Raleigh, NC

Columbus, OH

Virginia State

Axios Richmond

Data: CDC; Map: Rahul Mukherjee/AxiosThe annual summer COVID wave has begun in Virginia.Why it matters: People congregating indoors to avoid extreme heat and upcoming July 4 travel are expected to drive up infections.Between the lines: Experts say this summer's surge could stay mild, but it still poses a risk, especially to immunocompromised people and other medically vulnerable residents.There's also the unknown role that the new so-called FliRT variants, which are accounting for the majority of infections, might play these next few months.Plus, cases are likely undercounted since not everyone gets tested.The big picture: Virginia is one of 39 states where cases...

COVID is on the rise again in Virginia

Hundreds of new laws take effect in Virginia on Monday. Here's a roundup of some of the most notable or interesting ones.Animals🐻 Anyone can claim roadkill like deer or bears to use however they want.🐱 Declawing cats is now illegal unless it's for health reasons.👨‍💻 Localities can create a public online animal cruelty registry that includes people convicted of felony animal cruelty crimes.Casino🎰 Richmond is no longer eligible to host a casino, and any city with a failed casino referendum has to wait three years before trying again.Petersburg will take Richmond's spot.Crime📝 The definition of a hate crime has expanded...

The new Virginia laws going into effect on July 1

Des Moines, IA

Axios Des Moines

A team of cops will patrol Des Moines parks to issue fireworks citations over the Fourth of July this year for the first time since state lawmakers reversed an 80-year ban on them in 2017.Why it matters: Despite being illegal in DSM, annual forays of celebratory explosives have caused widespread damages to public property, including $20,000 in shattered downtown library windows.They also increase risks of fires or injuries and their noise can be problematic for people with PTSD and animals, chief Dana Wingert told City Council last year.State of play: DSM police received thousands of complaints about fireworks but have...

Des Moines officers will patrol parks for fireworks violators

Georgia State

Axios Atlanta

New Georgia laws aimed at cracking down on street racing, fentanyl and slumlords take effect Monday.Here's a roundup of some of the state's noteworthy new laws.🗳️ Voting: Three new laws will impact Georgia voters.Polling stations can have fewer voting machines. Election workers have to be U.S. citizens. Candidates can review ballot drafts before they're finalized. Poll watchers get closer access to the vote-counting process.Voters can be removed from the voting registration list for several new reasons, including death, voting or registering to vote elsewhere, or if tax exemptions prove their primary residence is elsewhere.Ballots will have watermarks and pictures of...

Numerous new Georgia laws in effect July 1

Utah State

Axios

Utah has the nation's highest melanoma rate — by a long shot. Why it matters: Although melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers, it's responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). By the numbers: Utah averaged 40.8 new...

Utah's melanoma rate highest in the country

Saint Johns County, FL

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Hastings, FL

Jacksonville Today

Eight people have been arrested on drug charges stemming from an undercover investigation at a convenience store in Hastings, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

8 arrested in Hastings drug and gambling bust

Newark, NJ

Morristown Minute

NEWARK, N.J. – Eight individuals associated with the "793 Bloods" street gang, a subset of the national Bloods gang, have been charged for their roles in a Newark-based drug trafficking organization, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Eight '793 Bloods' Gang Members Charged in Newark Drug Network

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Coffee County, GA

Daily Coffee Press

Last week, several individuals in custody at Coffee County Jail in Coffee County appeared before Judge Dwayne Gillis for bond hearings. Many individuals were denied bond, and some were granted release, with all defendants facing at least one felony charge.

Several defendants denied bond and bond reductions on felony charges in Coffee County

Axios Columbus

We're just days away from the Fourth of July, which means many of you are getting ready to fire up the grill.Yes, but: If you want to kick back and let somebody else prepare your patriotic plate this year, we've got plenty of ideas.What we did: We rounded up reader recommendations for the best hot dogs in Central Ohio.Vote for your favorites before noon Wednesday in the survey below:What's next: Check back Friday for the next round.Disclaimer: As always, this "food fight" is fun, casual, and totally not scientific.If you don't see your favorite listed, hit reply and voice your frustrations to our complaints department — but please be kind.The bracketBracket: Axios Visuals

Round 1: Vote for the best hot dog in Columbus

Nashville, TN

Axios Nashville

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center's negotiations with Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration for a new venue on the East Bank have hit an apparent hiccup.A sticking point is how to divide millions of dollars in infrastructure costs.State of play: O'Connell's administration is already offering to give TPAC the property adjacent to the new Titans stadium for free and charge the arts nonprofit virtually nothing in annual rent.O'Connell's top development aide Bob Mendes told the Metro Council earlier this year the infrastructure costs would be divided among Metro, TPAC and chief developer The Fallon Company.Zoom in: The estimated long-term infrastructure costs for...

