America's metros are growing faster than the country overall, driven largely by foreign immigration, per the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: An exodus of city-dwellers rocked many U.S. metros during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some are now clawing back residents (and their productivity, creativity, tax dollars, etc.)

Driving the news: The number of people living in U.S. metro areas rose by almost 3.2 million between 2023 and 2024, the Census Bureau said today — a gain of about 1.1%.

• By comparison, the total U.S. population rose by 1% during that time.
• Nearly 90% of U.S. metro areas grew from 2023 to 2024, the bureau says.

Zoom in: Some metros hit hardest by pandemic population loss — think New York; Washington, D.C. and San Francisco — grew between 2023 and 2024, though some are still down relative to 2020, as seen above.

Between the lines: Cities can thank international migration for this latest population spike.

• "All of the nation's 387 metro areas had positive net international migration between 2023 and 2024, and it accounted for nearly 2.7 million of the total population gain in metro areas," the bureau said in a statement accompanying the new data.

How it works: The bureau bases these estimates on current data for births, deaths and migration, all of which affect overall population.

What's next: Demographers and other researchers will be keeping a close eye on how Trump administration policies might affect immigration levels.

Some air traffic controllers are worried about safety, staffing and more amid the Trump administration's purge of federal workers, they tell Axios.

Why it matters: Aviation safety has been in the spotlight since January's tragic midair collision over Washington, D.C., with some travelers afraid that flying is suddenly more dangerous despite contrary data.

Driving the news: Axios spoke to six current and retired air traffic controllers and instructors, all of whom requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press.

• Controllers have so far been spared from President Trump's mass firings, though other FAA employees have gotten the ax, raising safety concerns.

What they're saying: "I have friends and family [asking], 'Should I get on an airplane?'" one retired controller tells Axios.

• "And I'm like, well, it's not there yet. But it seems to be trending that way."
• "I don't believe that if these people really cared about safety, that they would be doing the things that they're doing."

A currently working controller brought up their concerns over staffing shortages, a long-standing issue.

• "My biggest fear is an over-exhausted controller who has to work a combined position because of staffing misses something," they say, referring to one controller working multiple posts simultaneously at their location.
• That's common at some facilities during quieter periods, but it can divide controllers' attention.

Another controller believes it's still safe to fly "in general," thanks to those behind the radar screens.

• "It is safe not because of the FAA's policies. It is not safe because of who the president is or because of who the president was," the controller says.
• "It's safe because there's people that go in every single day and they work their ass off to make sure that it's safe."

The other side: "We continue to hire and onboard air traffic controllers and safety professionals, including mechanics and others who support them," the FAA said in a statement.

• "Air traffic controllers deal with and have to manage stress, day in and day out," Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said during a March 4 House hearing. "Anything that adds to that, any uncertainty, is what brings an added risk that has to be evaluated into the system."
• NATCA declined to make Daniels available or otherwise comment for this story.

Their ideas: One controller proposed a second ATC school to complement an existing Oklahoma facility, but an instructor at that facility says low pay has led to a teacher shortage and smaller classes.

• Another says young new controllers are often thrown into high-paced, understaffed facilities — New York approach, for example — like "cannon fodder into the slaughter," leading to higher training times and failure rates.
• Yet another suggests hiring more controllers to train and work at understaffed facilities near home, rather than being assigned elsewhere in the country after initial training, as often happens.

Follow the money: Higher pay and better scheduling are pretty much universal wants.

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently claimed that controllers make $160,000 on average three years out of the academy.
• But several controllers told Axios that's a rosy view, with some making far less — sometimes while stationed in high-cost areas — and without clear growth opportunities.
• Controllers made a median of $137,400 in 2023, per Labor Department data.

Friction point: Air traffic controllers can't legally strike, limiting their bargaining power.

• And when controllers struck in 1981, President Reagan fired thousands — a memory that runs deep in controllers' collective psyche.

