Reading’s Select Board sent a letter urging Beacon Hill to enforce the voter‑approved audit, framing the issue as a transparency fight while court issues continue.

The Louisiana Supreme Court reversed lower courts and ruled Ike Spears is not entitled to a share of contingency fees from the Port of New Orleans' Katrina settlement. The decision hands victory to William Hall and underscores stricter ethical limits on fee‑sharing.

A City Council bill would cap self‑checkout at 15 items and require one employee per three kiosks to tackle retail theft and protect workers.

A new House bill would sharply restrict who can collect and query license‑plate reader data in Minnesota, require warrants for most searches, and order mass deletion of older scans.

CBO's new baseline moves Social Security’s main trust fund closer to exhaustion; beneficiaries could face steep cuts under current law if Congress doesn’t act.

DFPS asked a Dallas judge to put EMPOWER under a court‑appointed manager, saying systemic failures and two child fatalities show the contractor’s operations are unsafe. The petition seeks a receiver to run Metroplex East foster care while the court reviews the agency’s claims.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson asked a federal judge to dismiss a DOJ suit seeking Utah’s full voter files, arguing state law and voter privacy bar the demand. The case joins a string of parallel fights across the country.

Rep. Paul Torkelson proposed expanding the Minnesota House to 135 and shrinking the Senate to 45 to prevent another 67–67 tie. The idea faces big constitutional and political obstacles.

Oklahoma’s Senate voted unanimously to let qualified experts testify about how trafficking affects survivors and to expand the Attorney General’s victim services. The bill now heads to the state House.

Documents show Gov. Whitmer’s Feb. 11–20 Milan and Munich trade mission cost about $208,000. Lawmakers want clearer proof the trip produced concrete investments.

A legal group filed a mandamus petition seeking to force Minneapolis to meet a charter floor of 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents — about 731 sworn officers — citing a 2022 state Supreme Court ruling.

Sen. Van Wanggaard announced he won't seek reelection in 2026, turning Wisconsin's 21st Senate District into a top battleground. Trevor Jung has already declared as a Democratic candidate.

A proposed amendment would require prosecutors’ written consent for defendants to waive jury trials in noncapital felonies, drawing support from district attorneys and pushback from civil-rights groups.