Indiana s high school seniors are caught in a bureaucratic snarl as glitches in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid rollout hinder aid processing. This year, seniors must complete FAFSA or opt-out by April 15 to graduate, coinciding with Indiana s state aid priority deadline. Delays in the form s availability until January exacerbated confusion, leaving many families unsure of their financial aid eligibility. .
In the battle for democracy, grassroots organizations throughout the South are actively engaging voters on the issues that directly affect their communities - including voting rights, reproductive rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The groups Alabama Values and Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement hosted a roundtable discussion - called "As Goes the South" - to shed light on legislation of concern in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Rhyane Wagner, senior policy manager with the Black Voters Matter Fund, said some lawmakers have worked to pass bills that detrimentally affect voter participation. .
By Megan Henry for the Ohio Capital Journal.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for Ohio Capital Journal-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. For the first time since 2008, two women are serving as the minority leaders of their caucuses in the Ohio Statehouse. Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, became leader in 2023 and Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, became leader in 2022. .
Environmental activists in New Hampshire are celebrating the planned closure of New England s last coal-fired power plant. Granite Shore Power said it will close Merrimack Station in Bow by 2028 and turn the site into the state s first renewable energy park with solar power and battery storage systems. Rebecca Beaulieu, organizer for the group 350NH Action, said years of litigation and community protests helped convince the utility to change course. .
More than 8% of Utah s population lives in poverty, according to the Census and an event this month wants to give participants a better idea of the challenges and barriers those in poverty face on a daily basis. Stefanie Jones, program specialist for the Community Action Partnership of Utah, said the poverty simulation happening at the University of Utah on April 9 is all about catalyzing local change as well as empathy for those experiencing difficult times. "Really, I think what these simulations do is show you that there are factors outside of one s will and determination to get out of poverty that might keep them there," Jones explained. " .