The latest: Duffy has floated raising the mandatory ATC retirement age from 56, while Elon Musk called for retired controllers to return to work.

• The FAA also recently increased pay for initial trainees from about $18/hour to about $23/hour and opened a new ATC hiring window.

Reality check: Retirees would still need to be retrained before plugging in and working traffic, controllers tell Axios.

• And some controllers become eligible for retirement before 56, leaving for other jobs or pursuits while collecting their pensions.
• "If your base salary is 130K and your pension is 60K, now you're working for 70K a year," one controller says. "Is it worth it for 70K a year? Could you find something else? So guys are walking away, and they're not making it to 56."

The intrigue: Duffy recently blocked efforts by Musk's DOGE to fire controllers, per New York Times coverage of a meeting of Trump's Cabinet earlier this month.

• Musk reportedly denied that DOGE made any such attempt.
• Also during that meeting, Trump reportedly told Duffy to hire "geniuses" from MIT to be controllers.
• When asked about that comment, one controller replied: "I seriously doubt people with degrees from MIT want six-day workweeks on our rotating schedules for our salaries."

What's next: If the government shuts down Friday, controllers will still be made to work, but with suspended pay — no doubt further eroding morale.

• Yet controller sickouts played an under-appreciated role in ending the last major government shutdown, and it doesn't take many absences for delays and cancellations to start mounting.

Most major U.S. cities are suffering from longer allergy seasons amid human-caused climate change, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: Millions of Americans endure runny noses, itchy throats, and worse health effects each spring allergy season.

Driving the news: The freeze-free growing season lengthened between 1970 and 2024 in nearly 90% of the 198 cities analyzed by Climate Central, a research and communications group.

• Among those cities, the freeze-free season lengthened by 20 days on average.

How it works: Climate Central uses the freeze-free period — the number of consecutive days with minimum temperatures above 32°F — as a proxy for allergy season.

• Above-freezing temperatures allow for better plant growth, and thus the release of more sneeze-inducing pollen.

Zoom in: Reno, Nevada (96 more consecutive freeze-free days from 1970 to 2024); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (52) and Toledo, Ohio (45) have had some of the biggest increases among the cities analyzed.

• Conversely, the number of consecutive freeze-free days decreased in places like Waco, Texas (-14); Tulsa, Oklahoma (-14), and Denver, Colorado (-8).

Between the lines: "Climate change makes pollen seasons not only longer, but also more intense due to heat-trapping pollution," per Climate Central's report.

• "Higher levels of planet-warming CO2 in the air can boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed."

Threat level: Nationwide pollen production stands to dramatically increase alongside high CO2 pollution, per a 2022 study highlighted in the report.

The bottom line: Pass the allergy spray, would ya?

President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs Tuesday on America's largest trading partners, triggering a global trade war that promises to affect the wallets of everyday Americans.

Why it matters: After running — and winning — on a promise to curb inflation, Trump's trade war threatens to raise prices for everything from food and clothes to cars and computers.

• Some estimates suggest just Tuesday's tariffs alone could cost the average U.S. household $830 a year — and that's before you factor in the cost of anticipated retaliatory tariffs from Canada, China and Mexico.
• Already, the impacts are escalating — the map above, for example, was based on a 10% China tariff, which has now been raised to 20%.

Tariffs on the top U.S. import partners

Zoom out: More than 40% of all U.S. imports come from Mexico, Canada and China — over $1.3 trillion worth in 2024 alone, per Census data.

• The tariffs will affect big-ticket items like machinery and cars, but also consumer staples — everything from beer (more than 80% of U.S. imports come from Mexico) to oats (almost all U.S. imports come from Canada).

Tariffs as a regressive tax

Zoom in: Tariffs are generally regressive, in that they more heavily affect lower-income people who spend a greater share of their resources on goods, particularly necessities like food and fuel.

