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Why Animal Rights Groups Are Divided Over November's Meat-Sales Vote

The Humane Society says California's Prop. 12 would be the world's strongest protections for animals raised for human consumption. PETA wants voters to reject it.

All of the Above? The Ancient Voting Method One City Might Adopt

Advocates say "approval voting," which has never been used in electoral politics, offers voters more flexibility.

Most States' Tax Systems Worsen Income Inequality

A new report ranks the most and least fair tax systems.

Not Just Georgia's Brian Kemp: Other Secretaries of State Accused of Abusing Elections Power

Kemp faces allegations of using his position to suppress minority voters and gain unfair advantage in the governor's race, highlighting the office's increasing partisanship and potential for conflicts of interest.

• Democrats Maintain the Edge in Secretary of State Races
List of streaming services on a screen.

A Second State Could Ban Service Taxes

As taxes on Netflix and yoga gain favor as a way to raise revenue, a movement to stop them is growing. In November, the debate heads to Arizona.

In Year of Strikes, Education Plays a Big Role in Elections

Education has emerged as an issue this fall beyond school board and superintendent races.

People react outside of Chicago City Hall after a jury convicted Jason Van Dyke of second-degree murder in the police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

2 Cop Convictions in 2 Months: Is This a Tipping Point in Police Accountability?

Fatal police shootings rarely result in convictions. In Chicago and Texas, they just did.

Homeless Donations Are Missing Something: Tampons

A nonprofit helped Athens, Ga., address this often-ignored need and wants to expand its services.

Maskell, Nebraska, City Hall

Welcome to America's Smallest City Hall

Photos and musings from our photographer.

COMMENTARY

The Best Way to Build a Culture of Evidence-Based Government

Successful efforts to bring the use of data and research into decision-making are both top-down and bottom-up.

COMMENTARY

The Economy Is Booming. So Why Are Cities' Revenues Still Lagging?

The structure of their tax systems doesn't align with their evolving economies.

COMMENTARY

Want to Be a Good Leader? Rely On a Little Help From Your Friends.

Communities can’t address the big issues without collaboration.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

$1 billion

Amount by which California's summer tax revenues exceeded projections.

MORE DIGITS
Home health care aide helping an elderly woman walk.

Maine Could Make Health-Care History, Again, on Election Day

Voters could approve what would be the nation's first universal at-home care program. But it may face pushback from the incoming governor.

• Should Hospitals Limit the Number of Patients Nurses Can Help?

MOST READ

  1. 1

    Is the Midwest Ready for Recreational Marijuana?
  2. 2

    The Biggest Issues for States to Watch in 2018
  3. 3

    Democrats Maintain the Edge in Secretary of State Races
  4. 4

    A Second State Could Ban Service Taxes
  5. 5

    Why Animal Rights Groups Are Divided Over November's Meat-Sales Vote
  6. 6

    2 Cop Convictions in 2 Months: Is This a Tipping Point in Police Accountability?
  7. 7

    Most States' Tax Systems Worsen Income Inequality

How the New NAFTA Deal Impacts States

The revised trade pact keeps the original agreement's free trade zone intact while placing some new burdens on the auto industry.

WHO SAID THAT?

“My dad's cool. He opposed ICE. But he ate meat like a fascist.”

MORE QUOTES
A woman smoking a marijuana joint.

Is the Midwest Ready for Recreational Marijuana?

Voters in Michigan and North Dakota could be the first in the region to legalize the drug. Supporters say passage would "shock the country ... and affect federal change."

• California's New Marijuana Law Is a First But Likely Not the Last

It's a Big Year for Voting Rights at the Ballot Box

There is an "unprecedented" number of measures this fall designed to make voting and registration easier. There are also some that would make voting harder.

Trump Administration Releases Final Rule for Legal Immigrants Using Public Benefits

It is not as strict as the leaked version but would still drastically limit what benefits they could use without risking green cards or permanent residency status.

• Midterms Give Voters Their First Say on Immigration in Trump Era

A Month Before Election Day, Democrats Poised for Legislative Gains

While they likely won't win a majority nationwide, the party is poised to gain control of some chambers. How many depends on the size of the potential blue wave.

• After More Than 30 Years, the Leader of State Legislatures to Step Down

Underneath This 'Pop-Up Forest' Is an Abandoned Highway

Akron, Ohio, calls it the Innerbelt National Forest.

For College Towns, Having a World-Famous University Is a Mixed Blessing

Just ask New Haven, the home of Yale.

This Is What Happens When a City Shuts Down Mental Health Clinics

This country has never had an effective public policy toward mental illness. In Chicago, things seem to be getting even worse.

How Public Employee Benefits (Beyond Pensions and Health Care) Compare to the Private Sector's

At a time of low unemployment, both kinds of employers are beefing up their perks.

A close-up of a copy of the Colorado Constitution.

Slavery Is Still a Legal Punishment. Voters in One State Have a (Second) Chance to Abolish It.

In 2016, Coloradoans voted against abolishing slavery in prisons -- a clause that exists in the U.S. Constitution and several states'. This year, the issue is back on the ballot.