California
Governor Gavin Newsom called on the Legislature to put a $3 to $5 billion bond measure before voters in 2024 to create 6,000 more beds for individuals in mental health crises
President and Administration
On Tuesday, 3/14, President Biden traveled to Monterey Park, California, where a mass shooting claimed 11 lives, to announce an Executive Order designed to increase the number of background checks before firearm sales, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation…
New data shows a significant increase in deaths among pregnant people in the United States in 2021, cementing America as the most dangerous, wealthy country for women to be pregnant or give birth…
Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) are working on legislation that would more than double the budget of the National Health Service Corps, which offers scholarships and loan repayment for health providers who work in underserved areas…
On Tuesday, 3/14, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) authorized emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for kids six months to four years old…
The Biden administration is proposing the first-ever federal limits for toxic chemicals in drinking water…
In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first formal clinical practice guidelines centered on the screening and treatment of young patients with obesity…
More than 900 charter school authorizers nationwide are responsible for ensuring that schools operating within their portfolios are meeting student and family needs…
It’s unclear whether President Biden’s student loan cancellation plan will survive a legal challenge now before the Supreme Court, but a different federal program may still offer relief to many borrowers…
According to a Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) recent report, the Biden administration’s proposed overhaul of income-driven repayment would cost $230 billion over 11 fiscal years, 2023 through 2033…
Congress
On Friday, 3/17, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) announced that they would seek to stop Biden’s debt relief program using the Congressional Review Act, a tool that allows lawmakers to overturn recently enacted executive branch rules…
This week, House Republicans are planning to pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), to ensure that parents "have a seat at the table when it comes to their children's education”…
On Friday, 3/17, the majority of House members from Ohio introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act, a bill that aims to improve rail safety in the wake of last month's derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, including provisions related to notification, first responders, and rail inspections…
Education
The Biden administration’s $90 billion plan to provide free community college likely won’t make it through Congress, but supporters maintain the request shows it’s a priority for the administration and helps to continue the national conversation…
According to the latest Healthy Minds survey, college students are experiencing all-time high rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality…
Hundreds of thousands of young people who came of age during the pandemic did not go to college. Many have turned to hourly jobs or careers that don’t require a degree, while others have been deterred by high tuition and the prospect of student debt…
The Association of Community College Trustees and the National Head Start Association are partnering to bring more Head Start centers to community college campuses…