California
California lawmakers on Thursday, 7/15, approved the first state-funded guaranteed income plan in the U.S. - $35 million for monthly cash payments to qualifying pregnant people and young adults who recently left foster care with no restrictions on how they spend it…
Gov. Gavin Newsom will appear on recall ballots without his Democratic Party label after losing a last-minute legal fight last week…
Forty-one candidates met the qualifications to run in the California gubernatorial recall election, less than a third of the number who ran in the state's memorable 2003 contest and well below what some pundits predicted, according to an official list released Saturday, 7/17…
A recent USC and the Policy Analysis for California Education survey shows that a vast majority of parents (71%) want to keep online learning as a fall option…
Rep. Katie Porter isn’t a member of congressional leadership, nor is she a firebrand who is constantly in the news…
Coronavirus
Fully vaccinated Americans and permanent residents will be allowed to enter Canada for non-essential travel beginning 8/9, Canadian government ministers announced today, 7/19…
The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings…
With deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 on the rise, the U.S. is seeing a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” in parts of the country where inoculation rates are low, the head of the CDC said…
Children are at extremely slim risk of dying from COVID-19, according to studies, which indicate the threat might be even lower than previously thought...
Pressure is growing for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant full approval to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines - or to at least more clearly explain to the public its decision-making process - to convince Americans to get shots…
The White House is countering misinformation and scare tactics after Republican lawmakers and conservative activists pledged to fight its plans to go “door-to-door” to increase vaccination rates…
President and Administration
This afternoon, 7/19, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to schedule a procedural vote for Wednesday, 7/21, to begin debate on the bipartisan infrastructure package…
The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center can continue to use electric shock devices to modify behavior by students with intellectual disabilities, a federal court said this month, overturning an attempt by the government to end the controversial practice, which has been described as “torture” by critics but defended by family members…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Thursday, 7/15, that private student loans are dischargeable in bankruptcy…
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has backed away from new public housing requirements such as fire extinguishers, a minimum number of electrical outlets and other measures intended to protect residents from serious and potentially life-threatening hazards, according to the latest draft of the new standards…
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is calling for the child tax credit expansion to be made permanent. Under the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March, parents are set to receive $250 to $300 per child every month for the rest of this year…
A new Gallup poll found that 59.2% of Americans say they're thriving…
Last week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough acknowledged fundamental flaws in the agency’s troubled $16 billion effort to modernize veterans’ medical records, a project championed by former President Trump that is beset by cost overruns, delays, misrepresentations to Congress and a disastrous rollout at its first hospital…
Last week, the Senate confirmed Julie Su’s nomination to serve as deputy labor secretary…
President Biden’s pick to lead the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education maintained her strong opinions of current Title IX regulations during her confirmation hearing last week, even as Republican senators criticized her previous tenure at the department…
The U.S. budget gap surpassed $2 trillion in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, showcasing the continuing impact of the COVID-19 crisis as the federal government heads for a deficit that will be close to last year’s all-time record…
Wall Street investors have bought into the Federal Reserve’s assurances that higher inflation won’t last, but a looming trend will test their composure over the coming months: soaring home and rental costs…
Justice Stephen Breyer has not decided when he will retire and is especially gratified with his new role as the senior liberal on the bench, he said in his first public comments amid the incessant speculation of a Supreme Court vacancy…
Congress
The House has completed full committee action on all 12 appropriations bills…
Senate Democrats on the Budget Committee agreed to a $3.5 trillion top-line spending level for a bill to carry most of President Biden’s economic agenda into law without Republican support…
Americans looking to apply for or renew a passport will face a wait time of as much as 18 weeks…
Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) released a discussion draft of their marijuana legalization bill at a press conference Wednesday, 7/14…
Last week, the Senate confirmed Jen Easterly to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, filling an eight-month leadership void at the top of an agency struggling to address widespread digital weaknesses inside the government and across the country…
Education
Last week, the Education Department released Frequently Asked Questions: Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Full-Service Community Schools & Related Strategies…
The high school Class of 2021 completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at a rate 4.8% lower than the year before, according to a report released last week by the National College Attainment Network…
The Education Department is temporarily changing its federal student aid verification process to focus only on identity theft and fraud for the 2021-22 application cycle…
A report released last week by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce finds no "strong evidence" of discrimination against Asian American applicants in admissions to the 91 most selective colleges…
The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill Thursday, 7/15, that includes nearly $31 billion in total higher education funding for fiscal year 2022…
The Education Department's office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently added three leaders in key roles that will focus on improving operations and accountability in the areas of student loan servicing and postsecondary institution compliance…