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What We’re Reading This Week, July 13-17

Here’s a selection of articles the Federal Relations staff are enjoying this week.

The BIG One – The Cascadia Subduction zone has experienced a tremendous earthquake approximately every 245 years. It’s been 315 since the last major movement…we’re long over due. Scientists at UW and OSU are working to determine when, how and what the impacts will be (preview: really, really bad). It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.  Read more at the New Yorker.

Capitol Dome Restoration, July 2015
Capitol Dome Restoration, July 2015

Toot, Toot – UW has a superlative freshman class this year. Read more in the Seattle Times. 

Partner Up – The best partner for the next President: Research Universities. Read more at Time. 

NO!!! – In the massive cuts that have happened to a number of agencies, one NIH agency, AHRQ, which despite NIH having an overall increase was cut, has its supporters militantly defending the threatened health research agency. Read more at Science Magazine. 

Splits – Despite being one party, the Republican party has its splinter groups and caucuses, most notably the House’s Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee. While they share a great number of opinions, they manifest differently. Roll Call has an example of that in the Ex-Im Bank issue. 

Hemp It Up – While not having progressive views on marijuana, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is very pro industrial hemp. Read more at Roll Call. 

Bummer – The Google self-driving car was seriously rear ended (again). This time its  Lexus was bumped.  Read more at USA Today. 

$1 billion – Is the cost of both the NASA efforts to go to Pluto and a new Minnesota Vikings Stadium. CBS Reality Check asks how should we be spending our money.

The latest poll from Fox News puts Donald Trump at the top of the Republican field, with 18 percent.