• As data from the Progressive Policy Institute shows, even before Trump's new levies this week, the existing U.S. tariff system already charged much higher rates for low-cost products than their luxury counterparts.

The China trade deficit

Between the lines: Tariffs, especially on China, do move the needle on trade a little, but over time it tends to rebound.

• The trade deficit with China has been more than $200 billion for 20 years now, and Chinese retaliatory tariffs will offset some of the benefit of the new duties Trump assessed.

Fentanyl realities

The intrigue: In assessing tariffs on Canada and Mexico in particular, Trump cited the flow of fentanyl across both borders.

Yes, but: As U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows, over the last 40 months, fentanyl volume that's trafficked through Mexico is almost 1,000x the amount coming through Canada.

• In January 2025 alone, CBP stopped almost half a ton of fentanyl at the Mexican border — and about half an ounce at the Canadian border.

The next tariffs

What to watch: The tariffs are a long way from over — the White House has made clear more are coming, and they'll stack up on top of each other.

• Steel and aluminum tariffs come in next week, which will particularly impact automakers and beverage companies, among others.
• Reciprocal tariffs on April 2 could affect dozens of countries, with as-yet unknown impacts on almost everything the country imports.

Go deeper: Tariff worries, Trump cuts signal emerging economic growth risks

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with additional details on the tariff map.

New York City; Washington, D.C., and Dallas are the hottest destinations for college-educated Americans leaving their home county, per the latest census data.

Why it matters: White-collar workers tend to go where they think the jobs are, and cities are constantly competing with one another to attract well-paid professionals — and the tax revenue they often bring.

By the numbers: Among Americans age 25 and up with a bachelor's degree or better who moved to a new county in 2023, 6.1% went to NYC, 3.5% to D.C. and 3.2% to Dallas.

• They're followed up by Atlanta (2.9%), Los Angeles (2.4%) and Chicago (2.4%).
• Other hotspots: Denver (2.4%), Boston (2.2%) and San Francisco (2.1%).

How it works: These numbers are based on the 2023 one-year American Community Survey and include people who moved in the year prior to answering the survey.

The bottom line: The time-old tale of New York being a big draw for white-collar workers holds true as ever, but plenty of other cities are getting a piece of the action, too.

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have the highest federal wages per worker, Labor Department data shows.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's attempts to cut the government workforce is likely to hit particularly hard in places with the most federal workers, and where those workers take home the biggest paychecks.

By the numbers: Federal workers in D.C. make about $136,000 per worker, those in Maryland make about $126,000 per worker, and those in Virginia make about $111,000 per worker.

• All three areas also rank in the top five for most federal workers overall.
• D.C. has about 191,000 federal workers, Virginia has 189,000, and Maryland has 158,000.

How it works: This data comes by way of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, and reflects annual averages for 2023.

Caveat: These raw state-by-state figures don't account for varying costs of living between locations.

• $126k in Maryland doesn't go as far as it would in, say, West Virginia.

What's next: Multiple lawsuits filed by federal workers in connection with President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to cull the government workforce are still working their way through the courts.

2025 is on pace for fewer fatal aviation accidents compared to the last several years, despite the I'll-just-drive vibes lately.

Why it matters: It may seem like the planes are falling out of the sky over the past few weeks, but the data paints a different picture.

By the numbers: There have been 13 fatal U.S. aviation accidents so far in 2025, per NTSB data.

• There were 31 such accidents in January and February 2024, 28 during those months in 2023, 33 in 2022, and 39 in 2021.

How it works: That includes all U.S. civil aviation, from single-engine private planes to commercial airliners — the latter of which have far more pristine safety records.

• It also includes Alaska, where often treacherous conditions can make flying more dangerous compared to the Lower 48.

Caveat: This is a measurement of overall accidents, not the number of fatalities.

• So January's tragic midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which killed 67 people, only counts once.
• Still, that was an aberrant event — the country's first major fatal commercial air disaster in about 16 years, a remarkable stretch of safe flying.

