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NE: University weighs tighter limits on stem cell research

By Monica Davey

LINCOLN, Neb. — In an unusual pushback against President Obama's expansion of federal financing of human embryonic stem cell research, the University of Nebraska is considering restricting its stem cell experiments to cell lines approved by President George W. Bush.

NY: Gay couple rights OK'd by state's top court

By Joseph Spector

In a case that mirrors a Rochester-area decision, the state's top court on Thursday upheld the rights of Westchester County and the state to legally extend benefits to same-sex couples married in other states.

AK: Alaska gets money for green jobs

By The Associated Press

Pacific Northwest states are getting more than $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage green jobs.

AK: Jobs down in Alaska for sixth straight month

By Staff Reports

Alaska's unemployment rate jumped to 8.9 percent last month as the state recorded its sixth straight month of job losses.

AK: Alaska's high court hears predator control case

By Mary Pemberton, The Associated Press

Opponents of Alaska's predator control program were in the Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday arguing that the program violates the state constitution.

AR: Fight health bill, ex-Clinton adviser urges

By L. Lamor Williams

The health-care overhaul bill being considered in the U.S. Senate is "the most serious threat to our lives and our liberties we Americans have faced since World War II," former Clinton adviser Dick Morris told about 250 Arkansans who rallied against the legislation. The group gathered Thursday on the Capitol steps in front of a "Hands Off Our Healthcare" tour bus.

AR: Swine flu death toll 20 in state

By Staff Reports

Two more Arkansans have died from swine flu, pushing the death toll from the H1N1 virus to 20 in the state, the state Health Department said today.

AR: Board OKs beer, wine sales at Fayetteville Walmart stores

By John Lyon

The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Thursday approved beer and small-farm wine permits for a Walmart Neighborhood Market and a Walmart Supercenter in Fayetteville, the first grocery stores in the city to be approved for alcohol sales.

AZ: UA's Shelton committed to excellence in spite of cuts

By Becky Pallack

The University of Arizona faces "a perilous cliff" in funding, UA President Robert Shelton said.

AZ: FACTS fees to remain the same

By Staff Reports

Fees for a locally run low-cost child care program -- with art, drumming, snacks and homework help -- are not proposed to increase after all, following a decision from the state not to implement a large licensing fee hike.

AZ: Special-needs scholarship struggles for donations

By Emily Gersema

A new scholarship fund for Arizona special-needs and foster children to attend private schools is falling flat, forcing some parents to send their children to other schools or to home-school, and prompting some small private schools to close their doors.

AZ: Speed-camera critic takes on industry rep

By Luci Scott

A foe and a proponent of photo enforcement squared off in a public forum Thursday.

AZ: Budget agreement fails in Senate

By Mary Jo Pitzl and Matthew Benson

Efforts to trim a few hundred million dollars from the state budget fell apart Thursday when the state Senate came up one vote shy of the needed majority.

AZ: Jobless rate rises despite more working

By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

What all that means is that there is no sign that the Arizona economy has hit bottom.

CA: Utility shut-offs soar for poor PG&E customers

By David R. Baker

The number of low-income households cut off by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. after they fell behind on their utility bills jumped 75 percent this year, according to a state report released Thursday.

CA: California's poverty rate 13.3 percent - maybe

By Dan Walters

California's poverty rate is almost exactly that of the nation as a whole, the Census Bureau says in its latest massive data release, while its median household income of $57,988 is higher than all but a dozen states.

CA: UC regents approve partnership with L.A. County to reopen King medical facility

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske

In a unanimous vote that sparked cheers of "thank you" from the audience, University of California regents on Thursday approved a partnership with Los Angeles County that clears the way to reopen the Martin Luther King Jr. medical facility in Willowbrook, possibly by 2013.

CA: California flu-related deaths, hospitalizations slowing

By Rong-Gong Lin II

California health officials reported Thursday that flu- related deaths and hospitalizations slowed last week but emphasized that the H1N1 strain is still a major concern.

CA: California adopts stricter rules for drug abusers in the health industry

By Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber

In a major shift, California will impose tough new standards on drug-abusing health professionals, strictly scrutinizing those in treatment and immediately removing from practice anyone who relapses.

