Rapidly expanding in an increasingly digital world and the rise of artificial intelligence, data centers are under intense scrutiny across the states. Companies tout economic development and job…

WASHINGTON — Rebecca Myers lives in one of the nation’s most hotly contested congressional districts, and tariffs were on her mind as she voted early and in-person in Suffolk, Virginia in late September.The 44-year-old trained social worker said she and her husband, who recently retired after 25 years in the U.S. Navy, are raising two children, ages 7 and 9, and forgoing a family vacation to save money.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is rescuing more abandoned black bear cubs this year after environmental conditions strained food sources that bears rely on to fatten up before winter. “Extreme drought conditions have limited natural forage in the higher elevations,” said Rachael Gonzales, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northwest Region spokesperson, in an email to Colorado Newsline. “Low mountain snowpack and wildfires have added to the reduced availability of natural foods such as berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses across Colorado.

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Jamie Reed stood before a room full of Republicans in St. Louis County in September, clicking through a presentation about pediatric gender medicine.The former social worker at a St. Louis transgender clinic described puberty blockers and hormones in stark terms and warned of what she sees as lasting harm to children. The audience gasped, groaned and, at one point, a woman called her a hero.But Reed had come to make a political case, too.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — On a rainy October afternoon, Janatta Evans sat in a chair next to other tenants and described the tumultuous several months she’s had with her Shelbyville apartment. When she first tried to move into her subsidized rental in March, there was a strong smell of urine inside. She said management at Centrebrook Apartments told her they put an ozone machine inside to address the issue, only for Evans to still find the smell inside.

(This article was updated at 6:11 p.m., Wednesday, Oct 7, 2026, to reflect that an attorney for the lawmakers requested to withdraw the King’s Bench petition.)Four state lawmakers have withdrawn their emergency request to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to extend the stay on its finding that skill games are illegal gambling machines.

The Department of Homeland Security obtained tens of millions of unspecified records as part of a sweeping nationwide effort to find voter fraud, according to internal DHS reports, and weighed using undercover agents to investigate voter registration efforts by nonprofit groups.

​A Davidson County Chancery judge ordered Tennessee officials on Wednesday to preserve all evidence related to the botched execution of Christa Pike.​Chancellor I’Ashea Myles ruled that the Tennessee Department of Correction must “preserve all evidence” related to the failed execution of Pike by two rounds of lethal injection last week.

WASHINGTON — Nearly all of the U.S. senators elected this year will be in office when Congress debates how to restructure Social Security to prevent an automatic drop-off in retirement benefits in 2032. Very few candidates in competitive races, however, have policy proposals on their campaign websites and many, when contacted by States Newsroom, declined to share details about which changes they’d support if elected.

Klickitat County stretches for more than 80 miles along the Columbia River, speckled with small towns along the waterfront and within its agricultural lands. It’s here that at least six hyperscale data centers are being proposed.The rural county, best known for wine vineyards and agriculture, has just 24,000 residents. But public records show that data center developers have asked the Bonneville Power Administration and Klickitat Utility District for access to up to 5,655.5 megawatts of power. That’s enough to power up to six million homes or about 15 cities the size of Seattle.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong and his campaign fund have given about $430,000 in support to Republican statewide and legislative candidates this year, more than one-quarter of which went to one state officeholder he appointed.The full scope of Armstrong’s political spending became clearer after a Friday deadline for candidates to file pre-general election campaign finance reports with the secretary of state.

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COLUMBIA — After President Donald Trump referred to Annie Andrews using a derogatory term for transgender people, the Democrat running to flip a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina dismissed his social media post as “definitely not presidential.”Trump, who likes to assign nicknames to people, used a slur that rhymes with Andrews’ first name in a post Monday reiterating his “complete and total endorsement” for Sen. Darline Graham. Appointed in July to fulfill her late brother’s term that ends in January, Graham and Andrews are competing for the next six-year term.

COLUMBIA — In the only scheduled gubernatorial debate before the election, Democrat Jermaine Johnson and Republican Alan Wilson sparred Tuesday night over questions about data centers, Medicaid expansion, and a state hate crime.Perhaps more surprising is where they agreed.In a state where legislators debate abortion every session — sometimes several times a year — the candidates agreed the state’s abortion restrictions should go no further. Both pledged they “would not seek to make them even more restrictive.”

The Trump administration’s tax and spending plan, signed last year, made major changes to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, including new eligibility and work…

GRAND RAPIDS – The relationship between Michigan and the federal government — especially when it comes to the tariffs levied by the Trump administration — was central throughout the first general election debate of Michigan’s gubernatorial election between Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) on Tuesday night.

As they await a federal decision on a potential nationwide ban on telehealth abortions, anti-abortion activists plan to push more states to require women to visit a doctor’s office, get an ultrasound or wait before they can get abortion pills.Under its current guidelines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require in-person visits, ultrasounds or waiting periods for women seeking abortion pills. Nevertheless, 10 states without total abortion bans still require them.

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The Louisiana Secretary of State’s office expects to restore the correct status for thousands of voters by Wednesday after a mishap during routine maintenance earlier this week switched them to inactive.Trey Williams, deputy secretary for communications, said “human error” during the process Monday night inadvertently misclassified approximately 67,000 voters statewide.

