In America, where you live directly affects how long you will live — that’s according to a new study published in Wednesday’s journal of Population Health Metrics. Using data covering the years 1987 to 2007, researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle have found that while the nation’s life expectancy is at an all time high, more than 80 percent of counties in the country are lagging behind the top 10 nations when it comes to life expectancy.

Virginia state lawmakers are debating a bill that would amend state law to prevent undocumented immigrants from enrolling in public state colleges and universities. Passage of the bill would make Virginia the fourth state to prevent, in one way or another, undocumented students from attending state schools. This comes a month after the defeat of the DREAM Act in Congress, which would have allowed some undocumented immigrants to attain legal status by attending college or serving in the military. 

Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is one of several politicians spearheading a proposal for re-balancing state and federal power, through what's being called the "repeal amendment." The amendment to the Constitution would, with a vote of 33 states' legislatures, give states the ability to repeal any federal law passed in Congress. Virginia has a long history of states' rights activism — in response to the federally-mandated desegregation of schools in the 1950s, state leaders responded with "massive resistance," choosing to privatize some school districts to prevent integration. As the South commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Confederacy, is this new emphasis on states' rights a step towards secessionism?

District courts across the country are passing judgement on the Obama administration's health care reform legislation. Yesterday Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled the "individual mandate," that requires everyone to purchase health insurance, was unconstitutional. He says the government overstretched its powers under the Constitution's "Commerce Clause," which allows Congress to regulate individual conduct that affects the economy. Judge Hudson's ruling opens up the debate further, but how will it play in higher courts? 

A textbook distributed to Virginia's fourth graders states that African Americans served in the Confederate Army by the thousands. The book, "Our Virginia: Past and Present" was distributed for the first time last month to outcry from parents and educators.

Historians are criticizing the fourth-grade textbook in Virginia that says thousands of African Americans fought for the South during the Civil war. The author of the book, “Our Virginia: Past and Present,” says she wrote it based on information she found on the internet.

The story comes at the same time Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell is in the headlines for asking if the separation of church and state is really in the constitution.

In light of these two stories, we're talking about what U.S. history we need to get right and what parts of history are the most important to know. And we're asking you: 

What is the most important part of United States history that you think everyone should know?

Republicans are implementing different strategies in different states to challenge key parts of health care reform, specifically the part says, if you don't have insurance, you must buy it by 2014. In Missouri, there will be a ballot in the primaries today, and in Virginia, a judge has allowed the state's attorney general to file suit in court. 

John Allen Muhammad, the "D.C. Sniper," is scheduled to die by lethal injection tonight in Virginia. In October 2002, Muhammad and a then-teenaged accomplice terrorized the Washington D.C. area with a series of shootings. Cheryll Witz's father, Jerry Taylor, was killed by the snipers in March 2002. She will attend the execution tonight, and says a confession by one of the killers helped her get closure. We'll put the search for closure to Dr. Sindey Weissman, a psychiatrist and professor of psychology at Northwestern University.

Despite President Obama’s repeated appearances on the campaign trail, Democrats lost both of the gubernatorial elections up for grabs yesterday. Does this mean that the president has lost some of his political clout? Or were local voters simply interested in local concerns? To assess the political implications of the Republican wins in historically blue New Jersey and purple Virginia, we speak to WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly and Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney.

In New York's 23rd, however, weeks of drama culminated in a Democrat taking the historically red congressional district. We speak again with Brian Mann, a reporter with North Country Public Radio.

Tomorrow will bring three off-year elections that have garnered national attention: New Jersey and Virginia will elect governors, and a special election – which grew more special over the weekend as the Republican candidate suspended her campaign and endorsed her Democratic opponent – is scheduled for New York's 23rd Congressional District. For more on the New York race we turn to Brian Mann, reporter for North Country Public Radio. WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly has been covering the New Jersey governor's race. And Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney is watching the Virginia governor's race.

State Senator R. Creigh Deeds won Virginia's three-way Democratic primary for governor Tuesday. Deeds’ win over former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe was something of a surprise. What is the political future of this "purple" state? The Takeaway talks to Beverly Amsler, morning anchor for WVTF radio in Roanoke, Virginia.