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WASHINGTON — President Trump signed executive orders Monday evening, kicking off a crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and all of New York — after previously calling for their federal funding to be cut. One order the 78-year-old inked behind closed doors in the Oval Office gives Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem 30 days to draw up a list of cities and states that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” “Immediately following each publication… the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify each sanctuary jurisdiction regarding its defiance...

On the whole, happiness in the U.S. is on the decline. The country fell down a spot from the year prior to No. 24 in the 2025 World Happiness Report. But there is still plenty of joy to be found across the 50 states — including in Plano, Texas, which ranked No. 1 in a recent SmartAsset report identifying the happiest cities in America. SmartAsset ranked cities on 11 metrics across three categories: personal finance, wellbeing and quality of life. Individual metrics include the share of households living below the poverty line, share of residents who report being inactive and...

Plans are underway to create “Freedom Cities” — privately controlled corporate enclaves that would operate outside federal oversight — across the United States.According to Wired, a coalition of tech billionaires, venture capitalists, and corporate advocacy groups is drafting congressional legislation and meeting with the Trump administration to bring these experimental cities to U.S. soil.The outlets reports that these cities would be “free from certain federal laws,” allowing unregulated human longevity trials, nuclear reactor startups, and unrestricted infrastructure projects to move forward without government approval. As Wired puts it:The goal of these cities would be to have places where anti-aging clinical...

The Greater Tokyo Area contains around 40 million people—roughly as many residents as in the entire state of California—all living within a region the size of Los Angeles County. Tokyo runs amazingly well for such a mammoth urban environment. Transportation is world class. The neighborhoods offer numerous cultural amenities, small businesses galore, and loads of affordable food. The streets are simultaneously busy and surprisingly quiet, all within a short walk. Crime is low. There are few destitute people on the streets. Residents are exceedingly polite, and the entire city is incredibly clean.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening to withhold aid from cities that do not follow his homeless policies — while arguing at the same time that it would be wrong for the federal government to withhold aid from California. Newsom is asking Congress and the Trump administration for $40 billion in aid to deal with the aftermath of the deadly Los Angeles fires — even as he spends $50 million to fight Trump over immigration and other issues. California officials have generally pushed back against the idea that federal aid for the fires should have “strings,” such as Ambassador Ric...

Hours after she was sworn in, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Justice Department to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities, according to a report. Among several directives issued Wednesday, Bondi charged the DOJ with identifying and evaluating funding agreements with nongovernmental organizations that provide support to undocumented immigrants, Fox News Digital first reported. She also tasked the department with investigating instances of sanctuary jurisdictions obstructing law enforcement and “directing they be prosecuted, when necessary,” the outlet wrote. Several offices within the Justice Department provided $1.56 billion in grants to sanctuary cities in 2023, according to the think tank...

Adam Frisch, a Colorado Democrat who lost his House race in November to now-Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO), told The Wall Street Journal over the weekend his party is in disarray after their major 2024 election losses.SNIP“The Democratic brand is in the toilet, with a recent Wall Street Journal poll showing 60% of Americans view the party unfavorably while only 36% see it favorably,” Ball wrote. “Democrats lost ground with nearly every demographic group last November, including minorities, women, low-income voters and those without college degrees.”Asked for comment, Frisch replied, “Twenty big cities, Aspen and Martha’s Vineyard — that’s what’s left...

Based on data from U-Haul involving 2.5 million moves, South Carolina topped the list of states people relocated to across state lines in 2024, knocking Texas off the top spot. Texas had topped U-Haul's list for three consecutive years prior to 2024. South Carolina and Texas were followed by North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Indiana, which was ranked No. 27 in 2023, jumped to No. 8. Oklahoma jumped 30 spots from No. 41 to No. 11. Colorado had the largest drop, falling from No. 9 in 2023 to No. 40 in 2024. California topped the list of states with the...

HUGE ‼️ “Sanctuary Mayors and Governors got some really terrible news this week” “Stephen Miller, who slated to be Donald Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff, sent letters to 249 elected officials in sanctuary states and cities warning them of how much trouble they're gonna get in if they don't start complying with the law and rounding up illegal immigrants” The Federal Government will target government officials harboring illegal migrants committing violent crimes with Racketeering Charges and allow them to be personally liable for lawsuits from victims and more Here are some fantastic highlights from my favorite letter of the year:...

Americans are increasingly flocking to the outermost edges of metropolitan areas - beyond the suburbs and into rapidly growing so-called 'exurbs'. Exurbs are areas typically located 40 to 60 miles from city centers and are often appealing to families seeking more space, affordable homes and a quieter way of life. The trend has transformed once-sleepy rural towns into thriving cultural communities with booming populations and housing markets. Many of the most popular exurb hotspots are located in the South. Anna, Texas, which is located 45 miles north of Dallas, for example, has seen its population soar by a third since...

