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Articles by David Kidd
25 Years After 9/11, World Trade Center Toxins Continue to Claim Lives
Twenty-five years of monitoring World Trade Center health impacts provide unprecedented evidence of the damaging long-term effects of toxic exposures. Newly released documents suggest New York City officials may have known the air around Ground Zero was unsafe for many months after the attacks. Public health officials say these kinds of revelations further damage public trust and make it harder to manage exposures after a disaster.
What States Can Learn From Data Center Alley
Mike Turner, a Loudoun County, Virginia, county official, learned about holding data centers accountable through “painful lessons.” Loudoun County is often called “data center alley,” with 70% of the world’s internet traffic going through 253 data centers located there. Turner wrote a white paper about what government entities should consider before approving a data center.
Virginia Built the World’s Data Center Capital. Now Comes the Balancing Act
Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century. Today, the region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Virginia the nation’s digital capital.
An Honest Conversation We Need About Data Centers
Data centers are a rapidly growing and essential part of the country’s basic infrastructure. A country that wants to lead in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital innovation cannot treat large-scale computing capacity as optional. But communities shouldn’t confuse national importance with automatic local benefit. The right question isn’t whether data centers should be built but on what terms states and communities should welcome them.
How an Oil Strike Transformed a North Dakota Town
The community’s fortunes changed in the early morning hours of April 4, 1951. The Clarence Iverson well, surrounded by deep drifts of snow from recent blizzards, struck oil a few miles south of Tioga. That discovery touched off 75 years of oil exploration in North Dakota and started an industry that now accounts for more than half of all taxes collected in the state. Dirt roads. No sewer. No running water.
Yours, Mine & Ours
Comedy Family Romance 2005 88 menit PG Rating 5.5/10 Rating 6.1/10 Sutradara Raja Gosnell Penulis Skenario Ron Burch David Kidd Melville Shavelson Mort Lachman Madelyn Davis Bob Carroll Jr. Studio Paramount Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Nickelodeon Movies Synopsis Yours, Mine & Ours menghadirkan kisah keluarga super besar yang penuh kekacauan sekaligus kehangatan, KLovers.
Let’s prioritize safety in the vehicles that power our economy
Insight Cargo vans and work trucks are an overlooked part of the road safety picture. IIHS is changing that by providing fleet managers and other decision-makers with new ratings and research. March 12, 2026 When we talk about making vehicles safer, the picture in our heads is often of SUVs, sedans and minivans carrying commuters to work or families around town on weekends. But what about the vehicles that millions of people drive as part of their jobs?
Assessing Civic Learning | Center for Assessment
Promoting K-12 Learning and Civic Engagement Through Assessment is new from Routledge, and available for free as part of the National Council on Measurement in Education’s Applications of Educational Measurement and Assessment series.
How County Leaders Are Shaping a New Disaster Resilience Playbook
Storms, wildfires, and extreme heat are hitting communities harder than ever, even as the federal posture toward disaster funding and engagement is in flux. To learn more about how these forces are affecting decision-making on the ground, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Association of Counties (NACo) in October 2025 held a discussion with county leaders from throughout the country.
Bipartisan Lawmakers Seek to Drive Pro-Housing Policy Across Pennsylvania
“I think that all of my colleagues here — Republican and Democrat — are all going in the same direction when it comes to identifying why we’re in a crisis,” said Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia). More than a dozen members and advocates held a Monday morning press conference, detailing a number of housing problems and identifying potential solutions.
Assessing What Matters in Civics: A Practical and Credible Tool for Student-Led Civics Projects
Abstract This paper introduces the Civic Thinking Summary, a novel performance assessment tool embedded in a curriculum developed to support student-led civics projects, which are now mandated for Grade 8 and high school students in Massachusetts. Developed through a multi-year curriculum project in collaboration with local teachers, the Civic Thinking Summary aims to align with standards, key content constructs, curriculum, and assessment, while ensuring credibility and feasibility.
CUPW strike in 1981 leads to Maternity Leave
Labour • June 23, 2025 • In 1981, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) engaged in a 42-day strike that resulted in significant improvements to maternity leave benefits. The strike led to the establishment of … Watch video » In 1981, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) engaged in a 42-day strike that resulted in significant improvements to maternity leave benefits.
