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It’s been two years since Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey joined other Republican governors in cutting unemployment benefits. Ivey and her cohort of conservatives insisted that businesses were having trouble finding enough workers because the extra financial support — $300 a month that congressional Democrats had pushed through in a COVID relief bill — was making folks lazy. Read moreCynthia Tucker: US economy needs immigrant labor more than ever

State AP Stories

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Mississippi's Republican-led Senate has voted against confirming longtime educator Robert P. Taylor as state superintendent of education, angering some lawmakers. Some Black Democrats say they believe the rejection Wednesday was at least partly because Taylor is Black and because he wrote years ago about Mississippi's racist history. Taylor graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1990. His comments about race came in a 2020 article on the university's Center for Black Studies website. The state education board had announced Taylor as their unanimous choice for superintendent. Taylor told The Associated Press he's disappointed but respects the process. He said senators in the past have confirmed all previous nominees for state superintendent.

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A former longtime North Carolina state senator who led on tax and finance matters when Democrats last controlled the General Assembly has died. The son of David Hoyle confirmed his father died on Wednesday at age 84.  Hoyle served nine terms in the Senate, where he was a longtime co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Hoyle was a small-town Gaston County mayor in his 20s and later served on the state Board of Transportation. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper served briefly with Hoyle in the Senate and said “North Carolina is a better place for his work.” Funeral arrangements were incomplete Wednesday.

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North Carolina residents can now buy a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff. The Republican-controlled state House on Wednesday overrode the Democratic governor’s veto. It’s the legislature’s first veto override since 2018. The GOP-led Senate already voted that way Tuesday. The bill scraps the longstanding requirement that sheriffs perform character evaluations and criminal history checks of pistol applicants. Bill supporters say the sheriff screening process is no longer necessary in light of updates to the national background check system. But Gov. Roy Cooper and other opponents say the repeal allows a greater number of dangerous people to obtain weapons through private sales.

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North Carolina House Republicans have unveiled a two-year spending proposal that includes sizeable raises for teachers. Wednesday's unveiling of the House budget plan comes two weeks after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper offered his own proposal. GOP leaders had dismissed it as spending too much. Cooper’s plan seeks much higher pay raises for teachers. Speaker Tim Moore said a recession threat warrants a more conservative spending approach. House budget committees will consider amendments Thursday. House floor votes are expected next week. Senate Republicans will then advance their own spending plan. The two chambers ultimately will negotiate a final plan to present to Cooper.

National & World AP Stories

Israel’s Palestinian minority has mostly sat out large protests against the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary. It's a glaring absence in a battle that supporters say is meant to preserve Israel’s democratic ideals. The community may have the most to lose from the legal changes. Yet it harbors a deep sense that the system has always been rigged against it. It says court rulings have upheld years of discrimination and perpetuated the occupation of territories claimed by their Palestinian brethren. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week he was postponing the overhaul, following massive demonstrations and a workers’ strike. But he has not scrapped the plan, and protests are expected to continue.

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The closely watched trial over a 2016 ski collision between Gwyneth Paltrow and the retired optometrist suing her for the injuries he sustained is expected to draw to a close, when attorneys give closing arguments and send the case to the eight-member jury. Terry Sanderson, 76, is suing Paltrow, claiming she skied out of control and crashed into him, leaving him with four broken ribs and a concussion with symptoms that have lasted years beyond the collision. Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys came close to wrapping up their case on Wednesday by relying on more experts to mount their defense on the seventh day of trial. The jury could get the case Thursday.

A tiny, public liberal arts college in Florida has become the staging ground for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war on “woke.” The New College of Florida is known for its progressive approach to education and attracting a liberal student body. Now, the school finds itself caught in the crosshairs of America’s culture war. DeSantis’ allies say the school needs a conservative makeover. Sudden changes at New College have left the campus rattled and afraid. Some say they fear for their physical safety. Many worry teachers will be fired en masse. It’s increasingly hard to focus on their studies. Students and faculty say America should take note because the transformation could have national implications as DeSantis gears up for a likely presidential bid.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter says it has removed thousands of tweets showing a poster promoting a “trans day of vengeance” protest in support of transgender rights in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.