Weekly Update 3/24/25
Appropriations
Forecasters: US Will Breach Debt Ceiling By October Unless Congress Acts: The Bipartisan Policy Center predicts that the U.S. is likely to default on its $36 trillion national debt between mid-July and early October unless…
President and Administration
Trump’s TikTok-Oracle Deal Could Break The Law - But Nobody Can Stop Him: President Donald Trump’s potential deal to save TikTok by involving Oracle while allowing ByteDance, its Chinese parent company…
Magnolia: Trump’s Pardons Spark Fresh Fights Over Abortion Clinic Safety: Abortion rights advocates are intensifying efforts to protect clinics from growing threats as the administration…
MWRP: Hawley Has Pointed Questions for Dr. Oz On Abortion, Trans Care: Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley (R - MO) has urged Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to…
RFK Jr. Extends Opioid Public Health Emergency: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. renewed the public health emergency on opioids, extending the declaration for 90 days…
California
California Democrats Are in Control. So Why Are They Worried?: California Democrats are shifting focus to issues like energy bills and zoning for new housing, signaling a change from their previous ambitious…
Dem Rivals to Kamala Harris: Hurry Up and Decide: Democratic candidates vying for California's governorship are growing impatient with Vice President Kamala Harris' delay…
University of California Ends Diversity Statements in Faculty Applications: The University of California (UC) will no longer require diversity statements from faculty candidates, following threats from the administration to cut federal funding for schools…
LVJUSD/GUSD: California Lawmaker Proposed Massive Raise for School Board Members: A new bill in California, Assembly Bill 1390, proposes a significant raise for school board members, potentially increasing their salaries by up to five times..
Education
Trump’s Remarks on Movement of Student Loans to SBA, Special Education to HHS, Raises Concerns: On 3/22 President Donald Trump made news when he said that his Administration would transfer the federal student loan portfolio, valued at $1.7 trillion…
Trump defends his education overhaul with GOP governors: Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, a move he says will return…
As Trump Moves to Shutter Education Department, GOP Governors Clamor for Next Prize: Funding Flexibility: Republican governors expressed interest in gaining greater flexibility…
New Survey Finds Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate School Staffing, Services: School leaders are concerned about proposed Medicaid cuts, warning they could severely impact K-12 schools’…
After Gutting Staff, Education Department Remains Quiet on Future of NAEP Test: Massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education has cast serious doubt on the future of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)…