The Struggle Continues: CUPW Walking Tour (Mayworks, Toronto)
The walk takes participants by downtown Toronto sites associated with CUPW’s history, from its beginnings to present day. The walking tour passes by important Canadian Union Postal Workers (CUPW) workplaces in Canada and other spaces of gatherings including the site of the original convention of union delegates who approved the formation of the union. Held on Mother’s Day as CUPW brought us maternity and parental leave.
Guest Opinion: Are public schools really failing our children?
I live in a small school district called ConVal (Contoocook River Valley). Like many rural districts, ours is a confederation of small towns that banded together in the 1960s to create a district in which towns would retain their elementary schools and pool students for middle school and high school in order to better serve all students.
Deine, meine & unsere
Beschreibung Helen und Frank bringen es gemeinsam auf 18 Kinder. Als die beiden alleinerziehenden Eltern sich ineinander verlieben und ihre beiden Haushalte zusammenführen, beginnt ein total chaotischer Anpassungsprozess. Und diese komplizierte Aufgabe wird durch die meisten der Beteiligten noch erschwert. Denn der Nachwuchs verfolgt dabei ganz eigene Pläne. Die Kids wollen erreichen, dass sich Mom und Dad wieder trennen...
Fuchsia Dunlop’s Taste for Adventure
In the nineteen-nineties, Fuchsia Dunlop—now a celebrated food writer and expert in Chinese cooking—enrolled at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, becoming the first foreigner to attend one of China’s most venerated culinary schools. Recently, Dunlop joined us to discuss a collection of books that chronicle the experiences of foreign adventurers in China.
This Iowa Community Has the Second-Highest Cancer Rate Nationally
The family farm where Horsley grew up was one of more than 1,200 farms in Palo Alto County in 1970. In her memory, the county’s 13,000 residents enjoyed a thriving agricultural-based economy and close-knit neighbors. Cows grazed in verdant pastures. And seemingly endless acres of corn marched to the horizon. “We had good crops, corn and soybeans,” Horsley said of her family’s farm along the West Fork of the Des Moines River. “You could make it on a small amount of farmland. You felt safe.
Película: Objetivo La Tierra (Hombres de Otros Mundos)
Kyle, un extraterrestre combatiente en la batalla estelar, está librando una campaña contra su enemigo con bastante éxito, cuando se encuentra y se enamora de Sandy, una terrícola. Su extraño romance, que se desarrolla en un mundo que ignora sus circunstancias desesperadas, tiene un impacto vital e immediato sobre su propio futuro y el destino de la humanidad.
Can a Red State Get Along With Its Biggest, Bluest City?
Kentucky is sending record investments to Louisville this year, including $100 million for downtown revitalization. Craig Greenberg, Louisville’s Democratic mayor, is a former developer and building on relationships with Republican leaders in the state Legislature. Despite political conflicts between officials, the investments reflect Louisville’s importance to the overall state economy.
Progressive Senators Say: It's Time For the Feds to Regulate Vehicle Automation — Streetsblog USA
Editor's note: a version of this article originally appeared on IIHS Insights and is republished with permission. Shopping for a new car? If it’s been a while since you’ve set foot in a dealership, you may feel as if you’ve stepped into the future. Many models on dealer lots today promise to relieve you of much of the drudgery of driving — controlling your speed and lane position and in some cases changing lanes or allowing you to take your hands off the wheel. Hailing a ride in Phoenix?
On vehicle automation, federal regulators have some catching up to do
Insight As both partial driving automation and highly automated vehicles become more common, we lack commonsense rules to guide their use and collect safety data. May 29, 2024 Shopping for a new car? If it’s been a while since you’ve set foot in a dealership, you may feel as if you’ve stepped into the future.
Data Centers Are ‘Electricity Hogs’ Making States Reconsider
The Democratic lawmaker hoped to better compete with nearby states, bring in a growing industry, and provide paychecks for workers tasked with building the sprawling server farms. But this legislative session, he’s wondering if those tax breaks are appropriate for all data centers, especially those with the potential to disrupt the state’s clean energy supply. State Sen. Norm Needleman championed the 2021 legislation designed to lure major data centers to Connecticut.
Working-Class Individuals Are Rarities as Legislators
A single mother and flight attendant without a college degree or prior political experience, Berg now had a seat at the legislative table, shaping policy decisions in her home state. As she ran against a former two-term Republican representative — a commercial real estate agent — she also was struggling for housing and living in a friend’s basement. In her first few months as a Minnesota state legislator in 2021, state Rep.