Between the lines: There's palpable unease in some aviation circles about President Trump and Elon Musk's still-vague plans to "upgrade" air traffic control.

• That the Trump administration recently fired hundreds of FAA technicians and other staffers has only amplified those concerns.

Yes, but: There's no clear link between Trump's recent moves and the latest high-profile aviation incidents.

The bottom line: It's perfectly reasonable to be concerned about aviation safety right now, given all the headlines. But frequency illusion is a heck of a thing, and as Superman said: Statistically speaking, flying is still the safest way to travel.

The fatal drug overdose rate fell 4% nationwide from 2022 to 2023, per new CDC data — but grew notably out West and up in Alaska.

Why it matters: Overdose deaths seem to be falling as pandemic-era isolation ebbs and access to life-saving medications like Naloxone grows.

Driving the news: The age-adjusted rate of U.S. fatal drug overdoses fell from 32.6 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 31.3 in 2023, the CDC says.

• The rate for synthetic opioids specifically — including fentanyl — dropped from 22.7 to 22.2.

Yes, but: States like Alaska, Oregon and Washington bucked the national trend, reporting major increases in their fatal OD rates.

• Even their absolute numbers are relatively high: 2023 saw 49.4 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people in Alaska, 40.8 in Oregon, and 42.4 in Washington, compared to 31.3 nationally.

Caveat: Some areas with big drops in their overdose rate still have relatively high absolute numbers.

• The fatal OD rate per 100,000 people in Maine, for instance, dropped 17.3% between 2022 and 2023 — but the Pine Tree State still had an overall rate of 44.9 per 100,000 people in 2023.

Between the lines: A recent report from specialty lab Millennium Health highlighted a "rising tide" of heroin co-use among fentanyl users, as well as fentanyl and stimulant co-use — part of the "fourth wave" of the overdose epidemic.

The bottom line: The broad national data shows a welcome trend, but the opioid crisis rages on in some pockets of the country like a wildfire stubbornly refusing to be snuffed out.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that the "fourth wave" refers to fentanyl and stimulant co-use (not fentanyl and heroin co-use).

Only 13 U.S. states send more money to federal government coffers than they receive, a recent analysis found.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's push for states to be more financially independent brushes up against the reality that many depend on federal money for everything from disaster relief to food aid.

Driving the news: Massachusetts (-$4,846), New Jersey (-$4,344) and Washington (-$3,494) had the lowest balance of payments per capita as of 2022, discounting COVID-19 relief spending, according to a 2024 Rockefeller Institute of Government report.

• New Mexico ($14,781), Maryland ($12,265) and Virginia ($11,577) had the highest.

How it works: Each state's balance of payments reflect how much federal money is distributed there (in the form of programs like Medicaid and SNAP, for example) versus how much money residents and businesses send to the federal government (via income or employment taxes, for instance).

• A negative figure means a state sends more to the federal government than it receives, while a positive figure means it gets more than it gives.

Between the lines: "States with large defense-contracting sectors and more military bases receive more federal defense spending, while federal wages are disproportionately concentrated within states with a large federal employee presence," the report notes.

• That at least partially explains the results in states like Virginia and Maryland, which are both relatively high income but have lots of federal workers, contractors and agency offices thanks to their proximity to Washington, D.C.

What we're watching: How President Trump's quest to trim federal spending actually plays out at the state level could shake up these figures in unpredictable ways.

Searching for a partner? Consider Baltimore, the Bronx or Washington, D.C. — three areas with especially high shares of unmarried 20-and-older residents.

Why it matters: More Americans are delaying or foregoing marriage for a host of reasons, but it remains a bedrock of U.S. socioeconomic life and a strong predictor of happiness.

By the numbers: Baltimore, the Bronx and Washington, D.C. have the highest rates of unmarried 20-and-older residents among U.S. counties with at least 250,000 such residents overall.

