Washington, DC, USA. Faced with crippling budget shortfalls, state courts can replace in-person stenographers with digital recording systems. But do they really save money?

Digital recording systems are replacing court stenographers in all 50 states, reflecting an era of tightened budgets even of it means the loss of highly capable human stenographers.

Lansing, MI, USA. Michigan managers can assume emergency powers over distressed localities. The state views it as necessary, but localities and labor think it is undemocratic.

Opponents say the law leaves local elected leaders virtually powerless in the face of unelected, state-appointed bureaucrats with “dictatorial” control. They accuse the state of starving municipalities and school districts of funding so they can swoop in and grab power.

Topeka, KS, USA. As state hiring picks up again, competing with the private sector for highly skilled workers has become a challenge for some of the state agencies.

States have counted on job security and strong benefits packages to make up for salaries that often lag behind the private sector, but the young workers they need to replace an expected exodus of retirees have different expectations.

Washington, DC, USA. Most states are still paying off benefits that went to millions of the unemployed during the recession, but it’s the way some do it that raises concern.

States are slowly paying off the billions of dollars they borrowed to keep their unemployment trust funds afloat during the recession, but those debts are challenging a system created more than 75 years ago and could be hampering some states’ economic recovery.

Detroit, MI, USA. Labor relations in Detroit here haven’t been anywhere near rosy since the last time local finances were in good shape. And that has been quite a while.

But now the Motor City, whose history is more deeply entwined with the modern labor movement than any other city in the country, appears to be headed toward an all-out war with its unions.