Federal

The Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed that it is considering removing language about anti-discrimination efforts from its mission statement.  The agency confirmed that a leaked draft of the new mission statement reads "HUD’s mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation." [node:read-more:link]

The federal agency charged with processing immigration applications to the United States slashed the phrase “nation of immigrants” from its mission statement. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director L. Francis Cissna announced the agency’s new mission statement in a staff-wide email. “U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Tony Tooke, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, stepped down from his post following reports of sexual harassment and retaliation at the agency that revealed the Agriculture Department was investigating misconduct allegations against Tooke himself. Tooke, who was appointed by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in August, announced his resignation in an email to employees.  [node:read-more:link]

States across the country argue that if Washington loses Supreme Court case, land uses from coast-to-coast will be vulnerable to lawsuits.  Eleven states from around the U.S. argue that if Washington loses its case in the U.S. Supreme Court over culverts, land-use rules across the country will be at risk of being subordinate to tribal treaty rights. The states, led by Idaho, filed a brief with the high court March 2 supporting Washington’s appeal of a court order to replace more than 800 fish-blocking culverts. [node:read-more:link]

A federal proposal to replace food stamps with what is called "America's Harvest Boxes" is worrying some small grocers in towns across the nation. President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2019 budget includes a proposed change to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or SNAP, most often referred to as food stamps. The program would trade food stamps for boxes of food."On reading about this federal proposal it does concern us in that we are a meal program that does accept food stamps from clients," Carolyn Fox with Mobile Meals of Toledo said. [node:read-more:link]

Despite pushback from the House and Senate on a similar proposal released last year, the Trump administration again recommends doing away with a majority of the nation’s rural housing programs. [node:read-more:link]

American solar company SunPower will lay off about 3 percent of its workforce in March, a decision that comes after President Trump began imposing new tariffs on imported solar materials earlier this month.  SunPower has already started the process of laying off between 150 and 250 workers, largely from its research and development and marketing positions, CEO Tom Werner told The Hill. The cuts will amount to about a 10 decrease in operational expenses. [node:read-more:link]

A group of Democratic state attorneys general has taken 80 legal actions against the Trump administration over environmental policies, and is promising even more. A report released by a group helping the attorneys general outlined the lawsuits and other actions in areas like greenhouse gas pollution, energy efficiency, methane, water pollution, ozone and more, often resulting in victories. [node:read-more:link]

Researchers found that in 99 percent of counties those meals regularly cost more than even the maximum benefit disbursed by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In Manhattan, for instance — home to nearly a quarter-million food-stamp recipients — SNAP allows $1.86 per meal, while the average meal costs $3.96. The reports add to a growing body of evidence that SNAP benefits may already be too small to fully prevent hunger and related health risks. [node:read-more:link]

Nearly half the new jobs the government foresees emerging by 2026 will require only a high school diploma — or none at all. Those jobs share something else in common, too: Hundreds of thousands of them will likely be taken by low-skilled immigrants who are willing to do work that many Americans won’t. Lost in the immigration debate raging in Washington is the vital economic role played by immigrants who don’t have the education, training or skills that the Trump administration and many Republicans in Congress say should be a pre-requisite. [node:read-more:link]