• 74% of Baltimore's approximately 440,800 20-and-up residents are unmarried, compared to the national figure of 49.1%, per the latest census data.
• 71.9% of the 1.03 million Bronx residents in that age group, meanwhile, are unmarried — as are 69.3% of Washington, D.C.'s 529,000 residents 20 and up.

How it works: These figures include people who have never been married, plus those who were married at one point but have since gotten divorced or separated, or have been widowed.

Between the lines: Marriage rates are tied to a variety of socioeconomic factors, including income, employment, education and more — though there's some debate among social scientists over exactly how that all plays out.

• The modern era's historically low marriage rates can also be understood as a reflection of women's decreasing reliance on men compared to past decades.
• It was only 50 years ago that women needed a husband or male relative to co-sign with them for a loan or credit card, for instance.

The latest: The Trump administration is prioritizing at least some investment in communities with higher-than-average marriage and birth rates — an effort that's perhaps tied to Trump ally Elon Musk's long-standing fixation on falling birthrates.

The chances of a 130- to 300-foot-wide asteroid hitting Earth just a few days before Christmas 2032 are increasing — but don't panic (or celebrate) just yet.

Why it matters: The near-Earth asteroid, officially named "2024 YR4," could be a regional hazard if it actually hits the planet, NASA says.

Driving the news: The odds that YR4 will hit Earth have been creeping up over the past few days, and stand at 2.1% as of Feb. 12.

• Those probably aren't numbers you'd play in Vegas, but it's still a 1-in-48 chance of impact.

Threat level: YR4 currently rates as a 3 on the 0-to-10 Torino scale, which measures asteroid collisions' potential hazards.

• That translates into possible "localized damage" — which means you wouldn't want to be near the impact zone, but this isn't considered an existential Earth-wide threat.

Reality check: YR4 was only first reported to near-Earth asteroid watchers in late January, and it's possible that its impact odds will lessen as researchers spend more time observing and learning about it and its path through space.

What they're saying: "Even though it's a very, very low impact probability, it's not often that something this size even reaches that level," Kelly Fast, acting planetary defense officer at NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, tells Axios.

• "It's a chance to continue to bring the capabilities we have to bear to get the most information possible, to hopefully get enough information for the probability to drop to zero, to know well enough that it's going to pass the Earth safely — and if not, then to have that information also."
• "But it's so early that, at 2%, it's at that level where, okay, planetary defenders of the world, keep an eye out. But otherwise, it's not something to lose sleep over."

What's next: NASA is planning to launch the Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope later this decade, which will look for potentially threatening objects using infrared sensors.

• Those are better able to spot darkly-colored asteroids compared to visible light telescopes, Fast says.
• And in 2022, NASA successfully tested asteroid-deflection technology that one day could truly save our bacon — no Bruce Willis or Ben Affleck required.

Over two-thirds of U.S. metros ended 2024 with higher unemployment compared to a year prior, per recent Labor Department data.

Why it matters: The big national unemployment picture is one thing. The hiring climate in specific cities is sometimes another.

Driving the news: The unemployment rate was higher in December 2024 compared to December 2023 in 266 of 389 metro areas, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

• Put another way, nearly 70% of metros ended 2024 with higher unemployment compared to how they began the year.
• Unemployment dropped in 95 metros and held steady in 28 others.

Zoom in: Dalton, Georgia (+3.5 percentage points); Asheville, North Carolina (+2.6); and Muskegon, Michigan (+2.1), had the biggest increases in metro-level unemployment.

• Kahului, Hawai'i (-2.2); Waterbury, Connecticut (-1.7); and Bridgeport, Connecticut (-1.4), had the biggest decreases.

Caveat: These figures are not seasonally adjusted.

The intrigue: Many of the worst-performing metros are in Michigan, perhaps due at least in part to a nearly 2% decrease in statewide manufacturing jobs in December 2024 compared to a year prior.

