.
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Surge of ICE Agreements with Local Police Aim to Increase Deportations, but Many Police Forces Have Found They Undermine Public Safety
The federal 287(g) program allows ICE to train state and local authorities to function as federal immigration officers. The use of 287(g) has surged since January, and as a criminal justice scholar, I believe this surge sets a dangerous precedent for local policing, where forging relationships and building the trust of immigrants is a proven and effective tactic in combating crime. The expansion of 287(g) will erode that trust and makes entire communities – not just immigrants – less safe.
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As the Rio Grande Runs Dry, South Texas Leaders Look to New Water Supplies to Sustain Growth
The tension between water supply and demand has been an issue for decades. And now, city and county leaders throughout the Valley believe the problem has come to a head.
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Texas House Advances Bill That Would Prohibit Land Sales to People and Entities from Certain Countries
The legislation had only pertained to countries the government deemed national security threats. A last-minute change would let the governor add more countries to the ban.
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Texas May Put Restraints on New Big Businesses Hoping to Tap into the Energy Grid
Texas will need a lot more energy in the future. According to ERCOT, the state’s energy demand may double in six years.
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U.S. Senate Committee Advances Kelly's Critical Minerals Bill
A bill seeking to improve America’s mineral supply chain is heading to the U.S. Senate floor. The Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, introduced by Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, would remove disparities between separate critical materials lists from the Department of Energy and Department of Interior. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill last week.
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How California’s Farmers Can Recharge the Aquifers They’ve Drained
Agriculture requires a lot of water. In the drought-stricken Central Valley, researchers have found a win-win for growers.
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Flood Risk Increasing in Pacific Northwest
The next great earthquake isn’t the only threat to the Pacific Northwest. A powerful earthquake, combined with rising sea levels, could significantly increase flood risks in the Pacific Northwest, impacting thousands of residents and properties in northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
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Protecting Florida’s Water Infrastructure from Cyber Threats
INL and the state of Florida are collaborating on an innovative cybersecurity initiative aimed at protecting Florida’s water infrastructure from cyber threats.
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Texas May Study the Impact of Immigration Again, but Focus Only on Costs
The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state.
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Wind and Solar Power Opponents Make Headway in State Legislatures
In recent years, in Texas and other states, some Republicans have soured on renewable energy. Texas has loosened its political embrace of alternative energy, and for the second legislative session in a row, many Texas lawmakers are trying to derail or curb future renewable energy projects.
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The long view
Smaller Nuclear Reactors Spark Renewed Interest in a Once-Shunned Energy Source
In the past two years, half the states have taken action to promote nuclear power, from creating nuclear task forces to integrating nuclear into long-term energy plans.