Massachusetts Senate passes $46B proposed state budget plan

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Senate has approved its version of a $46 billion proposed state budget, about a 5.5% increase over the prior fiscal year.

Top Nebraska pandemic expert 'frightened' about rising cases

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A prominent Nebraska infectious disease expert sounded the alarm Thursday about the state's surging coronavirus cases and called for a statewide mask mandate, a step Gov. Pete Ricketts has repeat…

Nashville limits gatherings to 8 people amid virus surge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville is tightening restrictions to fight the surging coronavirus by limiting gatherings to eight people, Mayor John Cooper announced Thursday.

Indiana's average COVID-19 daily deaths pass April peak

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Almost one in six of Indiana’s COVID-19 infections during the pandemic have been confirmed in the past week as the state’s daily average of coronavirus deaths has reached its highest level follo…

Undated envelopes could decide tight state Senate election

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A neck-and-neck western Pennsylvania state Senate race may hinge on whether the Republican challenger can convince appeals courts that ballots in signed, mail-in envelopes should not count if…

Ohio Senate OKs revamp of eligibility for school vouchers

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A proposal to revamp who can qualify for Ohio's biggest school voucher program has cleared the Republican-led state Senate over Democrats' dissent and is scheduled to go to a vote in the House…

Mayo Clinic: 905 staff diagnosed with COVID in past 2 weeks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — More than 900 staff members in the Mayo Clinic Health System in the Midwest have been diagnosed with COVID-19 over the last two weeks as the virus continues to surge across the region, officials …

Pennsylvania lawmakers prepare to vote $10B budget package

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Legislature was set to begin voting Thursday on a nearly $10 billion no-new-taxes spending package to carry state government through the rest of the fiscal year and fill,…

Nebraska hospitals straining to cope with coronavirus surge

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska hospitals are straining to cope with the spike in coronavirus patients, and officials are urging the public to wear masks and take other precautionary steps to slow the spread of the dis…

Feds charge 3rd Cincinnati councilman with corruption

CINCINNATI (AP) — A Cincinnati city councilman who has been planning to run for mayor has been indicted on federal corruption charges.

State: Too late for Detroit-area county to yank election OK

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan's largest county can't revoke its certification of election results, officials said Thursday after two Republicans who approved Joe Biden's local landslide wanted to revert to their initial …

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Early voting starts Friday in Louisiana's runoff elections

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — While most of the nation has wrapped up the 2020 election cycle, Louisiana voters will start casting ballots Friday as the weeklong early voting period begins in a slate of December runoffs.

Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney wins reelection to U.S. House in New York's 18th Congressional District

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney wins reelection to U.S. House in New York's 18th Congressional District.

N.C. House speaker's chief of staff going to UNC system

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — State House Speaker Tim Moore's chief of staff is leaving the post for a job within the University of North Carolina system.