The big picture: The latest national-level jobs data showed "solid hiring" in January, as Axios' Courtenay Brown reports: The economy added 143,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate dropped to 4%.

What's next: Metro-level unemployment data for January is due out early next month.

Sometimes overlooked in the big monthly jobs reports is a stark reality: The unemployment rate among Black Americans is consistently higher than the overall rate, and that gap is especially pronounced in some states.

Why it matters: Looking below surface-level at economic data can reveal important trends, differences and needs among specific groups.

Driving the news: The overall U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2% as of Q3 2024, but the rate among Black Americans was 6.5%, per the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank.

• That's a gap of 2.3 percentage points.

Zoom in: At the state level, Kentucky (6.1 percentage points); Washington, D.C. (5.2) and Ohio (4.8) have the widest Black unemployment gaps.

• Delaware (0.8), Mississippi (0.8) and Maryland (0.9) have the smallest.

Caveat: A small gap doesn't necessarily mean low unemployment.

• Delaware, for example, had a 5% unemployment rate among Black residents as of Q3 2024.

How it works: EPI's estimates are based on a combination of Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Population Survey data.

• Read more about the group's methodology here.

The big picture: Although a chasm clearly persists, the national Black unemployment gap is about the lowest it's been since at least late 1978 — the earliest period included in EPI's estimates.

• National Black unemployment hit an all-time low in 2023, and remains historically low amid a surprisingly equitable post-COVID economic recovery.

Super Bowl party prices will be a mixed bag this year, with some staples still notably costlier compared to pre-pandemic times but others less so.

Why it matters: Food is one of the most tangible ways consumers experience inflation, which appears stubbornly persistent — especially for everyday needs like groceries.

Driving the news: Prices for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruits, veggies, alcohol and soft drinks were all up in December 2024 relative to December 2019, per consumer price index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• But only the meat/poultry/fish/eggs category was up significantly, 4.2%.
• No doubt this is a reflection of the ongoing bird flu outbreak: Fewer chickens and eggs, higher prices.

Yes, but: Prices for these Super Bowl staples relative to December 2019 aren't nearly as high as they were in 2021 or 2022.

Caveat: This data predates President Trump's tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, which could result in higher prices for avocados, some beer and other Super Bowl party favorites.

• That said, Trump on Monday delayed his planned tariffs against Mexico and Canada for a month.

The big picture: Overall Super Bowl spending will be up nearly 26% this year compared to 2019, the National Retail Federation predicts, hitting a record high of $18.6 billion and driven largely by food and drinks.

The bottom line: Maybe cut back on the wings and deviled eggs if you're still planning your menu for Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles — a rematch of 2023's contest, which ended in a 38–35 Chiefs victory.

Businesses in some states — many near the country's northern and southern borders — may feel President Trump's tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China most acutely, per a new estimate shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Trump and others view tariffs as political cudgels for extracting concessions from targeted countries. But they're also likely to make stuff more expensive as companies pass higher costs along to everyday Americans.

Catch up quick: Trump on Saturday imposed tariffs of 25% on Mexican and Canadian goods and 10% on Canadian energy imports, plus issued new 10% tariffs on Chinese imports.

• Trump on Monday delayed his planned Mexico and Canada tariffs for a month after striking border security deals.

Driving the news: The tariffs as issued Saturday would have an estimated $232.7 billion national impact, per economic research firm Trade Partnership Worldwide and based on trade from January to November 2024.

• That impact would be largest for businesses in Texas ($47.1 billion), California ($32.6 billion) and Michigan ($27.8 billion).

How it works: The estimates are based on census data for foreign imports and reflect "the composition of current trade based on existing company-to-company relationships," Trade Partnership Worldwide president Daniel S. Anthony tells Axios.

What they're saying: "Canada and Mexico account for over 90% of all Montana imports, versus just 5% for Hawaii," Anthony says. "So virtually anything that Montana companies import from the world could be subject to new tariffs in the immediate future."

