California
There are several bills in Sacramento focused on criminal justice, including second attempts at bills lawmakers introduced following George Floyd’s death but failed to pass last year…
New California rule allows 75% capacity for movie theaters in yellow tier and no physical distancing as long as crowds are fully vaccinated…
California will lose one seat in Congress for the first time after data released today, 4/26, by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed California's slow population growth rate…
Last week, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) launched his reelection campaign alongside a powerhouse endorsement list led by names like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Katie Porter…
The California Legislature overwhelmingly voted Thursday, 4/22, to make Rob Bonta California’s paramount prosecutor - quite possibly confirming the most progressive attorney general in California history…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is part of the Department of Transportation, said Thursday, 4/22, it is proposing to withdraw a Trump-era rule meant to stop states from setting their own requirements for greenhouse gases, zero emissions vehicles and fuel economy…
On Friday, 4/23, former Olympic champion and transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner announced that she plans to run for California governor as a Republican with Gov. Newsom facing a likely recall election…
Coronavirus
A growing call for health officials to relax rules about outdoor mask wearing could soon lead to one of the most significant changes in virus guidelines since the U.S. first told Americans to don face coverings to curb the spread of COVID-19…
One of the largest studies of COVID-19 “long haulers” has proved what many doctors suspected: Not only are many patients suffering a raft of health problems six months after infection, they’re also at significantly greater risk of dying…
President Biden announced on Wednesday, 4/21, that his administration had achieved its target of 200 million COVID-19 vaccinations during his first 100 days in office…
Two-thirds of Americans support COVID-19 vaccination requirements for college students, according to a YouGov poll…
Rapid identification of children who are silently spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 may have a similar effect in curbing outbreaks as would their vaccination, according to new findings released Friday, 4/23…
The U.S. poverty rate rose to 11.7% in March 2021, the highest level yet during the pandemic following an increase in the latter part of last year as many government benefits expired, a study showed…
American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer…
President and Administration
Only about 200 people will be inside the House chamber on Wednesday, 4/28, when President Biden delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress…
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has begun to take applications for a $16 billion grant fund for live-event businesses like theaters and music clubs…
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveiled a rule cracking down on debt collectors to stop them from forcing renters from their homes during a nationwide eviction ban, as millions of Americans struggle with bills amid the pandemic…
President Biden will propose almost doubling the capital gains tax rate for wealthy individuals to 39.6%, which, coupled with an existing surtax on investment income, means that federal tax rates for investors could be as high as 43.4%…
Biden plans to unveil a plan this week to raise taxes on millionaires to fund education, child care and other spending plans…
Advocacy groups from states across the U.S. are urging Congress to evenly fund transit and highways in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill…
The White House told lawmakers the administration’s goal is to send a full budget proposal for fiscal 2022 by Memorial Day, 5/31…
After former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering Floyd late Tuesday, 4/20, Biden was on the phone speaking to Floyd’s family…
Even as National Rifle Association (NRA) leaders are called to testify in the second week of a bankruptcy trial, the gun rights organization is launching plans to lobby Congress against gun-control measures backed by President Biden and leading Democrats…
The Supreme Court suggested it was poised to block applications for permanent residency from thousands of immigrants who entered the country illegally and later secured Temporary Protected Status…
Congress
Key Senate Republicans are planning to participate in earmarking congressional funds for local projects after their conference left in place a non-enforceable ban on the practice…
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says the panel will accept requests for congressionally directed spending items for appropriations bills for the 2022 fiscal year…
Last week, progressive lawmakers, led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), formally revived their push for a Green New Deal, leaning into the framework to swiftly transition off fossil fuels that’s become a prominent foil for conservatives…
Senior Senate Republicans offered a $568 billion counter to President Biden’s $2.25 trillion jobs package Thursday, 4/22, one that’s focused on more traditional infrastructure and doesn’t have the corporate tax hikes that Democrats are seeking…
A bill from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA.) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), introduced Thursday, 4/22, would make child care free for families earning less than 75% of a state’s median income by providing funding through a state-federal partnership…
Lawmakers should closely study who is benefiting from a deduction on state and local taxes (SALT) before making changes to the tax break, James Clyburn (D-SC) said…
Democrats introduced legislation that would close loopholes that lawmakers say are exploited by the tobacco industry to avoid regulation and taxes…
House Agriculture Committee Chair David Scott (D-GA) is pressing to expand high-speed internet access to all 24 million Americans without it by the end of the year…
Last week, House leaders reintroduced their signature drug pricing bill, which would direct the government to demand lower prices from drugmakers...
The top senators on the Senate HELP Committee say they hope to strike a bipartisan deal to address workforce development after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out millions of jobs in the U.S…
The Senate on Thursday, 4/22, passed an anti-hate crimes bill aimed at addressing a surge in attacks on Asian Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic…
The House passed a measure that would give state-authorized cannabis businesses easier access to banking services in a bipartisan 321-101 vote…
According to news reports, Members of the House and their staff will be able to escort certain visitors into the Capitol starting today, 4/26…
Julie Su, the Biden administration’s nominee to be deputy U.S. labor secretary, was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Wednesday, 4/21…
The Senate HELP Committee advanced the nominations of Cindy Marten for deputy education secretary and James Kvaal for under secretary of education Wednesday, 4/21…
On Tuesday, 4/20, the Senate confirmed Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general, 51-49. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) broke with her party in voting to confirm Gupta, blowing up the effort to make Democrats solely own the confirmation…
Education
The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended the school meal program known as Seamless Summer Option through June 2022 to support reopened schools this fall…
On Wednesday, 4/21, the Department of Education (ED) released the State plan application that will support states in describing how they will use resources under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) fund to continue to safely reopen schools, sustain their safe operations, and support students - especially those most impacted by the pandemic…
On Friday, 4/23, the Department of Education (ED) announced plans to distribute $800 million to help support the needs of students experiencing homelessness under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief - Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) fund…
As lawmakers consider additional funding for community colleges, higher education leaders are asking them to look at making targeted investments in apprenticeship programs…
Clare McCann, former deputy director for federal higher education policy at New America, is returning to the U.S. Department of Education for a position in the office of the under secretary…
An EdWorking Paper found that children who participated in summer programs that included mathematics lessons and activities enjoyed significant improvements in mathematics learning as well as social-behavioral outcomes…
A study in an Atlanta school district revealed that the highest secondary COVID-19 attack rates were in indoor, high-contact sports settings (23.8 percent), staff meetings or lunches (18.2 percent) and elementary school classrooms (9.5 percent), and that staff were more susceptible to COVID-19 than students were…