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A generation ago, retirement meant slowing down for most older adults—spending hours on the front porch swing, working crossword puzzles and playing the occasional game of Bingo. That was then, this is now. “It’s one of the great success stories of not only our country, but around the world, that people can be expected to live 20 or 30 years beyond the age of 65,” said Nora Super, chief of programs and services at the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging, or n4a. “And with this new opportunity, people are rethinking what that means and how they want to spend their time.” Super, who previously served as executive director of the White House Conference on Aging, said a growing number of seniors are searching for, and finding, purpose in retirement through volunteerism.

Multiple myeloma is the most common blood cancer among African Americans, with approximately 18,000 African Americans suffering from it in 2012, and the number of newly diagnosed cases are on the rise. One of the most effective ways for researchers to learn more about multiple myeloma is through clinical trials, which allow them to evaluate and address the differences across diverse populations. Unfortunately, African Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, comprising only 8 percent of enrolled patients in clinical trials. The biopharmaceutical company Celgene noticed this disparity in diagnoses and treatment between the African American and other populations and decided to help.

The process for placing an adult under guardianship varies by state, but each branch of government plays a role in ensuring guardianship is a safe and effective mechanism for protecting individuals who can no longer make or communicate sound decisions about themselves and their property, or have become vulnerable to abuse, fraud or undue influence. Texas’ Guardianship Compliance Project was born out of this cooperative approach. The pilot project, which is funded by the Legislature and implemented by the Office of Court Administration, was launched in November 2015 to provide additional resources to courts handling guardianship cases. The goal of the project is to help courts make sound decisions in guardianship cases by reviewing current guardianships to identify reporting deficiencies, auditing annual accountings and reporting findings back to the court, and working with courts to develop best practices in managing guardianship cases.

At the recently concluded 2016 CSG National Conference in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, the CSG Executive Committee approved 12 policy resolutions and a statement of principles on a variety of policy areas.

It has been 25 years since the passage of the first state law authorizing charter schools in Minnesota. On Saturday, Dec. 10 at the 2016 CSG National Conference, three panelists—state government leaders from Kentucky, Massachusetts and North Carolina—reflected on the history of charter schools and discussed visions for the future.

In Virginia, 1 in 8 people struggles with hunger. Members of The Council of State Governments gathered at the culmination of the 2016 CSG National Conference Dec. 11 in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, to help address this need as part of the CSG Campaign Against Hunger initiative.

2016 CSG National Conference attendees received a blast from the past during the CSG Toll Fellow Graduation and Luncheon on Saturday, Dec. 10--no time machine required. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson shared their opinions on government and the Constitution in a conversation about America's beginnings.

With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, all eyes are on the administration’s transition process, a sweeping and intensive effort that requires the participation of public servants from all levels of the federal government. While the transition looks different from president-elect to president-elect, there are a few key components that are universal to all successful transitions, Edmund Moy, the former director of the United States Mint who worked on George W. Bush’s transition team, told attendees at the “The Next Presidential Administration & Relations with the States” session Dec. 10 at the 2016 CSG National Conference in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.