Category: Federal
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Weekly unemployment insurance claims top 200,000 for first time in nine weeks
Following a change in seasonal adjustment calculations, the U.S. Department of Labor on April 6 revised its figure for new applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits for the week ending March 25 (the week before the changes were announced) from 198,000 to 246,000—an increase of about 24%. The four-week moving average as of March 25…
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Biden issues second veto of his presidency on Clean Water Act regulation
President Joe Biden (D) vetoed the second bill of his presidency on April 6, 2023. Biden vetoed H.J.Res.27, a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that sought to void an Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers rule from 2023 that specified “which bodies of water fall…
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Federal Register weekly update: More than 7,000 documents issued so far in 2023
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 April 3, 2023, through April 7, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,512 pages for…
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Upcoming Article III Judicial Vacancies
According to the latest vacancy data from the U.S. Courts, there were 25 total announced upcoming vacancies for Article III judgeships as of April 5, 2023. 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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Ballotpedia launches database of asset management companies that contract with state pensions
Ballotpedia publicly launched a new database on April 4 designed to help interested parties better understand the relationships between state pension funds and asset management firms. Over the course of several months last year, Ballotpedia researchers compiled the names of all asset management companies that handle state pension money and the total assets under management…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims rise to 198,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 7,000 for the week ending March 25 to a seasonally adjusted 198,000. The previous week’s figure was unrevised at 191,000. The four-week moving average as of March 25 rose to 198,250 from an unrevised 196,250 as of the week ending March 18. The number of continuing unemployment…
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Biden issued executive orders in March on firearm policy and cybersecurity
President Joe Biden (D) issued two executive orders in March, bringing the total issued in his presidency to 109. The two orders he issued in March were: Executive Order on Prohibition on Use by the United States Government of Commercial Spyware that Poses Risks to National Security (March 27, 2023) Executive Order on Reducing Gun Violence…
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OIRA reviewed 70 significant rules in March
In March 2023, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 70 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies. OIRA approved 10 of these rules with no changes and approved the intent of 55 rules while recommending changes to their content. Four rules were withdrawn from the review process by the issuing…
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President Joe Biden at 43% approval at end of March
At the end of March, polling averages showed President Joe Biden (D) at 43% approval. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of his performance. At the end of February, Biden had a 44% average approval rating. The lowest approval rating he’s received is 38%, last seen on July 27, 2022. The highest approval rating Biden has…
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U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Kansas’ congressional map
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on March 27 that it had denied certiorari in Alonzo v. Schwab, a lawsuit regarding Kansas’ congressional district boundaries. The Court did not release the vote results on the matter, and there were no published dissents to the decision. The Supreme Court’s action closes the case, which was the state’s only…