Category: Federal
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100 of Biden’s U.S. District Court nominees confirmed
One hundred of President Joe Biden’s (D) U.S. district court nominees were confirmed by the U.S. Senate as of July 1, 2023, according to the Federal Judicial Center. The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey received the most confirmed nominees with eight. The United States District Courts for the Central and…
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Upcoming Article III judicial vacancies
There were 22 total announced upcoming vacancies for Article III judgeships as of July 5, 2023, according to the latest vacancy data from the U.S. Courts. Article III judgeships refer to federal judges who serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of International Trade, or one of the 13 U.S. courts of appeal…
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OIRA reviewed 48 significant rules in June
In June 2023, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 48 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies. OIRA approved three of these rules with no changes and approved the intent of 42 rules while recommending changes to their content. Two rules were withdrawn from the review process by the issuing…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims fall to 239,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 26,000 for the week ending June 24 to a seasonally adjusted 239,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 265,000. The four-week moving average as of June 24 rose 1,500 from the previous week’s revised average to 257,500. The number of continuing unemployment insurance…
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Biden issues executive orders on contraceptives and military family employment in June
President Joe Biden (D) issued two executive orders in June, bringing his total number to 117. The two orders he issued in June were: Executive Order on Strengthening Access to Affordable, High-Quality Contraception and Family Planning Services (June 23, 2023) Executive Order on Advancing Economic Security for Military and Veteran Spouses, Military Caregivers, and Survivors…
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U.S. Election Assistance Commission set to retire current voting system standards, transition to updated certification guidelines
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an independent and bipartisan commission established by the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA), will retire the standards currently used to test and federally certify voting equipment, known as Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) versions 1.0 and 1.1, on November 16, 2023. A new version of the VVSG, version…
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Federal Register weekly update: 60 final rules added
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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From June 26, 2023, through June 30, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,298 pages for…
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House Republican introduces bill opposing ESG in retirement funds
Congressman Andy Barr (R-Ky.) introduced a bill on June 21 opposing the Biden Labor Department’s rule allowing the use of ESG in retirement plan investments. Both chambers recently passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution overturning the Labor Department rule, but President Joe Biden (D) vetoed that legislation. Congressman Barr introduced the new bill in…
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U.S. Supreme Court lifts stay on district court ruling that overturned Louisiana’s congressional boundaries
The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s (R) appeal on June 26 of a federal district court ruling that held that Louisiana’s congressional district map should include an additional majority-minority district. The Supreme Court also lifted its 2022 stay of the federal court’s decision and allowed the case to proceed before…
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Ballotpedia identifies 17 noteworthy Supreme Court cases regarding redistricting from 1946 to 2023
Ballotpedia has identified 17 noteworthy redistricting cases that the Supreme Court has heard since 1946, and the court issued two such rulings this month. In a 5-4 decision in Allen v. Milligan on June 8, SCOTUS affirmed the judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that the state’s congressional…