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Many women can’t access miscarriage drug because it’s also used for abortions
Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. Since losing her first pregnancy four months ago, 32-year-old Lulu has struggled to return to her body’s old rhythms. Lulu, who asked to be identified by her first name to protect her privacy, bled for six full weeks after her […] The post Many women can’t access miscarriage drug because it’s also used for abortions appeared first on Stateline.
10 Medicaid holdout states scramble to improve health coverage
The Republican-led states that have refused to expand Medicaid are trying a variety of strategies to save struggling hospitals and cover more people without full expansion, which was one of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Georgia passed a partial expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides...
A historic housing construction boom may finally moderate rent hikes
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. An unprecedented surge in the nationwide construction of new housing — mostly apartments — may finally be making a dent in fast-rising rents that have been making life harder for tenants. More than 1.65 million housing units were under […] The post A historic housing construction boom may finally moderate rent hikes appeared first on Stateline.
Native lands lack clean water protections, but more tribes are taking charge
Across the roughly 1,300 square miles of the White Earth Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota, tribal members harvest wild rice in waters that have sustained them for generations. They’ve been working for decades to restore sturgeon, a culturally important fish, and they harvest minnows and leeches to supply bait for anglers across the country.
AI bots are helping 911 dispatchers with their workload
In the middle of a storm, 911 call centers often find themselves inundated with reports of fallen trees, flooded roads and panicked residents. Every call matters, but with multiple reports of the same incident pouring in, the pressure on emergency services can become overwhelming. Amid the chaos, a technological ally...
Big federal dollars for small state projects aim to get more cars off the roads
A 60-mile pedestrian and cycling trail in Arkansas, an electric street sweeper in Oregon and truck parking facilities in Florida don’t appear to have much in common — let alone any similarity with a conversion of California highways to toll roads or a roundabout in Michigan. But all...
Billions of dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells will only make a dent
An infusion of federal money has helped Louisiana plug nearly 500 abandoned oil and gas wells this year. That number doesn’t come close to the 4,500 abandoned wells that pock the state’s terrain, leaving the potential for groundwater contamination and the near-certainty of greenhouse gas emissions. But the money has allowed the state to nearly double the record number of wells it’s ever plugged in a year.
Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law
If you or someone you know is in need of help, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free and confidential support or text HELLO to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. When she tried to find help for her daughter’s depression, Michelle Romero was frantic, panicked and heartbroken. She searched and searched for mental […] The post Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law appeared first on Stateline.
As migrants arrive, some schools need more buses, books and bilingual teachers
On a pretty fall day in Massachusetts last week, Morad Majjad began work by checking in with a middle school nurse to see if he was needed as a translator. By the time the day was over, Majjad — whose title is family liaison for the West Springfield school district but who is better described […] The post As migrants arrive, some schools need more buses, books and bilingual teachers appeared first on Stateline.
The Navajo Nation has a sweeping new victims’ rights law
This story first appeared in the Arizona Mirror. On the Navajo Nation, when an alleged perpetrator of domestic violence is released from detention, there is no guarantee that the victim will be notified promptly by tribal law officials. Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Crotty said the issue became evident during the peak of COVID-19, when she […] The post The Navajo Nation has a sweeping new victims’ rights law appeared first on Stateline.
States are trying to prop up the child care industry. It isn’t enough.
State efforts to prop up child care might spare some providers from the worst effects of last month’s expiration of pandemic-related aid — at least temporarily. But the unraveling of a system plagued by a lack of affordability and access, low wages, staffing turnover and burnout will continue, experts say.
As wildfires grow, poor, elderly disproportionately affected
This story originally appeared in the Oregon Capital Chronicle. People who are poor, older, suffer from disabilities or have unstable housing face a disproportionate threat from wildfires, a new study found. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, looked at areas hit by wildfires between 2000 and 2021. It found that nearly a half […] The post As wildfires grow, poor, elderly disproportionately affected appeared first on Stateline.
States hope finding jobs for migrants will help clear shelter overload
NEW YORK CITY — States and cities are taking advantage of expedited work authorizations for a flood of new migrants, seeking to match them with jobs so they can support their families while they wait for asylum hearings. Allowing migrants to work might enable many of them to leave...
Federal court selects new Alabama congressional map
This story first appeared in the Alabama Reflector. A federal court Thursday ordered Alabama to implement a new congressional map drawn by a court-appointed special master that creates a majority-Black district and a near-majority Black district. In a 49-page opinion issued on Thursday morning, U.S. Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and U.S. district Judges Anna Manasco […] The post Federal court selects new Alabama congressional map appeared first on Stateline.
What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition.
Back in March, Hawaii state Sen. Chris Lee introduced legislation urging the U.S. Congress to consider the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence technologies. But he didn’t write it. Artificial intelligence did. Lee instructed ChatGPT, an AI-powered system trained to follow instructions and carry out conversations, to write a piece of legislation that highlights the […] The post What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition. appeared first on Stateline.
Adults with disabilities segregated in Colorado nursing homes, federal government says in lawsuit
This story first appeared in Colorado Newsline. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Colorado, alleging that the state unnecessarily segregates adults with disabilities into nursing homes. The civil lawsuit claims that Colorado failed to offer sufficient community services to help people with disabilities, including older adults, live in their...
$1B will bring more city trees. But it’ll take more than seedlings to grow urban forests.
SEATTLE — Over the next five years, leaders here in the Emerald City will spend millions in federal dollars to green up neighborhoods that lack trees. As Seattle and the surrounding region deal with more frequent extreme heat events, residents are starting to view trees as more than a luxury.
Amid climate concerns, Maine bill would curb Poland Spring’s long-term water extraction deals
This story was first published in the Maine Morning Star. In rural areas of Maine, local activists have long been concerned about resource extraction by bottled water giant Poland Spring, expressing worries about the environmental impacts and arguing that communities should have more control over their own groundwater supply given the escalating climate crisis. Now, water […] The post Amid climate concerns, Maine bill would curb Poland Spring’s long-term water extraction deals appeared first on Stateline.
Faith-based maternity homes ‘create a haven’ in states with strict abortion laws
CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. — At the end of a gravel road that runs through a wooded property in Chilton County, Alabama, a plain white two-story house sits overlooking a small pond. Outside the house, everything is tranquil: The swings on the new playground nearby are quiet, the pond is...
In scrapping its LGBTQ-related travel ban, California pivots to ‘hearts and minds’
In September, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom officially repealed California’s 2016 ban on state-funded travel to states with laws targeting LGBTQ+ people. The idea behind the ban — which applied to bureaucrats, lawmakers, academics and even college athletes — was to use California’s economic heft to dissuade other states from enacting such laws. By that metric, […] The post In scrapping its LGBTQ-related travel ban, California pivots to ‘hearts and minds’ appeared first on Stateline.
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