Local Government

A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is gaining momentum in state capitals and college governing boards, with officials in about one-third of the states now taking some sort of action against it. Tennessee became the latest... Read More

Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again,... Read More

HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking people away from danger... Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are considering criminalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, a proposal advancing in one of the most eager states to enact policies aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. Republican senators advanced the... Read More

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Legislature devolved into shouts of “Shame! Shame!” on Wednesday as Republican lawmakers quickly shut down discussion on a proposed repeal of the state's newly revived 1864 law that criminalizes abortion throughout pregnancy unless a woman’s... Read More

When an illustrated edition of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was released in 2019, educators in Clayton, Missouri needed little debate before deciding to keep copies in high school libraries. The book is widely regarded as a classic work of... Read More

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A push in Maryland's legislature for hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and fees has some Democrats concerned that the package may bolster former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s campaign for U.S. Senate and cost their... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Five states will hold presidential primaries on Tuesday as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump continue to lock up support around the country after becoming their parties’ presumptive nominees. Trump is expected to easily win... Read More

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A new Mississippi law will allow earlier Medicaid coverage for pregnant women in an effort to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies in a poor state with the nation’s worst rate of infant mortality. The “presumptive... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A top Democratic Virginia lawmaker vowed Wednesday to keep language enabling a proposed relocation by the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to Alexandria out of the state budget lawmakers will take up later this... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers were bracing for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill banning social media for children under 16 on Friday and finding a way to make him more comfortable with its language before their... Read More

ROXBORO, N.C. (AP) — One candidate is an Ivy League-educated attorney who over 25 years amassed allies as he climbed North Carolina's Democratic ladder. The other is a former furniture factory worker with a history of blunt commentary who plowed... Read More

FORT LAWN, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina state Sen. Mike Fanning likes to talk to people. He will talk about anything, but if the Democrat from Great Falls is able to steer the conversation, he's not likely to say much... Read More

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — On the first day of Missouri's new legislative session, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden tried to cajole colleagues into congeniality with a rhetorical question: “Will we focus on principled progress or political pandemonium?” Progress... Read More

WASHINGTON — The number of parent-candidates for federal office using campaign funds to cover their child care costs has jumped more than 600% since the Federal Election Commission approved the practice in 2018, but more needs to be done to... Read More

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney this week requested a second delay in a state court case involving its legal battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees over who controls Walt Disney World's governing district, as the company accused them and the governor's office... Read More

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine's secretary of state is appealing a judge's ruling that put on hold her decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a similar case in Colorado. Shenna... Read More

Republican-led state legislatures are considering a new round of bills restricting medical care for transgender youths — and in some cases, adults — returning to the issue the year after a wave of high-profile bills became law and sparked lawsuits.... Read More

WASHINGTON — In an era when many lawmakers seem happier to sow chaos than to actually pass meaningful legislation, the members of NewDEAL, a Democratic Party-affiliated network of pro-growth and progressive state and local elected officials, are a marked contrast.... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — An internal Amazon memo has provided a stark look at the company’s carefully laid out plans to grow its influence in Southern California through a plethora of efforts that include burnishing its reputation through charity work... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s down to two candidates in the race to lead the nation’s fourth-largest city. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire will face off in Saturday’s runoff election to be the next mayor of Houston.... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — The American legal system is facing a crisis of trust in communities around the country, with people of all races and across the political spectrum. For many, recent protests against police brutality called attention to longstanding discrepancies in the... Read More

HENRICO, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced Monday she will run for Virginia governor in 2025 instead of seeking reelection to the U.S. House next year. Spanberger, a three-term Democrat, made the announcement in a campaign video, highlighting the importance of lowering... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats who campaigned on protecting abortion rights swept Tuesday’s legislative elections, retaking full control of the General Assembly after two years of divided power. The outcome is a sharp loss for Gov. Glenn Youngkin and... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats had plenty of good news to celebrate in Tuesday’s off-year elections and more evidence that they can win races centered on the national debate over abortion. Abortion rights supporters won an Ohio ballot measure and the Democratic governor... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in Tuesday’s off-year general election have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights. From a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky to a statewide ballot measure in Ohio to state legislative elections in Virginia, access to abortion has... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Abortion access is expected to play a central role in the 2024 elections. The preview comes next week, when Ohio voters decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in their state Constitution. The amendment is the only abortion question on... Read More

Local elections in Democratic strongholds at both ends of Pennsylvania next month could show how voters feel about progressive candidates and issues such as abortion and crime ahead of the 2024 election. Philadelphia will get a new mayor, and Allegheny... Read More

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Louisiana governor’s race, holding off a crowded field of candidates. The win is a major victory for the GOP as... Read More

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Republican voter Mark Cook stuck with his party in Kentucky's last election for governor. Next month, he's leaning toward crossing over to support the Democrat he voted against in 2019, Gov. Andy Beshear. Cook is... Read More