Denver has built a reputation as a city where new immigrants can find legal help and maybe even a job without constant fear of authorities. But the United States will soon have a new president. Donald Trump promises mass deportations. And he says he will defund sanctuary cities that resist him, a move that could deprive Denver of millions of dollars for programs residents depend on. Will pressure from the president change how Denver treats immigrants? “The short answer is, we won't change that, because those are one of our core values,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said in an interview...

Experiencing a city on foot gives you the freedom to amble from one attraction to another, discovering hidden bars, quirky shops, and lesser-known spots along the way. It’s also free and reduces your carbon footprint. But what makes a city pedestrian-friendly? In 2023, the sustainable living nonprofit organization Smart Growth America released their Foot Traffic Ahead report, which analyzed factors such as how easily residents in America’s largest metro areas can walk from their homes to amenities, the distances between blocks, and access to public transportation. So, lace up some comfortable footwear and explore the most walkable cities in the...

Out of the world’s top 15 growth hubs, 14 are forecast to be located in Asia, according to the Growth Hub Index 2024 by British real estate service Savills. These cities have been identified as set to develop particularly quickly by 2033, based on indicators measuring rising wealth, expanding economies and the potential for new development and business expansion. As the following chart shows, four Indian cities feature in the top 10, with Bengaluru in the top position. It is followed by Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and India’s Delhi. Several reasons are cited for the anticipated rise in...

Threats to safety in the U.S. come in many forms, from public health crises and natural disasters to mass shootings and traffic accidents. Aside from the types of hazards that can cause physical harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, forgoing health insurance or even falling victim to identity theft are also ways people run into danger. One big worry for many people right now is the cost of inflation, which threatens Americans’ financial safety. No one can avoid all danger, however, and we take on a certain level of risk based on where we choose to live. Some cities...

If you spend most of your life driving or taking public transportation from point A to point B, there's nothing quite like breaking from planes, trains, and automobiles and exploring a destination on foot. Doing so allows you to slow down and savor all the sites around you, no parking necessary. With that in mind, we have rounded up 12 of the most beautiful walkable cities around the world (with a few in the U.S.) to inspire your future travel plans. There are certainly many benefits to exploring with your own two feet, and we give all of the cities...

A list published by GOBankingRates is going viral because it shows just how much it costs to live in America’s 50 biggest cities in 2024’s economy. The list, put together by measuring data from US Census, Zillow, BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, determines “living comfortably” as needs not exceeding 50% of one’s income. This is known as the 50-30-20 rule or plan, where 50% of one’s income meets the costs of living, 30% is expendable, and 20% remains in savings. Of the top eight most expensive cities in the US, California’s biggest population hubs take up a whopping...

Violent crime in urban America soared 40 percent from 2019 to 2023 under the Biden-Harris administration, according to the latest National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) run by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and administered by the Census Bureau. The finding contradicts an establishment media narrative that crime fell under the Biden-Harris administration. For example, ABC’s David Muir made the claim when he tried to fact-check former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate. The data, published in September 2024, is based on official estimates of nonfatal criminal victimizations reported and not reported to police from BJS’s NCVS. The report...

Rats and mice are a persistent problem in many cities, often requiring rodent control services. The cities with the most rats and mice are usually determined by factors such as sanitation practices, food waste access, and suitable habitats. These rodents can cause significant property damage and can be a serious public health concern in many urban areas, which may make you wonder, what city has the most rats or mice? Keep reading to see Terminix’s list of the 50 most rodent-infested cities from 2023 to see if your city made the list.What cities have the most rats and mice?Terminix shares...

What are the most (and least) honest cities in the world? Reader's Digest conducted a global, social experiment to find out.Now Trending1 / 18Kathrin HarmsKathrin HarmsOur reporters “lost” 192 wallets in cities around the world.In each, we put a name with a cellphone number, a family photo, coupons, and business cards, plus the equivalent of $50. We “dropped” 12 wallets in each of the 16 cities we selected, leaving them in parks, near shopping malls, and on sidewalks. Then we watched to see what would happen.2 / 18Lauri Rokto/City of Helsinki Tourist & Convention BureauMost honest: Helsinki, FinlandWallets returned: 11...

A new analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau found that the number of young children in America’s largest cities is “rapidly shrinking” at an alarming rate. Economic Innovation Group researcher Connor O’Brien reported that the number of children from birth to four years had declined 18% in New York City, 15% in Cook County, Illinois (Chicago), and 14% in Los Angeles County from 2020 to 2023. The number of children under five is also falling by double-digit percentage points in counties making up most or all of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. Several of America’s largest cities of...