First Read: Democrats Gain Leverage In Debt Fight

Proposed changes to how Colorado doles out state education funding have divided school districts, pit rival Democratic-leaning education groups against each other and built bipartisan coalitions on both sides of the fight. Lawmakers’ aim is to reshape the contentious formula used to determine how much money to send to local school districts — and how to divide it up.

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In the summer of 2022, heavy rainfall damaged a water treatment plant in the city of Jackson, Mississippi, precipitating a high-profile public health crisis. The Republican Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, as thousands of residents were told to boil their water before drinking it.

Derrick Evans had served only 37 days as a freshman West Virginia state legislator when he livestreamed himself storming the US Capitol on January 6. “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” he yelled, after pushing his way into the building with the mob. He was soon arrested, and in February 2022, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder.

“The Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold Wednesday, but investors will scrutinize Jerome Powell’s subsequent press conference for hints as to the future rate path,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Politico: The Fed thinks time is on its side. That could get awkward.

“President Biden’s push to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug is the latest in a series of administrative policy moves that anxious Democrats hope will bolster his re-election standing with young voters,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Axios: Biden gives cannabis industry a badly needed win.

“President Biden has been personally involved in intense efforts in recent days to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which he sees as a crucial element of a much wider strategy at home and abroad,” Axios reports. “The president’s senior advisers say the deal on the table right now is the only conceivable path to a ceasefire in Gaza and to possibly ending a war that has drawn sharp criticism of Biden among some of his key supporters ahead of the presidential election.”