US states news stories on Newser

Guess Which State Americans Hate Most?

Kevin Spak — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:24:08 CST

Americans are generally pretty positive, or at least indifferent, about these United States. Public Policy Polling asked 1,200 people how they felt about each of the 50 states, and only five were viewed more unfavorably than favorably. America's favorite state, by an overwhelming margin was Hawaii, while its least...

States, Cities Gutted Spending in 2011

Matt Cantor — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:13:20 CST

The final three months of 2011 saw states, cities, and school districts making their biggest spending cuts in a decade, USA Today reports. Spending dropped 1.6% from the same period the year before, plummeting by $26 billion. The result: States are seeing their smallest shortfalls in years, and in...

North Dakota May Not Be a State

Evann Gastaldo — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:00:05 CDT

North Dakota has been a state since 1889—or has it? An 82-year-old government watchdog and local historian has been trying, for 16 years, to get someone to notice an important flaw in the state's constitution that he says renders North Dakota's very statehood invalid. The state constitution omits the...

Video Pokes at 50 State Stereotypes

Kate Schwartz — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:40:05 CDT

Every one of the 50 states will no doubt be teeming with barbecues, parades, and fireworks today. But that shared love of corn on the cob isn't the only thing the 50 states have in common. Each lays claim to a specific stereotype. Like, for instance, Indiana: "You have to...

And the Least-Stressed US State Is...

Matt Cantor — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:48:05 CDT

America is about as stressed as it was last year, a recent poll finds: Some 39.4% of 352,840 respondents called themselves stressed “a lot of the day,” compared to 39.9% last year. The year before was just a little more relaxed, with 38.8% saying they were...

Ten States Losing Smart People

247wallst — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:30:22 CST

Some states are not keeping up with the others in regard to education. Declining math and reading scores, lower numbers of people with post-secondary degrees, and loss of white-collar workers all imply a decrease in "smart people" compared to the rest of the country. A look at the states in...

Top 10 States in Deepest Debt

Nick McMaster — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:55:05 CST

Forty-four states will likely come up short of their budgets in 2012, a development that has lawmakers considering a special bankruptcy provision for states. But which are deepest in the hole? The Daily Beast crunched the numbers, factoring in not just debt but unfunded pension and health care obligations. Here's...

Cantor: No Bailouts, Bankruptcy for States

Rob Quinn — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:38:52 CST

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are in favor of changing the rules to allow cash-strapped states to seek bankruptcy protection , but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is pooh-poohing the idea. Cantor says states already have the power to balance their books through cutting spending, raising taxes, or renegotiating...

Way Out for Struggling States: Bankruptcy?

Matt Cantor — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:50:07 CST

As cash-strapped states scrabble to fix budgets and pay public workers’ pensions, some lawmakers are pointing to bankruptcy as a solution, the New York Times reports. States can't go that route currently because they're technically sovereign entities, but backers say it's a better alternative to what the Times terms "no-strings...