WED 3/17 | After two decades of putting record numbers behind bars, cash-strapped states switched gears and looked to less costly alternatives -- resulting in the first decline in state prison populations in 38 years. But not all states are laying down the prison keys. More...

The new state jobs numbers are out -- and they show the South is still feeling the brunt of the recession, a fact that has big political implications. More...

Anthem Blue Cross of California's widely-criticized plan to hike health insurance rates 39% wasn't an isolated incident: Insurers in Georgia, North Carolina and other states are jacking up premiums up to 50 and 70 percent. Will public outrage give Obama the boost he's been looking for to pass reform? More...

Texas, Georgia and North Carolina each lost hundreds of millions of federal funds due to under-counts in the 2000 Census. As the 2010 Census gets underway, Southern states are again at risk of losing money and political clout. More...

Unemployment has reached crisis levels, especially among African-Americans. Does Washington have the will to launch a public jobs program to put our country back to work? More...

In 1991, the first President Bush signed into law a bipartisan bill that gave birth to our nation's high-speed rail program. Why are conservatives now calling it a crazy "boondoggle?" More...

Republicans are launching a new strategy to capture state legislatures in 2010, putting them in position to shape the redrawing of political districts in 2011 and beyond. North Carolina, a fast growing state that's been trending blue, might be at the top of their list. More...

The Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United opened the floodgates of corporate spending to influence elections. What tools to citizens have left to counter the dominance of wealthy interests that our founding fathers warned about? More...