• "Similarly, states where Canadian energy imports are large see reduced impacts from the lower energy tariff. But even 10% is a huge cost when you look at a state like Illinois that imports tens of billions of dollars annually in Canadian crude oil."

Caveat: Tariffs may lead to less trade overall, Anthony notes — meaning past data isn't necessarily indicative of future tariff effects.

What's next: Trump is having ongoing conversations with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, who bashed U.S. tariffs as a shocking and perplexing betrayal of a longtime ally and promised retaliation.

Some states have far more to lose than others if the second Trump administration cuts federal health and science funding.

Why it matters: President Trump's executive orders effectively freezing some public health and science work has scientists, researchers and others worried about the administration's commitment to the fields, and about the politicization of science — especially given the looming threat of a bird flu outbreak.

Driving the news: National Science Foundation (NSF) grant reviews and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for new projects are at least temporarily paused as both agencies seek clarity on Trump's recent moves.

• Some review time is normal during presidential transitions, and it's possible that both agencies' work will eventually continue more or less as normal.
• But it's also possible that some projects will be rejected that might have been funded during previous administrations, especially given Trump's criticisms of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts, green energy and more.

The latest: The Trump administration on Monday issued another, far more sweeping directive pausing a wide variety of federal grant, loan and assistance programs pending review.

• Yes, but: A federal judge on Tuesday temporary halted that effort through next Monday amid a legal challenge.

By the numbers: In fiscal year 2024, the NSF and NIH allocated the most funding per 1,000 residents to universities, research institutions, and other health and science organizations in Massachusetts (about $573,000); Washington, D.C. ($563,000) and Maryland ($465,000).

• In raw dollar terms, California ($6.2 billion), New York ($4.1 billion) and Massachusetts ($4 billion) received the most combined NSF and NIH funding in fiscal 2024.
• Those two agencies support a wide variety of scientific and health research, education and more.
• The NIH, for example, played a major role in developing COVID-19 vaccines.

What's next: For the country's science and health communities, the next few days and weeks will be rife with uncertainty as the long-term implications of Trump's moves come into focus.

Raleigh, North Carolina; Ogden, Utah and Salt Lake City, Utah are this year's best-performing big cities, according to an annual report ranking metros across a range of economic factors.

Why it matters: The Milken Institute's yearly rankings highlight U.S. cities with job growth, affordable housing, economic equality and other big draws.

The big picture: Cities have largely emerged from the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic and "remain at the center of economic activity," as the report puts it.

Driving the news: Raleigh moved up to the top spot this year after coming second in 2024 and third in 2023.

• "It's been a long time coming for Raleigh, which has performed extremely well in our rankings for several years, without ever quite landing on top before this year," reads the report, which credits the city's job and wage growth and "thriving high-tech sector."

Utah is also a big winner, with Ogden and Salt Lake City taking the other two podium spots.

• "Ogden's impressive rise from last year's ranking" — up 24 places — "stems from big improvements in its recent labor market performance."
• Salt Lake, meanwhile, combines "a robust job market, a growing high-tech sector, and widespread access to economic opportunities."

Rounding out the top 10: Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Austin, Texas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Olympia, Washington; Palm Bay, Florida and Boise City, Idaho.

Zoom in: Some smaller cities are growing thanks to lower housing costs and better economic equality, per the report, which highlights job and wage growth in places like St. George, Utah (near Zion National Park) and Auburn, Alabama.

How it works: The annual rankings from Milken — a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank — are based on its Best Performing Cities index, which takes into account cities' labor markets, tech industry growth and economic access.

Reality check: The report doesn't explicitly look at other quality-of-life factors people may consider when picking a place to live, like traffic congestion, public transit access, park space, etc.

The bottom line: If you're searching for a booming city that isn't New York, Chicago or L.A., give this list a look.