CO: Colorado foreclosure filings headed for record

By Margaret Jackson

Colorado is on track to top the record of 39,900 foreclosure filings set in 2007 as widespread unemployment makes it harder for borrowers to make their mortgage payments.

CO: Hit hard by times, Colorado woman still standing

By Kevin Simpson

She watched her rewarding job in the mortgage industry disappear and her financial security dissolve in a $3 million bankruptcy.

CT: Connecticut -- Road, bridge projects face funding reality

By Don Stacom

Across Connecticut, communities and business leaders are lobbying the state to widen their highways, build interchanges, replace bridges and expand public transit systems.

CT: State's home loan pain grows -- Foreclosure, delinquency rate soars

By Kenneth R. Gosselin

Foreclosures and seriously delinquent home loans in Connecticut logged another grim milestone in the third quarter, soaring a full percentage point to 7 percent of all loans — the largest quarterly increase in nearly 30 years, according to a new report Thursday.

CT: Lawmaker stopped again for using cell phone in car

By The Associated Press

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- A Connecticut lawmaker says he's paid more than $390 in fines and his driver's license has been reinstated after he was pulled over by police a second time for illegally using a cell phone while driving.

CT: Schools shift strategy on swine flu, staying open more

By Grace E. Merritt

Despite a handful of school closings last month when a second wave of swine flu hit the state — including one decision to close schools in a district where only 6 percent of the students were out sick — superintendents overall now seem to be showing more restraint when deciding whether to close.

CT: Rell announces plan to rebuild 23 highway service plazas

By Josh Kovner

Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Thursday announced a deal with associates of Subway restaurants that she said would rebuild the 23 highway service plazas and create 350 jobs.

DE: Correction Department alerts Delaware to crowding crisis

By James Merriweather

Crowding at Baylor Women's Correctional Institution near New Castle, the state's only women's prison, could become a crisis even if there's a relatively small spike in crime, Corrections Commissioner Carl C. Danberg told state budget writers Thursday.

DE: Delaware asked to invest in wind company

By Aaron Nathans

A startup company whose management includes former Lt. Gov. John Carney is seeking a state investment of $350,000 to establish an operation in Wilmington to manufacture support towers for wind turbines.

FL: Retailers want rollback of Fla. unemployment tax

By The Associated Press

Some Florida businesses want to partly roll back an increase in their unemployment compensation tax after being shocked by its magnitude.

FL: As the South Florida economy slows, so do divorces

By Julie Kay

MIAMI -- With the economy sputtering, South Florida couples are staying together more or attempting do-it-yourself divorces rather than paying pricey divorce lawyers.

FL: Need a job? Senate going to pay budget expert up to $170K a year

By Dara Kam

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander is setting up a new office to help him figure out if the state is spending money wisely. Alexander and his House counterparts have grappled with the state's plummeting revenues and are facing a $2.7 billion projected spending gap in next year's budget.

FL: Miami-Dade leaders to fight wage theft

By The Associated Press

MIAMI -- Miami-Dade Commissioner Natasha Seijas announced a plan to combat the problem of wage theft -- an effort that could serve as a model for cities nationwide.

FL: Medicaid providers get electronic records access

By The Associated Press

Florida health care providers will now be able to access information on Medicaid patients, including diagnoses and prescription history, electronically.

FL: Broward grand jury recommend pain clinic reforms

By Scott Hiaasen

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A Broward County grand jury issued a damning report Thursday bemoaning the explosion of illegal painkillers sold through Broward pain clinics -- and warning that reforms passed by the Legislature may not be enough.

GA: No new patients being admitted to Central State Hospital

By Travis Fain

Georgia's state-run psychiatric hospitals continue to have serious problems, and a recent Department of Justice visit to the largest facility — Central State Hospital in Milledgeville — led the hospital to stop taking new patients indefinitely.

HI: State gets $1.24M in federal funding to promote 'green' jobs

By Staff Reports

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said it has been awarded $1.24 million in federal funds to be used in developing an information bank to facilitate job training, job search and placement in "green jobs."

HI: Senate Dems endorse Lingle plan to use rainy day fund to reduce furloughs

By Staff Reports

State Senate Democrats have endorsed Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to use $50 million from the rainy day fund to help reduce teacher furlough days.

