By Sebastian Kitchen, Montgomery Advertiser

Democrats in the Alabama Senate fell one vote short Thursday of bringing up a bill that would remove the state sales tax from groceries by no longer allowing Alabamians to deduct the federal income taxes they pay from their state income taxes.   Read More

Erin Stock, The Birmingham News

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama students automatically will be placed on a more rigorous graduation track when they enter high school under a plan the state Board of Education approved Thursday.   Read More

By Larry O'Dell, The Associated Press, The Macon Telegraph

RICHMOND, Va. -- Peanut farmers in seven states whose crops were devastated by the 2002 drought are entitled to only a little more than half the $30 million in insurance payments ordered by a lower court, a federal appeals panel ruled Thursday.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Dan Joling, The Associated Press, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Facing a prison sentence of 3 1/2 years, a former Alaska lawmaker said he's broke and has lost respect for the U.S. government, but that his conscience is clear.   Read More

By Pat Forgery, The Juneau Empire (registration)

Gov. Sarah Palin, who supported the Juneau access road in her campaign for governor in 2006, is now backing away from that support.   Read More

By Sean Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News (registration)

A federal judge sentenced former Wasilla state Rep. Vic Kohring to 3.5 years in prison Thursday for taking bribes in a scheme to keep Alaska oil taxes down.   Read More

By The Associated Press, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Two Anchorage lawmakers say the Legislature needs to audit the state's Department of Corrections.   Read More

By The KTUU Staff, KTUU.com (Anchorage)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Karleen Jackson has resigned.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By John Miller, The Associated Press, Casper Star-Tribune

BOISE, Idaho -- Eight Western states including Wyoming Thursday rejected a company's plan to ship tons of radioactive Italian waste to Utah by declaring that rules don't allow for foreign loads.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Nancy Perkins, Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- The attorneys general for Utah and Arizona agreed Thursday that Texas was right in its removal of hundreds of FLDS children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Texas, more than a month ago.   Read More

By Brooke Adams and Mark Havnes, The Salt Lake Tribune

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Attorney General Mark Shurtleff called a raid on a polygamous sect's ranch in Texas no surprise given the group's resistant, secretive practices but said Thursday he would never authorize such a move in Utah.   Read More

By Peter Corbett, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

An Arizona land auction for a Pinnacle Peak resort site has neighbors worried that development would reduce access to an adjacent hiking trail.   Read More

By Howard Fischer, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)

Two former lawmakers have scrapped plans to ask voters to revamp how the state's congressional and legislative districts are crafted.   Read More

By Howard Fischer, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)

A panel of the state Board of Nursing is recommending that nurse practitioners be allowed to perform first-trimester abortions in Arizona.   Read More

By The Associated Press, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. - Six prisoners were airlifted for medical treatment after being injured in fights at the state prison in Douglas.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Diana Marrero, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WASHINGTON -- With little prospect of overhauling the nation's immigration laws before the presidential election, members of Congress are attempting to address the issue in a more piecemeal fashion.   Read More

By Suzanne Struglinski and Ben Winslow, Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)

WASHINGTON -- A Justice Department prosecutor has been assigned to review how the federal government can help state and local law enforcement with polygamy cases, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard in a letter this week.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Staff Reporters, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)

Six independent candidates for the state House of Representatives have qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot by submitting a petition with enough signatures of Arkansas' registered voters, but a seventh failed to do so, the secretary of state's office said Wednesday.   Read More

By Rob Moritz, Arkansas News Bureau

The co-chairman of the troubled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission on Thursday defended the executive director, who has been linked to an insurance fraud ring, but said he is concerned about the commission and its future.   Read More

By Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press, The Daily Citizen (Searcy)

Legislators on Thursday told the Martin Luther King Commission -- which has been beset by public infighting over its appointments and finances -- that they've grown tired of the controversy surrounding the panel.   Read More

By Eleanor Evans, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)

LOWELL, Ark. - Arkansas became the 17th state this week to have a simple, three-digit number that connects residents to community services and volunteer opportunities.   Read More

By Staff Reporters, Arkansas News Bureau

The number of homes sold in Arkansas in March fell 22.8 percent compared to the same month last year, while the average price of homes sold rose 3.2 percent, the Arkansas Realtors Association reported Thursday.   Read More

By Staff Reporters, Arkansas News Bureau

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels on Thursday certified six independent candidates for the Nov. 4 general election ballot.   Read More

By Rachel Parker Dickerson, The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway) (registration)

On Wednesday the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas Business hosted a symposium titled "Benefiting Arkansas: Health Issues for Employers" at Reynolds Performance Hall.   Read More

By Staff Reporters, Arkansas News Bureau

The state Senate has scheduled a historic meeting June 12 to decide whether a senator who won a disputed election can keep his seat.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Michael Gardner, The San Diego Union-Tribune

In their first face-to-face meeting, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and automakers Thursday agreed to explore new cooperative approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions even as they duel in court and in Congress over just how far the state can go.   Read More

By Mike Zapler, The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set to unveil his revised budget next week, Republican legislators on Thursday announced a series of proposals they said would save money and help the state run more efficiently.   Read More

By Jason Felch and Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times (registration)

One of the key issues in a case argued Thursday before the California Supreme Court is how to describe the significance of a "cold hit," when a criminal suspect is first identified through a DNA database search.   Read More

By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times (registration)

As state leaders hunt for politically palatable solutions to the swelling budget shortfall, some Democrats are proposing unorthodox ways to generate cash.   Read More

By Andy Furillo, The Sacramento Bee (registration)

