Joe Biden
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for the next three months in one of his administration’s most controversial efforts to give Americans immediate relief as gas prices soar above $5 a gallon in many states.
The proposal was met with widespread skepticism. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats were noncommittal, signaling it could be doomed in Congress.
A three-month federal gas tax holiday would suspend a tax of 18.4 cents per gallon of gas and 24.4 cents for diesel that drivers pay when they fill their tanks. The White House billed the holiday as a way to provide some “breathing room” as it works to bring costs down over the long term.
The Department of Education said Thursday that it plans to reinstate Title IX regulations tossed out by the Trump administration.
Proposed changes would combat sexual discrimination in schools by boosting victim protections and modifying language to include sexual orientation and gender identity for LGBTQI+ students.
Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, more commonly known as Title IX, which protects students from sexual discrimination in educational programs and activities.
The US Supreme Court has struck down a New York law restricting gun-carrying rights, in its most important judgement on guns in over a decade. It expands gun rights amid a fierce national debate over the issue.
The decision, which jeopardises similar regulations in states like California and New Jersey, is expected to allow more people to carry guns legally. About a quarter of Americans live in states that could be affected if their own rules are challenged.
The court found that a New York law requiring residents to prove “proper cause” to carry concealed firearms in public violates the US Constitution. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing on behalf of the six conservative judges, ruled that Americans have a right to carry “commonly used” firearms in public for personal defense (Red/USA Today, NPR and BBC).
