US Policy & Politics Brief

Multiple federalism clashes continue: SCOTUS birthright citizenship ruling; NY sues Trump admin over ICE accountability laws; DOJ sues California over Glock ban and handgun roster; Forest Service reduces public oversight; OMB grant rule comment deadline July 13; Farm Bill rider threatens 1,000+ state laws; cannabis policy fracturing; SCOTUS upholds FCC privacy fines; House passes PFAS phase-out, immigration funding, war powers resolution; SAVE Act stalls; SNAP conditions paused; TN immigration law challenged; Texas SB4 approved; AI Executive Order analysis; Trump reverses AI regulation; Great American AI Act proposes state moratorium; Anthropic pushes mandatory regulation; Warren criticizes tech influence; insulin cap bill advances; H-1B fee blocked; Chip Roy bill restricts visas; Ohio gun rights ruling; SCOTUS guts VRA; EPA weakens PFAS limits; data center pushback grows; FCC shot clocks; FAR clause on DEI (Dem states sue); new federal rule on trans existence; JAWBONE Act; NC homeless bills; wildfire smoke bill; Congress blocks FISA 702 extension; DOJ charges in migrant child smuggling scheme; California 'Hands Off Our Elections' initiative; Senate rejects marijuana restructuring bill; New Mexico DOJ seeks dismissal of Trump immigration lawsuit; OMB proposed changes to Uniform Guidance. New: Federal judge acquits Brad Lander; House passes Faster Labor Contracts Act; HUD suspends LA homeless funding; FISA 702 expiration poll; Senate passes Stop Secret Spending Act; Crapo backs SHOT Act; Cotton introduces biological smuggling penalties; H.R. 2096 to override D.C. police reform; King health bill; continued need for federal privacy legislation. Also new: Indiana ED waiver for education funding flexibility; federal contracting reshaping; Husted AI child safety bill; reproductive healthcare leave bill (12 days paid); state immigration actions roundup; BUILD America 250 Act amendment to preempt state rideshare safety laws; DOJ halts Evanston reparations program; US orders Anthropic to block AI models for foreign nationals; Big Beautiful Bill health impacts; bipartisan bill for military homeschooling stability. New state education policy developments: Massachusetts reading reform bill (ban three-cueing, mandate phonics) poised to pass; K-12 funding formulas analysis video; midyear state policy analysis covering attacks on patients and shield law providers. Latest: Trump ties FISA renewal to voter ID, pauses Jay Clayton confirmation; John Kennedy grills OMB nominee Duncan, exposing hidden grant funding and new OMB rule giving political appointees veto power; federal agents (ICE/HHS OIG) visited children's legal aid office without warrant, escalating immigration enforcement against legal aid; VP Vance speaks on fraud crackdown in NY; DeSantis signs five public safety bills; Newsom's final California budget includes new software tax, structural deficits; Trump signals return of Russia oil sanctions. Congressional deal to ban Fed CBDC with 2030 sunset adds to financial policy preemption debates. Also: Senate Armed Services Committee passed FY2027 NDAA 18-9 with $5.4B increase for destroyer, 3.6% pay raise, Ukraine aid, anti-politicization measures. New: SCOTUS strikes down §922(g)(3) firearm ban for drug users under Bruen; Protect College Sports Act passes Senate committee (federal preemption of state NIL laws); Anthropic partners with Code for America for AI in SNAP; White House pushes nuclear UPRISE initiative; Trump's legislative affairs director discusses filibuster strategy; Trump signs US-Iran deal. Newest: Hawley/Hassan rural hospital ER funding bill; Senate passes RESIDE Act for vacant building conversion; DeSantis signs property tax transparency and millage rate bills; House passes major housing bill with corporate investor ban (358-32); Illinois introduces 0.2% digital asset privilege tax; California AB 1821 would limit public records access; Goodlander files bipartisan bill to ban stock trading and prediction markets for Congress; Cato analysis argues Trump's second term marks shift to state capitalism with direct equity stakes in 28 companies. Latest additions: Rep. Moran introduces AI incident reporting bill (7-day reporting); 260+ AI laws enacted by June 2026; Federal judge blocks USDA SNAP soda/candy restrictions via state waivers; Federal judge vacates Biden administrative closure rule; Farm Bill analysis shows pesticide liability removed from House version. New this run: SCOTUS birthright citizenship ruling; NY sues Trump admin over ICE accountability laws; DOJ sues California over Glock ban; Forest Service reduces public oversight; State tax credits 2026; Trump immigration policy shift affecting state populations; Massachusetts housing incrementalism; Colorado school cellphone policies; Federal housing legislation history. Also new: Montana land exchange lawsuit; 2026 State Health Policy Trends Report; Washington income tax ballot fight; Federal citizenship tightening; Local government budgeting challenges; Maryland data center moratoriums; Arizona voucher oversight ballot; Maine gun safety scorecards; Roundup: FDA approves flavored Zyn, EPA drops microplastics testing, SCOTUS loosens campaign finance limits, DOJ settles with Abbott.