HI: School board approves bus fare increase

By Loren Moreno

Public school parents will pay more for their kids to ride the school bus come next year after the state Board of Education voted 8-2 tonight to raise one-way fares from 35 cents to 75 cents.

IA: New Postville packer gets state assistance

By Donnelle Eller

The new owners of the former Agriprocessors in Postville received $600,000 in state assistance Thursday for a $15 million proposal to expand and modernize the kosher beef and poultry packing plant.

IA: Culver delivers sober message on school money

By Charlotte Eby

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver delivered a somber budget lesson to school board members from across the state Thursday, but argued financial constraints offer a historic opportunity for reforms.

IA: Iowa grand jury indicts Minnesota man on animal terrorism charge

By Michael J. Crumb, The Associated Press

A Minneapolis man has been indicted on animal terrorism charges in Iowa, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

IA: $1.1 million award helps Iowa train for green jobs

By Philip Brasher

The state has been awarded $1.1 million by the Labor Department to study the state's supply and demand for labor in alternative energy and other sectors.

IA: Iowa City stem cell company gets state grant

By Staff and Wire Reports

Cellular Engineering Technologies of Iowa City received $50,000 from the state Thursday to develop a more efficient technology platform to make adult stem cells for use in medical research, drug development and clinical therapy.

IA: Culver calls for tax break review in wake of film fiasco

By Jason Clayworth

Gov. Chet Culver ordered a review Thursday of 30 state tax credit incentives in the wake of a criminal probe into Iowa's film program, a dire budget forecast and an explosion in the tax breaks' costs.

ID: Home starts plunge across the nation and in the Valley

By Staff and Wire Reports

Construction of U.S. homes unexpectedly plummeted last month to its lowest point since April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

ID: 1 in 10 Idaho babies born prematurely

By Colleen Lamay

Kristi Burke was just 25 weeks into her pregnancy in 1999 when she awoke in the night doubled over with pain.

IL: Group hears how mentally ill fare in nursing homes

By Carla K. Johnson

Mentally ill residents of Illinois nursing homes often don't know their rights and some are confined against their will, a lawyer with 35 years' experience in mental health law told a state task force Thursday.

IL: Unemployment rate in Illinois climbs to 11 percent

By Anna Marie Kukec

Employment in the trade and transportation sector dipped by 1,400 positions and the manufacturing sector lost 800 jobs, IDES said.

IL: Exclusive -- Most sex offenders in nursing homes aren't registered

By Brian Boyer and Jared Hopkins

But only 59 of the 192 sex offenders in Illinois nursing homes -- or less than one in three -- were listed on that online state registry, a Tribune investigation found.

IN: Indiana regulators approve heating assistance

By The Associated Press

Consumer advocates say they're encouraged by state regulators' decision to allow Indiana utilities to reinstate heating assistance programs for the needy, but the next step is up to the utilities.

IN: DOC defends pilot program reducing lunches at Plainfield Correctional Facility

By John Tuohy

The medium security prison in Hendricks County has eliminated lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays -- part of a pilot program that could go statewide.

KS: Kansas audit -- Teachers' hall of fame lost $251K in 3 years

By The Associated Press

An audit in Kansas shows that the National Teachers Hall of Fame lost nearly $251,000 from 2006 through 2008.

KS: Statehouse Live -- More higher education cuts expected, regents say

By Scott Rothschild

The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday retreated from its request for a funding increase, said it would not appeal a flat budget recommendation, but indicated it expected further and significant cuts.

KS: 'Tough, hard' cuts on way for higher ed

By Scott Rothschild

Preparing for another round of budget cuts, the Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday started to tamp down expectations.

KS: Official -- Repealing tax exemptions would help finance state services

By Scott Rothschild

A top official in Gov. Mark Parkinson's administration on Wednesday said Kansas needs to repeal some tax exemptions to provide the revenue needed to fund crucial state services.

KY: State jobless rate rises to 11.2 percent

By Scott Sloan

Kentucky's unemployment rate rose in October to 11.2 percent, but the state saw an overall net gain in jobs.

KY: Latest death brings H1N1 toll to 30 in Kentucky

By The Associated Press

BURLINGTON, Ky. — A northern Kentucky woman in her 30s has died from complications related to swine flu.

