Several moms in suburban St. Louis have been working to get toxic sites in the area cleaned up, a major undertaking to fix widespread contamination that some government officials apparently covered up for decades.”This was the best kept secret of St. Louis. The Manhattan Project wasn’t well known here, and it’s still a pretty good secret here,” Just Moms STL co-founder Karen Nickel said. Nickel formed her group alongside her neighbor, Dawn Chapman, in 2013.

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.

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.

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 reinforce brand loyalty.

Early in-person voting started on Thursday across North Carolina for next month’s runoff elections, including one congressional and two statewide primary contests.Voters are choosing this fall’s Republican nominees for lieutenant governor, state auditor and the 13th Congressional District seat.