Public Safety and Justice Update- 7/3/2025

Public Safety and Justice Update-7/3/2025

DOGE enters ATF with mandate to slash gun regulations: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to revise or eliminate over 50 federal gun regulations as part of a broader Trump administration effort to reduce…

Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing two: On Sunday (6/29), a 20-year-old transient, Wess Roley, started a wildfire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and fatally shot two veteran firefighters—Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison…

Republicans’ tax bill would water down a century-old gun law: A provision in the GOP's sweeping domestic policy bill that could be approved as early as today would roll back key elements of the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA), a longstanding federal gun..

Gun control advocates cheer codification of New York Office of Gun Violence Prevention: During Gun Violence Awareness Month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation permanently establishing the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), citing sharp…

Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter who threatened police joins Justice Department: Jared L. Wise, a former FBI agent charged with encouraging violence during the January 6 Capitol riot, has been appointed as an adviser to the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group…

Former criminology students admits to killing four Idaho students: Bryan Kohberger, a former Ph.D. student in criminology, pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, avoiding the death penalty in a deal that ensures life imprisonment without parole…

Crime rates decreased in Oakland last year, crept up in San Jose: California's overall crime rate declined in 2024, with statewide figures showing an 8 percent drop in total crime and a 6 percent decrease in violent crime from 2023, returning to levels far below historic…

Weekly Update 06/30/2025

Weekly Update 06/30/2025

President and Administration:

DOGE loses control over government grants website, freeing up billions: The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has lost control over the federal grants website, Grants.gov…

Trump megabill reshapes tax breaks for charity contributions: Congress is working to revise charitable tax deduction rules as part of the megabill targeted for passage…

Thailand reverses course on decriminalized marijuana: Thailand has reversed its landmark 2022 decision to decriminalize marijuana, reimposing restrictions that now require a medical…

Congress:

House appropriators approve Legislative Branch bill with GAO cuts: The House Appropriations Committee advanced a fiscal 2026 Legislative Branch spending bill that would cut the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) budget by nearly 50 percent, from its fiscal 2025 level…

California:

Seniors are the fastest growing age group in the Bay Area, and nationwide: New U.S. Census data reveals that the Bay Area’s population is aging rapidly, with seniors becoming the fastest-growing…

Education: 

SCOTUS hands win to parents in LGBTQ+ curriculum opt-out case: In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that schools must allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+…

Education Department declares California transgender sports policy violates Title IX: On DATE the Education Department announced that California’s policy allowing transgender girls to compete…

Supreme Court preserves E-rate in 6-3 ruling: In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the E-rate program’s funding mechanism, allowing schools and libraries…

Put at the top for PSI, Include for Vimenti, BGCPR: States can spend school pandemic-relief funds for now, Education Department says: The Education Department announced it will allow states to continue spending remaining American Rescue Plan education funds while litigation over the program…

Senate HELP GOP advance Trump’s top Education Department nominees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Republicans advanced President Trump’s top Education Department nominees…
States Face uncertainty as an estimated $4.8 Billion in K–12 funding remains unreleased: As of June 30, 2025, approximately $4.8 billion in Congressionally approved K–12 education funding remains…

Weekly Update- 6/23/2025

Weekly Update 6/23/2025

President and Administration:

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors: In a 6–3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical care—such as hormone therapy…

What’s next in the legal fight against Trump’s tariffs: The Supreme Court may ultimately decide the legality of key tariff programs imposed by Trump – and taking up to…

Trump to end L.G.B.T.Q. suicide prevention service: The administration has ordered the national suicide prevention hotline (988) to end its specialized support for LGBTQ…

Administration considers moving some USDA programs to Small Business Administration: Trump is considering shifting three major USDA Rural Development programs…

How Trump’s cuts could weaken wildfire prevention: The president’s efforts to overhaul and shrink the federal government are undermining his stated goal of improving U.S. wildfire response…

Congress:

Social Security may run dry earlier than previously anticipated, trustees warn: Social Security and Medicare face earlier insolvency than previously projected, with trust funds expected to run dry by 2033…

Senate trims SALT, cuts more Medicaid in proposed changes to Trump megabill: Senate Republicans unveiled major revisions to the House’s tax-and-spending bill, seeking to pass it by July 4. The Senate version offers more permanent business tax breaks, deeper Medicaid cuts, slower clean-energy credit…

CBO Score: The Congressional Budget Office released a new dynamic analysis of the House-passed reconciliation, Trump’s “big, beautiful" bill and projected that the legislation…

