Hawaii
States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality
From the time Washington state Sen. Noel Frame was 5 years old until she was 10, she was sexually abused by a teenage cousin. The abuse only stopped when she told a teacher, who reported it to the authorities and to her parents. Now, Frame, 43, wants to require members of the clergy in Washington […]
Some states hope to move climate-threatened species, but others say no way
This story is part two of a two-part series about a federal proposal to relocate endangered species outside their historic ranges. See part one: Federal wildlife managers and ecologists weigh the risks of action — and inaction — to rescue species from climate change. North Carolina might need to move a snail. A tiny mollusk […]
Some States Want to Give You a Constitutional Right to a Clean Environment
Editor’s note: This story was updated to identify the harmful algal bloom as a brown tide. New Mexico’s budget relies heavily on oil and gas revenue, but the state also bears the scars of generations of mining and drilling. So when Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, a former law professor and current Democratic state senator, heard about […]
A 4-Day Workweek Gains Lawmaker Support in Some States
The Original Oyster House, billed as Pittsburgh’s oldest restaurant, found itself in crisis during the pandemic. Down to seven employees — including owner Jen Grippo and her mother — the staff worked six or seven days a week to keep up with orders. Grippo closed the Oyster House entirely in January 2021, determined to give […]
‘Democracy Vouchers’ Put Free Campaign Cash in the Hands of Voters
Seattle voters are about to get their democracy vouchers for this year’s city council elections: envelopes of gift cards that voters direct to their choice of local political campaigns. Every February of municipal election years, Seattle voters receive four “democracy vouchers” — blue slips of paper totaling on which voters can write in candidates and […]
‘Green Banks,’ Poised for Billions in Climate Funds, Draw States’ Attention
In recent years, several states have created or helped to fund specialized banks that lend money to homeowners and businesses for energy-saving and climate projects. Now, states have billions more reasons to establish such institutions, known as green banks. Congress last year approved a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund of billion, largely to pour money into […]
E-Bikes Gain Momentum as a Climate, Traffic Solution
In the quest to electrify the transportation sector, some state and city leaders see the future arriving not on four wheels, but on two. As electric bicycles, or e-bikes, grow in popularity, enthusiasts increasingly see them as a tool to reduce auto traffic and air pollution, not just as a fun new toy. States, cities […]
States Take on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Bans, Lawsuits
“Forever chemicals” are everywhere. The thousands of chemicals in the group known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are found in cookware, packaging, cosmetics, clothing, carpet, electronics, firefighting foam and many other products. The chemicals, which do not naturally break down, are so widespread that they’re found in the blood of 97% of Americans. […]
Supreme Court’s Gun Rights Decision Upends State Restrictions
Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that expanded the right to carry firearms outside the home, gun rights activist Andrew Namiki Roberts rushed to the Honolulu Police Department to apply for four permits to carry handguns in public. He was fourth in line, surrounded by excited Hawaii gun owners who felt vindicated […]
Hawaii and Maine Have Scored Highest on Health Care During Pandemic
The health systems in Hawaii and Maine have performed best of all the states during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new rankings that weighed such factors as vaccination rates, capacity in hospital and intensive care units, and death rates. Alabama ranked at the bottom in the scorecard, followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi and Georgia. The […]
Multiracial Residents Are Changing the Face of the US
The number of Americans who identified as more than one race nearly doubled to 13.5 million people between 2010 and 2020, and did double or more in 34 states and the District of Columbia, a Stateline analysis of census figures shows. To some observers, the increase in the number of Americans identifying as more than […]
As Women Return to Jobs, Remote Work Could Lock in Gains
Read Stateline coverage of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic “shecession” is fading as more women return to jobs across the country, aided by new workplace flexibility that could lock in future increases in female employment. Remote work, a loosening of 9-5 workday constraints and evolving ideas such as “returnships” to help women back […]