Policy
Blanche heads into attorney general confirmation clash
President Donald Trump on Monday sent to the Senate the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to fill the role permanently, teeing up what could be a bruising confirmation process for a Trump ally who has drawn bipartisan criticism for recent Justice Department moves. The president’s former defense attorney has pursued an aggressive agenda […]
Judge halts Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee
A federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to charge a $100,000 fee for companies seeking to employ foreign workers with an H-1B visa, ruling in part that it oversteps Congress’ taxing power. In the ruling, Judge Leo T. Sorokin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts found […]
Lawsuit to stop ‘anti-weaponization’ fund moot, DOJ tells court
The Trump administration told a federal judge Friday there is no need to block implementation of a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” arguing the administration has already scrapped the idea. The filing, in response to an order from Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in one of […]
Justice Department moving forward with grant office changes
The Justice Department has outlined plans to start the consolidation of three key grant components in September, as part of a reorganization effort that has raised concern from advocates and drawn the attention of at least one senator. The department held a stakeholder briefing Thursday morning where they outlined a rough timeline for consolidating the […]
Bipartisan AI draft proposes three-year preemption of state laws
Another artificial intelligence regulation framework has joined the growing ranks on Capitol Hill, this time focused primarily on model safety and workforce impacts. Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., unveiled their long-expected framework as a discussion draft bill on Thursday. Notably, it includes a three-year preemption of state laws related to AI development […]
Supreme Court sides with FCC power in forfeiture process
The Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the Federal Communications Commission’s power to issue findings that companies broke the law, turning aside challenges from telecommunications giants that the agency had to go to the courts first. The 8-1 decision found that the FCC’s forfeiture process does not run afoul of the Constitution because it requires going […]
Consent questions raised at data privacy bill hearing
Data privacy legislation put forward by House Republicans is friendly to businesses, Republicans and Democrats agree; whether or not that’s a good thing depends on which side of the aisle members sit on. Republicans say the legislation would provide clarity for businesses and uniform protections for consumers around the country. Democrats say the bill would […]
Congress finds a unifying issue — geothermal energy
Republicans and Democrats in Congress seem to have found a unifying issue, and it’s a hot one lurking beneath the earth’s surface: geothermal energy. Without objection and without partisan digs from either side, the House on Tuesday passed by voice vote a package of six bills — three from Republicans and three from Democrats — […]
Executive order sets voluntary cyber reviews for advanced AI
Developers of frontier artificial intelligence models will have the option to voluntarily submit new technologies for review by federal cybersecurity agencies under a new executive order that comes after President Donald Trump backed away from an expected order last month. Trump issued the executive order on Tuesday morning in a private signing. It represents the […]
Administration sticks with Congress on Medicaid work mandate exemptions
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Monday outlined states’ obligations to implement upcoming Medicaid work requirements, issuing a rule that closely adheres to a list of exemptions already found in federal law. The work requirements, passed as part of the Republican 2025 reconciliation law, are set to take effect in January. The law […]