Energy
Federal Fuel Economy Rules Weakened by Zero Penalties, New Standards
The federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program now carries a $0 civil penalty for manufacturers violating fuel-economy standards, weakening a...
Health Data Interoperability Still Faces Persistent Barriers
Digital health information interoperability in the United States is a long-term initiative spanning multiple decades, but many obstacles still remain,...
Homeland Security Funding Unresolved as December Deadline Nears
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has no full-year appropriation for fiscal year 2027, and a stopgap continuing resolution (CR) keeping the...
Congress Weighs Federal Role in Electricity Transmission Permits
Electricity transmission permitting reform is not simply about whether to build more power lines. It involves who gets to decide, and who pays. A new...
Senate Farm Bill Would Delay State SNAP Cost-Sharing by One Year
A bill reported by the Senate Agriculture Committee (S. 5526) would delay by one year, from October 1, 2027, to October 1, 2028, when states must begin...
Classwide Drug Scheduling Questioned Amid Synthetic Opioid Spread
The Drug Enforcement Administration has had difficulties keeping pace with new substances that chemists slightly alter to fall outside existing controls, a...
Klobuchar Tours Flood-Hit New Richland, Advances Two Bills
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) made news this week at a Senate hearing as well as advancing two bipartisan bills through the Senate this week.She also toured...
Lobbyists Cluster Around Senate Sports Bill
The Senate passed a bill this week around regulating college sports and the money around it that caused a flurry of lobbying activity. The main players were...
EPA Has Not Finalized Key PFAS Water Pollution Regulations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has broad authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in...
Banks and Crypto: Congress Weighs Durable Rules Over Shifting Regs
Federal banking regulators have cycled through permitting, restricting, and again permitting crypto activities as presidential administrations have changed...
Senate Rejects Bid to Overturn Trump ACA Marketplace Rule
The Senate rejected an effort to overturn a Trump administration rule setting payment, enrollment and benefit standards for Affordable Care Act...
House Passes Bill to Shield Ratepayers From Data Center Costs
The House overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to prevent households and small businesses from bearing electricity infrastructure costs created by...
Senate Bill Targets Foreign Support Fueling Sudan's Civil War
A bipartisan Senate bill would expand U.S. sanctions, diplomatic efforts, and financial restrictions aimed at pressuring the warring parties and their...
House Passes Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Bill
The House overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan water infrastructure bill that would authorize and modify Army Corps projects nationwide, including...
Senate Bill Seeks Coordinated U.S. Strategy in South China Sea
The South China Sea Strategy Act would require the State Department to develop a formal U.S. diplomatic strategy for the South China Sea as Washington seeks...
Earthquake Losses Reach Nearly $15 Billion Yearly
Portions of all 50 states, plus territories and the District of Columbia, face varying earthquake vulnerability as annualized losses reach $14.7 billion per...
Senate Passes Landmark Bill to Regulate College Sports
The Senate moved closer to an historic legislative step to have the government regulate college sports by passing S. 4668 last night in a 77-22 vote on...
GAO Says Agencies Aren't Sharing Data on Banned Chinese Tech
A recent audit found that federal agencies have sharply reduced spending with five Chinese telecommunications and surveillance companies covered by federal...