19 U.S. states have passed laws requiring adult website visitors to verify their age as of January.

Why it matters: The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a challenge to Texas' age verification law that could determine the fate of all such state rules.

Driving the news: Age verification laws are meant to prevent underage kids from accessing pornographic websites.

• But free speech advocates — like the Free Speech Coalition, which is challenging Texas' law — say such rules could infringe upon adults' First Amendment rights.
• That group has also challenged similar laws in several other states.

How it works: Age verification laws typically require adult websites to implement a way of checking users' ages, often via government-issued IDs.

• Some adult sites, like Pornhub, have decided to go dark in states with age verification rules rather than comply with the requirements.

What they're saying: "Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy," Pornhub parent company Aylo said in a recent statement, per PC Magazine.

• "Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws."

The latest: An appeals court ruled Wednesday that Tennessee's age verification law can take effect pending the outcome of the Texas case.

Zoom in: The map above is based on information gathered by the Age Verification Providers Association, a trade group.

• Georgia lawmakers have passed an age verification law, but it doesn't take effect until July.

What's next: SCOTUS' decision on the Texas law isn't expected until summer.

• But the justices appear likely to uphold it, per the New York Times — which would effectively be a thumps-up for similar laws nationwide.

New York, San Francisco and Honolulu are home to the country's slowest driving, a new report finds.

Why it matters: Drivers want to get where they're going — fast. But public transit and pedestrian advocates might point to these numbers as evidence that some cities are overwhelmed by cars and need to get serious about alternatives.

What they found: In the heart of the Big Apple, it took an average of about 30 minutes to drive 6 miles in 2024, according to TomTom's annual Traffic Index, released Tuesday. That's 2.3% longer than in 2023.

• New York drivers spent a staggering 94 hours a year driving in rush hour on average, based on a twice daily six-mile trip. That's nearly four days of bumper-to-bumper misery.
• San Francisco drivers took nearly 26 minutes to cover 6 miles (+1.9% longer than 2023), while those in Honolulu took nearly 20 minutes (+0.6% longer).

The other side: Richmond, Virginia, is a veritable autobahn by comparison, with drivers making a six-mile trip in under 10 minutes on average.

Reality check: New York is walkable, bikeable and boasts one of the country's best public transit systems — meaning you're not necessarily stuck driving, as you might be in so many other U.S. cities.

• The latest: Drivers entering the most crowded parts of Manhattan are now being tolled under a "congestion pricing" plan meant to reduce vehicle traffic and raise money for public transit.

Between the lines: Lots of factors go into how quickly you can drive 6 miles in a given city, including traffic congestion, construction and weather.

How it works: TomTom's report is based on a representative sample of data collected by "over 600 million devices" and "over 61 billion anonymous GPS data points around the world," the company says.

• The numbers above are based on city centers — "the densest areas that capture 20% of all trips within the city-connected area," per TomTom.

The bottom line: If we're meeting in New York, I'm taking the subway.

Republicans are set to control the legislative process in far more states than Democrats in 2025.

Why it matters: State laws can have an even greater impact on your life than those passed by Congress.

• Democratic lawmakers and governors, meanwhile, could be a bulwark against some of the incoming Trump administration's policies in states they control.

By the numbers: Republicans will control the legislative process in 24 states to Democrats' 15, per Cook Political Report.

• The process is split in 10 others, including Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and more.
• Nebraska, meanwhile, has a unicameral legislature unique among U.S. states — though the Cornhusker State has a Republican-leaning supermajority.

What they're saying: "Republicans notched the two biggest legislative victories" of Election Day 2024, per Cook's Matthew Klein: Flipping Michigan's House of Representatives and splitting the Minnesota House.

• Democrats ended Republicans' veto-proof supermajority in the North Carolina House, among other wins.

Yes, but: North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill last month stripping some power from state Democrats.

The bottom line: All politics, as they say, are local.