Author: Reporter

A new year of lawmaking and politicking is underway in U.S. statehouses. Governors are acting quickly to outline their agendas. And in many cases, the influence of President Donald Trump already is rippling through states in both symbolic and substantive ways. Some state officials are trying to tackle concerns that propelled Trump to office such as the economy, affordable living, and immigration. Some are mimicking Trump’s government efficiency panel, though they lack a headlining billionaire like Elon Musk to lead it. And many waded into the debate about whether U.S. flags would fly high on Inauguration Day to honor...

As President Donald Trump tightens the nation’s immigration policies, lawmakers in Democratic-led states are proposing new measures that could erect legal obstacles for federal immigration officials and help immigrants lacking legal status avoid deportation. The resistance efforts in California, New York, and other states are a counterpoint to the many Republican-led states advancing measures to aid Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, highlighting a national divide. In just his first week in office, Trump’s administration has halted refugee arrivals; fast-tracked deportations; sent military troops to the southern border; lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals; attempted...

Less than a week into his presidency, the Trump administration touted deportation efforts and published new rules on January 24 making it easier to remove people, part of a flurry of actions to make good on campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration. Amid the latest show of force by officials, waves of worry reverberated in parts of the country, with officials in Newark, New Jersey, lashing out over what they called illegal arrests by immigration agents. President Donald Trump’s administration portrayed U.S. military planes carrying migrants that touched down in Central America as a start to deportations...

President Donald Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip. The proposal indicated his willingness to “just clean out” most of the population to create a virtual clean slate. During a 20-minute question-and-answer session on January 25 with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also said he had ended his predecessor’s hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifted a pressure point meant to reduce civilian casualties during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, which is now halted by a...

More than two decades ago, when gay men and lesbians were prohibited from serving openly in the U.S. military and no state had legalized same-sex marriages, a national LGBTQ+ rights group decided to promote change by grading corporations on their workplace policies. The Human Rights Campaign initially focused its report card, named the Corporate Equality Index, on ensuring that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer employees did not face discrimination in hiring and on the job. Just 13 companies received a perfect score in 2002. By last year, 545 businesses did even though the requirements have expanded. But the...