State Watchdog Finds Gaps in USAID Program Transfer
A July 2026 State Department watchdog report found staffing, training, IT and award-guidance gaps as officials managed 1,504 transferred USAID awards.
National
-
-
NHTSA Presses AV Developers Over First-Responder Safety
NHTSA says driverless vehicles have entered emergency scenes and blocked responders. Developers face meetings and possible enforcement, but no new rule yet.
-
EPA Proposal Could Give States More Control Over Public Input on Minor Air Permits
EPA has proposed letting state and local agencies decide more of the public-participation process for minor air permits. Comments are due August 21.
-
Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver for Energy and Farm Cargo
A 90-day waiver begins August 17, allowing case-by-case exemptions for foreign vessels carrying energy and selected farm cargo between U.S. ports.
-
Court keeps White House record-preservation order in force during appeal
A federal judge paused further trial-court proceedings but kept a Presidential Records Act preservation injunction in force during the administration’s appeal.
-
Wisconsin Judge Finds Paper-Only Absentee Voting Denies Some Disabled Voters Equal Access
A Wisconsin judge found the paper-only absentee system denies some voters with print disabilities privacy and independence, but left the remedy unresolved.
-
Judge Leaves Courthouse Arrest Policies Vacated During Appeal
A federal judge refused to pause a nationwide vacatur of expanded courthouse arrest policies, leaving the rules out of effect while the administration appeals.
-
Federal school-safety grant review begins before 2026 awards
The Education Department will review state applications Aug. 17-28 for an estimated $93 million school-safety competition. Awards are expected by Dec. 31.
-
Faith-Based Groups Remain Eligible for DOJ Victim-Legal-Service Grants
Qualifying faith-based organizations could compete for part of $45 million in DOJ legal-assistance grants, but the FY 2026 application window is now closed.
-
CMS Seeks Public Input on Making Hospital Prices Easier to Compare
CMS is seeking public comments on clearer hospital price files, bundled services and online estimates before the August 31, 2026, deadline.
-
Foreclosure Filings Rose 21% in Early 2026. Why It Is Not 2008
U.S. foreclosure filings rose 21% in the first half of 2026, but the increase reflects a gradual normalization of mortgage distress—not a return to 2008.
-
Student-loan delinquencies rose again as household debt stayed near a record
Student-loan balances 90 or more days past due rose to 10.6% in Q2 as U.S. household debt stayed near a record and new repayment plans took effect.
-
Tennessee’s redrawn Memphis map gets its first election test
The August 6 primary produced a Pearson-Taylor race in Tennessee’s new 9th District and an Ogles defeat as a federal redistricting case continues.
-
GAO: 15 of 20 Major Benefit Programs Lacked Fraud-Risk Documentation
A revised GAO report found that only five of 20 major state-administered programs documented fraud-risk assessments across $1.1 trillion in obligations.
-
Recalled eggs linked to Salmonella outbreak: What restaurants and consumers should know
Restaurants, retailers and households should check recalled bulk and retail eggs after FDA investigators linked them to a 98-case Salmonella outbreak.
-
Amtrak Accessibility Work Expands, but Station Gaps Remain
Amtrak has added accessibility services and planned new train features, but station access remains uneven and seven priority locations lacked barrier-free boarding.
-
Texas suppressor ruling takes effect, but relief is not nationwide
A Texas judge’s ruling against federal registration rules for suppressors and some short-barreled firearms now applies to covered parties, not all buyers.
-
Trump order presses new childhood vaccine framework but changes nothing yet
President Trump’s August 10 order calls for new vaccine categories and separate MMR shots, but it does not immediately change federal or school rules.
-
Smithsonian Budget Request Would Fall 11% as Congress Weighs Funding
The Smithsonian is seeking $961.3 million for fiscal 2027 as Congress debates funding, museum construction and the institution’s independence.
-
LA28 opens applications for up to 60,000 unpaid volunteer roles
LA28 is accepting applications for up to 60,000 unpaid Olympic and Paralympic volunteer roles, with most assignments in Los Angeles and others in seven U.S. cities.
-
NCAA baseball weighs ball-and-strike challenges for 2027
NCAA baseball committees have proposed optional ball-and-strike challenges for 2027, but approval, venue access and final procedures remain unresolved.
-
NASA, Blue Origin Plan New Glenn Tests at Stennis
NASA and Blue Origin plan New Glenn upper-stage hot-fire tests at Mississippi’s Stennis facility this fall, linking commercial rocket work to Artemis.