California
California once boasted the nation’s best vaccination rates…
More than 30 states and DC filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the platforms’ apps are designed to be addictive and harm children’s mental health…
After months of staying largely silent on efforts to raise penalties for fentanyl dealers, Gov. Gavin Newsom is now paving the way to treat them like murderers…
President and Administration
On Thursday, 10/19, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to allow E-Rate funding to be used for wi-fi on school buses, beginning in funding year 2024, as the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is set to sunset…
The new White House gun safety office has its hands full…
The maker of Paxlovid, an antiviral COVID-19 treatment, is OK with the government's plan to give away its stockpiled doses for free for the rest of the year…
Many analysts are forecasting a positive outlook on the economy…
This piece by economics blogger Noah Smith about 2022 Federal Reserve and Treasury Department data that highlights how average American household wealth has increased and overall wealth inequality has dipped since the pandemic…
The Education Department was expected to unveil its Title IX final rule this month, but dozens of civil rights groups and sexual misconduct prevention groups are concerned about another delay…
President Biden’s Request for Domestic Funding
The White House is asking Congress to provide $1.55 billion in supplemental funding to help states and territories provide treatment, harm reduction and recovery support services to people with opioid use disorder…
On Wednesday, 10/18, President Biden asked Congress for $16 billion to support the child care industry as part of a larger supplemental funding request for domestic priorities…
Congress
On Friday, 10/27, Senate leaders reached an agreement to vote on amendments and passage of the stalled three-bill spending package…
On Thursday, 10/26, the Senate voted 35-62 to reject the minibus amendment by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) that would have barred earmarks (Politico Pro)….
With a newly installed speaker after three tumultuous weeks, the House is back in legislative action with passage of the fiscal 2024 Energy-Water bill on Thursday, 10/26. In a 210-199 vote, the lower chamber approved the measure that aims to gut clean energy programs and climate spending from the Inflation Reduction Act…
Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) will introduce legislation that would make permanent requirements that state Medicaid programs cover medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder…
Education
The NEA Big Read, established in 2016, supports Americans reading and discussing a single book communitywide…
A U.S. Department of Education delay in revising the forms known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) means college advisors nationally will have to wait two months until December, or even after Christmas break, to start helping the 20 million students that typically apply…
Girls consistently are outperforming boys, graduating at higher rates at public high schools…