City Makers: American Futures

The people, organizations, and ideas reshaping the country. A journey piloted by James Fallows with Deborah Fallows.

‘Our Erie’ Tells Its Story

As we’ve been working away on our book based on our “American Futures” travels over the past four…
- James Fallows
- Apr 5, 2017
- Notes
Meanwhile in America: ‘New Americans’ in the Rust Belt

If you’ve read or heard about Erie, Pennsylvania, since the election, it’s likely to be with framing as “declining Rust…
- James Fallows
- Feb 1, 2017
- Notes

‘Let's Care About Someone Who Does Not Belong to Our Tribe’

We could use a little positive news at the moment, right? Here you go: Over the past three…
- James Fallows
- Jan 19, 2017
- Notes
The End of the Journey

Arriving in Tucson, we felt the inklings of coming full circle with our American Futures project. Only one more leg…
- Deborah Fallows
- Jan 18, 2017
- Notes
In Flight

We took off west from Demopolis, Alabama, prepared for a lot of flying ahead on this last journey for The…
- Deborah Fallows
- Jan 17, 2017
- Notes
Flying Into the Deep South

We woke up in Demopolis, Alabama, on day two of the final journey of our American Futures series for The…
- Deborah Fallows
- Jan 16, 2017
- Notes

A Big Step for Little Eastport

Since our first visit in the fall of 2013, Deb and I have reported frequently on the grit, vision, resilience…
- James Fallows
- Jan 16, 2017
- Notes
Farewell to Washington

Montgomery County traffic, Cirrus Four-Three-Five Sierra Romeo taking Runway One-Four, VFR (visual flight rules) departure to the west, Montgomery. …
- Deborah Fallows
- Jan 16, 2017
- Notes
Happy New Year: See You in June

For me this is the third post of the day, and probably the last in this space for quite a…
- James Fallows
- Jan 1, 2017
- Notes
All Progress Is Local: New Year’s Notes From Around the Country

This is the first of three posts on this New Year’s Day, building toward a change in (my part of…
- James Fallows
- Jan 1, 2017
- Notes

Deborah Fallows

Returning to Ohio

How a small, Midwestern town has changed over the decades—and where it aims to go
- Deborah Fallows
- Dec 12, 2016
Deborah Fallows

A Post-Election Field Report From America's Refugees and Immigrants

Words and stories from the towns where the newest Americans live
- Deborah Fallows
- Dec 3, 2016
Missing Thanksgiving Day

When you are an American living overseas, Thanksgiving is an even more powerful nationally unifying holiday than the Fourth of…
- James Fallows
- Nov 23, 2016
- Notes
Courtesy of Birmingham Public Library Archives

The Treasures of Birmingham

For almost a century, the local library has guarded its city's history.
- Deborah Fallows
- Nov 11, 2016

Why Not Dodge? Why Not Stockton?

I mentioned yesterday that several local initiatives could mean as much to their communities or states as the outcome of…
- James Fallows
- Nov 8, 2016
- Notes
What the Renewable-Energy Economy Looks Like

At its peak, nearly one century ago in 1920, the coal-mining industry employed nearly 800,000 people in the United…
- James Fallows
- Nov 3, 2016
- Notes
Update on the Eastport Saga

The Boston Globe had a story over the weekend about the never-say-die small city of Eastport, Maine. As we’ve been…
- James Fallows
- Oct 31, 2016
- Notes
Refugees, Immigrants, and the Battle Over Who Is American

Deb Fallows has a new post up, about what’s actually involved in settling immigrants from Syria—or Somalia or Congo or…
- James Fallows
- Oct 29, 2016
- Notes

Deborah Fallows

What It Takes to Settle Refugees

The people of Erie, Pennsylvania, have welcomed immigrants and refugees, and believe that their town is better off for having done so.
- Deborah Fallows
- Oct 28, 2016
Annals of Renewal: MTP Podcast, Knight Competition

1) Meet the Press podcast. Yesterday afternoon I spoke with Chuck Todd for his podcast; the segment has gone up…
- James Fallows
- Oct 27, 2016
- Notes

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