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Most states have yet to permanently fund 988. Call centers want certainty.
This story was produced by KFF Health News. Since the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline transitioned a year ago to the three-digit crisis phone number 988, there has been a 33% increase in the number of calls, chats and texts to the hotline. But even with that early sign of success,...
Sexual assault survivors can now track their rape kits in most states
It can take hours for a sexual assault victim to undergo the multiple swabs, hair samples, blood and urine collections, and other invasive procedures of a sexual assault examination. And then it can take months, sometimes years, for investigators to process that evidence kit. But now, responding to demands from survivors and their advocates, more […] The post Sexual assault survivors can now track their rape kits in most states appeared first on Stateline.
Some states back hospital mergers despite record of service cuts, price hikes
Some illnesses and injuries — say, a broken ankle — can send you to numerous health care providers. You might start at urgent care but end up in the emergency room. Referred to an orthopedist, you might eventually land in an outpatient surgery center. Four different stops on your road to recovery. But as supersized […] The post Some states back hospital mergers despite record of service cuts, price hikes appeared first on Stateline.
An Eastern Oregon effort to join Idaho reflects the growing American divide
ENTERPRISE, Ore. — This small ranching town, surrounded by towering tree-topped mountains and a valley of rolling grass fields, sits tucked into the northeast corner of the state — both out of the way and right in the middle of a contentious debate. At a meeting late last month, 25 people packed into a stuffy […] The post An Eastern Oregon effort to join Idaho reflects the growing American divide appeared first on Stateline.
Federal court blocks Alabama’s congressional map, orders new lines drawn
This story first appeared in the Alabama Reflector. A three-judge federal panel Tuesday ruled that a new Alabama congressional map failed to address Voting Rights Act violations and ordered a third party to draw new lines. In a 217-page opinion in the case, Allen v. Milligan, U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and U.S. District Judges […] The post Federal court blocks Alabama’s congressional map, orders new lines drawn appeared first on Stateline.
Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl.
A new Stateline analysis shows that U.S. residents under 40 were relatively unscathed by COVID-19 in the pandemic but fell victim to another killer: accidental drug overdose deaths. Death rates in the age group were up by nearly a third in 2021 over 2018, and last year were still 21%...
Not just Ohio: Biased language is the new tactic to thwart ballot measures
Abortion rights supporters filed a lawsuit last week against what they call “deceptive” ballot language produced by Ohio officials for the state’s closely-watched upcoming referendum on the issue. But it isn’t just the Buckeye State that’s lately seeing fierce battles over the once-obscure topic of ballot language. In recent weeks, officials in Missouri — where […] The post Not just Ohio: Biased language is the new tactic to thwart ballot measures appeared first on Stateline.
Seeing ‘Red’ after Taylor Swift debacle, lawmakers weigh concert ticket rules
There’s no question what motivated state Rep. Kelly Moller to push for changes in Minnesota law on concert ticket sales. “Really, it was the Taylor Swift debacle for me,” she said. A self-professed Swiftie, the Democrat found herself among millions of other Americans unable to buy tickets last year to Swift’s Eras Tour. She preregistered […] The post Seeing ‘Red’ after Taylor Swift debacle, lawmakers weigh concert ticket rules appeared first on Stateline.
New initiative petitions seek to add rape, incest exceptions to Missouri abortion law
This story first appeared in the Missouri Independent. Six new initiative petitions were filed with the Missouri secretary of state’s office Wednesday seeking to add exceptions to the state’s abortion ban for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and the health and safety of the mother. Three of the...
Was that chicken cutlet grown in a lab? These states want you to know.
Select U.S. restaurants have begun serving laboratory-grown chicken, spurring long wait times for reservations by diners curious to taste it. In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave final approval for a few California-based companies to begin selling lab-produced chicken across the country. While it may be years before lab-grown meat is available at grocery […] The post Was that chicken cutlet grown in a lab? These states want you to know. appeared first on Stateline.
Campus food pantries are seeing greater demand — and more state dollars
SOUTH BRONX, New York City — In the South Bronx, one of the nation’s poorest communities, Hostos Community College has long positioned itself as an educational pathway out of poverty. But to make that journey, many Hostos students must contend with more than their schoolwork. Without the school’s child care center, students who are single […] The post Campus food pantries are seeing greater demand — and more state dollars appeared first on Stateline.
New Hampshire AG ‘carefully reviewing’ challenge to Trump on ballot
This story first appeared in the New Hampshire Bulletin. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office is “carefully reviewing” the question of whether former President Donald Trump can run as a presidential candidate in the state, after one New Hampshire Republican argued that Trump’s role in encouraging the Jan. 6 protests that turned into an insurrection bars him from seeking office under the U.S. Constitution.
It may have just gotten harder to protect minority communities from pollution
In recent years, some states have invested in air quality monitoring, applied extra scrutiny to permitting decisions and steered cleanup funding to minority communities that have borne the brunt of pollution for decades. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down race-conscious college admissions policies, state lawmakers are facing a […] The post It may have just gotten harder to protect minority communities from pollution appeared first on Stateline.
Abortion rights amendment petition writers sue Ohio Ballot Board for ‘deceptive’ summary
This story first appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal. The group supporting a constitutional amendment on reproductive rights will take its arguments against a “deceptive” summary approved and written by the Ohio Ballot Board to the state’s highest court. Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights announced Monday afternoon that it plans to file a lawsuit Monday […] The post Abortion rights amendment petition writers sue Ohio Ballot Board for ‘deceptive’ summary appeared first on Stateline.
Cities are embracing teen curfews, though they might not curb crime
In response to growing public concern over crime, cities and counties throughout the United States are returning to a familiar tool: curfews for young people. Proponents argue curfews curb crime and protect youth by keeping them off the streets. But research suggests curfews are ineffective, and some juvenile justice advocates and experts warn of unintended […] The post Cities are embracing teen curfews, though they might not curb crime appeared first on Stateline.
Despite federal warnings, red and blue states aggressively cull Medicaid rolls
Despite federal warnings to slow down, both red and blue states have cut off Medicaid coverage for nearly 4 million people because they lack the proper paperwork. In at least four states, half of all the people who have lost coverage for any reason are children. During the pandemic, the federal government directed states not […] The post Despite federal warnings, red and blue states aggressively cull Medicaid rolls appeared first on Stateline.
Abortion-ban states pour millions into pregnancy centers with little medical care
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Louisiana Republican state Sen. Beth Mizell looked for a way to address her state’s abysmal record on infant and maternal mortality, preterm births and low birth weight. Louisiana has one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Why Alabama can’t control college tuition costs
This story first appeared in the Alabama Reflector. States have varying degrees of control over the tuition price of their public higher education institutions. Alabama has none. Under Alabama law, higher education institutions set tuition and fees for students. The state government cannot control those increases, and one of the legislature’s education budget chairs says moving […] The post Why Alabama can’t control college tuition costs appeared first on Stateline.
Death counts remain high in some states even as COVID fatalities wane
Several months after President Joe Biden ended the national emergency for COVID-19, preliminary health data indicates the historic degree to which the pandemic increased death rates nationwide — not just because of the virus itself, but also through the pandemic’s reverberating effects on society. Deaths from vehicle crashes,...
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