Here’s a selection of article the Federal Relations team is enjoying this week.
Stepping Up – The House Freedom Caucus wasted no time since returning from their summer recess showing just how tough they can make life for Speaker Paul Ryan — and for Democrat Hillary Clinton if she becomes President. They’re pressuring Ryan to oppose a deal taking shape in the Senate on must-pass legislation to keep the government open, and promising Clinton to keep investigating email issues even if she ends up in the White House. Read more in the AP.
Take Down – The closure of ITT Technical Institutes, a national chain of career schools with a 50-year legacy, is fueling a debate over the federal government’s aggressive policing of for-profit higher education and whether it could destroy the industry. Read more in the Washington Post.
Endowed? – A Sept. 13 hearing of a House Ways and Means subcommittee is set to look at how colleges, through their tax-exempt endowments, are trying to reduce tuition. The hearing in Washington, which will feature testimony from policy experts and college representatives, comes as many endowments are expected to post investment declines for FY 2016. Read more in Bloomberg.
Five To Flip – Democrats must net five seats — or four and retain the White House — to regain control of the upper chamber. They are defending 10 seats, while Republicans face a more challenging path, needing to defend 24 seats. The Hill has the nine seats most likely to go from Red to Blue.
10 Most Vulnerable – While several sitting Members of Congress have already been defeated in the primary, here is the latest 10 most likely Members to have a rough election. Read more at Roll Call.
Long List – Congress is back for a few weeks, and they have a lot to pack in, including many to-dos for research and science. Read more in Science.
Pledge for Childcare – Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton renewed her pledge to invest in child-care programs on college campuses, spotlighting the need for a service that has been disappearing at many schools just as the number of student parents grows. Read more in The Washington Post.
Balancing Act – Speaker Ryan has a tough month ahead of competing interests and political demands. Uniting the GOP conference has not proven to be an easy task. Read more at Roll Call.
Fact’s Don’t Matter – According to the Pew Research Center, the nation is more polarized than at any time in recent history. While some of the issues dividing us boil down to ideology and preference, there is at least one on which hard science should have a strong say. Facts, however, seem to polarize us more, rather than unite us. Read more in the New York Times.
Redistricting Redrawing the Map – A Washington Post-SurveyMonkey poll of all 50 states indicates the 2016 campaign could flip several red and blue states from their longtime loyalties. See how it shakes out at The Washington Post.
8 Hours in the Sky – For eight hours, with American airspace completely cleared of jets, a single blue-and-white Boeing-747, tail number 29000—filled with about 65 passengers, crew and press, and the 43rd President, George W. Bush, as well as 70 box lunches and 25 pounds of bananas—traversed the eastern United States. Politico has the story of those on Air Force One 15 years after the attacks of 9/11.