Category: Federal

Julián Castro became the 10th candidate to qualify for the September and October presidential primary debates Tuesday.   Unlike the first two debates this summer, candidates must reach both a grassroots fundraising threshold and a polling threshold. They need 130,000 unique contributors with 400 unique donors per state in at least 20 states. Candidates also…

On August 16, a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a federal district court went too far when it granted a nationwide injunction against a new federal immigration rule.   What happened?   The Ninth Circuit upheld the injunction, which blocks enforcement of a rule, within…

In just under a year, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will hold its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 13-16, 2020. A little over a month later, the Republican National Committee (RNC) will meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, from August 24-27, 2020. At both conventions, delegates will select their party’s presidential nominee and…

On August 14, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Richard Myers II to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Myers was nominated to succeed Judge Malcolm Howard, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2005. There is one current vacancy out of…

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) suspended his presidential campaign Thursday. In a video announcement, Hickenlooper hinted at his next steps.   “People want to know what comes next for me. I’ve heard from so many Coloradans who want me to run for the United States Senate. They remind me how much is at stake…

On August 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule that changes how the federal government screens immigrants who might become dependent on government services. According to the 837-page rule, agencies may deny immigrants a visa or a green card if they have used food…

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on August 9 that it is petitioning the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ)—the federal labor union representing immigration judges.   Immigration judges are a type of federal administrative adjudicator employed by the DOJ to preside over special classes…

On August 8, the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), an independent federal agency charged with improving administrative procedures, published four recommendations in the Federal Register. Two of those recommendations involved agency guidance, which refers to documents created by government agencies to explain, interpret, or advise interested parties about rules, laws, and procedures.  …

The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.   During the week of August 5 to August 9, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,768 pages, bringing…

There have been 30 presidential election cycles since 1900. Voters in Ohio have selected the winning candidate in 28 of them, making it the state with the highest percentage of accuracy in presidential elections at 93.33%.   Ohio voters have backed a candidate who lost the presidential election since 1960, when the state voted for…