Coming to some of Pennsylvania’s most picturesque places: data centers • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

In the Poconos, people fear planned data centers could ruin beloved landscapes and pristine waterways.

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Governors and lawmakers say they're getting serious about states' rights • Stateline

State leaders of both parties say the federal government — including the president — wields too much power, and they want to see more authority returned to the states. Bipartisan groups of governors and state lawmakers held major gatherings in recent days where issues of state authority became a major focus. They agreed the federal government had grown too powerful and pushed for states to maintain control over elections, energy, education and other issues. 

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AG nominee tells faith leaders he will take action to restrict abortion drug access • Stateline

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is one step closer to confirmation after the Republican Judiciary Committee voted to advance his appointment on a party-line vote on Tuesday, and based on pro...

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States begin banning ‘surveillance pricing’ that uses personal data to charge more • Stateline

Three states this year became the first ones to enact laws restricting companies from using personal data such as browsing history or shopping habits to set individualized prices on goods and services...

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Today’s children could prosper in tomorrow’s shortage of young workers • New Hampshire Bulletin

Today's children could be the first generation since the 1970s to do better than their parents as young workers become more sought after and well paid. They may even see a surplus of housing to make…

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Most states temporarily house foster children in hotels, offices

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Wildfire smoke is now the primary pollutant affecting pregnancy, study shows • Utah News Dispatch

Wildfire smoke air pollution could be contributing to poor outcomes for pregnant women and babies such as low birth weight and preterm births

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Wildfire veterans fear federal tactics, extreme fires could put crews at risk • Stateline

As millions of acres burn across the western United States, some wildland fire veterans are fearful that aggressive fire suppression tactics ordered by the Trump administration — coupled with extreme,...

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Trump official urges governors to help with immigration arrests of ‘worst of the worst’ • Stateline

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin this weekend implored states and cities to cooperate with federal immigration officials, which he said would lead to safer and lower-profile arrests and deportations. Speaking to the National Governors Association summer meeting, Mullin called on local governments to help focus on removing the “worst of the worst” offenders, particularly targeting people without legal citizenship status who have criminal court convictions.

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Today’s children could prosper in tomorrow’s shortage of young workers • Stateline

Today's children could be the first generation since the 1970s to do better than their parents as young workers become more sought after and well paid. They may even see a surplus of housing to make their lives even easier after recent shortages. 

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Judge rejects states’ bid to block Medicaid work rules • Stateline

States will have to meet a Jan. 1 deadline to implement new Medicaid work requirements, after a federal judge denied 25 Democratic-led states’ request to pause implementation of the rule. The broad tax and spending law President Donald Trump signed last summer, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, requires states that have expanded Medicaid to […]

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Many states expanded care for children, older adults and workers • Stateline

Many states have made marked progress over the past two years in extending crucial care and benefits to children, workers and aging adults. But they will be hard-pressed to fill the void left by impending federal cuts to social services, according to a new analysis. A report released this week by The Century Foundation and […]

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Wildfire smoke is now the primary pollutant affecting pregnancy, study shows • Stateline

A new study examining pollution levels across a 16-year span found that while general pollution levels from sources such as cars and industry have significantly declined, recent increases in wildfire smoke air pollution have offset those gains and could be contributing to negative outcomes for pregnant women and babies such as low birth weight and […]

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Online prediction markets rile up state lawmakers • Stateline

CHICAGO — The escalating feud between states and online prediction markets was on full display at a summit of state lawmakers this week as legislators publicly scolded Kalshi and Polymarket, the two most prominent platforms. Prediction market platforms say they are like commodity markets that offer contracts to speculate on the future price of corn […]

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As fires rage in the Pacific Northwest, leaders call all hands on deck • Stateline

With dozens of large fires burning across the Pacific Northwest, and nearly 2 million acres burned already, state leaders are calling for firefighting reinforcements and bracing for a grueling August.