LA: Strain -- State still waiting for funds

By Sarah Chacko

The state agriculture department should have nearly all of $44.5 million in disaster recovery grants and loans in farmers' hands by Christmas, the head of the agency told legislators Thursday.

LA: In New Orleans, elation over Katrina liability ruling

By Campbell Robertson

NEW ORLEANS — Since the first days after Hurricane Katrina, when the streets were still under water, many residents of New Orleans and its surroundings have maintained that the flood that wrecked their lives was the government's fault, and that the government should pay for it.

MA: State slashes aid for struggling homeowners

By Patrick Cassidy

HYANNIS, Mass. — For Cape Cod families on the edge of homelessness, the holiday season just got harder.

MA: Gov. Deval Patrick to Legislature -- Get back to work

By Hillary Chabot

A steamed Gov. Deval Patrick slammed lawmakers yesterday for abruptly clocking out and taking an early holiday break as pending education and crime reforms along with budget cuts hang in the balance.

MA: Shrewsbury opposes medical waste facility

By The Associated Press

SSHREWSBURY, Mass. — Shrewsbury residents are mobilizing against a proposal to build a 21,000-square-foot medical waste disposal facility near a residential neighborhood in town.

MD: State slashes budget by $362M

By Liam Farrell

The latest round of state budget cuts imposed yesterday will limit student financial aid, slice Medicaid payments to hospitals and even reduce commuter bus trips for state employees when the legislature is not in session.

MD: Port of Baltimore to get multi-million-dollar upgrade

By Michael Dresser

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to announce today that a company will invest hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the port of Baltimore - a project likely to bring thousands of jobs to the city.

MD: Legislators fight closure of Eastern Shore mental health facility

By Christopher M. Matthews

Maryland lawmakers and supporters of Kent County's Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center promised on Wednesday to use the upcoming legislative session to fight the facility's closure by the Board of Public Works.

ME: No probe for city's TABOR fliers

By Susan M. Cover

The state ethics commission decided Thursday against an investigation into whether South Portland should be required to file campaign finance reports because of a flier it sent regarding the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

ME: Foes of gay vows face probe

By Susan M. Cover

State ethics commission staff will soon begin an investigation into the fundraising practices of a group that contributed at least $1.6 million to defeat gay marriage in Maine.

ME: Flu vaccine slow getting to Maine

By Meg Haskell

Fewer than two-thirds of the very highest-priority Mainers — children and pregnant women — have been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu, largely due to the national shortage of vaccine, according to Maine's top public health official.

MI: U.S. jobless rate to peak at 10.4%, but job growth to be tepid, University of Michigan economists say

By Sven Gustafson

The U.S. unemployment rate will plateau at 10.4 percent in early 2010 and dip to 9.5 percent by the end of 2011 as job growth lags output, University of Michigan economists said Thursday.

MI: All Emergency Unemployment Compensation extensions set to expire Dec. 31 unless Congress enacts new extensions

By Sven Gustafson

There's another problem with the unemployment extensions signed into law earlier this month: The legislation does nothing to address the fact that all of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits program all expire at the end of the year.

MI: Governor Jennifer Granholm suggests GVSU students 'fire' lawmakers who don't back Michigan Promise scholarships

By Dave Murray

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Rallying to restore funding to the Michigan Promise scholarships, Gov. Jennifer Granholm told Grand Valley State University students that lawmakers work for them -- and they can be fired for not doing what the boss says.

MI: New report shows Michigan tax system unfair, but reactions continue along partisan lines

By Jeff Cranson

Without exception, every business advocacy organization, special interest group and partisan of any stripe screams these days for some sort of change in Michigan's governmental structure.

MI: College students stung by Promise Scholarship cuts

By Karen Bouffard

With just weeks before the end of the fall semester many college students are unsure if Promise Scholarship money will be available for next term or how they might replace the funding.

MI: Another property tax blow on horizon

By John Wisely

Michigan home values have taken a nose dive in the past two years, and experts say commercial and industrial property values are about to do the same.

MI: Bills aim to force pay cuts

By Dawson Bell

Calling it "another option to consider" in addressing the financial crisis gripping Michigan's public schools, an Oakland County lawmaker wants to empower the state schools superintendent to make unilateral cuts to the pay and benefits for school employees under some circumstances.

