At the end of each month, the AGS team looks back at articles and blog posts that we saw this month that stood out to us. Some are from news agencies, and many come from our partners, but not all use our data. Here is the round-up from January 2026.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg highlights how the U.S. birth rate decline is shrinking the pool of college-age students, forcing some small colleges to close and leaving others scrambling to adapt to falling enrollments and revenue. This demographic “enrollment cliff” threatens more closures and major financial strain across higher education.
Colleges Close as Falling Us Birth Rate Pushes Them Off Enrollment Cliff
Location Intelligence
The latest U-Haul Growth Index data shows continued migration toward Southern and Southeastern states, with Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee among the top destinations. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin lead metro growth, while California and several Northeast states see the largest out-migration.
U-Haul Growth Index Shows Strong Migration Trend to Southeast
SuperMarket News
ALDI announced plans to open 180 new U.S. stores in 2026 as part of an aggressive expansion strategy aiming for 3,200 locations by the end of 2028, reinforcing its rapid growth trajectory in the competitive grocery market.
Aldi plans to open 180 new stores this year
CBS News
Some Wegmans supermarkets, including a New York City location, have begun using facial recognition technology to identify individuals previously flagged for misconduct, sparking privacy concerns even as the chain says the system is meant to enhance customer and employee safety.
Kalibrate
Kalibrate examines how third-party delivery changes restaurant customer behavior and challenges traditional site selection and demand models, showing that delivery customers have a distinct spatial trade area that must be understood separately from in-person dining patterns to optimize performance.
Understanding the true impact of third party delivery on restaurant performance | Kalibrate Global
ESRI
One year after fires devastated parts of California, ESRI reports that California’s use of GIS-enabled data systems to track and evaluate fuel treatment and wildfire mitigation efforts is providing measurable proof of the benefits of prevention strategies, helping justify continued investment in wildfire resilience.
Wildfire Prevention in California Proves Effectiveness
U.S. Census Bureau
The latest U.S. Census Bureau Random Samplings blog shows a significant drop in net international migration, from a peak of 2.7 million in 2024 to about 1.3 million in 2025, with projections suggesting it could fall to around 321,000 in 2026 if current trends continue. This historic decline reflects both fewer new arrivals and more people leaving the U.S., with implications for overall population growth and demographic change.
New Population Estimates Show Decline in Net International Migration