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Ohio Haitians lose jobs, face terror — and impossible choices • Ohio Capital Journal

As thousands of Haitian immigrants lose protected status in Ohio, they face terrifying conditions back at home, pastor says.

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Most states temporarily house foster children in hotels, offices • Stateline

More than 9,000 children in foster care had to temporarily stay in hotels, office buildings and other potentially unsafe settings when states couldn’t find suitable places for them, according to a new federal audit. The inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that states had an especially difficult time […]

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When families question a death investigation, getting a second autopsy can be complicated • Stateline

Independent autopsies have often emerged from a deep distrust of official systems — particularly in cases involving Black victims killed by law enforcement, where families have questioned whether inve...

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When families question a death investigation, getting a second autopsy can be complicated • Stateline

Independent autopsies have often emerged from a deep distrust of official systems — particularly in cases involving Black victims killed by law enforcement, where families have questioned whether investigators treated their loved ones’ deaths with the scrutiny they deserved.

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Crisis pregnancy centers fight for ultrasound use in clinics without government oversight • Stateline

Anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers routinely offer free ultrasounds, but there is little oversight. OB-GYNs, state lawmakers, government officials, reproductive health advocates, and current and former pregnancy center staffers told States Newsroom – as part of our ongoing series, Billion Dollar Baby Bump – that internal protocols are likely not enough to ensure all centers are offering high-standard health care to girls and women potentially unsure what to do about their pregnancies or facing difficult circumstances.  

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Obamacare enrollment declines in 49 states • Stateline

In 49 states, the number of people enrolled in Obamacare plans has declined since Congress made coverage more expensive by allowing federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. The lone exception was New Mexico, the only state that has used its own money to fully replace the expired aid, according to a […]

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Undocumented immigration population reached as high as 15.8M, report finds • Stateline

New estimates put the U.S. undocumented immigrant population in mid-2024 at 14.6 million to 15.8 million, a sharp increase from around 11 million in the 2010s. 

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DHS removes interview requirement for asylum seekers, possibly speeding removals • Stateline

WASHINGTON — Federal asylum officers can deny interviews to asylum seekers and send them immediately to an immigration judge, speeding up deportation proceedings, under a rule U.S. Citizenship and Imm...

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Rise in US preteen suicide rate alarms mental health experts • Stateline

The number of preteens — ages 8 to 12 — who die by suicide in the United States each year is relatively small. But the total in 2025 was 194 — the most since at least 2001, according to preliminary da...

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State lawmakers of both parties say it's time to rethink America’s fragile childcare system • Stateline

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is calling for an overhaul of the nation’s childcare system, which they say is failing children, parents and providers.

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Rise in US preteen suicide rate alarms mental health experts • Stateline

The number of preteens — ages 8 to 12 — who die by suicide in the United States each year is relatively small. But the total in 2025 was 194 — the most since at least 2001, according to preliminary da...

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States expand fight against organized retail crime, gift card fraud • Stateline

From hijacked freight shipments to tampered gift cards hanging on store racks, states are responding to new forms of organized retail crime with a fresh round of legislation.

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State AGs expand consumer work as prices rise and Trump guts federal protections • Stateline

Since President Donald Trump has gutted much of the federal government's consumer protection work, state attorneys general are increasingly left to fight high prices and investigate businesses themselves. The change follows Trump’s dismantling of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau and persisting concerns about the high prices of housing, groceries and fuel.

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Federal judge says certain abortion drug restrictions are unlawful • Stateline

A federal judge in Virginia ruled Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not sufficiently justify restrictions imposed in 2023 on a drug used to terminate early pregnancies, adding another layer of complexity to a string of legal cases with opposing goals that could affect future abortion access.

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Measles cases have reached a 35-year high • Stateline

Measles cases this year have surpassed all of 2025 to become the worst since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, with cases now in 44 states and the District of Columbia, according to a federal report released Friday.

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