Twelve California counties, including Yolo, are in line to receive a combined $750 million in jail construction funds under recommendations released Thursday by the state Corrections Standards Authority.   Read More

By Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle

A vast mountainous region glimpsed by generations of Californians mainly through bug-pocked windshields on Interstate 5 was preserved Thursday in what conservationists say is the largest, most ecologically crucial acquisition of public land in state history.   Read More

By Steven Harmon, Contra Costa Times (registration)

After millions of dollars raised and spent and a long trail of acrimonious campaigning, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said Wednesday he is dropping his bid to recall Sen. Jeff Denham, saying he worried it would get in the way of fixing the state's precarious fiscal condition.   Read More

By Aurelio Rojas, The Sacramento Bee (registration)

State Sen. Jeff Denham said Thursday he intends to campaign through Election Day despite Senate leader Don Perata's decision to drop his bid to recall the Merced lawmaker.   Read More

By Judy Lin, The Sacramento Bee (registration)

A former college president-turned-lawmaker has been named the next chancellor of California's community college system, making him think twice about his role in crafting the education budget.   Read More

By The Associated Press, USA Today

SAN DIEGO - The suspected leader of a drug trafficking ring was among seven students who pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from an undercover operation at San Diego State University that netted more than 100 arrests.   Read More

By Don Thompson, The Associated Press, Contra Costa Times (registration)

The California Senate has voted to end state participation in the program created eight years ago to rescue the delta from collapse and resolve persistent water disputes.   Read More

By David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle

Chevron Corp. and other big oil companies have agreed to pay $422 million to settle a major lawsuit over the gasoline additive MTBE, and much of the money will go to plaintiffs in California.   Read More

By Matt Weiser, The Sacramento Bee (registration)

A long-stalled Auburn dam on the American River has suffered many defeats. But the next could be truly fatal. The State Water Resources Control Board plans to revoke the water rights held by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the project. The unfinished dam, in other words, would no longer have any water to hold back.   Read More

From Times wire services, Los Angeles Times (registration)

California's Megan's Law website is being credited with helping to capture a registered sex offender who approached a 15-year-old girl near her Riverside home.   Read More

By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times (registration)

Members of a charity group threatened with arrest while trying to feed homeless people at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point have filed a federal lawsuit against state parks officials, claiming interference with their constitutional rights.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Daniel B. Wood, The Christian Science Monitor

LOS ANGELES - The arrest this week of 96 suspects on drug-related charges, including 75 students, after a six-month sting operation at San Diego State University is shining a fresh spotlight on the issue of growing substance abuse at America's colleges and universities.   Read More

By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

Advocates for the developmentally disabled were stunned and saddened when Rep. Michael Garcia resigned suddenly Feb. 1.   Read More

By Jeremy P. Meyer, The Denver Post

Separate programs or schools will probably share buildings in Denver by 2009, a change that has advantages but also could pose difficulties.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

Facebook will put in new safeguards to protect children from online predators and inappropriate content.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Judy Fahys, The Salt Lake Tribune

BOISE, Idaho - Eight Western states on Thursday derailed EnergySolutions' plans to import nuclear cleanup waste from Italy and bury some of it at the company's Utah landfill.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Ted Mann, The Day (New London)

Democratic lawmakers said they are committed to calling the state legislature back in for a special session this spring, citing their desire to extend a critical source of revenue for cities and towns.   Read More

By The Associated Press, The Hartford Courant (registration)

NORWICH, Conn. - Gov. M. Jodi Rell says victims of the April 26 fire that destroyed a Norwich apartment complex can apply for low-interest federal loans.   Read More

By Andrew Miga. the Associated Press, The Day (New London)

WASHINGTON - Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democratic superdelegate, said Wednesday that he'll decide shortly after primary season ends June 3 whether to support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as his party's presidential nominee.   Read More

By The Associated Press, The Hartford Courant (registration)

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Supporters and opponents of the war in Iraq have been granted permits to demonstrate during Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement.   Read More

By The Associated Press, CNN.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.   Read More

By The Associated Press, The Hartford Courant (registration)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Details of a sex scandal involving a top South Korean official and an art history professor, who lied about having a Yale degree, will be used by the Ivy League school to defend itself against a federal lawsuit filed by the South Korean university that hired the professor.   Read More

By Christopher Keating, The Hartford Courant (registration)

Cities and towns have nothing to fear. That was the word from the state Capitol on Thursday as Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell said they expect the legislature to convene a special session so that municipalities can continue receiving $40 million from an extension of the tax on real estate sales.   Read More

By Lsa Chedekel, The Hartford Courant (registration)

For months, state Sen. Edith Prague rallied support for nursing-home reforms from Democratic leaders and advocates for the elderly, telling anyone who would listen that "this is the year" for improvements to minimum-staffing requirements and stronger oversight of the industry.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.   Read More

By Jeff Montgomery, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)

Three major-party gubernatorial candidates called Thursday for an aggressive investigation into the causes of cancer that occurs in some Delaware communities above the state average.   Read More

By Adam Taylor, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)

WILMINGTON, Del. - The latest eminent domain reform bill in the state legislative pipeline would bring riverfront development "to a screeching halt" if passed, Mayor James M. Baker said Thursday.   Read More

By J.L Miller, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)

A legislative move to keep Delmarva Power from having its customers foot the bill for the Bluewater wind farm fight fizzled Thursday, at least temporarily.   Read More

By Aaron Nathans, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)

She's canceled her summer vacation, consolidated her shopping trips, even bought a smaller car. Still, Suzanne Lubin is paying more for gasoline.   Read More

By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)

In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.   Read More

By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.   Read More