Weekly Update 6/12/23

Debt Ceiling Package

COVID-19 and hurricanes have intensified the push for SNAP coverage for Puerto Rico…

Although federal spending on domestic programs will be flat in the upcoming fiscal year, higher education advocates say there’s still a chance to secure more money to increase the maximum Pell Grant award and to fund the Office of Federal Student Aid, among other priorities…

California

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library reading program is expanding in California. Five-year-olds across the state will be able to receive a free book in the mail each month, and California will be the first state to offer bilingual book options…

Since the year before the pandemic shutdown schools, the number of California kids being homeschooled has skyrocketed by 70 percent — and despite a return to in-person learning, many are not going back…

More than 100,000 California tenants whose applications for COVID-era rental assistance were denied or delayed by the state’s housing department will get another shot at relief, thanks to a new legal settlement between the state and a coalition of anti-poverty and tenant rights groups…

President and Administration

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta warned that 165,000 lives could be lost a year to the opioid crisis by 2025 if the government doesn’t intervene — a 55,000 increase in the number of overdose deaths last year…

President Biden has vetoed a measure that would have overturned his student debt relief plan, leaving the fate of the program before the Supreme Court…

The Supreme Court is set to announce major decisions affecting education in the coming weeks…

After more than three years, the federal government’s pandemic-related suspension of student loan payments and interest is officially coming to an end…

About 20 percent of student loan borrowers “have risk factors that suggest they could struggle when scheduled payments resume,” according to a new analysis of student loan borrowers released last week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…

On Thursday, 6/8, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy voiced support for adding a warning on social media platforms for the danger they pose to children — much like the existing labels on cigarettes…

The National Working Group on Advanced Education, a group convened by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, released a new report examining equity concerns in gifted education programs…

Congress

The payment pause for federal student loans will end in late August, after almost three and a half years…

Republicans and Democrats have launched an effort to reauthorize a five-year-old law that marked a bipartisan commitment to combat the opioid addiction crisis…

House Republican tax writers will take up bills tomorrow that would expand the standard deduction, pare back tax reporting for contractors and gig workers and revive expired incentives for businesses in the party's first major tax markup since taking back control of the chamber…

Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee will mark up the first two of its 12 annual bills -- the Military Construction-VA and Agriculture bills…

Senators are moving slower than the House and don’t have markups scheduled yet, but key members said they expect to start committee work soon…

Education

Amid a crush of late-breaking business in Austin, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal to grant education savings accounts (ESAs) to every family in Texas ran out of steam before the May 30 deadline…

Special education is notoriously fraught in many school systems, but the magnitude of the problem in the nation’s largest district, New York City, boggles…

According to a new report from EAB, one in five high school students who say they won’t enroll in college cite their doubts about its value, up from eight percent in 2019…

Public Safety and Justice Update: 6/9/23

Former President Donald Trump was charged in connection with the investigation into classified documents taken to his Mar-a-Lago home after he left the White House…

A new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions analyzing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data revealed another record year for firearm fatalities…

Governor Gavin Newsom is seeking an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would restrict gun ownership in response to the wave of mass shootings, positioning California as the most aggressive state on gun control…

People who own and sell ghost guns are committing a crime — but there’s no law against making the deadly weapons…

On a two-block stretch of Brownsville, NY, the police stepped aside and let residents respond to 911 calls…

The Atlanta City Council approved ‘Cop City’ funding despite protests, approving $31M for the construction of a police and fire training complex, nicknamed by critics as “Cop City”…

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont this week signed the most wide-ranging state gun control bill since a 2013 law passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, sparking an immediate lawsuit by gun rights supporters seeking to block a ban on open carrying and other parts of the new law…

District attorney of Alameda County Pamela Price initiated a new review of several cases involving officer-involved fatalities in one of the most extensive re-examinations of police killings launched by progressive prosecutors…

Law enforcement officers from across the country are undergoing a peer support training class this week in South Mississippi…

After months of struggling to gain traction, a group of bipartisan lawmakers led by Republican Assemblymembers Diane Dixon, Juan Alanis and Joe Patterson have introduced a last-ditch effort to go after fentanyl dealers…

In the year since the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, TX., blame for law enforcement’s decision to wait over an hour to confront the gunman has centered on the former chief of the school district’s small police force…

The Supreme Court turned down a 2nd Amendment appeal from gun owners and let stand for now an Illinois law banning the sale of the rapid-fire assault weapons that have been used to carry out mass shootings across the country…

Weekly Update 6/6/23

Debt Ceiling Package

Moody's Investors Service, a credit-rating agency, has published an analysis of the bipartisan debt ceiling package's effects on the economy and the U.S. credit profile…

President Biden signed the bipartisan debt ceiling package on Saturday, 6/3, lifting the limit through January 2025 and teeing up yet another standoff over the borrowing cap in the months following the presidential election…

California

Governor Gavin Newsom and other top California officials cautioned school administrators against restricting what students read and learn about marginalized groups — marking their most forceful response to a spate of conservative-led book challenges to date…

California spent a record $17 billion combating homelessness in the past four fiscal years…

