States Making New Laws in 2025: Privacy, AI, Pay & More

Bloomberg Government's 2025 State Policy Watchlist tracks five important areas where states are making new laws this year. Since the federal government has been slow to act, states are stepping up to solve problems. The five key areas are: 1) Privacy protection laws to keep personal information safe online (20 states now have these), 2) AI regulation to make sure computer programs treat people fairly in jobs and housing decisions, 3) Cost-of-living reforms led by California to make housing and healthcare more affordable, 4) Big tech crackdowns with New York creating new rules to limit tech company power, and 5) Pay transparency laws requiring companies to show salary ranges in job postings. These state actions matter because when many states do something, the federal government often follows. The report helps people understand what's changing in state laws and why it affects their communities. Companies need to follow different rules in each state and prepare for possible federal changes later.

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VoiceDaedalus Journal: War and American Democracy ResearchDaedalus is a scholarly journal published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that explores big questions about society. Their Fall 2025 issue examines how wars have shaped American democracy over time. The journal features essays by university professors and experts who study topics like how war has given more power to the president, how the Supreme Court handles security issues, and how war appears in movies and TV shows. Daedalus covers many subjects including democracy, justice, global affairs, and social health. Past issues have looked at changing rules of war, the common good in democracy, Indigenous knowledge, and immigration and race in America. This is an academic publication meant for scholars, researchers, and people who want to deeply understand complex social and political issues. Readers can browse current and past issues online, sign up for alerts about new publications, and donate to support the Academy's work.

VoiceLeadership Houston: Training Leaders to Make Houston BetterLeadership Houston is a special program that has been training community leaders since 1982. It brings together professionals from all kinds of jobs and backgrounds to learn about Houston's biggest challenges and how to solve them. The program lasts 10 months and covers important topics like healthcare, education, energy, fairness, and public safety. Participants meet with city decision-makers and build friendships across different industries and viewpoints. The goal is to create leaders who know more about their city and want to take action to help. Over 2,000 people have graduated from this program and continue working together on projects that make Houston stronger, more welcoming, and better prepared for challenges. Leadership Houston also offers community projects where groups work on real problems, leadership events that bring people together to discuss urgent issues, and ways for graduates to stay connected. The program focuses on bringing different people together, understanding how systems work, telling powerful stories, building community, and having respectful conversations even when people disagree. This helps create the kind of informed, connected leadership that can make real change happen in Houston.