Thirty-five states have fewer children than they did five years ago, a situation caused by declining birth rates nationwide, but also by young families migrating across state borders in search of cheaper housing.

Over the next few years, state tree nurseries across the country will build new greenhouses, expand irrigation systems, upgrade seeding equipment and bring on staff. They’re hoping to turn millions of new federal dollars into millions of new seedlings — part of a collaborative effort to reforest landscapes threatened by climate change.

As the idea of free community college gains traction across the country, some lawmakers have gotten bolder in their concepts — expanding existing programs or pitching legislation that would offer free college to anyone.

Eight Republican-led states this year left an interstate cooperative that seeks to maintain accurate voter registration rolls, and three more may join them — a move that election security experts say is fueled by conspiracy theories.

Do-it-yourselfers and repair shops are celebrating a victory in Minnesota with the enactment of a new law that requires many manufacturers to share parts and information with tinkerers and small businesses.

During the pandemic, the federal government paid to make school lunches and breakfasts free for all students. Advocates for continuing the practice note that this helped remove the stigma associated with accepting free and reduced-price lunches.

Former eight-year Army veteran Wilma Fiddmont’s dreams of settling into a comfortable life in Georgia took a sharp detour that left her homeless and sleeping in her car. Her life was in shambles as the little money she had saved up quickly disappeared while she was living in hotel rooms, but she would quickly rebound in 2021 after searching phone book listings led to her discovering a new Warner Robins shelter that is aiming to end chronic homelessness for women who served in the military.

Years from now, when Chicagoans stroll the Lake Michigan waterfront, they may see the blades of wind turbines glinting on the horizon. Clevelanders could glimpse wind farms over Lake Erie. And cities like Milwaukee and Buffalo could be vying to attract a burgeoning offshore wind industry on the Great Lakes.

Years after the potential for abuse was flagged in Ohio, the federal agency that oversees Medicaid is moving to close a loophole that likely is worth billions to prescription drug middlemen.

If you’re a service member with a family, the military’s got your back. If you’re trying to start one, it can be another story.