MN: Lowry Bridge, Saints, Como Zoo fighting for your money

By Pat Doyle

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Great Culling Process has begun as legislators, mindful that labor is cheap now, decide which projects should get state help.

MN: In new role, Minnesota to aid other states

By Devin Henry

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes the New Madrid seismic zone on the Kentucky-Missouri border. Communications go offline, highways are severely damaged, and there is not enough shelter space to house those displaced by the quake.

MO: Mo. gov. to detail community college funding plan

By The Associated Press

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is to announce plans for funding the state's community colleges.

MO: Mo. public defender system topic at attorney forum

By The Associated Press

Missouri's public defender system is expected to be a hot topic of discussion Friday as attorneys convene in Jefferson City.

MO: Missouri pensions board will select law firms for suits

By Virginia Young

Rejecting allegations that they were setting up a "pay-to-play" system, Missouri officials laid the groundwork Thursday for filing lawsuits to recoup investment losses by the state's pension plan.

MT: Montana, federal officials more tolerant of bison leaving Yellowstone, report says

By The Associated Press

BILLINGS -- Federal and state officials are drafting new strategies to deal with bison coming out of Yellowstone National Park, but still don't have an alternative to periodic slaughters of the iconic Western animal.

MT: Study -- Montana's richest pay less in taxes than low-, middle-income families

By Charles S. Johnson

Montana's low- and middle-income families pay a larger share of their income in state and local taxes, on average, than do the state's richest households, a new national study concludes.

MT: Montana's Children -- Healthy, but poor, study shows

By Jennifer McKee

First, the good news, and there's a lot of it: Montana's children are healthier than kids in the rest of the country.

NC: N.C. Sen. Boseman says she won't run again

By The Associated Press

State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.

NC: .C. Sen. Boseman says she won't run again

By The Associated Press

State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.

NC: Doctor is brusque. Patient complains. Doctor fires back.

By Sarah Avery

Dr. Earl Sunderhaus, an Asheville eye doctor, has what might charitably be described as a brusque bedside manner. That much is not in dispute. But the N.C. Medical Board may decide Sunderhaus overstepped the bounds of decency when he recently told a patient she was irresponsible for being unemployed, on Medicaid, and relying on taxpayers to cover another pregnancy after giving birth less than a year earlier.

NC: State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.

By The Associated Press

State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.

NC: Prisoners allege sex abuse

By Mandy Locke

Four female inmates have filed a federal class-action lawsuit accusing North Carolina prison officials of subjecting female prisoners to extensive sexual violence and harassment amounting to cruel and unusual punishment.

ND: Dakotas deal with vaccine shortages

By Wayne Ortman, The Associated Press

The uncertainty over weekly allotments of a limited supply of H1N1 vaccine has complicated efforts to organize immunization clinics and distribute it to hundreds of providers in North Dakota and South Dakota.

NE: As pressure mounts, McClurg mum on stem cell vote

By Melissa Lee

The man who holds the pivotal vote in today's embryonic stem cell research showdown is prepared to make a difficult decision.

NE: McGill named head of Urban Affairs Committee

By JoAnne Young

Lincoln Sen. Amanda McGill was elected Thursday to chair the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee. She will succeed Omaha Sen. Mike Friend, who resigned this summer to become the first director of the state's Office of Violence Prevention.

NH: NH watching if businesses wrongly classify employees

By Denis Paiste

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Four state agencies are coordinating efforts to enforce laws that require most workers to be classified as employees and not as independent contractors.

NJ: Colleges spot chance to fight sexual assault

By Staff Reports

On college campuses across the state, students mix in dormitories and mingle at parties, but experts say they remain dangerously shy about confronting the warning signs of sexual assault.

NJ: Essex Democrat is on track as next Assembly speaker

By Chris Megerian and Josh Margolin

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver now has a clear path to become speaker of the lower house, after her only remaining competition for the post, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, dropped out of contention yesterday.

NJ: Dem leader -- Economy trumps gay marriage

By Staff Reports

Following a dust-up over gay marriage in which he said he was taken out of context, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney said it would be irresponsible for Democrats to bring a bill to vote if they are not sure it will pass.

