Politics

July 10, 2014 - The number of full-time reporters covering state politics for newspapers has declined significantly over the past decade, even as more critical policy decisions are falling to the states. Southern states have an especially dramatic imbalance between the number of reporters and the residents they serve.

July 7, 2014 - Defenders of a controversial new North Carolina election law that's being challenged by civil rights groups cite statewide vote totals to argue against any racially discriminatory suppressive effect -- but local data tell a more complicated story.

July 3, 2014 - Most Southern states have opted not to expand the Medicaid health care program for the poor and disabled under the Affordable Care Act. A new report breaks down exactly what that means in terms of the impact on Southerners' health and quality of life.

July 2, 2014 - Millions of dollars in outside expenditures in North Carolina's May 2014 primary were hidden or delayed from being made public thanks to loopholes in the law. If the state Senate fails to act on a bill soon, millions more will likely be obscured from public view in November.

July 2, 2014 - Today marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended Jim Crow segregation and led to a profound political realignment of the South that continues to shape the nation today.

June 27, 2014 - In June 1964, volunteers from across the U.S. descended on Mississippi to help tear down barriers keeping African Americans from the ballot box. Their work led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, but today that law is under attack -- and the effort to restore it is getting little support so far from Mississippi's elected leaders.

June 27, 2014 - The June 30 deadline for victims of North Carolina's eugenics program to apply for compensation is quickly approaching, but as of June 1 only 518 claims were made out of an estimated 1,500 people who have been verified by the state for compensation.