President and Administration:
Appeals court lifts block on Trump’s Oregon troop deployment: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday cleared the administration to proceed with deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, overturning a lower court’s temporary block. The 2-1 ruling, issued by two Trump-appointed judges, allows Oregon and California Guard members to be stationed…
Comey lawyers move to dismiss case: Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey asked a federal judge to dismiss the criminal case against him, alleging it is a politically motivated prosecution ordered by President Trump out of personal animosity. In court filings, Comey’s lawyers argued that Trump pressured the Justice Department to bring charges after multiple prosecutors declined, ultimately appointing Lindsey Halligan—one of his former personal attorneys…
Trump puts political appointees in charge of hiring feds: Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to create strategic hiring committees led by political appointees, giving them greater control over civil service hiring to align with administration…
Chamber sues Trump to block $100,000 fee for H-1B visas: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit to block a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, arguing the policy is unlawful and exceeds executive authority. The Chamber says the fee would…
Supreme Court appears poised to weaken Voting Rights Act (VRA): The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled it may restrict or eliminate the use of race in drawing election districts, which could significantly weaken the Voting Rights Act and reshape congressional maps across the South. During arguments in a case over Louisiana’s 2024 redistricting plan…
State Department revokes visas over Charlie Kirk comments: The State Department has revoked the visas of at least six foreign nationals from countries including Argentina, South Africa, and Mexico after they made social media posts celebrating the death of conservative activist…
California:
Bay Area universities losing millions in minority grant funding: The U.S. Department of Education redirected $350 million in federal funding from minority-serving institution grants to charter schools and other programs, prompting Bay Area universities to lose over $2 million in support…
Transportation Department withholds $40M from California over English-speaking requirements: The administration has withheld over $40 million in federal transportation funding from California, claiming the state failed to comply with new English-speaking requirements for commercial truck drivers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy…
Education:
Supreme Court refuses parental challenge to school district's gender identity policy: The Supreme Court declined Tuesday (10/14) to hear a lawsuit from two Colorado families who said the Poudre School District violated their parental rights by keeping…
Teacher turnover contributes to suspensions and referrals, study finds: A new study from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development finds teacher turnover is linked to higher discipline rates in schools, especially when teachers leave in the middle…
California high schoolers to gain automatic offers to Cal State under new law: California high school students will soon receive automatic admission offers to California State University campuses under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Starting with the class of 2027, seniors who meet academic eligibility requirements will be directly admitted to Cal State…
Newsom signs First-in-Nation Law to ban ultraprocessed food in school lunches: California became the first state to ban ultraprocessed foods in school meals under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Starting now and phased in through 2035, K–12 schools must remove foods containing harmful ultraprocessed ingredients such as artificial dyes, flavors, emulsifiers…