FEMA: $62 Million Approved to Support Recovery in Missouri and Kansas
Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, FEMA recently approved more than $62 million in funding to support recovery for past disasters in Missouri and Kansas for Public Assistance projects, which include debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair or replacement of public infrastructure damaged by disasters. This regional funding is part of a broader effort announced by the Department of…
Census Bureau: 2024 ACS 5-Year Data Show Large Gains in Educational Attainment in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas
The percentage of adults age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased significantly in metropolitan statistical areas (metro areas), up from 34.2% during the 2015-2019 period to 37.8% during the 2020-2024 period, according to new American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. “Over the last five years, we’ve…
SBA: New Regulatory Guidance Issued to Cut California Red Tape and Expedite Los Angeles Wildfire Rebuild
New rule allows builders to self-certify compliance, bypass permitting backlogs, and begin rebuilding Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published regulatory guidance pursuant to President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14277, “Addressing State and Local Failures to Rebuild Los Angeles After Wildfire Disasters,” which will allow builders to self-certify compliance with substantive state and local rebuilding requirements when SBA disaster…
FEMA: Temporary Housing Assistance Extended for Maui Wildfire Survivors to February 2027
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a one-year extension of its temporary housing assistance for survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires. FEMA assistance is now extended through February 28, 2027. The initial 18-month period of assistance following the wildfires on August 8, 2023 was set to end on February 10, 2025. In October of 2024, FEMA approved a…
SBA: Over 1,000 8(a) Firms Suspended from Program Following December Document Request
Action is Latest in Sweeping Effort to Dismantle DEI, Expose Fraud, and Restore Integrity to Federal Contracting Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the suspension of 1,091 firms from the 8(a) Business Development Program – representing about 25% of all firms registered to participate in the federal government contracting program. The suspension comes after the…
HUD: Agency Rescinds Investigation into the Texas General Land Office
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has closed a civil rights investigation into the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) distribution of disaster mitigation funds. Following a thorough investigation, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) determined prior allegations, based on a theory of disparate impact, that the Texas GLO engaged in…
Census Bureau: New Data Show Fewer Women Gave Birth While Unmarried in the Past Decade
The percentage of women with a recent birth who were unmarried decreased by 4.8 percentage points, from 35.7% (or under 1.5 million) in 2011 to 30.9% (or 1.2 million) in 2023, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report titled Social and Economic Characteristics of Currently Unmarried Women With a Recent Birth: 2023. In 2023, four…
Census Bureau: U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic Decline in Net International Migration
Population growth in the United States has slowed significantly with an increase of only 1.8 million, or 0.5%, between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, according to the new Vintage 2025 population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the nation’s slowest population growth since the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, when…
Census Bureau: 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for States, Counties, and School Districts Released
The median estimated poverty rate of children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts in 2024 was 12.5%, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The new data come from the 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates(SAIPE), which provide the only single-year income and poverty statistics for the nation’s 3,143 counties…
SBA: Agency Ready to Act on President Trump’s Executive Order to Bypass Bureaucracy and Help California Residents Rebuild One Year After Wildfires
Executive action empowers SBA to cut through red tape that has stalled recovery for more than a year Today, Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration(SBA), applauded President Donald J. Trump for signing a new executive order, “Addressing State and Local Failures to Rebuild Los Angeles After Wildfire Disasters,” which encourages the SBA to promulgate new regulations…