Louisiana Voice | April 13, 2026 “2009. That’s when the minimum wage was last raised to $7.25 per hour. As of January, 30 states have minimum wages that exceed $7.25. That means 20 states still pay $7.25 per hour minimum wage after it was first set at that rate 17 years ago. Louisiana is one…

Chattanooga Times Free Press | April 17, 2026 “Tennessee lawmakers this week will consider a measure to force Gov. Bill Lee to resume participation in a federal anti-hunger program that helped feed 700,000 kids during the summer before the governor rejected the funding two years ago. In an apparent rebuke to the governor, two rural…

WRAL | April 15, 2026 “Republican Michael Whatley’s campaign raised $5 million in the first quarter of 2026, his campaign said. Democrat Roy Cooper’s campaign said it more than doubled that haul, with $13.8 million in the first quarter of the year. In total, Whatley has raised at least $16 million through his campaign and…

Politico | April 14, 2026 Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — speaking on the sidelines of the Masters — issued a blunt warning to his party about the 2026 midterms: “Even JD Vance is saying, ‘Hey, I’m not focused on 2028.’ We all need to focus on 2026 to hold the House, hold the Senate. We…

Slate | April 10, 2026 “In the past several years, Republicans in North Carolina have attempted — with varying degrees of success — power grab after power grab over the state’s government and legal systems. Now they’re trying one of their most audacious endeavors yet — an effort to give politicians control of the body…

Cardinal News | April 14, 2026 “Tens of millions of dollars have flowed into Virginia’s pro- and anti-redistricting campaigns from organizations across the country in short order ahead of the April 21 referendum. Most of that money on either side has come from 501(c)(4) organizations — tax-exempt nonprofits that are not required by the IRS…

Associated Press | April 16, 2026 “Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising star in the Democratic Party until sexual assault allegations ruined his political fortunes, killed his estranged wife and then himself weeks before a judge’s deadline to move out of their family home, according to police and court records. Justin Fairfax fatally…

New York Times | April 16, 2026 “A few years ago, Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé reconnected with a man named Bill Ross, whom she had met when she was a young secretary and he was stationed in France for the U.S. military. Both widowed and in their 80s, the two fell in love, and last year she…

Tennessee Lookout / States Newsroom: “California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales both announced Monday evening that they would resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell’s announcement came just one day after he suspended his campaign for governor over allegations of sexual assault. ‘I am aware of efforts to bring…

Arkansas Times: “State Corrections Board Member Lee Watson said Monday that fellow board member Nathan Lee could not serve on the panel because he also works as deputy secretary of state. Watson said the Article 19, Section 6 of the Constitution and various statutes and case law all say that Lee’s holding of two state…