NJ: Christie lays down his law for state

By Staff Reports

In his first major speech since Election Day, Gov.-elect Chris Christie told local officials yesterday they better step up and become part of the solution, or he would become their problem.

NJ: Corzine urges N.J.'s local leaders to share more services

By John Reitmeyer

Governor Corzine made his parting plea to a ballroom full of mayors and other local elected officials: Confront the redundancies inherent in the 566 different municipal governments.

NM: Questions surround State Investment Council money manager

By Trip Jennings

Hassan Nemazee, a longtime Democratic moneyman, was arrested last August and later accused of perpetrating a $292 million Ponzi scheme.

NM: State mulls reducing Medicaid coverage

By Barry Massey, The Associated Press

Gov. Bill Richardson's administration is proposing to overhaul Medicaid and scale back health care services to some lower-income New Mexicans to cope with a projected budget shortfall of $300 million next year in the state's largest health care program.

NM: Audit -- Suspect spending in school districts

By Steve Terrell

Three sport utility vehicles purchased for school administrators from an out-of-state dealer.

NV: Welfare told to sign contract but not given the money to pay for it

By Geoff Dornan

Lawmakers on Thursday told state Welfare Administrator Romaine Gilliland to sign a $10.7 million contract even though they withheld part of the money to pay for it.

NV: Lawmakers defer action on prison furlough plan

By Geoff Dornan

The Interim Finance Committee on Thursday deferred action on a plan to allow the Department of Corrections to avoid furloughs.

NV: The Strip -- License approved for Aria

There was never any doubt Thursday whether Nevada gaming regulators would approve a casino license for the centerpiece resort inside the $8.5 billion CityCenter development.

NV: Regulators holding off to let court rule in Watanabe case

By Jeff German

Back in May, a high roller went public with his allegations that Harrah's Entertainment not only kept him drunk but provided him drugs to induce his massive gambling losses.

NY: Governor -- 'There is no deal'

By Casey Seiler

The work goes on, but the legislators are gone. Members of the state Senate and Assembly left the Capitol on Thursday with plans to return on Monday -- if, that is, their leaders manage to hammer out a package to close the state's estimated $3.2 billion budget deficit.

NY: Governor extends buyout window; agencies asked to let workers sign up

By Rick Karlin

As part of the ongoing effort to trim the payroll and save money, Gov. David Paterson is extending a $20,000 buyout offer to state workers.

NY: Capital Region unemployment remains at record levels

By Chris Churchill

The Capital Region's unemployment rate in October was seven percent, the state Department of Labor said today.

OH: Bill aims to help workers due pay

By Jim Siegel

Senate Democrats say it's time to expand the state's ability to investigate and resolve instances in which workers are not paid wages owed them.

OH: Bill aims to help workers due pay

By Jim Siegel

Senate Democrats say it's time to expand the state's ability to investigate and resolve instances in which workers are not paid wages owed them.

OH: Republican duo says new Ohio casinos need proper regulations, no felons

By Aaron Marshall

So they are proposing what they see as sensible regulations for Ohio's casinos that include background checks on owners and key employees designed to bar felons from being involved in Ohio's newest foray into gambling.

OH: School-based H1N1 vaccination clinics expected to soon begin across Ohio

By Harlan Spector

School-based clinics for H1N1 flu vaccinations are expected to begin statewide in the coming weeks, Ohio Health Director Dr. Alvin Jackson said Thursday.

OH: Casino issue won big with absentee voters

By Mark Niquette

Voters who cast an absentee ballot in the Nov. 3 election generally were much more likely to support the statewide issue authorizing casinos than those who went to the polls Election Day, final unofficial results show.

OH: Slot-like machines in a legal muddle

By James Nash

Attorney General Richard Cordray's office insists that it cannot decide whether slot-like Sweepstakes machines are legal in Ohio because courts haven't ruled on the devices.

OH: Strickland vows to punish domestic abusers

By Mike Wagner

In response to a Dispatch investigation that showed Ohio's tolerance of and indifference toward domestic violence, Strickland called for a sweeping examination of, and reforms to, Ohio's approach to the crime.