TPAC's deal with Metro needs "additional time"

Minnesota State

Minneapolis, MN

Axios Twin Cities 

When Dean Anderson signed a long-term lease to open a low-dose THC shop in Southwest Minneapolis in April, he had hopes to eventually turn the store into a full-scale marijuana dispensary.Yes, but: His future is looking much less certain these days following what he's calling a "bait and switch" by state lawmakers.Why it matters: Changes to the state's recreational cannabis law, approved by the Legislature in May, have Anderson and other shop owners now feeling like getting a license will be a long shot.State of play: A wave of THC shops have opened all over the metro in the past...

Minnesota THC shop owners upset over new dispensary licensing rules

Denver, CO

David Heitz

The mother of a Denver homeless man told the City Council Monday that city-sponsored services have failed her son. Barbara Hallick Yeomans made her remarks during public comment period of the City Council meeting. She said her son grapples with substance abuse and mental illness and repeatedly has been harassed by police. She said her son also suffered verbal abuse by a guard in the Denver County Jail. Yeomans said she heard the guard harassing her son over the phone.

Mother says Denver homeless services have failed her son

The U.S. just set sail into a new era of climate and environmental policy. Why it matters: A Supreme Court ruling Friday constrains what the Beltway's vast bureaucracies can do without detailed instruction from Congress. 🏃🏽‍♀️ Catch up quick: The conservative majority ended "Chevron deference" — the 40-year-old doctrine that...

A guide to a post-'Chevron' world

Maryland State

Washington, DC

Axios DC

It's the season of the bear in D.C. — and we don't just mean the chaotic TV show, but bears, plural: real, furry, pawin-through-the-trash bears.The big picture: A slew of recent DMV black bear sightings have made headlines: A bear — which neighbors quickly nicknamed "Otis" — was spotted in Brookland in May, and there have been several reported bear sightings in Maryland.Last month, a bear was hit and killed on I-395 in Arlington, and the body of a bear was found illegally dumped in Arlington after it was hit and killed on I-66.Last year, the local internet lost it...

What's up with all the DMV's recent bear sightings

Indianapolis, IN

Downtown Indianapolis is home to a dish that is pretty close to the perfect summer meal. Where to go: Vicino, the newish Italian spot on Mass Ave that replaced Hedge Row. What to order: The watermelon salad ($14). It's summer in a bowl. Crunchy, fresh cubes of watermelon are tossed...

Summer in a bowl at Vicino on Mass Ave

New Jersey State

NEW JERSEY - Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced today that Walmart has agreed to pay $1.64 million to settle allegations of unlawful unit pricing practices across its 64 New Jersey retail stores. The settlement, which includes a $1.61 million civil penalty, marks the largest ever obtained by the Division’s Office of Weights and Measures (OWM).

Walmart Pays $1.64M Settlement for Unlawful Pricing in NJ

Ali Carney, 46, of Newark, received a 65-month prison sentence for conspiring to distribute narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Gang Member Sentenced to 65 Months for Drug Trafficking

Be prepared for traffic congestion and delays during the Fourth of July holiday as a record number of people hit the road. Why it matters: Plan ahead so you don't spend your vacation stuck in gridlock. The big picture: Nearly 71 million people are expected to travel during the holiday...

Tips for avoiding 4th of July holiday traffic

Chicago, IL

Axios Chicago

Chicago's minimum wage for tipped workers jumps today from $9.48 to $11.02 per hour. Why it matters: It's the first tangible benefit of the One Fair Wage ordinance, which was passed last year to close the pay gap between tipped and non-tipped workers.The regular minimum wage jumps to $16.20.Yes, but: The new rule is causing concern among some restaurant owners and confusion among consumers.How it works: Each year the city's tipped minimum wage will grow by 8% until it matches the regular minimum wage in five years.Currently if workers' wages plus tips don't bring them to the regular minimum wage...

New tipped minimum wage draws mixed predictions

Season Three of "The Bear" hit Hulu on Wednesday night, and the River North neighborhood remains one of its main stars.Why it matters: The depiction of the neighborhood reminds us how much it's changed over the decades, especially around Mr. Beef (opened in 1979), which inspired the show's Original Beef of Chicagoland.Flashback: In the 1830s, the area was occupied largely by industrial buildings and Irish workers at breweries, tanneries and soap factories. A couple of decades later, Chicago's first railroad brought more European immigrants to the neighborhood.Around the Depression, the eastern edge closer to Michigan Avenue became wealthier, while the...

River North before "The Bear"

Garner, NC

Cary, NC

Apex, NC

Knightdale, NC

Willow Spring, NC

Fuquay Varina, NC

Holly Springs, NC

Clayton, NC

Morrisville, NC

Angier, NC

NewsBreak

Raleigh's zoning reform has ushered in more housing options

Raleigh's zoning reform has been one of the most effective policies in the country at creating more housing, Patrick Young, Raleigh's director of planning and development,...

Raleigh's zoning reform has ushered in more housing options

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