Higher Education
Internet Explorer 11 is not supported For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. Public universities are under siege in too many places as elected officials move to install new leaders and limit what can be taught. Educational institutions should be safe for learning and as incubators for democracy. Critics argue that schools are spending too much on administrative costs at the expense of instruction.
It Takes a Long Time to Bridge the Mississippi River
Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development is working to build a new bridge across the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, meant to alleviate congestion and fuel growth on both sides of the river. The state has set aside at least $300 million of the projected $3 billion total cost, with the bulk of funding expected to come from the federal government. It won’t open before 2031. There could soon be a new way to cross the Mississippi River.
The End of Federal COVID Money Means Shortfalls for States and Schools
In 2020 and 2021, the federal government passed six relief bills in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that provided additional funding for state and local governments, Medicaid and particularly hard-hit public sectors such as transit. All told, states received an unprecedented $800 billion in relief during this time, including $307 billion in flexible fiscal recovery funding that went directly to state coffers.
Oklahoma Governor Says AI Can Eliminate Government Redundancy
Within a plethora of recommendations presented by Oklahoma Gov.
Reining in the Risks of Robotaxis
New technologies that affect public safety are going to be met by a thicket of regulations — it’s inevitable. When the first automobiles began rolling onto public roads in the early 1900s, Connecticut introduced the first statewide speed limits for cars, and waves of additional automobile regulations have followed since then. Today, regulators are shining the spotlight on autonomous vehicles and the robotaxi.
A Renewed Effort to Bridge Government and Tech
Economic growth and governance are increasingly intertwined with technological innovation and implementation. Aligning the purposes of tech and government, while fostering a shared focus on solving societal problems, has the potential to improve both quality of life and profits, say the authors of a new book. These efforts can gain momentum from a growing desire among young people to find work with purpose.
Why It’s Confusing to Know Whether Crime’s Really Up or Down
The great majority of Americans believe crime is increasing. However, data collected by the Department of Justice shows that personal and property crimes have been trending down significantly for decades. There are significant gaps in this data, however, and national trends don't capture how crime is experienced at the local level. Almost two-thirds of Americans believe crime is a serious problem, a Gallup poll found last month, with 77 percent convinced that crime is increasing.
The Case for Universal School Choice
The political significance of Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, signing a $150 million expansion to a private educational choice program with a split legislature is noteworthy. With a few exceptions, nearly all school choice enactments and expansions to date nationwide have taken place under a red trifecta of the governor’s mansion and both legislative chambers.
Lake Michigan’s Largest Island Explores Community Solar
Beaver Island’s two townships are exploring the feasibility of building solar power generation to provide electricity for the island’s roughly 600 year-round residents and the thousands who visit during the summer tourism season. The overall goals are better energy security and transition away from fossil fuels.
A Half-Century of Rural Housing
There’s a reason to celebrate in Darlington, Wisconsin, a town of just under 2,500 that lies about a dozen miles from the Illinois border. The Meadows Apartments, a complex of 32 new affordable apartments, is open for business. Only farm workers and their families are eligible to rent the apartments, which typically go for between $200-900 a month, depending on renter income. There is also a community room onsite and outreach programs available.
NYC Schools Struggle to Regain COVID’s Lost Generation
Children with overstuffed backpacks filter into hallways and homerooms each morning. Cafeterias echo with loud conversations and complaints about school lunches. Yellow buses squeal and hum as they roll down New York City streets. But a profound change has taken place, defined more by who isn’t in school than who is.
Federal Medicaid Funding Is Failing the States that Need It the Most
Over the last eight months more than 11 million people have been removed from Medicaid after COVID-era rules guaranteeing continuous coverage expired. As states work to reset their Medicaid rolls while ensuring that needy recipients stay on the program, federal policymakers should seize the opportunity to fix long-standing inequities in how the health care program is funded. As my new research makes clear, wealthier states with healthier residents are getting more than their share.
Texas Chided for Conditions for Mentally Disabled Foster Youth
U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack pointed to the plight of a teenage girl in a group home in Grand Prairie who made a dozen outcries of maltreatment but was all but ignored by the commission’s Provider Investigations unit.
Who Will Pay for New Orleans’ Updated Power Grid?
The catch, which has put the utility at loggerheads with City Council leaders, is that Entergy wants ratepayers to foot the bill—an estimated $750 million to $1 billion. The council is signaling that it's unwilling to make residents pay more to fund the massive effort, amid questions about Entergy bills that are already rising steeply and fights with the utility over chronic reliability problems.