OK: University President David Boren praises women's gifts to OU

By James S. Tyree

NORMAN, Okla. — Of the $1.6 billion in private donations made to the University of Oklahoma in the past 15 years, OU President David Boren said, "I can count with one hand the number of major gift donations that were all male.

OK: Cheyenne, Arapaho Gov. Darrell Flyingman avoids offices amid protests

By Johnny Johnson

CONCHO, Okla. — About two dozen tribal members gathered outside the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes' headquarters Thursday to prevent outgoing tribal Gov. Darrell Flyingman from entering the building.

OR: Tax measures represent next economic crossroads

By Peter Wong

With Oregon's economy and tax collections apparently stabilizing, the next development affecting state services and aid to public schools will hinge on how Oregon voters decide the Legislature's budget-balancing tax measures Jan. 26.

OR: Has Oregon's economy bottomed out?

By Peter Wong

Oregon's economic downturn might have hit bottom, Oregon's state economist told lawmakers Thursday.

OR: State issues alert on seven children's products.

By Lynne Terry

Oregon authorities alerted the public on Thursday that seven products for children sold in Target, Wal-Mart and other big retailers contain excessive amounts of lead.

OR: Oregon OKs $20 million settlement in college savings plan suit

By Brent Hunsberger

Thousands of investors in Oregon's hard-hit college savings plan will recoup some of their losses under the terms of a $20 million legal settlement approved Thursday.

OR: regon OKs $20 million settlement in college savings plan suit

By Brent Hunsberger

Thousands of investors in Oregon's hard-hit college savings plan will recoup some of their losses under the terms of a $20 million legal settlement approved Thursday.

PA: State taking heat for 'chaotic' flu shots

By Steve Twedt

In the last several weeks, as the H1N1 flu has swept through the nation and health officials scrambled to find scarce vaccine, questions have been raised about how Pennsylvania chose to handle the process of distributing the limited doses available.

PA: Rendell revises gaming claim

By Brad Bumsted

Gov. Ed Rendell on Thursday backed off his claim the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office investigated the state gambling board's award of slot licenses in 2006 and found nothing.

RI: In Providence, a crescent of green business sprouts

By Alex Kuffner

When Alteris Renewables decided to add another office in either Rhode Island or Southeastern Massachusetts, it considered Fall River, New Bedford and Bristol.

RI: Veto of domestic partners funeral bill sparks protest at R.I. State House

By Donita Naylor

About 150 protesters lit candles in the dark Thursday night and followed a black casket up the walk to the State House steps.

SC: Candidate for governor raises Confederate flag issue

By Gina Smith

The Confederate flag must be removed from the State House grounds if South Carolina is to attract jobs, according to one Democrat running for governor. Thursday, Mullins McLeod, a Charleston attorney, released a plan to create jobs and reopened an old S.C. wound about whether it's appropriate to fly the flag on Capitol grounds.

SC: Role of black colleges in higher education touted

By Wayne Washington

The presidents of six colleges and universities in South Carolina met Thursday morning with the chief executive officer of a private foundation that has given at least $2 million to a pair of historically black colleges and universities in this state.

SD: New deputy secretary for S.D. VA

By Staff Reports

Steve Harding has taken over as deputy secretary of the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

SD: H1N1 toll in S.D. hits 19

By John Walker

The report comes as communities dispense free vaccines to fight the virus.

SD: Pricey fight over ban expected

By Peter Harriman

Backers of a statewide smoking ban say they expect to be outspent by opponents in what's expected to be a hard-fought campaign after deciding Thursday not to appeal a judge's ruling.

SD: SD employers continue to benefit from work tax credit program

By Staff Reports

The South Dakota Department of Labor says $5.7 million in tax credits were provided to employers in the state through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program in federal fiscal year 2009, ending Sept. 30.

TN: UK goes smoke-free

By Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky's flagship public university gave the official heave-ho to tobacco on Thursday, touting the health benefits of a smoke-free policy covering all of its sprawling campus in the heart of burley tobacco country.

TN: TN budget cuts could close longtime institution for people with severe disabilities

By Chas Sisk

The only state institution in Middle Tennessee for people with severe intellectual disabilities could be closed under a plan introduced Thursday to cut spending.

TN: TN guns-in-bars law back in court

By The Associated Press

A law that allows handguns in Tennessee bars and restaurants is being challenged once again in court.

