Appropriations
On Friday, 12/8, Speaker Mike Johnson sent a "dear colleague" letter to House lawmakers, with an update on "the ongoing negotiations" toward enactment of "full-year" fiscal 2024 funding bills before the next shutdown deadlines hit in January and February…
As talks on a fiscal 2024 funding framework quietly continue behind the scenes, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) tells us her party “cannot give an inch,” noting the debt limit deal already essentially froze budget levels for domestic accounts for the current fiscal year while Americans are dealing with increased costs…
California
A new poll puts Republican Steve Garvey at third place in the race for California’s Senate seat, trailing far behind Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, and just slightly ahead of Rep. Barbara Lee…
According to a poll released Wednesday, 12/6, a strong majority of voters are in favor of Governor Gavin Newsom's ballot initiative to revamp and fund California’s mental health system — one of the governor's top priorities…
President and Administration
The Biden administration is rolling out a framework to enforce the government’s march-in authorities on drugs developed with taxpayer dollars, saying if drugmakers refuse to make their products “reasonably” available, then the government is prepared to give other companies license to produce those drugs at a lower cost…
On Wednesday, 12/6, the Food and Drug Administration delayed rules that would ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in what many see as a nod to the intense lobbying and fragile political environment heading into President Biden’s expected 2024 rematch with former President Donald Trump…
For the third consecutive year, many psychologists across the country say they are seeing patients struggle with worsening symptoms, many of them needing longer treatment times…
The National Promise Neighborhoods Coalition will announce its formation today, 12/11, as a new national bipartisan group that advocates for the Promise Neighborhoods initiative, an Education Department program that helps kids in high poverty communities…
Congress
Kevin McCarthy is officially leaving Congress…
Senate Republicans say it’s time for President Biden to get involved in the border policy talks crucial to saving one of his biggest foreign policy priorities, delivering aid to Israel and Ukraine…
Education
Public school enrollment has increased slightly in North Carolina since the last school year…
A new demographic analysis of chronic absenteeism shows absences have increased for all students — with a dramatic uptick for Latino students and in suburban and rural school districts…