US states

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States That Gained or Lost House Seats in Census

Texas is big winner (4), while New York and Ohio lose 2 each

(Newser) - Here's a look at the states that will either gain or lose seats in the House based on the new Census results , from the Wall Street Journal :
  • Gainers: Texas, 4; Florida, 2; and six states with 1: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington.
  • Losers: New York and Ohio
...

How the States Rank on the Environment

Vermont, Maine, and Hawaii lead the way

(Newser) - Which states are the most environmentally friendly? 24/7 WallSt analyzes pollution levels, energy use, and environmental policies to rank them from 1 to 50:
  1. Vermont: Among its many "green" attributes, Vermont has the smallest carbon footprint in the country. It also releases the fewest carcinogenic toxins.

Let States Lead on Health Care
 Let States Lead on Health Care 
NEWT GINGRICH & RICK PERRY
Nov 6, 2009 1:44 PM CST

Let States Lead on Health Care

Federal meddling will only lead to higher prices and crappy care

(Newser) - The states have a handle on health care reform, write Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, and the federal government urgently needs to take a lesson from them. “Texas, for example, has adopted approaches to controlling health-care costs while improving choice, advancing quality of care and expanding coverage” write the...

If Swine Flu Is a Test, America Is Failing
If Swine Flu Is a Test,
America Is Failing
opinion
Oct 10, 2009 9:57 AM CDT

If Swine Flu Is a Test, America Is Failing

States' herky-jerky responses show problems with system

(Newser) - Take a good look at how states are dispensing swine flu shots—if they're dispensing them at all yet—and there's no escaping one conclusion: What a mess. Despite federal guidelines, each state seems to have its own ideas on who should get them first, and when—yet another example...

Jobless Rates Jump in 26 States
 Jobless Rates Jump in 26 States 
Aug 21, 2009 2:05 PM CDT

Jobless Rates Jump in 26 States

16 states' unemployment at least 10%

(Newser) - Jobless rates climbed in 26 states last month, suggesting employment recovery will be slow and governors may face worsening budget woes, Bloomberg reports. Unemployment in California, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Nevada was at its highest since record-keeping started in 1976. While California’s rate rose from 11.6% to 11....

US Aid Rules Perplex Needy in Downturn

(Newser) - Hobbled by the recession, millions of Americans are struggling to navigate benefit programs that dispense aid in often arbitrary and frustrating ways, the New York Times reports. In many cases, it's all about geography. Need food stamps? It's better to live in Missouri than California. Unemployment? The lucky live in...

Governors Back House on Stimulus
Governors
Back House
on Stimulus
Feb 11, 2009 8:02 AM CST

Governors Back House on Stimulus

Senate version provides for half as much direct state aid

(Newser) - With the House and Senate reconciling their competing stimulus bills, governors are pushing for the House version to prevail, the Washington Post reports. States would receive billions in aid if that version goes through—or next to nothing if the Senate's legislation passes. "If the Senate version holds, there...

Keep State's Woes From Dragging Down Economy
Keep State's Woes From Dragging Down Economy
OPINION
Dec 29, 2008 10:13 AM CST

Keep State's Woes From Dragging Down Economy

Now is no time to require balanced budgets

(Newser) - When the economy goes south, the government has no business aiming for a balanced budget. But all 50 governors are faced with slashing spending to do so, and “at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future,” Paul Krugman writes in...

Cash-Squeezed States Warn of Collapsing Infrastructure

Fed stimulus eyed as municipal bonds wither

(Newser) - Thousands of infrastructure projects across the country are on hold as states wrestle with budget crises, the New York Times reports. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned yesterday that California was “on a track toward disaster" as school, bridge, and road construction projects ceased, the victims of the credit squeeze and...

States Warn Feds They May Ask for Cash, Too

Deficits and tight credit may force states to beg for Treasury dollars

(Newser) - The credit crisis is threatening states with budget shortfalls, and they could be the next group seeking a federal bailout, the Christian Science Monitor reports. California, looking at a $7 billion deficit, has informed the Treasury that it could come calling. States take loans to cover lean times, in the...

Lean Times Prove Taxing for State Budgets

Shortfalls mean serious cost-cutting, fee hikes across US

(Newser) - Reduced sales, income, and corporate taxes are forcing states to cut back on services and consider laying off workers as they look for ways to slash spending and balance budgets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The National Conference of State Legislatures says states face a $40 billion budget shortfall as...

DC Ditches Glory for Power
 DC Ditches Glory for Power 
TRAVEL
Apr 3, 2008 8:15 PM CDT

DC Ditches Glory for Power

Capital ditches 'American Experience' for new tourism slogan

(Newser) - "The American Experience" hasn't been the come-on Washington officials hoped, Portfolio reports, and DC's tourist board hopes to change that with a new campaign: “Create Your Own Power Trip." With a stumbling economy projected to eat into the US capital's 15 million in annual tourism, the city...

States Hide Big High School Dropout Rates

They send 1 set of numbers to DC, keep another set at home

(Newser) - Many states report rosy high school graduation rates to Washington but publicize much lower figures at home, the New York Times reports. The higher rates often fail to account for the nation's growing legion of dropouts, but states are leery to give the feds bad numbers in part because of...

State Budgets Caught in Economy's Freefall

Spending cuts, tax increases in store

(Newser) - Politicians from New York to California are wringing their hands, wondering whether to cut spending or raise taxes. As the economy barrels towards recession, income and sales taxes are coming in well below expectations, and about half the states in the country are facing budget shortfalls, the New York Times...

States, Sellers Drooling Over Gift Card Sales

Retailers add revenue when they're used, but states want their share

(Newser) - After enduring tepid holiday sales, retailers are happily awaiting $8 billion from shoppers with unused gift cards—because only then can sellers claim the added revenue, BusinessWeek reports. But some US states say that their unclaimed-property laws enable them to extract a piece of the left-over card pie. What's really...

Super Tuesday May Be Super Confused
Super Tuesday May Be Super Confused
Jan 21, 2008 7:01 PM CST

Super Tuesday May Be Super Confused

40% of voters will pick, but race could stay muddled

(Newser) - Some 70 million voters in 24 states will make their presidential primary picks in two weeks, but pundits doubt whether Super Tuesday will resolve 2008's muddled race in either party, McClatchy Newspapers report. "No one has ever seen anything like this," said one Bush-Cheney adviser. A political science...

States Snatch Child Support
States Snatch Child Support
Dec 1, 2007 7:20 AM CST

States Snatch Child Support

States are tracking down more deadbeat dads, but kids aren't getting the money

(Newser) - States are getting better at making deadbeat dads cough up child support, but not much of the cash is getting to the kids, the New York Times reports. The money's been going to repay back welfare benefits instead. Almost half of states keep all the money; most others pass along...

Makes Cents: Final Five State Quarters Unveiled

Last coins will wrap up successful series

(Newser) - The 50-state quarter program will wrap up next year when quarters for the final five states will be released. The US Mint revealed their designs yesterday:
  • Oklahoma's quarter will feature the state bird, the scissortail flycatcher, and the state flower, the Indian blanket.
  • New Mexico's coin will be marked with
...

State 'Exports' Ease Prison Overcrowding —At a Cost

Inmates shipped to long-distance exile

(Newser) - States struggling with prison overcrowding are exporting inmates across borders to serve terms in far-flung private institutions, the New York Times reports. Thousands of prisoners from Hawaii are held in Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky. California plans to send 8,000 prisoners out of state. Critics say the policy disrupts...

California Ranked Worst for Traffic
California Ranked Worst for Traffic
Jun 29, 2007 3:03 PM CDT

California Ranked Worst for Traffic

New Jersey boasts poorest road system

(Newser) - California ranks No.1 in the US for interstate traffic jams, says a new study which focused on congestion around big cities. With traffic snarled on 83.3% of its urban roadways, the Golden State edged out runners-up Minnesota and New Jersey. Surprisingly, New York—gridlock central—only came in...

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