Padilla says Trump is on a ‘tour of retribution’ in first post-handcuffing floor speech: In his first Senate floor remarks since being handcuffed at a DHS press briefing, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA)…

Education: 

Energy Department seeks to roll back Title IX protections for women’s, education programs: The Department of Energy is moving to rescind key Title IX protections related to sex discrimination in sports and education programs, aligning with the president’s executive orders that restrict…

Education Department must bring back laid-off Office for Civil Rights workers: A federal judge has blocked the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) layoffs, requiring weekly progress reports…

Maine case opens new school choice battleground for school choice: Religious schools in Maine are challenging a state law requiring nondiscrimination as a condition for receiving public tuition funds. The case follows the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin…

Congress opens the credential floodgates: Congress is advancing a proposal to extend Pell Grant eligibility to for-profit and unaccredited short-term credential programs, aiming to expand access to career-focused education. Supporters say it will help community college students and workers gain in-demand skills…

Five ways schools are directly feeling the federal funding chaos: School districts are grappling with major disruptions to federal education funding under the administration. Delayed funding notices…

Risk to youth mental health is ‘addictive use,’ not screen time alone, study finds: A new study published in JAMA finds that the key risk to youth mental health is not screen time alone but “addictive use” of technology…

Can AI identify safety threats in schools? One district wants to try: In Virginia, Loudoun County schools are adopting AI-powered security tools to detect fights, bullying, and medical emergencies…

Trump orders California to remove ‘gender ideology’ from federally funded sex ed program: The administration has ordered California to remove references to “gender ideology” from its federally funded California Personal Responsibility Education Program (CA PREP)…

Weekly Update- 6/16/2025

Weekly Update 06/16/2025

President and Administration:

Trump can keep California National Guard deployed for now, appeals court says: A federal appeals court has temporarily allowed President Trump to maintain control over the California National Guard troops deployed in response to protests in Los Angeles…

Trump shifts deportation focus, pausing most raids on farms, hotels and eateries: The Trump administration has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause worksite raids and arrests in the agriculture, hotel, and restaurant industries, acknowledging…

L.A. schools create ‘perimeters of safety’ against ICE agents: In response to recent ICE raids in Los Angeles, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that school police…

Nutrition program for Americans on food stamps at risk in GOP bill: Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” proposes eliminating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)…

Department of Energy looks to gut sex discrimination protections for education programs, athletics: The Department of Energy, following Trump administration directives, is moving to roll back sex discrimination protections in education…

Congress:

House clears $9.4B in funding clawbacks requested by the White House: On Thursday (6/12), House Republicans narrowly passed a White House-backed rescissions bill in a 214-212 vote…

California: 

California lawmakers accept parts of Newsom’s undocumented health care rollback: California lawmakers have unveiled a budget proposal that diverges sharply from Gov. Newsom’s plan to close the state’s $12 billion deficit. While Newsom favors deep cuts to health and social service…

Weekly Update-6/9/2025

Weekly Update-6/9/2025

President and Administration:

The Trump administration is working on a plan for time limits on rental aid: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reportedly drafting a rule to impose time limits and work requirements on federal rental assistance, bypassing Congress …

Tracking who Trump is appointing to fill key administration roles: President Trump has picked 329 nominees to fill key roles in his administration so far…

Congress:

Senate considering Reconciliation legislation: Republicans are advancing President Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” which includes proposals to reduce Medicaid spending by instituting work…

California: 

Newsom touts education funding amid budget shortfall: Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled California’s Golden State Literacy Plan, emphasizing continued investment in student literacy amid a $12 billion budget deficit….

California lawmakers advance bill clamping down on charter schools: The California Assembly narrowly passed a contentious bill to impose stricter regulations..

Education:

Education Department takes steps to bring back fired workers amid pending court challenges: The Education Department is working to reinstate employees it planned to fire after a federal judge…

Education secretary pledges to cooperate with agency watchdog ‘as the law requires’: Education Secretary Linda McMahon pledged to cooperate with the department’s inspector general “as the law requires,” after Democrats accused her agency of obstructing an internal investigation..,

Senate appropriators lob concerns at McMahon about proposal to zero out federal TRIO programs: During a Senate Appropriations hearing on Tuesday, 6/3, Education Secretary McMahon defended the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate nearly $1.2 billion in TRIO…
Senate HELP Democrats grill top Education Department nominees: On Thursday, 6/5, Senate HELP Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), challenged Trump’s Education Department nominees Penny Schwinn and Kimberly Richey…

DOJ warns California districts of ‘legal liability’ in transgender athletic policies: The U.S. Department of Justice warned California school districts that they could face legal liability…