GA: Record 301K early votes cast in one day in Georgia runoff for US Senate
Georgia voters set a single-day early turnout record as 301,500 people stormed to the polls on the first day they were open in most counties ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff.
MA: Massachusetts offers $75 to get COVID booster shots
Massachusetts is upping the ante for COVID-19 booster shots with over 200 walk-in vaccination clinics across the state offering $75 gift cards to anyone who gets their shot through the holiday season.
MN: More Minnesotans visiting food shelves in 2022 than in previous years
Minnesota’s nearly 400 food shelves are on pace to record 5.1 million visits in 2022, according to preliminary data — the highest number in the state’s history and far surpassing the record 3.8 million visits in 2020 when the pandemic first hit. Food shelves are seeing a jump in the number of people in need, especially older adults and families seeking help for the first time.
TN: Tennessee child welfare agency houses children in hospitals for months
Children taken into the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services are spending upwards of eight months in hospital beds across the state because the agency has nowhere else to put them. The children typically land in DCS custody after being removed from homes on allegations of abuse or neglect and often carry the dual weight of trauma from their home life and their sudden removal.
NE: Nebraska seeks missing wild turkeys
Hunters and conservationists hope a new study of Nebraska’s declining wild turkeys will lead to helping the roaming gobblers rebound.
NM: Biden asks Congress for more aid for New Mexico wildfire victims
President Joe Biden has asked Congress for another $2.9 billion for New Mexico to recover from a wildfire ignited by the U.S. Forest Service, the largest in the state’s recorded history. If passed, victims would be in line to receive more than $5 billion total in federal compensation.
ID: Idaho health department asks court to dismiss trans discrimination lawsuit
An attorney representing the state of Idaho filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit against the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare over alleged discriminatory policies that deny transgender people coverage under Medicaid for gender-confirmation surgery.
DC: District of Columbia lawmakers pitch a plan for ‘Green New Deal for Housing’
The proposal would authorize the District of Columbia’s local government to buy properties and convert them into social housing. It includes prioritizing building housing near Metro stations, to reduce the climate impacts of car commuting, and other environmental standards for the social housing buildings.
WY: Jackson Hole wealth skyrockets as Wyoming struggles to claim a piece
The average per-capita income in Wyoming’s Teton County soared to $318,297 in 2021, a leap an analyst called a “truly breathtakingly mind-blowing” increase that put the community far above any other county in the U.S.
TX: Texas governor fires head of embattled child welfare agency
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fired the head of Texas’ child welfare agency, ending a three-year tenure that was marked by scandal and a troubled overhaul of the state’s foster care system. Jaime Masters took over the agency amid a years-long class action lawsuit over foster care conditions, telling a federal judge last year that “I do feel like I am failing the children.”
ME: Maine’s M budget surplus will fuel governor’s heating aid package
Maine is slated to see $280 million more in state revenue than previously expected, a panel said in a forecast that will determine the size of a heating aid bill being crafted by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and key lawmakers.
MI: Michigan governor: ‘Clear’ state lawmakers can improve school seclusion and restraint laws
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, says Michigan should improve how it regulates the usage of a controversial tactic educators deployed nearly 94,000 times since lawmakers tried to tamp down on the maneuvers. Leading Democrats in the state House and Senate echoed the call.
NJ: New Jersey’s plan to expand special education hasn’t gone as hoped
A year and a half ago, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers approved a three-year extension of special-education eligibility for students whose lives had been disrupted by the pandemic. The initiative was well-meaning, but it hasn’t helped nearly as many as hoped.
OH: Ohio lawmakers won’t pass bill this year to restrict transgender medical care for minors
Controversial legislation that would prohibit Ohio doctors from performing gender-confirmation surgery on minors has been placed on hold until next year, according to a spokesperson for Ohio Republican House Speaker Bob Cupp.
SD: South Dakota blocks TikTok from state devices
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, blocked TikTok, a popular social media platform, from devices used by state employees and contractors. Recently, the FBI said that TikTok could pose national security concerns because of possible data collection or influence on users.
MD: Maryland official charged with illegal hunting
Maryland’s top agriculture official was charged with illegally hunting waterfowl on Thanksgiving. Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Bartenfelder, a Democrat, was among five people charged with hunting game birds with the help of bait near a pond, police said.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Related News
