What differentiates a city hall that’s doing bold, innovative city-building from a city hall that’s stuck in a same failed business-as-usual? It’s a leadership culture of competent, creative risk-taking and energy, OR of risk aversion and excuse. One of my favourite things to work on with cities.

Trump's presidency has exposed a fundamental flaw in our Constitution's separation of powers. The branch of government charged with enforcing laws/rules (the Executive) is the one most likely to break them.

“In my work with cities, one of my messages that resonates most is that the truth about the cities aspirations isn’t found in its plans and visions. It’s found in its budget. A budget may be the most powerful public policy lever a Council has, and the most authentic one because It reveals so much.”

Takes one to know one.

EXCLUSIVE: Chapel Hill native and former town council member Karen Stegman plans to run in the primary election for the Board of Orange County Commissioners next year. Here’s what she told us about her plans:

With attention shifting to the 2026 election cycle — one local elected official already shared she will not seek another term. Sally Greene posted on her Facebook page Monday she plans to depart the Board of Orange County Commissioners next winter.

“As an addiction medicine doctor, I have significant concerns about involuntary addiction treatment,” Cara Borelli writes in a letter to The Times. “Based on studies that compare voluntary to mandatory treatment, the evidence does not indicate that mandatory treatment reduces substance use.”

Many city halls are deep in budget-time. Some are pushing austerity ideologies, and are ignoring the difference between costs and cost-savers/value creators. Citizens, PAY ATTENTION, and never forget that the TRUTH about a city’s REAL aspirations isn’t found in its visions. It’s found in its budget.

A typical European car is parked 92% of the time. It spends 1/5th of its driving time looking for parking. Its 5 seats only move 1.5 people. 86% of its fuel never reaches the wheels, and most of the energy that does, moves the car, not the people. Sound efficient? HT @ellenmacarthurfdn.bsky.social

the day his primary challenger announces will be one of the biggest political fundraising days in history

To all 55,000 runners in the NYC Marathon today:

"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." Ray Bradbury

Someone should do a useful idiot map of the Trump administration. For example: Trump is Putin's useful idiot and Mike Johnson is Trump's useful idiot.

3pm, Town Commons in Carrboro

Mr. Mamdani could do more good for more people if he used most of the money free buses would cost to improve service and allocate the rest for free service for those with financial need. Oh, and Cuomo should be ashamed of himself.

"Four recent studies, all published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, highlight the necessity of getting this year’s influenza vaccine," Dr. Leana S. Wen writes. https://wapo.st/3Wx0X5w

a media organization that increased voter turnout, is funny, breaks news, holds parades and fun events and has a point of view? why, that’s us.

The brownshirts are everywhere. And they *will* come to your street eventually. This is not just going to happen to "other people."

This approach is working well in North Carolina's Research Triangle.

Big transit systems should make it easier for low-income residents to qualify for free or reduced-price rides. Good suggestions here. Progressives should focus on ideas like these, rather than trying to drop fares entirely (which would be fiscally irresponsible, among other problems).

But Oregon Metro didn’t stop with data. As part of the hub, the agency released "Community Quick-build and Demonstration Projects," a practical guide to quickly addressing dangerous areas once they’ve been identified.

Did you know that transportation is the 2nd largest household expense after housing? ‼️Moving shouldn’t depend on owning or driving a car. 🌟#WeekWithoutDriving is when we call for change! September 29–October 5, 2025 | Sign up now: buff.ly/F8iHsgt

A green bus stop movement is installing plants on bus shelters, providing habitats for pollinators and countering the urban heat-island effect.

Liars are counting on the fact that for some reason, too many of us are remarkably reluctant to call liars liars.

"It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit." Noel Coward

"From barbarism to civilization requires a century; from civilization to barbarism needs but a day." Will Durant

17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the congestion relief zone this year. New York has faster commutes, fewer crashes, and higher public transit ridership, all thanks to congestion pricing. But Donald Trump wants to make New York gridlocked again.

I got my COVID booster today. I needed a prescription, but I got the vaccine. Kennedy is deliberately making it difficult and people will die as a result.

You may have noticed: American politicians are really old. You may not know that American politicians are exceptionally old compared to other democracies. Congratulations, USA: we are the world's most advanced gerontocracy. American exceptionalism, indeed. open.substack.com/pub/leedrutm...

🎯🎯🎯

Look at this graph. The share of national income going to the richest 10 percent was lowest (and share to lower 90 percent highest) when union membership was at its highest. As unions have weakened, inequality has widened. This is why we must build back union power.

J.B. Pritzker got it exactly right, Donald Trump is sending the military to blue cities because he wants to undermine free and fair elections in 2026. Trump believes that military deployments in blue cities is his path to keeping power and Republican victory.

One lies and the other swears to it.

“Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.” ― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism

One-Way Streets Have Worse Crashes, Higher Crime and Lower Property Values — Why do we Still Use Them? flip.it/9j2gky

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." John Steinbeck

Truth, such as it is these days, is truly stranger than fiction. Or funnier than comedy.

"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." Ida B. Wells

At some point will the national guards in blue states be asked by their governors to resist? If Trump tries to federalize the national guards in these states, will they obey? These, and other, questions are ones I never thought I'd be asking.

My latest piece for Triangle BlogBlog. triangleblogblog.com/2025/08/13/c...

Folks keep saying that what's happening in D.C. is to distract from the Epstein mess. That's wrong. This and LA are testing and practicing for the deployment of the military throughout the country as part of a larger campaign. Any distraction from Epstein is just a side benefit for Trump.

The problem is that they're the folks who'll be breaking the windows.

“Toderian, Vancouver’s former planning chief, has identified a 3-part formula for child-friendly downtowns.” “Housing is most critical: Without [2 & 3-bedroom apartments], it’s ‘game-over’ for families in downtowns, he says.” Downtowns need “new crowds,” aka more people, via Bloomberg.

Trump Says He Will Meet With Putin in Alaska Next Week www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/u... I guess Russia is getting Alaska back.

At this time in our country's history, it's worth remembering this quote from Stalin: "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything."