New research through the University of California, Davis, and the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center indicates that gun sales increased by 64 percent during the first three months of the pandemic (March through the end of May 2020). The study, Firearm Purchasing and Firearm Violence in the First Months of the Coronavirus Pandemic in
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights released report on family separation under the Trump Administration titled, Family Separation is Not Over. The report shared how even after the Zero Tolerance Policy ended, children have continued being separated from their parents. During the administration’s Zero Tolerance policy, the government separated nearly 4,500 children from their
The U.S. Department of Education released guidance on Thursday, July 9, 2020, reminding Colleges and Universities (Institutions of Higher Education/IHEs) of the existing flexibility for verification of non-filing from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in, this guidance, allowing IHEs to accept a signed statement in place of a W-2 for foster youth. Here’s the relevant excerpt:
On Thursday, July 2, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Child Welfare Emergency Assistance Act. The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), will provide flexible, emergency aid for key child welfare programs working to support children, youth, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators’ legislation
Last week the House Appropriations Committee began to move the 12 annual Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bills through their respective subcommittees. The Labor-HHS-Education bill passed through the subcommittee on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, with funding receiving a slight increase. Congress is still acting under the final year of the ten-year budget caps. The HHS portion of
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the House passed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), extending the small business loans until August 8. The bill was passed by unanimous consent after the Senate passed it (S.4116) the previous evening via unanimous consent led by the Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD) of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
Senator Murray (D-WA), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Democrats introduced the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act before the fourth of July holiday break. This bill includes $430 million for many of the Senate Democratic priorities for child care, K-12 schools and higher education, and child welfare: The child welfare specific legislation includes $1.5
On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee gave an update on the progress of the U.S reopening procedures in businesses and education as testifying. Committee members stressed the need for national attention to how school and business reopenings heading into the fall might mean for administrators and shareholders during the
On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a plan to reopen the country’s largest school system this fall. With the President demanding all schools open, the New York city debate shows the challenges. The DeBlasio plan revolves around a schedule that would have some students attend two days of
On Thursday, July 9, 2020, the United States Supreme Court in McGirt v. Oklahoma upheld the sovereignty of Tribal and Indian Country reservations under previous U.S. Treaties. The Court 5 to 4 decision was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Jill Kagan joining in
