By Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Larry Hogan of Maryland As the East Coast cleans up from hurricanes, the West Coast grapples with wildfires, and the Midwest faces another destructive tornado season, we are all increasingly aware of our vulnerability to disasters. Last year alone, the United States suffered from catastrophes causing a total of $91 billion in damages. Unfortunately, it's part of an upward trend in severe weather and climate change effects. Since 1980, the nation has experienced disasters costing $1.6 trillion total. Almost one-third of those costs came in just the last three years. Beyond physical disasters are the digital ones. Our technology-driven infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattack, and the electric grid is a prime target. In 2016, roughly 20% of incidents reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were directed at the energy sector, which itself supports other vital services, from our water supply to communications and transportation to medical care. As governors, our greatest responsibility is to protect the health and safety of our citizens and communities. We are meeting in Detroit this week as part of the yearlong National Governors Association Chair's Initiative, Infrastructure: Foundation for Success. Experts from across the country will join us to discuss proven methods for protecting infrastructure vital to the well-being of our citizens. We look forward to discussing the most effective measures we can take to protect our states. For example, using microgrids to deliver power can limit the extent of an outage or the impact of a cyberattack. Moreover, relying on solar power plus home energy storage can support emergency heating, cooling, lighting and communications, as well as refrigeration for sensitive medications and food supplies, during and after a disaster. And transitioning to clean energy reduces costs and emissions, for greater budgetary and environmental sustainability. In May, the Hogan administration in Maryland announced a bold and innovative strategy to advance a clean and renewable energy standard with the goal of 100% clean electricity by the year 2040. Maryland is also leading the nation on microgrid development by using grants and incentives to create resiliency hubs within local neighborhoods, especially low- and moderate-income areas. And Maryland is a pioneer of "microgrid as a service" purchasing agreements, which leverage public-private partnerships. This model can bring microgrids to more communities nationwide. Maryland is working hard to strengthen its position as the cybersecurity capital of America. The state is home to the premier cyber-related federal government agencies and military installations in the United States, including the National Security Agency, the U.S. Cyber Command, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Maryland is also proud to have 12,000 IT companies, 1,200 private sector cybersecurity companies, and an unparalleled pool of cyber and technology workers. And Michigan is home to bold, innovative leaders who are always looking for new ways to upgrade our cybersecurity systems. Institutions like Lansing Community College have partnered with programs like Cisco NetAcademy to train the next generation of leaders in IT. This includes students who undergo training to help protect Michigan's cybersecurity. At the state level, our Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection division within the Department of Technology, Management and Budget is responsible for protecting the state from cyberattacks and provides cybersecurity advisory services to local governments in the state. In this day and age, it's becoming increasingly important that we adequately fund these divisions so we can keep our state safe. All of these examples demonstrate how states are protecting against threats to our infrastructure with the best ideas and latest technologies. This week's summit is another testament to the bipartisan commitment of the nation's governors to get things done for the people we serve. Gretchen Whitmer is governor of Michigan and a member of the National Governors Association executive committee. Larry Hogan is governor of Maryland and chair of the National Governors Association.

By Larry Hogan It was during the First World War that Australia and the US forged an enduring bond of shared sacrifice and bravery, as well as ingenuity, that continues today in the spirit of mateship. As we enter a new century of our security relationship, we have a golden opportunity to build stronger economic ties as well. This week, I am bringing a delegation of US officials to Australia for an exchange of ideas and to study your country's infrastructure innovations. The movement of people, goods and ideas is the lifeblood of a free economy. That's why both our nations are in a sprint to repair and modernise our roads, bridges, transit and ports in order to meet the needs of the 21st century. This visit is part of a year-long effort I am leading as the elected chair of the National Governors Association. Unlike all the noise and anger you see coming out of Washington, there are leaders in our states who are willing to work together across party lines to take on the big problems. I launched a national infrastructure initiative to bring together leaders from government and business to help solve the infrastructure crisis in America, and to drive action from our federal government. This visit is our first step in taking this initiative global. Our delegation includes officials and infrastructure experts from Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana and Washington state, with a combined population of nearly 24 million -- close to that of Australia. We are honoured to be meeting with leaders from across government, including premiers Steven Marshall of South Australia and Gladys Berejiklian of NSW, as we forge stronger ties at the subnational level. We also will have a chance to speak with experts from many of Australia's successful private companies and tour both pioneering public works and renowned cultural assets. I am especially looking forward to sharing our success story from Maryland, where we have taken a balanced, all-inclusive approach to infrastructure. We have moved forward on nearly all of the highest-priority transportation projects in every single jurisdiction, including more than 800 projects totalling $US9bn ($13bn) in roads, bridges and tunnels under construction. We have invested a record $US14bn in transit. The Baltimore-Washington International Airport continues to be the No 1 airport in our region in passenger traffic, and the Port of Baltimore continues to break records year after year. One focus of our exchanges with Australian counterparts will be public-private partnerships, also known as P3s. Through P3s, governments tap new financing sources and partner with private entities to tackle big infrastructure projects. Our Purple Line transit project in the Washington Capital Region is the largest of its kind in North America. And, to address some of the worst traffic congestion in the US, we recently advanced the largest P3 highway project in the world. As Australian leaders and US governors know, investments in regional infrastructure, while often difficult in the short term, pay significant dividends in the long term. In the US, economists have found that every dollar spent on infrastructure results in more than $1.60 in GDP growth. Governors see first-hand how investments in our roads, bridges, transit, ports and airports are making life better for our citizens. Brave ideas from our mates in Australia inspire us to make the difficult decisions in the short term, and use our ingenuity to build a better infrastructure future for us all.

On April 19, 2015, Freddie Gray, an African-American resident of Baltimore, Maryland, died from a severe spinal injury. He sustained the injury during the course of an arrest that took place on April 12, 2015, in a west Baltimore neighborhood. In the aftermath of Gray's death, rioting and protests began in Baltimore. On April 27, 2015, Gov. Hogan declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard. At the same time, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake established a citywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. On April 28, Hogan pledged to send at least 1,000 additional National Guard troops. In response to criticisms of the state's delayed response, Hogan said that an emergency order was ready on April 25 but that the governor's office had waited for a response from Rawlings-Blake before mobilizing state resources.