2026
18 topics
Commentators compare Trump's FEMA cuts to Coolidge's 1927 flood failure
Coolidge resisted federal relief in 1927 flood while Trump cuts FEMA in 2026 disasters
20 states now have data privacy laws as Congress still fails to act on privacy protections
Your privacy rights depend on which state you live in
Supreme Court lets Texas use racially challenged redistricting map for 2026
Map survived Supreme Court challenge despite lower court finding racial discrimination
GDP Slows as Government Shutdown Drags on Economy
The 43-day shutdown subtracted a full percentage point from Q4 growth
Farm bill extended to September 2026 as Thompson releases new draft
Bill provides food assistance for 42 million Americans but faces partisan fights over climate programs
Virginia and Washington race to protect kids from AI chatbots before Trump blocks them
States have 90 days before federal deadline threatens child safety laws
Alaska voters to decide ranked-choice voting repeal in 2026
RCV helped Murkowski win in 2022 but Peltola lost House seat in 2024 under same system
Congress extends cyber threat sharing law through September 2026
Law lets companies in 16 critical sectors report cyber attacks within 72 hours of breach
Virginia voters to decide redistricting referendum April 21 that could flip 4 House seats
Maps drawn by bipartisan commission give Republicans five of eleven seats but could flip four
One Big Beautiful Bill shifts $800 billion in Medicaid costs to states
CBO projects 10.3 million people will lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 due to structural changes
FAA faces budget fight as air traffic controllers remain 3,500 short
DOGE cuts and a record government shutdown accelerated a decades-long staffing crisis
Trump signs four executive orders to quadruple US nuclear capacity to 400 GW
Trump's executive orders bypass NRC timelines but don't solve 70-site radioactive waste backlog
Johnson Amendment's political origins exposed as IRS stops enforcing it
1954 law banned churches from endorsing candidates but IRS has not enforced it for decades
US LNG exports hit record 111 million tons as DOE fast-tracks terminals
US surpassed Australia and Qatar to become world largest LNG exporter for first time
States are debating whether to replace NIH funding as the federal research system contracts
Historically, state governments have provided less than 1% of US research and development funding
One Big Beautiful Bill cuts SNAP by $186 billion, the largest reduction in history
The largest food assistance cut in 60 years shifts costs to states and removes exemptions for veterans and foster youth
HUD proposes capping rental vouchers at two years for 2.3M families
Center on Budget found cap would put over 3 million people including children at eviction risk
CISA delays mandatory cyber incident reporting rule to May 2026
Industry groups complained rule defined covered entities too broadly sweeping in small businesses
2025
2 topics
Interior Department opens 625 million acres despite Ninth Circuit injunction
Courts block Trump's reversal of 625 million acres offshore protections
Commerce Secretary Lutnick accused of steering federal contracts to former employers
Federal contracts allegedly directed toward former employer companies