Fox-news/politics/state-and-local

• Five sleeper races that could upend 2026 – from Pennsylvania’s Alleghenies to New Mexico - Five unexpected 'sleeper' election contests could surprise voters in 2026, from Mississippi's 2nd congressional district to Nebraska's gubernatorial seat.
• Brandon Johnson’s progressive tax push puts Chicago on brink of rare shutdown as mayor weighs veto - Chicago faces potential first-ever municipal shutdown as Mayor Brandon Johnson weighs vetoing budget over corporate tax dispute with city council.
• Conservative legal group sounds alarm over CDC tool, reveals why Trump admin should eliminate race - Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty urges the Trump administration to strip race from CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, calling its use by local officials “DEI redlining."
• North Carolina's longest-serving governor dies at 88 after serving 4 terms in office - Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, who served a record 16 years and championed education, has died at 88 years old, his daughter announced.
• Maryland to study slavery reparations after lawmakers override Dem governor's veto - Maryland legislature overrides Gov. Wes Moore's veto to create reparations commission studying slavery's legacy and racial discrimination impacts.
• Mayor-elect Mamdani ditches rent-stabilized apartment for historic mansion - Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will leave his rent-stabilized Astoria apartment for Gracie Mansion in January, shifting from modest housing to NYC's mayoral estate.