California
As firefighters work to contain dozens of wildfires raging across California and other western states, the Bobcat Fire is approaching nearly 100,000 acres, making it one of Los Angeles County's largest-ever blazes…
California’s death count from the coronavirus has surpassed 15,000, even as the state saw widespread improvement in infection levels…
Former Governor of California Jerry Brown, who has long warned of the impending disaster of global warming, spoke on Sunday, 9/13, the eve of President Trump’s visit to California, saying the wildfires in California were a stark reminder of the long-term costs of Mr. Trump’s aggressive campaign to repeal environmental protections…
Coronavirus
This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is scheduled to begin reaching out to nine million Americans who may be eligible for a federal stimulus check but who have yet to claim the coronavirus relief payment…
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) renewed its call for lawmakers to pass legislation extending and expanding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, citing colder temperatures as an added obstacle for already-struggling restaurants, bars, and hospitality businesses…
President and Administration
Pandemic-EBT was a program that had been running remarkably smoothly after being set up quickly during a pandemic…
Already burdened by the COVID-19 outbreak and a tightened deadline, the Census Bureau must now contend with several natural disasters as wildfires and hurricanes disrupt the final weeks of the nation’s once-a-decade headcount…
President Trump and his adversaries mobilized on Sunday, 9/20, for an epic campaign-season showdown over the future of the Supreme Court even as the nation prepared to honor the life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in an outdoor viewing to be held according to pandemic-era guidelines…
Top congressional Democrats are calling for a federal investigation after a nurse who worked at an immigration detention center in Georgia filed a whistleblower complaint alleging a lack of medical care and unsafe work practices that facilitated the spread of COVID-19…
Congress
House Democrats and Senate Republicans are still swapping offers on a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open at the end of the month…
The Senate will join the House in opting out of the payroll tax deferral option touted by President Trump…
More legislation is being proposed to give tax relief to individuals and businesses affected by wildfires and other recent disasters…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to appear before lawmakers Tuesday, 9/22, on the need for more stimulus to shore up the U.S. economy’s recovery from the coronavirus slump…
Education
The House passed a bill Tuesday, 9/15, that would authorize grants to boost racial and socioeconomic integration in U.S. schools, an effort expected to be reborn if Joe Biden is elected president…
As he nears retirement, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), the chair of the Senate Education Committee, is making a final push to bring about what he’s been trying to do for at least seven years -- simplifying the form students have to fill out to get federal financial aid for college…
The Student Experience in the Research University Consortium conducted a comprehensive survey of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from May to July that asked a series of questions about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their academic and personal lives…
Presidential Election
Top Senate Democrats planted a legislative flag Thursday, 9/17, in urging executive action for canceling student loan debt, teasing out the potential terms of borrower relief if Joe Biden is elected president…
Of Note
The body of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 9/23, and Thursday, 9/24, the court announced…