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If schools won’t ban kids’ cellphones, some lawmakers say, they will
At David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri, the rule is that students must keep their cellphones out of sight during class. In reality, the teachers tasked with enforcing the rule are no match for teenagers’ “almost compulsive” need to be on their phones all the time, said science teacher Noelle Gilzow. Gilzow confiscates […] The post If schools won’t ban kids’ cellphones, some lawmakers say, they will appeared first on Stateline.
Deep red Utah wants to keep voting by mail
When it comes to voting by mail, Utah is not your typical deep red state. In 2020, when many states scrambled to implement mail-in voting so voters had a safe way to cast a ballot during the pandemic, Utah already had a system. Republican conspiracy theories questioning the integrity of voting by mail in the tumultuous aftermath of the […] The post Deep red Utah wants to keep voting by mail appeared first on Stateline.
Facing public backlash, some health care companies are abandoning hospital deals
Worried about hospitals closing and higher costs for patients, state lawmakers are increasingly tangling with hospitals over potential health care mergers, in some cases derailing deals they think don’t serve the public interest. Financially strapped hospitals often look to merge with or be acquired by other systems. After a...
Allowing more juice to flow through power lines could hasten clean energy projects
If the thousands of proposed solar, wind and battery energy projects got built, they would more than double the amount of electricity that is currently produced nationwide and get the U.S. much closer to its clean energy targets. But there’s one big problem: America’s power lines can’t carry that much...
Fluoride in public water has slashed tooth decay, but some states may end mandates
Kentucky state Rep. Mark Hart has been drinking fluoridated water his entire life. In 1954, five years before Hart was born, his home state mandated adding or adjusting levels of the mineral, which occurs naturally in water, in drinking water systems of populations larger than 3,000. But after hearing from a constituent a few years […] The post Fluoride in public water has slashed tooth decay, but some states may end mandates appeared first on Stateline.
Colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults. Some states want to boost awareness.
Responding to new research on the rising incidence of colorectal cancer among younger adults, some states are trying to boost public awareness of the deadly disease with a focus on Black and rural residents. In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force changed the routine screening age for colorectal cancer to 45 from 50, based […] The post Colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults. Some states want to boost awareness. appeared first on Stateline.
Absence of AI hospital rules worries nurses
For nurse Judy Schmidt, the beeping monitors hooked up to critical patients at the Community Medical Center in Toms River, New Jersey, were just a normal part of the whirlwind of activity in the intensive care unit. But looking back on her work about a decade ago, Schmidt said she realizes those machines were using […] The post Absence of AI hospital rules worries nurses appeared first on Stateline.
As xylazine surges, some lawmakers want jail time for dealers and people who use the drug
Legislators in a handful of states are offering bills to address the rise in the misuse of xylazine, a cheap animal sedative not intended for human consumption. Xylazine, or “tranq,” can induce blackouts and cause lesions that sometimes result in severe infections or amputations, and it can even lead to death. The opioid overdose-reversal drug […] The post As xylazine surges, some lawmakers want jail time for dealers and people who use the drug appeared first on Stateline.
‘The lifeblood of the community’: States invest to save rural grocery stores
EMERSON, Neb. — Corliss Hassler rushes in the front door of Post 60 Market and heads straight for the produce case. “I’m back,” she announces. It’s around lunchtime, but it’s already her second trip in today — this time, she’s picking up a few items for the Friday fish fry at the local Catholic church. Hassler […] The post ‘The lifeblood of the community’: States invest to save rural grocery stores appeared first on Stateline.
States consider menthol cigarette bans as feds delay action
CLERMONT, Fla. — It was just after sunset, and the evening traffic was buzzing on Highway 50 as 24-year-old Elijah Kinlaw popped into his local Walgreens in Clermont, Florida, to pick up some smokes. He had just finished a long day working at a local roofing company, and he was still wearing his neon green […] The post States consider menthol cigarette bans as feds delay action appeared first on Stateline.
Transparency bills seek to reveal the true costs of college
University students in Alaska kept asking Republican state Sen. Robert Myers why they were being blindsided with requirements to buy expensive textbooks after they signed up for classes, he said. Students complained to Myers that universities warned them about high tuition but not about the costs of textbooks, lab fees and equipment that also add up. Often, students sign up for […] The post Transparency bills seek to reveal the true costs of college appeared first on Stateline.
Chicago is the latest city rethinking disputed technology that listens for gunshots
Chicago has joined a growing list of cities that have cut ties with a controversial company that tries to reduce urban gun violence with 24/7 technology that listens for the crack of gunshots and immediately notifies police. This month, Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city would not renew its contract with SoundThinking, the […] The post Chicago is the latest city rethinking disputed technology that listens for gunshots appeared first on Stateline.
More places install drop-off boxes for surrendered babies. Critics say they’re a gimmick.
The pitch feels noble, visceral: Prevent newborns from being discarded in dumpsters, and do it in a way that shields the mother and protects her anonymity while safeguarding the baby’s health and future. In a growing number of states, the answer to the rare occurrence of illegal infant abandonment...
As millions wait on food stamp approvals, feds tell states to speed it up
Alaska has some of the most expensive groceries in the country. Many rural Alaskans depend on food stamps, and many grocery stores rely on their customers’ use of those benefits to support their businesses. So, when the state delayed residents’ requests for food aid for months at a time, the crisis threw entire communities into […] The post As millions wait on food stamp approvals, feds tell states to speed it up appeared first on Stateline.
GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states
Fearing that Democrats hold a crucial edge in ballots cast before Election Day, national Republicans are working to convince their voters to take advantage of mail and early voting this year. “We can’t play catch up. We can’t start from behind. We can’t let Dems get a big head start and think we’re going to […] The post GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states appeared first on Stateline.
Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say
Crime is shaping up as a potent election issue, and one of the key points of debate is over bail: Which suspects should be jailed before trial, and which ones should be released on bond — and for how much money? Some conservatives argue that lenient bail policies put suspects who are likely to commit […] The post Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say appeared first on Stateline.
No fare! Free bus rides raise questions of fairness, viability.
RICHMOND, Va. — Free bus rides have made life easier for Melvin Wilson, a 28-year-old Richmond resident who was on his way to his warehouse job on a recent morning. His only worry is that fares, which once ate up $60 or more of his monthly pay, might come back and go even higher, making […] The post No fare! Free bus rides raise questions of fairness, viability. appeared first on Stateline.
More taxpayer money benefits pro sports owners amid ‘stadium construction wave’
As sports stadiums built in the 1990s show their age, many professional sports teams are looking for new facilities — and public money to pay for them. “We are just in the heating up phase of the next stadium construction wave,” said J.C. Bradbury, a Kennesaw State University economics professor who has researched the issue. […] The post More taxpayer money benefits pro sports owners amid ‘stadium construction wave’ appeared first on Stateline.
‘It was the life raft’: Transgender people find a safe haven in Florida’s capital city
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Quandarius “Chanel” Johnson twirled a gold-colored crown that glinted with light streaming in from a nearby window. It’s a symbol to remind her of her strength. After all, “I’m a Leo,” Johnson said. She keeps the crown hanging on her...
Drunken drivers would have to pay child support for victims’ kids under these laws
It was an unimaginable tragedy — the loss of her son, daughter-in-law and 4-month-old grandson in an April 13, 2021, car crash in Missouri — that pushed Cecilia Williams into advocacy. A month after visiting the crash site marker on a Missouri state highway, Williams recalled, she knew...
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