story archive
Stories by Elaine S. Povich
Posted Jun 20, 2022, 11:44 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
As embryo donation has become more common with advancements in infertility treatments, many state laws have not kept up - there is no federal statute governing the practice - and a rush of new abortion restrictions could further complicate the matter. ... Read more»
Posted May 27, 2022, 3:53 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Studies show that salary transparency can narrow the gender pay gap, and a West Virginia bill aims to close that gap by requiring employers to publish salaries and prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who discuss their pay ... Read more»
Posted May 15, 2022, 4:33 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Romance scammers ripped off about $1 billion from would-be U.S. lovers in 2021 - up from $600 million the year before - and attorneys general say they have little success at recovering money or criminally charging romance scammers.... Read more»
Posted May 3, 2022, 6:11 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how few Americans are prepared for financial emergencies and how most are uninformed about personal finances, giving financial literacy requirements as a high school graduation requirement new momentum.... Read more»
Posted Jan 18, 2022, 7:41 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
More than half the states - including Arizona - and dozens of cities now levy taxes or fees on digital streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, aiming to recoup the revenue they lose when people cut the cable cord. ... Read more»
Posted Nov 22, 2021, 10:58 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Apple Inc. will offer some tools and parts so owners can repair their own phones, conceding to pressure from consumer groups, lawmakers who introduced bills in more than half the states and President Joe Biden.... Read more»
Posted Nov 5, 2021, 2:53 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
More states are trying to assess the racial impact of new laws, as the consciousness of many legislators has been raised by the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on minorities. ... Read more»
Posted Sep 23, 2021, 6:37 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Pointing to stark pictures of inundated buildings and washed-out cars from Hurricane Ida, state and city officials are pressing Congress to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill.... Read more»
Posted Jul 30, 2021, 8:33 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
There are currently 23 statehouses where the GOP hold the governorship and both houses in the legislature, a “trifecta,” and these are where most of the conservative social issue legislation, including abortion, transgender and critical race theory laws, have been written this year. ... Read more»
Posted Jul 21, 2021, 11:06 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
In a legislative flurry, 30 states - including Arizona - instituted liability protections designed to protect businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits, out of fear that companies would be sued for exposing workers, clients or vendors to the swiftly spreading, deadly disease.... Read more»
Posted Jul 9, 2021, 1:00 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
At least eight states, all in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic except California, have laws requiring some reprocessing of food waste, to keep it out of landfills and cut down on greenhouse gases, and this year, state lawmakers have introduced at least 52 bills in 18 states involving food waste management.... Read more»
Posted Nov 22, 2016, 2:30 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
If President-elect Donald Trump is successful with his proposed $1 trillion, 10-year program to fix America’s disintegrating and inadequate infrastructure, the states have a list of critical projects handy for him. And while a trillion could be a decent down payment, it’s not nearly enough.... Read more»
Posted Aug 1, 2016, 3:15 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
As gray wolves multiply and come off endangered species lists in Western states, a new problem has emerged: Packs of wolves are harassing ranchers, their sheep and cattle. And states are trying to walk the line between the ranchers, who view the animals as an economic and physical menace, and environmentalists, who see their reintroduction as a success story.... Read more»
Posted Mar 14, 2016, 11:21 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Small government entities hardly ever combine, even when they could eliminate duplication and save millions.... Read more»
Posted Sep 15, 2015, 10:12 am
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Casinos across the nation are suffering from a generation gap, especially at the slot machines, as young people seek more exotic electronic games like the ones they can play on smartphones from anywhere.... Read more»
Posted May 18, 2015, 3:19 pm
Elaine S. Povich
/Stateline
Louisiana residents may go gaga over Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson when they arrive in the state later this year to film a movie about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. But Louisiana and some other states are starting to question whether they are giving up too much to attract such star power.... Read more»