The federal government is seeking to sell a Romulus warehouse that was purchased for use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, along with six other warehouses nationally that were similarly intended for use as detention facilities before those plans were scrapped over the summer.

With Election Day less than a month away, lawmakers in several states are suspending gas taxes or rolling back regulations on diesel fuel as voters grow increasingly frustrated with rising fuel costs amid President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.On Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order to expand access to tax-free diesel fuel nationwide, following the lead of several governors who have taken the same step.

Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, handily won a second term in his rural congressional district in 2024. He’s remained loyal to President Donald Trump, even as his approval ratings have been in a freefall for much of the past year. But Jonathan Nez, the Democrat and former president of the Navajo Nation who Crane defeated by nine percentage points two years ago, hopes Crane won’t be so fortunate in this year’s rematch.

On less than an acre of farmland in Hopkinton, rows of hemp plants were nearing harvest. Most of their “colas” — dense clusters of buds prized for smokable flower — had already been cut ahead of a nor’easter bound for southern New England on the last weekend of September.

Near the end of a 33-minute speech to an enthusiastic Republican crowd gathered in a Fairbanks airport hangar on Monday, Vice President JD Vance got to the point about why he was making an extraordinary campaign stop in Alaska.Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, is facing a stiff challenge in the midterm election, and the outcome of the Senate race in Alaska could tip control of the body to Democrats, Vance warned.

As the political prospects for Republicans worsen ahead of November’s midterm elections, the GOP is increasingly playing defense over its yearslong grip on state governments.That’s particularly true for gubernatorial elections, as Democrats could win a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. Currently, Republicans boast a 26-24 gubernatorial advantage over Democrats.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed testimony with the Michigan Public Service Commission, requesting that a proposed rate increase from Consumers Energy be cut by more than half as energy and utility prices in Michigan remain high.

Flock cameras, a type of automatic license plate reader, have attracted controversy in recent months. Across states, there have been several incidents where law enforcement has misused the…

​Tennessee lawmakers held hearings to discuss implementing a limited medical marijuana program, but the state’s top law enforcement group remains the most vocal opposition.Representatives from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, TBI, emerged as the strongest opponents, stating there were no circumstances in which they thought medical marijuana should be allowed in Tennessee.

TOPEKA — Blame for the lack of immigration reform to meet the needs of workers and the agriculture industry lies squarely with the federal government, and change must happen, one farmer said in response to September immigration raids in southwest Kansas.“This is one of those rare situations where the humanitarian and economic interests align,” said Brian Vulgamore, a fifth-generation farmer and Kansas businessman.

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Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis.The environmental advocacy nonprofit Food and Water Watch analyzed water bill data among the nation’s 500 largest community water providers. Those systems serve a collective 155 million people — nearly half the nation’s population.

President Donald Trump wants to sharply curtail mail ballots. He’s called them “inherently corrupt” and baselessly condemned them as a major source of fraud.But with Republicans falling behind in the polls, the president is now urging his supporters to vote in the midterm elections any way they can, including by mail.

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Most candidates running for Congress in Louisiana agree there should be some federal regulations placed on artificial intelligence. But at this point they are mostly offering generalities, without providing specifics about any limitations they would favor.

WASHINGTON — Democrats expect they’ll gain a majority of seats in the U.S. House following November’s midterm elections, giving the party a platform to serve as a check on the president’s power. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said during an interview Monday that curbing the war in Iran and working on legislation to address the costs of healthcare would be at the top of the party’s agenda if it is able to flip that chamber.

Healthcare costs are continuing to rise.Nevadans who get insurance through Nevada Health Link, the state-based Affordable Care Act marketplace, can expect to see an average rate increase of 17% for 2027 coverage. The Nevada Division of Insurance announced the approval of the rate increases last week.

A Tennessee law that makes it a felony to “harbor” immigrants without legal status remains enforceable after a federal judge last week dismissed a legal challenge brought by Lutheran churches.

More than a year after a Northern Kentucky protest at Roebling Street Bridge over federal immigration officials’ arrest of an Ohio cleric, a protester was arrested Monday morning on a felony charge.

Numerous Washington state ferry sailings were canceled Monday as many workers called in sick and their replacements declined to fill in for them, according to state officials.Thirteen of the ferry system’s 18 vessels transporting travelers and commuters across Puget Sound were out of commission Monday morning, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Analyst: Democrats show promise in gaining congressional control

There are four candidates on the ballot for governor this fall. There will be two on stage Tuesday for the only scheduled debate of the campaign. To Andy Ellis and Cathy White, that doesn’t seem right.Ellis, the Green Party nominee, and White, the nominee of the Working Class Party, have continued, without success, to push for inclusion in the debate being held by Maryland Public Television. But MPT says only Gov. Wes Moore, the Democratic nominee, and Republican nominee Dan Cox met the criteria to be on the stage.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.Family and friends remembered Pierre Damas Bel as a hard-working, loving, and dependable young man who had hopes of building a hospital in Haiti.

The 2026 election is already underway, with primary races kicking off across the states. The midterms will serve as a bellwether for Donald Trump’s final years of presidency as voters weigh in on…

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