TX: Who's got the swine flu vaccine?

By Tony Plohetski and Nathan Adkisson

State health officials said Thursday that they have funneled most doses — about 147,000 in Travis County — to private physicians, urgent care clinics and hospitals, where workers must decide whether patients meet the criteria to receive the scarce immunizations.

US: Great American Smokeout 2009 -- Which states have most smokers?

By Tracey D. Samuelson

Those promoting Thursday's Great American Smokeout 2009 have their work cut out for them. That's because cigarette use among Americans, after declining for decades, has remained virtually unchanged for five straight years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

UT: Utah's unemployment rate rises to 6.5 percent

By Mike Gorrell

Another 4,500 Utahns lost jobs last month, increasing the state's unemployment rate to 6.5 percent in October.

UT: Abortion bill approved by Utah legislative committee

By James Thalman

A bill that would make seeking an illegal abortion a second-degree felony as well as remove any immunity for Utah women seeking illegal abortions was approved by a legislative committee Wednesday morning.

UT: Legislators intent on fixing bonus situation at trust lands agency

By Robert Gehrke

A series of bonuses given to Utah's school trust lands top officials are still in the crosshairs of legislative leaders, who are convinced the $150,000 in payments were an end-run around state budget cuts.

VA: Hundreds get help at service fair for the homeless

By Jeremy Slayton

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran has survived since August without a permanent roof over his head, and he understands the consequences of living on the streets.

VT: Worker deaths hold fast in Vermont

By Staff Reports

Work-related fatalities last year in Vermont remained the same as a year earlier, bucking a decline across New England and the nation.

VT: Vermont smokers seek help quitting

By Nancy Remsen

Vermont is likely to fall short of reducing the number of adult smokers to 11 percent of the population -- the target set in 2000 for 2010. Still more smokers are seeking help, especially from the state's online Web site -- Vermont Quit Network.

VT: Feds hit farms looking for illegal immigrants

By Sam Hemingway

Federal immigration officials served subpoenas on at least four Vermont dairy farms Thursday as part of a national crackdown on businesses suspected of using immigrant workers who have entered the country illegally.

WA: Governor opposes delay in WASL math and science

By Randy Dorn

Gov. Chris Gregoire says she opposes state schools chief Randy Dorn's proposal to delay the requirement for students to pass state math and science tests to graduate.

WA: Ranks of uninsured swell in state

By John Stucke

Washington state is on pace to reach a dangerous milestone within 14 months, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said Thursday: 1 million uninsured residents.

WA: Unpaid Wash. medical bills near $1B per year

By The Associated Press

Washington's insurance commissioner says unpaid medical bills in the state will cost about $1 billion a year by 2011.

WA: State budget gap widens

By Brad Shannon

An additional $760 million in hoped-for state revenue evaporated in the latest economic forecast, and lawmakers began talking up the pros and cons of tax increases to help plug a budget shortfall now estimated at $2.7 billion.

WA: Saving two programs funded by state focus of public forum

By Kathie Durbin

The Southwest Washington Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities will hold a public forum Saturday to build support for the preservation of two state-funded programs that help seniors and the disabled and their families.

WA: Governor opposes delay in WASL math and science testing

By The Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday she opposes state schools chief Randy Dorn's proposal to delay the requirement for students to pass math and science tests to graduate, because the state's economy depends on Washington students leaving high school well trained in both subjects.

WI: Troubled mortgages at record level in state

By Thomas Content

One of every nine homeowners in Wisconsin was behind on mortgage payments or in foreclosure at the end of September - a record level that industry observers said Thursday is likely to rise.

WV: Foster-care agencies seek higher payments

By Alison Knezevich

Private foster-care agencies in West Virginia hope state lawmakers will boost their daily payments, saying it will help them retain good foster parents and social workers who care for abused and neglected children.

WY: Revenue committee finally passes some tax bills

By Phil Noble

The legislature's Joint Interim Revenue Committee spent the day Nov. 18 killing bills, including measures calling for taxes on electric generation, wind energy, property and fuel.

WY: Committee passes two juvenile detention bills

By Michael Van Cassell

Legislators could consider two bills next year aimed at creating uniformity for how juvenile offenders are handled in Wyoming.

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