Viral / Trending
A 1989 Trip to McDonald’s: Nostalgic Look Back
A home video takes you inside a McDonald's in 1989, from the drive-thru sign to the old menu board, the mullet and the McDLT.…
Marcus Sterling
"Senior policy analyst and investigative correspondent for State News Now, focusing on state-level fiscal legislation, public transit infrastructure, and regional economic governance across the United States."
Viral / Trending
Take-off Wipes: The 1985 Makeup Remover We Still Loved
In 1985, Take-off makeup remover wipes promised to lift blush, shadow and even tough mascara in one swipe. A trip down memory lane for…
Technology & Infrastructure
Municipal Cybersecurity Hardening: States Impose Mandatory Zero-Trust Frameworks on Public Water and Energy Utilities
Following targeted cyber intrusions against small-town public works facilities, state legislatures and emergency management agencies are enacting strict cybersecurity compliance mandates, requiring air-gapped industrial…
Technology & Infrastructure
Autonomous Freight Corridors on Interstate Highways: State Transportation Agencies Finalize Commercial Trucking Pilot Regulations
State departments of transportation across the Sun Belt and Midwest are codifying comprehensive operational frameworks for driverless Class-8 commercial freight, establishing law enforcement interaction…
Regional Culture & Heritage
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor: Heirs’ Property Title Resolution, Sea Island Land Retention, and Coastal Conservation
A deep civic and cultural heritage investigation into the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, coastal development pressures,…
Regional Culture & Heritage
Santa Fe Historic Architecture and Pueblo Revival Preservation: Earthen Adobe Codes, Thermal Mass Building Standards, and Civic Heritage Governance
An in-depth architectural and municipal policy study on Santa Fe's historic earthen adobe preservation, Chapter 14 Land Development Code, traditional viga masonry, and thermal…
Economy & Infrastructure
Port of Charleston 52-Foot Deepwater Logistics: Dual-Rail Intermodal Connectivity, Automotive Export Corridors, and Southeast Harbor Competitiveness
A comprehensive maritime commerce investigation into South Carolina's 52-foot harbor deepening, the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, CSX/Norfolk Southern dual-rail intermodal logistics, and auto exports…
Economy & Infrastructure
Utah Inland Port Authority: Intermodal Rail Logistics, Great Salt Lake Environmental Protections, and Western Trade Corridor Expansion
An in-depth civic infrastructure investigation into Utah's jurisdictional Inland Port project, Union Pacific rail switching networks, wetlands mitigation near the Great Salt Lake, and…
Economy & Infrastructure
Kentucky’s Glendale Megacampus: Inside Ford’s Energy Storage Shift
An empirical status report on Kentucky's Glendale megacampus: tracking Ford's pivot to utility-scale energy storage, Plant 1 tooling progress, and completed public grid infrastructure.
Regional Culture & Heritage
Working Waterfronts: The Preservation of Traditional Lobster Harbors, Maritime Crafts, and Coastal Land Trusts in Maine
An investigative report on Maine's Working Waterfront Access Protection Program, wooden boatbuilding heritage, coastal land trusts, and lobster fishery resilience in 2026.