The Latest Breaking News from Stateline

As Supreme Court considers student loan forgiveness, states may expand their programs

As the U.S. Supreme Court mulls the constitutionality of President Joe Biden’s broad student loan forgiveness plan, lawmakers in many states are looking to expand their own student debt repayment programs.

Tribune News Service · Mar 13, 2023

Urban areas are adding people and gobbling up land in most states

The percentage of residents living in areas the U.S. Census Bureau calls “urban” grew in 36 states between 2010 and 2020, led by booming cities and suburbs in the South, Southwest, Midwest and California, according to a new Stateline analysis.

Tribune News Service · Mar 9, 2023

States strive to help SNAP recipients cope with lower benefits

The white words on a red background are plain. “Important notice: SNAP emergency allotments ending after February.”

Tribune News Service · Mar 1, 2023

Gadget industry tosses a wrench into ‘right to repair’ efforts

The “right to repair” movement is having a moment, but roadblocks remain.

Tribune News Service · Feb 8, 2023

Shared power used be the norm in statehouses. Now it’s nearly extinct

Terry Kilgore has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1994. During that time, there have been four years in which the GOP controlled the governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature. For two years, Democrats held complete control.

Tribune News Service · Jan 12, 2023

Migrating professionals grow black middle class in the South and West

Erika Harrison, a Houston attorney who has lived in the area since she was 5, started her blog, Black Girls Who Brunch, “to showcase the vibrant food scene beyond the franchise restaurants.” But recently, the blog has grown into much more than that.

Tribune News Service · Jan 8, 2023

As fentanyl use spikes, feds urge states to ease methadone rules

Ever since the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl began showing up in the illicit drug supply in 2014, the number of U.S. overdose deaths has skyrocketed — exceeding all other accidental deaths, including car crashes and gun violence.

Tribune News Service · Dec 22, 2022

The nation’s vacant homes present an opportunity — and a problem

With construction costs for new homes and interest rates soaring, vacant housing is drawing more attention as a shortcut to quickly getting more units on the market.

Tribune News Service · Nov 23, 2022

The push to decriminalize marijuana possession continues, town by town

KILLEEN, Texas — As he plied the streets of Killeen in his silver Volvo SUV on a recent Sunday, Louie Minor recalled his time as a deputy constable whose duties included arresting marijuana users.

Tribune News Service · Nov 4, 2022

Governors split on Biden’s call to pardon low-level pot offenders

When President Joe Biden in October granted blanket pardons to more than 6,500 Americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal law, he urged governors to pardon the much greater number of low-level marijuana offenders in their states.

Tribune News Service · Oct 31, 2022