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July 3, 2013 - Following recent efforts by Texas and Ohio, North Carolina becomes the latest state to embrace Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers or TRAP laws, which aim to make it difficult for women to obtain legal abortions -- and for clinics to provide them.

July 3, 2013 - Wal-Mart is disciplining and firing employees who are demanding improved working conditions -- a sign the Arkansas-based retail giant is worried about historic job actions spreading through its U.S. operations.

July 2, 2013 - The N.C. commission charged with regulating fracking is protesting state lawmakers' effort to preempt its authority to require strong public disclosure rules for chemicals used in fracking for natural gas. Will North Carolina join other Southern states in adopting weak disclosure requirements?

July 1, 2013 - A Florida-based nonprofit called A Better America Now spent money on mailers linking a Texas congressional candidate to "left-wing extremists" and a controversy involving an endangered spider.

June 28, 2013 - A website publicizing details about people arrested in nonviolent protests at the N.C. legislature expanded this week to include salaries of arrestees who are public workers -- and suffered a setback when local officials said they'd no longer take arrestees' mugshots. Meanwhile, private data-gathering efforts in another state are generating controversy over their use for political retaliation.

June 28, 2013 - The nation turned to Texas this week to watch state Sen. Wendy Davis's 11-hour filibuster against legislation restricting abortion in the state. The bill failed to pass before the special session ended at midnight -- and now Democrats say there will be a probe into Republicans' efforts to alter the timestamp.

June 27, 2013 - The Supreme Court's decision to strike down key sections of the Voting Rights Act paves the way for conservatives to pass a host of voting and election changes. But pushing too hard could backfire in the long run.