Senate Bill 808 would replace the 300‑hour natural hair license with a 10‑hour infection‑control certification and create a separate hair‑design credential, prompting debate over access and safety.

Retired NYPD Chief John Chell, a Bay Ridge native, announced an independent bid for New York City mayor in 2029 in a short social-video. He positioned himself as a 'purple' wildcard focused on public safety.

State ethics commissioners will meet May 8 to decide whether six Portland councilors violated public‑meetings law at a private August retreat. Investigators recommended dismissal but the panel could still act.

Albany passed a ninth short-term budget extender on Monday, buying more time for talks over auto insurance, climate policy and a proposed pied-à-terre tax.

Mayor Joe Hogsett named Jordan Gathers deputy mayor for neighborhoods, bringing South Bend parks-and-venues experience to lead neighborhood work.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan publicly challenged GOP rival Steve Hilton on X, arguing leadership means standing up to power rather than echoing it.

Lawmakers approved a bill to relaunch state licensing for naturopathic doctors and create a Board of Naturopathic Medicine; supporters tout access, critics warn unproven care.

More than 53,000 additional Texas students will be notified this week that they’ve been awarded state Education Freedom Accounts for 2026–27.

Moody's put Columbia's credit outlook to negative, citing federal policy risks as the university eyes multi‑hundred‑million dollar bond sales.

An emergency pardon at the State Capitol spared a longtime Minneapolis city worker from imminent deportation. The board's unanimous vote follows a Clemency Review Commission recommendation and weeks in ICE custody.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Rep. Tom McClintock sent letters pressing Arlington to explain limits on cooperation with ICE and requested internal records. The move expands a months‑long clash over the county’s Trust Policy.

A roughly $130 million gap in Minnesota’s State Grant could shrink or eliminate aid for thousands of college students as lawmakers haggle over fixes ahead of the May deadline.

Lawmakers want state enterprises to invest idle reserves into a fund to pay for child-care subsidies — supporters call it creative, critics call it risky and possibly unconstitutional.