Alabama lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation that could see librarians prosecuted under the state’s obscenity law for providing “harmful” materials to minors, the latest in a wave of bills in Republican-led states targeting library content and decisions. The Alabama House of Representatives voted 72-28 for the bill that now moves to the Alabama Senate. The legislation comes amid a soaring number of book challenges — often centered on...

Quincy, Massachusetts, City Council President Ian Cain didn’t hold back criticizing Sen. Elizabeth Warren when he officially launched his challenge against her on Wednesday, calling her a disappointment.  “No one has disappointed Massachusetts more than Elizabeth Warren,” Cain said in a campaign video posted to his social media that included negative headlines about the senator, and the viral moment she drank a beer on an Instagram Live while...

Smokers in Minneapolis will pay some of the highest cigarette prices in the country after the City Council voted unanimously Thursday to impose a minimum retail price of $15 per pack to promote public health. The ordinance not only sets a floor price. It prevents smokers and retailers from getting around it by prohibiting price discounts and coupons, which several tobacco companies circulate online to lure customers and...