Drone delivery companies Zipline and Alphabet's Wing are upgrading their services to scale up and reach more customers. Wing aims for millions of deliveries by mid-2024, and Zipline wants to surpass most airlines in flights by 2025. Challenges include lowering operating costs, maximizing network efficiency, and gaining regulatory and consumer support. Strategies involve increasing delivery density, designing faster drones, and extending delivery ranges. DroneUp, collaborating with Walmart, faces limitations due to visual line of sight regulations. Public acceptance and adjustments to consumer habits are also necessary for the success of drone delivery services.

Local music ecosystems can boost economies and tourism by creating jobs, attracting talent, and enhancing community engagement, according to Jennifer Vey of the Brookings Institution. Music audits help cities understand the economic and social impact of their music industries and identify growth opportunities. Huntsville, Alabama, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, have made strategic investments in their music scenes, with Huntsville opening a new amphitheater and Tulsa hosting numerous live performances. These efforts contribute to placemaking and smart growth strategies.

City leaders in the United States are focusing on developing hyperlocal 'activity centers' to promote sustainable growth and reduce car dependency. These hubs combine business, retail, tourism, civic institutions, and social pursuits to facilitate access to essential services without driving. Research suggests that densely populated, transit-rich neighborhoods have lower carbon emissions, but local policies significantly influence this. Cities like San Antonio and Boise are planning to use activity centers to guide future development, aiming to enhance walkability, affordability, and mobility. The Brookings Institution and the Eno Center for Transportation support this model, emphasizing the importance of quality, location, and proximity of activity centers to each other, along with reliable public transit and safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

The Boston City Council has unanimously voted to establish a commission to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans, addressing the city's historical ties to slavery and ongoing racial inequities. The commission will examine Boston's involvement in the slave trade, its efforts to address the impacts of slavery, and will recommend ways to reconcile past actions. This move places Boston among other cities and states, such as Providence and Evanston, which are exploring reparations to address the racial wealth gap and the legacies of racism.

Cities are increasingly considering neighborhood investment trusts to prevent low-income residents from being displaced by wealthy investors. These trusts allow residents to invest in local commercial properties and receive dividends. The Kresge Foundation supports such projects, and the success of Mercy Corps' model in Portland, Oregon, has inspired similar initiatives in other cities. While some investments like Nico in Los Angeles have faced sustainability challenges, others are progressing with the support of community organizations and banks. The success of these trusts depends on public policy, private investment, and community engagement.

The FDA banned Juul's vaping products in the U.S., including tobacco-flavored cartridges, due to insufficient health and safety data. A survey showed 65% of voters support the ban, with majority backing across political lines. The ban is currently on hold due to an appeals court freeze, and Juul faces a legal battle and a youth marketing case in San Francisco federal court. The survey, conducted among 2,004 registered voters, found that 56% were aware of the FDA's action against Juul.

A Morning Consult/Politico survey indicates that approximately 60% of voters support the FDA's proposal to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. The ban aims to discourage smoking among young people and address racial disparities in smoking-related diseases. The proposal is backed by a majority of voters across political affiliations, races, and community types, with 66% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans in favor. The ban, which also includes flavored cigars but not menthol e-cigarettes, would take effect a year after the final rule is published. A study suggests that a menthol cigarette ban could lead to an additional 1.3 million smokers quitting, based on outcomes from a similar rule in Canada.

A Morning Consult survey revealed that 25% of regular adult vapers started during the pandemic, with many also smoking tobacco. Despite a decrease in overall vaping rates, including among teenagers, public perception equates the harm of e-cigarettes with traditional cigarettes. The FDA has increased enforcement on vape makers, and Congress closed a loophole allowing synthetic nicotine to bypass regulation. The public supports stricter FDA regulation on flavored e-cigarette products, and Juul Labs Inc. faces trials for marketing to children. Experts emphasize the need for vigilant FDA enforcement to prevent e-cigarette manufacturers from targeting youth.

A Morning Consult survey reveals varying levels of trust in institutions and difficulties in discussing COVID-19 across 18 countries, highlighting challenges in global health information flow and pandemic response. The survey indicates a global information overload, with adults feeling frustrated and worried, yet also hopeful and confident. Trust in institutions varies, with India, Singapore, and China showing the most trust, while Argentina, Colombia, and Italy are the most mistrustful. The lack of trust enables misinformation to spread, as seen with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo's controversial COVID-19 statements. Despite this, there is broad support for public health measures, though the pandemic remains a polarizing issue. Dr. Georges Benjamin emphasizes the need for effective public health messaging, while the survey shows divided expectations on when the pandemic will cease affecting daily life. The article warns of imminent future global health threats and the urgency to prepare.

Nearly 16 million people risk losing Medicaid coverage post-COVID-19 public health emergency, with estimates of coverage loss increasing the longer the emergency continues. The federal government's extra funding to state Medicaid programs, contingent on not cutting off beneficiaries during the emergency, has led to a 19.1 percent enrollment surge. The end of the emergency could see federal and state spending on acute care for nonelderly patients reach $583 billion in 2023. Health care groups are seeking time to manage the redetermination process, with the Biden administration offering 14 months post-emergency. Coverage alternatives like Obamacare plans may become unaffordable if premium subsidies expire at the end of 2022. The situation is complicated by varying state capacities and the uncertain trajectory of the pandemic.

Health care workers in the United States are more optimistic that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, as revealed by a Morning Consult/Axios survey. They feel prepared for potential future surges, though capacity remains a concern. The industry has received high approval from within for handling the pandemic, while the federal government's response has mixed reviews, with the Biden administration faring better than the Trump administration. There is a call for greater emphasis on clinician safety and support, acknowledging that COVID-19 may persist for some time.

The American electorate strongly supports the Biden administration's initiatives to distribute free at-home COVID-19 tests and N95 masks, according to a Morning Consult/Politico poll. The approval spans across party lines, with a majority of both Democrats and Republicans in favor. The distribution of tests and masks comes as the omicron variant surge begins to wane and as President Joe Biden's net approval for his pandemic response shows slight improvement from a previous low. The CDC has endorsed N95 masks for better protection, and the FTC is investigating reports of COVID-19 test price gouging.

Approximately half of U.S. adults support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to reduce the COVID-19 isolation period from 10 to 5 days for asymptomatic or improving individuals, with the public divided on its impact on healthcare workers and public health. The CDC faced backlash and updated its guidance to suggest optional rapid testing around the five-day mark without making it mandatory. The survey, conducted on January 5, 2022, with 2,200 U.S. adults, indicates that 53% approve of the change, with disparities among different demographics, and 51% believe the change aims to boost the economy rather than protect public health.

Health care workers, having faced grueling conditions during the pandemic, advise new trainees to only join the field if they are fully committed. Despite challenges, there is optimism, with an increase in medical school applications and a Morning Consult poll showing 3 in 5 health care workers positive about the industry's future. The poll highlights a need for changes in training and hiring practices, with calls for more diversity in leadership. Medical student Hannah Hendrix emphasizes the importance of addressing the physician shortage and aligning the supply and demand for specialties. The federal government plans to invest in nursing and medical faculty, and provide financial support for clinicians in underserved areas.