Debts and Pandemic Combine to Present Bleak Outlook for California Court Funds
Two reports from the independent Legislative Analyst show insolvent construction funds and the Covid-19 pandemic’s long-term effect on court operations.
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Budget
Federal Deficit to Hit $2.3 Trillion, CBO Says
The federal budget deficit will hit $2.3 trillion this year, even without President Joe Biden’s proposed stimulus package, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported on Thursday.
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Texas Attorney General Brings Budget Wish List to Legislature
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked state senators Wednesday to approve a budget for his agency with funding to hire experts for antitrust litigation against Google, and defended his challenge of the presidential election results of four battleground states.
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Report Tying $15 Wage to Fewer Jobs, More Deficit, Draws Fire
Some economists take issue with the methodology of the Congressional Budget Office’s new study that says a $15 minimum wage would put 1.4 million Americans out of work.
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California Courts See Funding Boost in Budget Proposal
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget package includes $381.1 million in new funding for the judiciary, a proposal the state’s chief justice praised as “welcome news.”
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Covid Response the Top Priority in Massive $227 Billion California Budget
The enormous spending plan includes multibillion-dollar life lines for businesses and residents whose finances have been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Republicans Drag Out Vote for Bigger Stimulus Checks
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused Tuesday to schedule a vote on the House-passed bill that would increase the Covid-19 stimulus checks for Americans from $600 to $2,000.
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House Votes to Override Trump Veto of Military Bill
Shutting down outgoing President Donald Trump’s veto of the $740 billion annual defense spending bill, the House of Representatives voted 322-87 Monday to override — leaving it to the Senate to make it law without his signature.
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Override Showdown at Hand After Trump Vetoes Budget
President Donald Trump made good on his vow Wednesday to veto the 2021 national defense spending bill, queuing up a showdown in Congress where a supermajority of both the House and Senate could override him.
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Senate Passes Defense Bill, Shrugging Trump Threat of Veto
Setting the stage for a final veto showdown to close out President Donald Trump’s single term, the Republican-led Senate voted 84-13 Friday in favor of a $740 billion defense-spending bill.
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Minneapolis City Leaders Reduce Police Funding but Leave Door Open for More Hires
Efforts to defund the Minneapolis Police Department stumbled past another hurdle late Wednesday night when the Minneapolis City Council passed a budget which cut the department’s funding by $7.7 million, but left a window open for the hiring of 140 new officers.
Read moreWhistleblower
Alice Stebbins, the former executive director of the California Public Utilities Commission filed a lawsuit against the agency in Superior Court, claiming she was wrongfully fired for refusing to stop an investigation into the agency’s finances.
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House OKs Funding Extension to Keep Government Open
The House passed a bill Wednesday to continue funding the government into next week, two days before it was set to shut down amid a standoff over a larger spending deal.
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Poles Voice Fears of ‘Polexit’ as Gov’t Defies EU Over Budget
As the Polish government plays a game of chicken with the European Union over its next long-term budget, some Poles are voicing fears that a drawn-out conflict could put their country on a path toward an eventual departure from the bloc, or “Polexit.”
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Trump Sets Up Long Fight Over Defense Bill With Veto Vow
As his single term concludes, President Donald Trump kicked up more rancor Tuesday by vowing to veto the bipartisan annual defense spending bill just passed by the House of Representatives.
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Congress to Pass One-Week Stopgap to Avert Shutdown
Congress is expected to pass a bill Wednesday to continue funding the government for another week as lawmakers hammer out a long-term spending package.
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Fifth Circuit Approves of Use of Military Funds for Border Wall
The Fifth Circuit ruled Friday evening a federal judge erred in blocking the Trump administration from redirecting $3.6 billion from the military to build a wall at the border with Mexico, a decision that is certain to head to the Supreme Court.
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Pelosi Accuses GOP of Dropping Ball on Virus-Relief Spending
Covid never came up, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told reporters Friday, recapping talks with Republicans that focused exclusively on the federal budget as the country marked its 250,000th death to the pandemic.
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California Budget Outlook Rosier With Unexpected Tax Windfall
Aided by a booming third quarter, California’s economic recovery is gaining steam with analysts estimating Wednesday that tax collections could outpace the summer’s projections by $26 billion.
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Watchdog Slams UK Over Secrecy in Virus Equipment Contracts
The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s public watchdog said Wednesday.
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