A “fundamentally flawed” financing model and antiquated technology hindered state efforts to process unemployment claims. Experts explain what happened and what comes next.

Unlike the federal government, states must balance their budgets each year. They are scrambling to cover the COVID budget gap.

Census Bureau data will fuel redistricting efforts in 2021, as well as give reporters clues on how Americans are weathering the COVID pandemic. A Census official offers journalists tips on how to make the most of that public data.

In an era of relentlessly negative news, can the media show readers, listeners and viewers how to turn things around?

Today’s gerrymandering is the worst in America’s history, asserts David Daley, author of two books on the rigging of elections. How to cover “cracking,” “packing” and the weaponization of voting data.

In 2010, Republicans aggressively redrew legislative and congressional lines to benefit their prospects for the decade that followed. In 2021, both sides are gearing up for a repeat. A primer on reapportionment, redistricting and gerrymandering.

The nation is evenly, bitterly divided, and a veteran political observer is unsure how – or if – the deep-seated hostility will ease.

After four years of conflict, chaos and early-morning Twitter duty, White House reporters expect a calmer Biden administration – one with more discipline but less access.

Historian Harold Holzer tells of the often-fractious relationship between presidents and the people who cover them. No occupant of the White House has ever been satisfied with his coverage.

C-SPAN’s Susan Swain interviews former NPF President Sandy Johnson on what happened behind the scenes during the contested Bush v. Gore election — and what it means for this election season.

From the Great Depression to the COVID pandemic, the U.S. has had mixed results trying to rescue the economy.

News organizations have sued the federal government for full access to Paycheck Protection Program spending. Their lawyer says SBA disclosures are inadequate.

NPF has published a guidebook to help journalists track taxpayer spending on pandemic relief. It includes useful databases, videos on how to use Excel, Python and other data tools and pro tips from leading investigative journalists.

The federal government has committed trillions to prop up the economy. How – and when – will it eventually pay for it?

A group of data scientist volunteers has produced a new set of databases designed to make it easier for journalists to track federal pandemic stimulus funding.

Voting-rights experts advise journalists on how to cover the nuts and bolts of voter access: voter ID laws, purges of voter registration roles, polling place closures and more.

Millions of small and large businesses received COVID-fueled contracts and bailouts. Experts detail how to use three tracking tools to see who those companies are.

From minimum wage to policing reforms, Nov. 3 ballots list scores of initiatives and referendums.

How journalists covering pandemic relief funds can use congressional disclosures to track lobbying and potential corruption.

The federal government has committed more than $4 trillion to prop up the economy. Here’s how to find out where it went.

Demand for absentee and vote-by-mail ballots has surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but most states are mired in litigation about the practice.

Reporters must put a human face on local public health issues.

As a nation of states, reporters need to understand how their single statehouse fits into the larger picture.

A law professor details how the administrative rulemaking process plays out at federal and local levels.

Federal agency allows reporters to track gross domestic product on the state level.

To find out what’s happening in the U.S., the Census Bureau offers several resources.

Two veteran reporters talk about how to get the daily details and the deep dirt from Congress.

State audits are plentiful and can provide roadmaps to accountability stories.

More than monthly jobs numbers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks consumer spending, inflation and other vital data.

The National Governors Association helps states learn from each others’ mistakes and successes.

A researcher describes how the nation’s massive misdemeanor system traps the innocent and makes America more unequal.

California leads the nation in providing schooling for those in prison or just out of it. Can it work in other states?

When it comes to criminal justice reform, what happens in California definitely might not stay in California.

Two experts on the administrative rulemaking process describe how the White House can wield its power through regulations.

Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal has been watching the economy for years. He offers a primer on how to do so.

It’s important to watch Washington’s budget – as well as the individual states that budget impact.

Reporters adept at covering the federal budget can find the money angle in just about every potential story.

Courts coverage gives an insight into human lives and legal minds. Veterans on the beat describe how they cover it.

A law professor and former journalist cautions reporters to not read too much into each decision and action by the court.