Moving Upstream to Keep Pollution Out of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, is a laboratory for mitigating sediment buildup and diminished water quality. Eighty-five percent of the river systems that feed the bay are small streams, making them vital to its long-term resilience. Planting trees and shrubs along stream beds can reduce sediment flow and improve water quality. A project in a public park in Lancaster County is bringing both environmental and educational benefits.
Newark Will Create Second Zoning Board to Help With Backlog
The Newark, N.J., City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 21, approved the creation of a “supplemental zoning board of adjustment,” an unusual move intended to alleviate a backlog of development applications built up during the city’s ongoing real estate boom. “It’s a good thing,” Elnardo Webster, a Newark development lawyer, said of the new board’s creation.
North Dakota Will Appeal to Keep 2021 Redistricting Map
North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe's office made the announcement late Tuesday morning, Nov. 21, citing a Monday ruling from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals that threw out an Arkansas racial gerrymandering case after the appellate court ruled 2-1 that private parties could not sue under a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Court Overturns Ruling, Allows California to Share Gun Buyer Data
The ruling Friday by the 4th District Court of Appeal is a win for the Firearm Violence Research Center based at UC Davis and others studying patterns of gun violence. "The court's decision is an important victory for science. It reaffirms the value of objective evidence in understanding and intervening on important health problems, firearm violence among them," said Dr. Garen Wintemute, a professor in emergency medicine and director of the Center.
The Mississippi River Suffers Chronic Climate Ailments
The river, which drains 41 percent of the continental U.S., the lifeblood of America’s vast agricultural engine, is in deep trouble. The Mississippi routinely ranks high on lists of the country’s most endangered rivers. This year, for the second consecutive year, prolonged drought reduced its flow to less than half of normal levels. This threatened the drinking water of nearly 400,000 New Orleans residents.
Unleashing the potential of remote field data
Access to safe drinking water is critical to public health and economic prosperity. On average, the US uses around 82 gallons of water per person, per day. There are more than 148,000 active drinking water systems in the nation. Just 9% of all community water systems serve over 257 million people, while the bulk of community water systems serve communities with populations under 10,000 people.
New Alabama Congressional Map to Be Used in 2024 Elections
A new Alabama state congressional map ordered by federal judges earlier this month will be used in the 2024 election even as the state continues its opposition against it, Attorney General Steve Marshall clarified to Jefferson County elected leaders Wednesday. The map creates a new District 2 in south Alabama where Black residents comprise nearly half of the voting age population.
How Are Boise Schools Adapting to Increased AI Use?
School officials in Meridian and Nampa told the Idaho Statesman that they’ve seen students increasingly use AI in their work. In Nampa, administrators have created a task force to recommend to the district any changes or policies to implement. The West Ada School District plans to expand teachers’ resources to allow them the ability to detect AI-generated work, spokesperson Nicole Scheppers told the Statesman by email.
West Virginia, Virginia Join Coalition to Challenge EV Rule
The states are challenging a proposed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule which, according to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, would effectively mandate automakers to shift to electric vehicles.
Hawaii’s Drought Expected to Continue Into 2024
Weather officials Wednesday released the wet-season rainfall outlook, with little relief in sight from Hawaii's drought. Due to El Nino conditions, Hawaii's current drought is expected to continue well into next year, and possibly even into the 2024 dry season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.
Will Finding Jobs for Migrants Help States Clear Their Shelters?
Allowing migrants to work might enable many of them to leave shelters in cities that were already strained by local homeless populations but have been further overwhelmed by the newcomers. New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said this week that the state Labor Department had identified 18,000 potential jobs for migrants around the state. Hochul had already called on National Guard troops to help with work authorization paperwork.
Why Transportation Planners Should Prioritize the ‘Silently Suffering’
Veronica O. Davis has spent a career working in transportation planning, with local governments, the Federal Highway Administration and as a consultant. Her new book calls for transportation planning that prioritizes communities that are living with the negative consequences of planning and engineering decisions. “Legend has it that I was born into transportation,” writes Veronica O. Davis in her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities.
California’s Controversial Water Rules Could Cost $13B
The State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed regulations would mandate conservation measures by more than 400 cities and water agencies that serve about 95 percent of Californians. The measure could save about 413,000 acre-feet a year by 2030, enough to serve about 1.2 million households per year. During the last three-year severe drought, which ended this year, the Newsom administration set voluntary conservation goals that were largely ineffective.
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