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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...
State universities admit more out-of-state students for the tuition bump
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Kennedy Cole, a college junior studying accounting, knew she wanted to attend school outside her native Nevada to expand her choices, meet new people and explore different places. Emma Nichols, a sophomore majoring in vocal performance, chose a school close to her home in Corvallis, Oregon. The two friends, Oregon State University […] The post State universities admit more out-of-state students for the tuition bump appeared first on Stateline.
‘A woman’s health matters’: Abortion access allowed New Hampshire woman to become a mom
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here. Amanda D’Angelo only had a few weeks...
Feds deliver stark warnings to state election officials ahead of November
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement and cybersecurity officials are warning the nation’s state election administrators that they face serious threats ahead of November’s presidential election. Secretaries of state and state election directors must be ready for potential cyberattacks, both familiar and uncomfortably new, according to the feds....
Halfway through ‘unwinding,’ Medicaid enrollment is down about 10 million
This story first appeared on KFF Health News. Halfway through what will be the biggest purge of Medicaid beneficiaries in a one-year span, enrollment in the government-run health insurance program is on track to return to roughly pre-pandemic levels. Medicaid, which covers low-income and disabled people, and the related Children’s Health Insurance Program grew to […] The post Halfway through ‘unwinding,’ Medicaid enrollment is down about 10 million appeared first on Stateline.
Governments can erase your medical debt for pennies on the dollar — and some are
Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcies in the United States, and more than 2 in 5 American adults have some. In many cases, the money people owe to health care providers forces them to cut spending on food or utilities, forgo other medical care or take on even more debt. Medical debt can […] The post Governments can erase your medical debt for pennies on the dollar — and some are appeared first on Stateline.
Federal money could supercharge state efforts to preserve nuclear power
In the coming years, a nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Michigan could become the first in the country to restart operations after shutting down. The Palisades plant in southwest Michigan could be revived by a $1.5 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, Bloomberg reported. Federal officials have not yet confirmed […] The post Federal money could supercharge state efforts to preserve nuclear power appeared first on Stateline.
Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why.
Carjackings and car thefts are up significantly compared with the number of incidents before the pandemic, prompting fear and calls for action in many American cities. Motor vehicle thefts increased by 29% in 2023 compared with the previous year, while carjackings slightly decreased by 5% in nearly 40 American cities, according to the Council on Criminal Justice’s most […] The post Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why. appeared first on Stateline.
How a Colorado lawsuit against Trump’s eligibility went from ‘long shot’ to the Supreme Court
This story first appeared in Colorado Newsline. Read more from their reporting on the Trump 14th Amendment case here. Only a few dozen people, lawyers and court staff included, were on hand in the Denver City and County Building’s Courtroom 209 when a five-day trial in a case known as Anderson v. Griswold began on a cold morning in late October.
If you can buy a ‘mansion,’ you can pay a tax for affordable housing, these states say
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. Washington state lawmakers last year dedicated a record $400 million to the state’s Housing Trust Fund, which distributes loans and grants to create affordable housing. But that was only a one-time infusion, said Democratic state Rep. April Berg. […] The post If you can buy a ‘mansion,’ you can pay a tax for affordable housing, these states say appeared first on Stateline.
Tuberculosis cases rise, but public health agencies say they lack the resources to keep up
Until COVID-19, tuberculosis was the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing about 1.5 million people annually. Contrary to public perception, the disease is still active in the United States. The number of TB cases in the U.S. briefly dropped at the start of the pandemic, but there was a 5% increase in cases in 2022, according […] The post Tuberculosis cases rise, but public health agencies say they lack the resources to keep up appeared first on Stateline.
Desperate for affordable housing, some cities sweeten tax breaks for developers
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. Last month, city council members in Fort Worth, Texas, decided developers that received massive tax breaks to build affordable housing would no longer be able to buy their way out of the obligation by paying a $200 annual fee in […] The post Desperate for affordable housing, some cities sweeten tax breaks for developers appeared first on Stateline.
Gunfire, screams, carnage: As mass shootings proliferate, training gets more realistic
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The pop-pop-pop of gunfire cracked just as the rain started to fall in grisly synchronicity. Then the screams began. Within moments, civilians lay strewn across the ground, some lifeless, others writhing in pain. Blood flowed in streams that pooled with the rainwater on the muddying ground littered with shell casings. Three […] The post Gunfire, screams, carnage: As mass shootings proliferate, training gets more realistic appeared first on Stateline.
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Stateline provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy. Since its founding in 1998, Stateline has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of nonpartisanship, objectivity and integrity. Its team of journalists combines original reporting with a roundup of the latest news from sources around the country. In 2023, Stateline transitioned from its longtime home at The Pew Charitable Trusts to States Newsroom.
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