California
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, 3/24, named Rob Bonta, a Democratic state legislator and loyal political ally, to succeed Xavier Becerra as attorney general…
California is one of 11 states that still distinguish between spousal rape and rape…
Californians frustrated by the hunt for COVID-19 vaccine appointments may have to wait several more weeks for an appointment, Blue Shield’s CEO said on Friday, 3/26…
Gun control advocates are putting pressure on the gun industry to comply with California’s unique law requiring individual identifiers on all bullet casings, a fairly ineffective mandate approved in 2007…
The mayor of Oakland on Tuesday, 3/23, announced a privately funded program that will give low-income families of color in the city $500 per month with no rules on how they can spend it…
California added 141,000 jobs in February as more than a quarter of a million people returned to the workforce, state officials announced Friday, 3/26, a reflection of loosening virus restrictions on businesses as more people get vaccinated…
Coronavirus
Today, 3/29, President Biden urged state and local officials to reconsider lifting their COVID-19 restrictions and to reinstate mask mandates that have lapsed as the U.S. faces an increase in cases…
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are climbing in half of the U.S., the latest sign that the nation’s fourth upswing in infections is underway…
Researchers in the U.S. and abroad are beginning to test younger children to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for all ages…
49 percent of educators have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to a new survey by the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest union representing nearly 3 million members…
On Thursday, 3/25, the Senate voted 92-7 to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from 3/31 to the end of May…
Face masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes can qualify as medical expenses for tax deductions or can be paid for with money from tax-advantaged health accounts, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Friday, 3/26…
President and Administration
President Biden will unveil the framework for a major infrastructure-and-jobs program on Wednesday, 3/31, in Pittsburgh, and later in the week will offer a glimpse of his 2022 budget - which promises to redirect federal funds to areas such as climate change and health care…
President Biden on Thursday, 3/25, prioritized the country’s numerous crises, pledging to administer 200 million COVID-19 vaccine shots by end of April, repair U.S. infrastructure and expand voting rights, with guns and immigration as secondary priorities…
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday, 3/24, that he expects 100 percent of schools to be open for in-person learning in the fall as vaccination efforts continue amid the pandemic…
The Homeland Security Department will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking “to preserve and fortify” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement…
Federal food assistance recipients won a victory as President Biden’s Agriculture Department abandoned a Trump administration court challenge designed to compel states to enforce work requirements to receive the aid…
Business groups are challenging the Department of Labor’s decision to delay a Trump-era rule that would make it easier for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors…
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said his plan to slow First Class mail and hike rates will help the U.S. Postal Service avoid bigger financial deficits in the future…
The Biden administration is escalating efforts to safeguard the U.S. power grid from hackers, developing a plan to better coordinate with industry to counter threats and attacks, said people familiar with the matter…
Congress
Moderate Senate Democrats are pushing their leaders for a more modest approach to the party’s signature minimum wage hike, arguing for a compromise that can attract broader support after the defeat of a $15 hourly wage proposal…
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says voting rights, economic recovery and gun safety are on the agenda when lawmakers return in mid-April…
College lobby groups launched a campaign on Thursday, 3/25, for lawmakers to double the total value of grants to low-income students…
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday, 3/24, unanimously advanced the bipartisan “Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021”…
Seven House committees launched a sweeping investigation Thursday, 3/25, into the federal government's handling of the 1/6 assault on the Capitol and the intelligence and security breakdowns preceding it…
Education
The Education Department's Office of Federal Student Aid unveiled a new portal last night, 3/28, to ease the administration of aid programs…
The Department of Education announced today, 3/29, that relief for certain borrowers who have received student loan discharges due to total and permanent disability…
Legislatures are weighing proposals to establish summer learning initiatives, expand afterschool programs and extend the school year…
The Institute of Education Science’s Monthly School Survey Dashboard shows almost 50 percent of white students attended in-person school full-time in January, compared to just 28 percent of Black and 33 percent of Hispanic students…
Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Republican Leader Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona questioning a recently released template for states to request waivers of certain accountability and reporting requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which appears to violate the Secretary’s authority….