Officials were recently investigating whether Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis was behind a flight that picked up asylum-seekers on the Texas border and flew them — apparently without their knowledge — to California’s capital, as faith-based groups scrambled to find housing and food for them…

President and Administration

On Tuesday, 5/30, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled its latest fine-tuned data mapping out where broadband service exists across the country — a key step for the Commerce Department to divvy up more than $42 billion in broadband grants among the states and territories…

According to Medicare Director Meena Seshamani, the Biden administration wants Medicare patients and their caregivers to play a key role in drug price negotiations slated to begin this fall…

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently sent warning letters to 30 retailers and one distributor for selling unauthorized, disposable e-cigarettes…

Mike Pence filed paperwork on Monday, 6/5, to run for president, setting up an unprecedented contest between a former vice president and a former president of his own party for the nomination…

Today, the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center released a new report suggesting how state and local governments can use recent opioid settlement dollars and other funds to address substance use disorder…

More than three years after the start of the pandemic, many COVID-19 survivors continue to struggle…

Congress

All the big policy bills that were on hold amid debt limit negotiations are now ready for summer action…

On Wednesday, 5/31, Senate lawmakers tried to find solutions to water delivery woes…

On Thursday, 6/1, the Senate voted to block President Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for eligible Americans…

Education

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, about 20 percent of applicants to California community colleges are scams, just designed to obtain student aid without enrolling. The scams grew during the COVID-19 pandemic…

Nine times since December, Marilyn Blanco has made the drive to her son’s school, Success Academy Harlem 2, because 911 was called on him by the school. Ian has been diagnosed with ADHD…

A new federal toolkit by the Department of Homeland Security seeks to improve bystander reporting when students believe a classmate might become violent…

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a webinar on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET…

In a move that civil rights groups have been demanding for two years, the Biden administration released a new and highly anticipated “Dear Colleague” letter late last week designed to combat persistent racial disparities in student suspensions…

As the pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges for schools nationwide, Sonny Thadani realized students and teachers weren’t the only ones in need of support…

Across the U.S., violence against teachers has ratcheted up since the widespread return to in-person learning in 2021, and in some areas the problem is worse than it was pre pandemic…

According to a new poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most Americans support affirmative action in college admissions and do not want the Supreme Court to ban it…

Oklahoma officials approved the nation’s first faith-based charter school Monday, 6/5, setting up what is sure to be a high-profile legal battle over the separation of church and state…

According to a report by Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Charter school students make more average progress in math and English than their counterparts in traditional public schools, including months of additional learning in some states…

Experts are recommending equipping students with essential knowledge and skills to address mental health in the classroom and to mitigate increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among young people…

Weekly Update 5/30/23

Debt Limit Negotiations

The debt ceiling deal that President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) struck late Saturday, 5/27, is a true meet-you-halfway compromise between the stark ultimatums the leaders have issued for months…

Lawmakers have returned to Washington for a vote on Speaker McCarthy’s bipartisan deal with President Biden to avert an economy-shattering default, with the legislation set to come to the floor on tomorrow…

California

A substantial majority of Californians feel that Sen. Dianne Feinstein is no longer fit for the job because of her recent declining health, and more voters believe she should resign than support her staying in office, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll…

An estimated five million undocumented workers across the U.S. would be eligible for a pathway to citizenship under a new proposal by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA)…

The risk of blackouts on California’s hottest summer days will be smaller this year than last year according to a recent state Energy Commission report. That could mean energy regulators won’t have to send another emergency text like last year’s September 6 request to reduce electricity use or face outages…

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) predicts California revenues will fall $30 billion short of what’s needed to cover Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed spending for the 2024 fiscal year, adding to its doubts about the administration's budget plan…

A state assemblymember from San Jose is pushing a novel proposal he believes could finally jump-start affordable housing development by allowing the state government to get into the homebuilding business…

A landmark agreement among Nevada, Arizona, and California to take less water from the Colorado River leaves California relatively unscathed…

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California has only just begun to see a historic snowpack melt into streams and rivers, and the flows could be high for many weeks…

President and Administration

According to a federal report, more than two-thirds of public schools saw higher percentages of their students seeking mental health services in 2022 than before the COVID-19 pandemic — but only a slim majority believed they were able to meet children’s heightened psychological needs…

NASA and the U.S. Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, 5/4, strengthening the collaboration between the two agencies, including efforts to increase access to high-quality STEM and space education to students and schools across the nation…

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, recently published a public advisory warning of the risks of social media use for young people…

Last week, the Biden administration announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alongside the Department of Commerce, will lead a Kids Online Health and Safety interagency task force to examine risks and benefits of social media and online platforms…

The Biden administration officially pushed back to October the release of new regulations regarding Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the launch of a $1 million Children and Youth Resilience Challenge…

The Supreme Court on Thursday, 5/25, curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to police millions of acres of wetlands, delivering another setback to the agency’s ability to combat pollution…

The FDA recently approved a nasal spray that can reverse overdoses from powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn’t believe a law requiring Medicare to cover telehealth through 2024 applies to services offered by hospital-based physical and occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists, setting off a firestorm of protest from providers…

