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 August 2026.
How 10,000 American Cities Got Their Names
What’s in a name? Quite a bit of history, as it turns out. The Wall Street Journal explores a century-old federal report documenting the origins of nearly 10,000 American city and town names. Compiled by geographer Henry Gannett and last updated in 1905, the collection traces the linguistic and cultural influences of colonization, independence and westward expansion—offering a fascinating geographic snapshot of how the country took shape.
How 10,000 American Cities Got Their Names – WSJ
Understanding the New Disclosure Avoidance Policy: What It Means for Data, Confidentiality and You
The U.S. Census Bureau is changing how it balances confidentiality with data accuracy. Under a new Department of Commerce policy, noise infusion—including differential privacy, record swapping and synthetic data—will no longer be permitted for newly released statistical products. The Bureau will instead rely on coarsening and, when necessary, suppression. While this prioritizes accuracy, it may also mean less detailed data for small geographies and population groups; the ACS will transition gradually to compliant methods by 2029.
Understanding the New Disclosure Avoidance Policy: What It Means for Data, Confidentiality and You
Finding the Next EV Charging Hotspots with PlacePulse Embeddings
Where should the next EV charging stations be built? CARTO demonstrates how PlacePulse Embeddings—its geospatial foundation model developed in collaboration with AGS—can identify neighborhoods whose characteristics suggest greater demand than their current charging infrastructure supports. By comparing the number of chargers a neighborhood would be expected to have with the number it actually has, the analysis highlights potential expansion opportunities. The same approach could be applied to broadband coverage, retail performance, health outcomes and other location-dependent questions.
Finding the Next EV Charging Hotspots with PlacePulse Embeddings | CARTO
AI Needs Geography—and You
AI can process enormous amounts of information, but geography gives that information context. Esri president Jack Dangermond explains how combining AI with GIS is transforming geospatial technology from a tool for mapping and analysis into one capable of prediction, simulation and real-time decision support. More importantly, he argues that AI will expand—not replace—the role of GIS professionals, whose geographic thinking and human judgment are essential to producing useful, responsible results.
AI Needs Geography—and You | Summer 2026 | ArcNews
Counting on Administrative Records
As traditional Census response rates decline, and data collection becomes increasingly expensive, administrative records are taking on a larger role. The Population Reference Bureau examines how sources such as tax, Medicaid and government survey records helped enumerate 4.6% of addresses during the 2020 Census—and how they may be used even more extensively in 2030. Administrative data could improve coverage and reduce costs, but important questions remain about transparency, privacy and whether the records adequately represent historically undercounted populations.
Counting on Administrative Records – Population Reference Bureau
The Back-to-School Double Whammy: How Tax Holiday Timing Supercharged Retail Visits
When it comes to sales tax holidays, timing may matter as much as the discount itself. Placer.ai found that Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina—where tax-free weekends fell immediately before the start of school—experienced an average 12.9% increase in brick-and-mortar retail visits. States with later school start dates saw a smaller 9.6% lift, while the rest of the country averaged 5.7%, demonstrating how aligning promotions with moments of peak consumer urgency can significantly amplify their impact.
The Back-to-School Double Whammy: How Tax Holiday Timing Supercharged Retail Visits – Placer.ai Blog