Choose your location
Stateline
Congenital syphilis rates are soaring, but resources to stem infections are lacking
States are seeing an alarming surge in cases of congenital syphilis, a preventable infection that can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn death — or lifelong complications such as blindness or deafness. Congenital syphilis, which occurs when a pregnant mother infected with the sexually transmitted infection syphilis passes it on to her fetus, disproportionately affects Black and […] The post Congenital syphilis rates are soaring, but resources to stem infections are lacking appeared first on Stateline.
Congress takes aim at state animal welfare laws
Earlier this year, Oregon Democrats pushed through state legislation that allows local governments to require setbacks between neighbors and factory farming operations. The law prohibits farms from drawing unlimited amounts of free groundwater and requires farmers to apply for a permit before applying manure to their fields. It’s the kind of state regulation at risk […] The post Congress takes aim at state animal welfare laws appeared first on Stateline.
It’s hazing season on college campuses. State safeguards are uneven.
Max Gruver spent the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 2017, heavily intoxicated and passed out on a couch inside the Phi Delta Theta chapter house at Louisiana State University. He had been forced to repeatedly chug 190-proof Diesel liquor in a hazing ritual called “Bible Study,” during which pledges...
US Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s request to stay redistricting decision
This story first appeared in the Alabama Reflector. The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Alabama’s request to stay a lower court decision directing a special master to draw new state congressional maps to remedy Voting Rights Act violations. The nation’s high court dismissed the request in two one-sentence orders. No opinions were given with […] The post US Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s request to stay redistricting decision appeared first on Stateline.
Incarcerated people partner with state officials to encourage voter turnout in Maine prisons
This story first appeared in the Maine Morning Star. In Maine, people in prison retain their right to vote, making the state one of just two in the nation — along with Vermont — where that is the case. Emphasizing the importance of being able to vote while incarcerated, advocates inside and outside prisons have […] The post Incarcerated people partner with state officials to encourage voter turnout in Maine prisons appeared first on Stateline.
Amid rising evictions and rents, states grapple with protections in tenant-landlord laws
At 90 years old, Hilda Chavera has found a new purpose in life: tenant organizing. A Minneapolis resident for 50 years, Chavera said she has seen her city change, with many of her neighbors struggling to stay in their homes. “People can’t afford their rent. They are getting kicked out...
Shaken by post-pandemic disruptions, some states take a harder line on school discipline
Parents in Boone County, Kentucky, were outraged this past January when a ninth grader who had been suspended a year earlier for threatening violence against his fellow students returned to class as soon as his punishment time was up. The parents packed a school board meeting, excoriating the county superintendent...
Arizona abortion access initiative to start signature gathering
This story first appeared in the Arizona Mirror. The initiative seeking to make abortion a fundamental right in Arizona has officially launched the signature gathering effort necessary to land on the 2024 ballot. Reproductive rights advocates gathered Thursday to urge Arizonans to support the campaign for the Arizona Abortion Access Act, which aims to enshrine the […] The post Arizona abortion access initiative to start signature gathering appeared first on Stateline.
In new collaborations, tribes become stewards of parks and monuments
In a rural area of Michigan’s Thumb region, a small state park preserves a collection of sandstone carvings that date back many hundreds of years. One of the carvings, a figure with a bow and arrow, symbolizes ancestors shooting their knowledge ahead seven generations. Some might say that arrow...
As child poverty doubles, states launch or expand their own tax credits
The federal pandemic-era child tax credit expansion lifted millions of children out of poverty in the second half of 2021. But Congress allowed it to expire at the end of that year, and new U.S. census data shows the child poverty rate more than doubled in 2022, erasing the record gains that were made. “It […] The post As child poverty doubles, states launch or expand their own tax credits appeared first on Stateline.
Ohio Supreme Court approves abortion rights amendment Ballot Board summary for voters with a tweak
This story first appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal. The Ohio Supreme Court has ordered one tweak to summary language approved by Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board for voters to see in November on a proposed reproductive rights amendment. The split state supreme court rejected using the full text of the proposed amendment and declared […] The post Ohio Supreme Court approves abortion rights amendment Ballot Board summary for voters with a tweak appeared first on Stateline.
Feds’ cash stream supports Colorado River conservation — but the money will dry up
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the West are grappling with drought that’s worsening because of climate change. Despite a megadrought, states in the West have been able to avoid drastic cuts to their allocations of Colorado River water this year not only because of surprising storms but also thanks to generous financial incentives from […] The post Feds’ cash stream supports Colorado River conservation — but the money will dry up appeared first on Stateline.
A new COVID booster is here. Will those at greatest risk get it?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends new COVID-19 booster vaccines for all — but many who need them most won’t get them. About 75% of people in the United States appear to have skipped last year’s bivalent booster, and nothing suggests uptake will be better this time around. “Urging people to get boosters […] The post A new COVID booster is here. Will those at greatest risk get it? appeared first on Stateline.
States and cities eye stronger protections for gig economy workers
Joshua Wood remembers days during the COVID-19 lockdown when New York City’s streets were practically empty, save for workers like him. That experience convinced the 25-year-old Brooklynite — who makes deliveries for both Uber Eats and a package delivery service — that the gig economy needed some urgent changes.
States sweeten their offers to chipmakers to outdo one other
HILLSBORO, Ore. — “Oregon’s been at this for decades,” the governor’s office assures potential investors in its so-called Silicon Forest. The Lone Star State’s governor calls it a “race that Texas must win for our state, our workforce, our national security, and our future.” And New York’s governor boasts on the state’s YouTube channel that […] The post States sweeten their offers to chipmakers to outdo one other appeared first on Stateline.
‘It’s an emergency.’ Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water.
SEDAN, Kan. — James Rainbolt typically can tackle most problems at his rural water plant with some extra time or money. “I just can’t make it rain,” he said. Like others across Southeast Kansas, Rainbolt remains helpless as he watches a persistent drought dry up the local water supply. He runs a public wholesale water supply district that provides the drinking water for several cities and rural water districts. The lack of rain has been so severe that it’s now threatening the water district’s intake pipe, which brings water from a local lake to the treatment plant.
States see influx of migrants from India, Venezuela and China
NEW YORK — A late-pandemic surge of new arrivals from India, Venezuela and China, reflecting people with legal visas and those fleeing across the United States’ southern border seeking asylum, helped bring more than 900,000 new immigrants to the U.S. between 2021 and 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of new census data to be released Thursday. Florida […] The post States see influx of migrants from India, Venezuela and China appeared first on Stateline.
Hit the snooze button: States debate later high school start times
California and Florida have become the first states to require later public school start times, a response to reams of research showing significant advantages for high school students who can get more sleep by beginning their day at 8:30 a.m. or later. But such changes come with difficult ripple effects...
Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Just before Portland’s city council approved a ban on public drug use last week, Mayor Ted Wheeler described what he’d observed on his way to work that afternoon: “The last time I saw somebody consuming what I believe to be fentanyl publicly on our streets was less than five minutes ago, three […] The post Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note. appeared first on Stateline.
You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’
When someone with a medical emergency calls 911, they expect an ambulance to show up. But sometimes, there simply isn’t one available. Most states don’t declare emergency medical services (EMS) to be an “essential service,” meaning the state government isn’t required to provide or fund them. Now, though, a growing number of states are taking […] The post You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’ appeared first on Stateline.
Stateline
2K+
Posts
4M+
Views
Stateline provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.