Weekly Update 10/28/24

Electoral College

Approximately 31 million Americans have already voted in the 2024 election. But the chances of the election being called on November 5, are unlikely…

Election 2024

While many people wonder about the outcome of the Electoral College, not many pay attention to the selection of the electors, which begins with political parties and ends with voters casting their ballots…

President and Administration

The Education Department announced on Friday (10/25) a set of proposed rules that, if finalized, would authorize student loan forgiveness for about eight million borrowers experiencing financial hardship…

NAMI National’s Youth and Young Adult Initiatives team created NAMI TraumaInSight, a free, open to the public, virtual, and self-paced trauma awareness training

California

California taxes came in $2.4 billion above projections in September and are now $7.3 billion higher than was forecast before the state’s last budget passed…

Education

Voters have a history of rejecting private school choice measures at the ballot box…

A year after it was convened by the Hoover Institution, the Education Futures Council released its first report Tuesday (10/22)

This article discusses the need for schools to honor bilingual students’ diverse backgrounds throughout the year…

The parents of a Massachusetts teenager are suing his high school after they say he was unfairly punished for using generative artificial intelligence on an assignment…

School safety is critical to student success and school improvement…

When schools prioritize making families feel welcome, valued, and heard, they create an environment that fosters trust and partnership…

The U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) Office of Educational Technology released Empowering Education Leaders: A Toolkit for Safe, Ethical, and Equitable AI Integration…

Weekly Update 10/21/24

President and Administration

Kamala Harris took aim at voters in her opponent Donald Trump’s stronghold in releasing a plan to help rural America…

Congress

Congress appears poised to extend eased access to telehealth for Medicare patients, but the fate of virtual care in high-deductible plans remains less certain as lawmakers plan for a year-end package…

The nation’s loan program for disaster survivors has fully exhausted its funding, the Biden administration announced Tuesday…

Nearly two years ago, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) lost his bid to lead the House Education and the Workforce Committee to Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)…

California

Health officials across the U.S. are working to prevent a potentially dangerous combination virus as avian flu rips through one of the nation's largest milk-producing regions…

Education

Lawmakers, pushing to remake legislative maps, are increasingly turning for assistance to groups like the American Federation for Children and the School Freedom Fund…

While the average American student has recovered about one-third of pandemic learning losses in math and about a quarter in reading, many others are still struggling in COVID’s wake…

The topic of education has been largely absent from the presidential race, and debate over charter schools—once a marquee issue in the national discourse about education—especially so…

The 2024 presidential election is less than two weeks away, and one issue has been notably absent from debates, policy platforms, and stump speeches: K-12 education…

One-fifth of vacant teacher positions remained unfilled at the start of this school year, according to new federal data…

Public Safety & Justice Update 10/18/2024

The US Supreme Court sidestepped a brewing gun-safety issue, telling a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that 18-20 year-olds have a broad constitutional right to carry a gun…

The Supreme Court signaled its willingness to uphold a major gun control policy implemented by the Biden administration that regulates "ghost guns" same as other firearms…

Prince George’s County (Maryland) police have charged 10 young people, and identified four others, as part of an investigation into nearly four dozen school-related threats a little over a month into the academic year…

For those who have no one to pick them up from prison, John “Freddie” Nole is their ride…

A political operative and key figure in the FBI’s massive political corruption investigation is now accusing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price of an attempted $25,000 shakedown…

Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime ballot measure that would increase punishment for certain drug and theft offenses, appears likely to pass with polls showing voter support by large margins…

Infrastructure and Transportation Update - 10/17/24

President and Administration

The number of publicly available EV chargers has doubled since Biden took office…

Nearly 40 percent of U.S. counties do not offer a single public charger, according to new research by CivicPulse…

America’s rural transportation system needs repairs and modernization to support economic growth and improve traffic safety, but the US faces a $198 billion backlog in funding for rural transportation systems….

Historically, transportation projects have had a disproportionately negative effect on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and low-income communities…

In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $7.8 million for 17 projects (one of which is in Sacramento, California) that will improve public transportation for people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income individuals…

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)  announced $49.46 million in grants to 45 local, regional, and state public entities through the Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program (IFACGP)…

The agency said an estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the first half of 2024, a decrease of about 3.2 percent as compared to 19,330 fatalities in the first half of 2023…

As the effects of climate change impact communities nationwide, local leaders are seeing how extreme weather influences the health and wellness of residents…

Congress

One of the many changes that the 2021 federal infrastructure law made to transportation policy was giving local governments more opportunities to apply directly for federal grants…

California

Caltrans unveiled a new tool in August to prioritize transportation projects that further California’s climate, safety and equity goals for state and federal grants…

Weekly Update 10/14/24

President and Administration

Kamala Harris during a Tuesday (10/8) appearance on “The View” announced a policy proposal aimed at helping families care for aging seniors…

The federal government could be nearing a collapse of its ability to help with major disasters as the second catastrophic hurricane in less than two weeks hit Florida…

The federal budget deficit was $1.8 trillion in fiscal year 2024, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates…

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Tuesday (10/8) awarded California $1.86 billion in federal funds to expand high-speed internet access across the state…

Congress

Hurricane Milton's rampage is not swaying House Republican leaders who oppose returning to Washington to approve billions of dollars for disaster assistance…

California

California students’ proficiency in math and reading increased last school year but lagged pre-pandemic levels, according to standardized test results released Thursday (10/10)…

Education

A new report on Camden, Newark, Kansas City, St. Louis and Indianapolis finds achievement gaps closing for students in both charter and district schools…

A group of parents are arguing that the New York City public schools are failing to provide adequate education and resources for their children with disabilities…

The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act requires schools to identify and serve children who need tailored support to succeed academically…