Kansas privacy case adds DOJ to Education Department enforcement
United States Education and Civil Rights Policy – The Education Department is pairing with DOJ in a Kansas student privacy case, sharpening the federal stakes for schools nationwide.
United States
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EAC launches free federal training certification for election officials
United States Fast Follow on Elections and Democracy – The EAC launched a free online certificate and training library for state and local election officials.
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Richmond judge blocks Virginia mask-and-ID limits for federal officers
A Richmond judge issued a July 1 preliminary injunction blocking Virginia from enforcing its new mask-and-ID limits on federal officers while the case moves.
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DOJ and FTC release FY2025 Hart-Scott-Rodino merger report
United States Fresh Federal Documents and Draft Reports – The agencies say merger filings stayed active in FY2025, while the updated HSR form remains tied up in court.
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FISA fight leaves Section 702 in limbo
Congress missed the June 12 deadline on Section 702, but the lapse does not necessarily shut off the government’s surveillance tools immediately. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/066052a8521d68215497c1162f3dbd6c?utm_source=openai))
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White House order ties regenerative agriculture to food-supply and health agenda
United States White House and Federal Power Watch – Executive Order 14414 directs USDA, HHS and EPA to expand pilots, study chemical exposure and review crop-protection tools, but it does not create a new nationwide rule on its own.
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Supreme Court blocks personal-damages claims in Rastafarian prison hair case
United States Religion Government and Civil Rights – The Court said RLUIPA does not let inmates collect money damages from individual prison officers who never consented to that liability.
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D.C. Circuit pauses Trump’s CFPB layoff push
United States Courts and Legal Accountability – The D.C. Circuit sent the CFPB staffing fight back to the district court while keeping the appeal alive.
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House appropriators advance FY2027 defense bill with $1.072 trillion allocation
United States Congress and Budget Watch – Committee approval sends the defense bill to the full House, but it is not final law.
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States, universities push for more time on OMB grant rewrite before July 13
States, universities and Senate Democrats are pressing OMB over a proposed federal grants rewrite ahead of the July 13 comment deadline. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-29/pdf/2026-10817.pdf))
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FCC tightens telecom supply-chain rules on older covered gear ahead of July 22 vote
The FCC has already barred some previously authorized covered communications gear from continued import and marketing, while a broader component-based crackdown is still only a draft. ([docs.fcc.gov](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-635A1.pdf))
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FDA Class I chip recall puts select Zapp’s and Dirty snacks on the July Fourth check list
FDA’s highest-risk recall covers select Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips nationwide, so shoppers should check labels before the holiday weekend. ([fda.gov](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/utz-quality-foods-llc-issues-voluntary-recall-certain-limited-varieties-zapps-and-dirty-potato-chips))
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West Nile season is off to an early, active start across the U.S.
United States Public Health and Disease Watch – CDC says West Nile is active early this summer, making mosquito-bite prevention and symptom awareness urgent now.
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ATF ends phone-tracking pilot after bipartisan scrutiny
United States National Accountability Fast Follow – ATF ended its Webloc pilot after bipartisan scrutiny over warrantless access to commercial location data.
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DOJ charges eight alleged Tren de Aragua members in Texas and Illinois
DOJ announced July 2 that federal prosecutors in Chicago and North Texas charged eight alleged Tren de Aragua members in two cases filed June 29–30.
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U.S. hiring slowed in June as payroll growth rose by 57,000
United States Evening Breaking National Update – June payrolls rose 57,000, unemployment held at 4.2%, and lower revisions point to a cooler labor market.
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Trump keeps pressing the SAVE America Act as House GOP standoff widens
United States Evening Elections and Democracy Update – Trump is still pushing the SAVE America Act, but the bill remains introduced and Senate Republicans say they do not have the votes.
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Former Olympian indicted as Congress keeps pressing Reflecting Pool questions
United States Evening White House and Congress Update – Senate Democrats want answers on cost, no-bid work, and repair failures as the White House blames vandals.
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CMS Medicaid work rule faces lawsuit over medical-frailty exemption
A multistate lawsuit says CMS’s new Medicaid work-requirement framework could make exemption checks harder before the Jan. 1, 2027 rollout.
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EPA proposes new drinking-water monitoring rule for 30 contaminants, leaves microplastics out for now
United States Energy Environment and Federal Rules – EPA’s proposed UCMR 6 would collect national drinking-water data on 30 contaminants; microplastics are excluded for now because EPA says the method isn’t ready.
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Congress turns Iran war-powers vote into a spending test
House and Senate votes on the Iran war-powers resolution set up a larger fight over how Congress handles the White House’s $87.6 billion supplemental request.
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Supreme Court lets border metering resume for asylum seekers kept in Mexico
June 25’s 6-3 ruling in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado weakens asylum access when migrants are kept in Mexico while waiting.