Economist Christopher Thornberg predicts that although the economic path ahead will be bumpy, a recession is not inevitable.

Rich Jones died Jan.  2, 2023, after a 2½-year battle with cancer. He spent more than 20 years at NCSL, including 17 years as director of Legislative Programs before joining Bell Policy Center in 2004.

The NCSL website has a fresh new look. Visitors to ncsl.org will find the same great content with updated, streamlined pages organized to allow quick navigation to all of NCSL's resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed an onslaught of unemployment insurance fraud. Now states are looking to new data collection and analysis systems to stop the next wave.

As the nation navigates the lingering challenges of the pandemic, new public safety concerns have emerged, among them fentanyl overdoses, carjackings, catalytic converter thefts and other crimes of opportunity.

Many states are using geographic information system software to display data on layered maps, allowing policymakers to see where the need for afterschool and summer learning programs is high and where program access is lacking.