Invest in Kids, an organization that represents more than 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors, urged lawmakers to prioritize funding for early care and education programs and juvenile justice programs…

Congress

House Republicans passed a resolution on Wednesday, 5/24, to overturn President Biden’s student debt relief plan that would give up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness to borrowers…

House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) announced on Tuesday, 5/23, that the committee will postpone markups on four fiscal 2024 spending measures amid debt ceiling negotiations with the White House…

The Senate is expected this week to take up House-passed legislation that would overturn President Biden’s student debt relief plan and nullify the pause on monthly student loan payments and interest…

Education

Voices from the Classroom 2023 explores teachers’ perceptions about the goals of K-12 education and how we should go about measuring its success; the content they are required to teach and the materials and guidance they are provided to deliver it; and their own profession, the union contracts that generally guide it, and what change is needed to make their job more viable…

From verbal harassment to physical assaults, a 74 data analysis finds that in both red states and blue, LGBTQ children are facing increased hostility at school…

Informal negotiations over how to expand the Pell Grant to job-training programs have begun, but lawmakers face an uphill challenge in getting a bill through Congress…

More high-school graduates are being diverted from college campuses by brighter prospects for blue-collar jobs in a historically strong labor market for less-educated workers…

Weekly Update 5/22/23

California

The Biden administration will target six U.S. locations as part of a new strategy to reduce homelessness, the White House said Thursday, 5/17…

New numbers released by the Newsom administration show that California added homes to its housing stock at a faster clip than any time since the Great Recession — 123,350 additional units, or an increase of 0.85 percent…

California figured out how to build sports stadiums faster, and it can do the same for big energy, transportation and water projects, Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday, 5/19, while announcing legislation to speed up the state's notoriously slow permitting process…

President and Administration

The federal government has directed billions of dollars to repair Puerto Rico’s troubled energy grid, but there is disagreement on how it’s being spent…

Today, the U.S. Department of Education expressed its support for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's decision and commitment to decentralize the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE)…

This afternoon, President Biden and Speaker McCarthy plan to meet to discuss how to raise the debt limit after a weekend of staff negotiations which left each side accusing the other of throwing up new roadblocks to a deal…

 The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a resolution agreement with Forsyth County Schools (district) in Georgia concerning whether the removal of books from its school libraries created a hostile environment for students based on sex, race, color, or national origin under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will launch a pilot program next year that will allow a small number of people to electronically file their tax returns directly with the agency…

In an alarming reversal, death rates have now risen to the highest level in nearly 15 years, particularly driven by homicides, drug overdoses, car accidents and suicides, according to an analysis of federal death statistics from the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University…

A proposed change to federal policy on transgender students’ participation in school sports, released by the U.S. Department of Education in April, sought to find middle ground in a debate that has grown increasingly polarized and politically charged…

Two-thirds of the U.S. and Canada could face electricity shortfalls and blackouts this summer if temperatures spike, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s latest reliability assessment…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data that found 109,680 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in 2022. The new data highlights a significant — and growing — problem in the U.S. that lawmakers in Washington and states are scrambling to fix…

Congress

Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) said she hopes to "soon" mark up fiscal 2024 spending bills…

House appropriators took up their Agriculture-FDA and Homeland Security spending measures in a subcommittee last Thursday, releasing the bills about 24 hours in advance of the markups…

 House lawmakers who requested earmarks in the next tranche of annual spending bills should expect to see their funding requests slashed under the levels Republicans are seeking, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) warned her colleagues in a private letter…

House Republicans unveiled their Homeland Security spending bill on Wednesday, 5/17, proposing a $2 billion increase for fiscal 2024, an increase of more than three percent  above current funding levels…

House Republicans’ fiscal year 2024 spending bill for the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration would take a razor to programs popular among farmers and food companies while advancing Republicans’ agenda to rein in government spending…

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is launching a new package in response to monthslong discussions on the Senate HELP Committee about how to address growing health workforce shortages and financial woes of community health centers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic…

Education

The Biden administration released its long-awaited gainful-employment rule on Wednesday, 5/16, as part of a 1,000-page package of regulations that also includes rules on financial responsibility, administrative capability, certified procedures and ability to benefit…

Data released today by the nonprofit group YouthTruth suggest that it could be a tough year for colleges. In a survey of 25,000 high school seniors, the group found significant gaps between those who want to go to college and those who think they will go…

The U.S. Department of Education is releasing a new report on the state of diversity within America's schools…

House Republicans’ frustrations with the Biden administration’s education policies and embrace of the culture wars over education were on full display when Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testified before the House Education and the Workforce Committee…

The nation’s public pre-K programs saw a rebound last year as enrollment nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, new data shows…

The Hispanic population in the U.S. has made significant gains in college enrollment and educational attainment since 2005, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data…

A Grinnell College National Poll asked 1,000 adults over 18 whether states should be allowed to subsidize religious education with public funds…

 The Biden administration recently filed a motion to a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought on by private lender SoFi, which put a pause on its student loan forgiveness plans earlier this year…