Florida

A child at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

States see influx of migrants from India, Venezuela and China

BY: - September 14, 2023

NEW YORK — A late-pandemic surge of new arrivals from India, Venezuela and China, reflecting people with legal visas and those fleeing across the United States’ southern border seeking asylum, helped bring more than 900,000 new immigrants to the U.S. between 2021 and 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of new census data to be released Thursday. Florida […]

Buses outside a school in Maine.

Hit the snooze button: States debate later high school start times

BY: - September 13, 2023

California and Florida have become the first states to require later public school start times, a response to reams of research showing significant advantages for high school students who can get more sleep by beginning their day at 8:30 a.m. or later. But such changes come with difficult ripple effects — upended bus schedules, later starts […]

A forensic analyst with an evidence bag.

Sexual assault survivors can now track their rape kits in most states

BY: - September 8, 2023

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 […]

A backpack at a crime scene.

Cities are embracing teen curfews, though they might not curb crime

BY: - August 28, 2023

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 […]

A Medicaid protest.

Despite federal warnings, red and blue states aggressively cull Medicaid rolls

BY: - August 25, 2023

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 […]

A correctional facility.

Stifling prison heat used to be just a Southern problem. Not anymore.

BY: - August 14, 2023

While sweltering heat in prisons without air conditioning has long been an issue in the South, extreme heat waves worsened by climate change are expanding the problem into Northern states. In recent years, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin have seen extreme heat in prisons. Many of these states lack the necessary infrastructure for […]

Doctor stock image

‘Conscience’ bills let medical providers opt out of providing a wide range of care

BY: - August 10, 2023

This story was produced by KFF Health News. A new Montana law will provide sweeping legal protections to health care practitioners who refuse to prescribe marijuana or participate in procedures and treatments such as abortion, medically assisted death, gender-affirming care or others that run afoul of their ethical, moral or religious beliefs or principles. The […]

The University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.

Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds.

BY: - August 8, 2023

Thousands of college students will get hundreds of dollars in compensation as colleges and universities move this summer to settle multimillion-dollar lawsuits stemming from canceled classes and activities during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. While some of the class-action suits against the colleges and universities are still in litigation, and still others dismissed, several major cases have […]