March 18, 2022

21 Mar March 18, 2022

Top News

• Zelenskyy pleads for help in impassioned speech to Congress. Associated Press
• Fed raises interest rates for the first time since 2018. Yahoo Finance
• Jha to lead White House response as pandemic enters new phase. Roll Call
• Biden touts direct municipal aid in ARPA, infrastructure law at NLC conference. Smart Cities Dive
• The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics. Politico

Energy & Natural Resources

• Biden administration approves more LNG exports to Europe. Reuters
• Senate Lawmakers Want to Overhaul How Wastewater Funds are Divided. Route Fifty
• Democrats look to limit gas price fallout. Axios
• House Democrats call on Biden to renew climate push. The Hill
• Drought in U.S. Is Expected to Persist, and Spread, Through the Spring. New York Times

Indian Affairs

• Haaland: Report on Indigenous boarding schools expected soon. Associated Press
• Battle over Native American burial site in Virginia ends in tribal victory. Washington Post
• Carlisle Indian Industrial School forced Native American children to assimilate. NPR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs Approves First Ever Tribal Energy Development Organization. Native News

Labor 

• US unions see unusually promising moment amid wave of victories. Guardian
• U.S. labor board issues a complaint against Starbucks. New York Times
• U.S. Department of Labor OIG reports up to $163 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits may be fraudulent. CBS Chicago
• Punching In: DOT-DOL Infrastructure Pact Boosts Unions, Training. Bloomberg Law

Taxation & Trade

• Amid painful tax season, bipartisan duo eyes IRS budget fix. Roll Call
• U.S. Moves to Deny Russia ‘Most Favored’ Trade Status. Wall Street Journal
• Cash-rich states create ‘competitive environment’ with flurry of tax cuts. CNBC
• White House to withdraw key agricultural trade nominee. Politico

Technology 

• Democrats introduce bill to give FTC, DOJ power to block, break up mergers. The Hill
• Will Russia Chase Out Big Tech? Foreign Policy
• Tech’s favorite Biden official. Axios
• Kremlin targets influencer after posts turn political. The Hill
• Telegram Thrives Amid Russia’s Media Crackdown. Wall Street Journal

Transportation & Infrastructure 

• Federal Highway Chief Urges Cities to Go After State Infrastructure Money. Route Fifty
• Senate votes to repeal travel mask mandates in bipartisan rebuke of Biden administration policy. CNN
• Congress and White House open the flow of public transportation funds. Smart Cities Dive
• Washington lawmakers are considering a gas tax holiday. Don’t expect that to make a big dent in what you’re paying at the pump. CNBC
• House Lawmakers Pitch Water Infrastructure Projects. Transport Topics

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