All articles tagged with #policy change
The Big Ten unanimously approved a rule barring players who declared for the NFL draft and either did not withdraw or who have appeared on an NFL roster or signed a pro contract from returning to a Big Ten college team, a move that will affect eligibility and roster management; the development mirrors a broader debate with the SEC reportedly opposing pros in college and eliciting mixed reactions from programs and coaches.
Omaha Public Schools has asked Mayor John Ewing and the Omaha Police Department to bar school resource officers from carrying shock gloves on school property, calling the devices counterproductive to safety and relationships with students. The OPD will honor the request and discontinue use in schools but will maintain other equipment. Mayor Ewing supported opting out, noting it was the least impactful option among tools. The move followed protests by parents and students at a board meeting and comes as some metro districts had been using shock gloves, though others say they have not deployed them yet.
Bumble announced it is removing its rule that prevented men from messaging first, allowing men to initiate conversations. The platform also extends the time to respond to initial messages from 24 to 72 hours. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd says the change is about reducing pressure and giving users more flexibility, reflecting feedback and busy modern dating. The move comes amid slow dating-app growth and reports of a potential sale, alongside prior layoffs and revenue pressures.
The United States has canceled automatic protections for certain imperiled animals, a move critics say could hasten extinctions and reshape conservation policy.
New York City's Department of Buildings has ordered a third‑party independent review of the Pfizer building's conversion in Midtown after a structural failure prompted a mass evacuation. The project added 14 floors to a 33‑story, about 667,000‑square‑foot tower, and did not require outside peer review under current thresholds, prompting calls from engineers to lower those thresholds, especially for older buildings. City officials say policy changes could be considered as the investigation continues to determine the cause, which could involve reinforcement issues, contractor error, or inspection gaps; the cost of a peer review is typically modest, around $100,000–$200,000.
A Rhode Island federal judge ruled that HUD’s fiscal 2025 changes to the Continuum of Care program, which aimed to shift funding from permanent housing to temporary housing and services and move away from a Housing First approach, were arbitrary and capricious and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The decision blocks the 2025 funding changes, though it did not grant a permanent injunction against the broader policy shift; litigation over 2026 funding remains possible. HUD argues the overhaul aims to fund outcomes and merit, while plaintiffs warn the changes will harm communities by creating funding gaps for permanent housing.
Pentagon officials revised their new religious classification list after days of criticism from Utah lawmakers, with Senator John Curtis announcing the change on Monday.
A Southwest passenger at MIA was told she might need to buy an extra seat because of a new January 2026 policy that allows staff to determine seat fit by eyeballing a passenger. The passenger, Linda Hyde, says she could fit in one seat and had recently flown full, single-seat flights. Southwest later updated the policy to require an extra seat only if the flight is full and to offer extra seats at no cost when available, with refunds contingent on fullness. The incident drew criticism from disability advocates and prompted inquiries to Southwest and the DOT, which notes airlines aren’t required to provide more than one seat per ticket; the case underscores ongoing debates over how size and seating are handled in air travel.
Backlash over a memo that could push many green-card applicants to apply from abroad prompted DHS to frame the change as a restatement of longstanding policy, insisting it won’t prevent eligible individuals from obtaining a visa while some affected cases may be filed overseas; critics warn the move could slow legal immigration and complicate applicants’ lives.
The Trump administration unveiled a rule requiring green-card applicants to leave the United States during the application process, a sweeping change that could force hundreds of thousands to leave their jobs and families while their residency requests are processed. The policy, which includes exemptions for extraordinary circumstances, would affect a large share of legal immigration and is expected to face lawsuits as critics argue it would hurt U.S. competitiveness and disrupt communities.
After the DOJ ruled the post-Watergate presidential-records law unconstitutional, White House lawyers adopted a discretionary-guidelines approach to preserving presidential records, a move experts say weakens long-standing safeguards.
The US Army raised the maximum enlistment age to 42 and removed restrictions for recruits with a single marijuana-related conviction, aligning with other branches and aiming to bolster recruitment as the force faces aging recruits and prior shortfalls.
The Defense Department is pushing policy changes to Scouting America that critics say target transgender youths, signalling a broader shift in participation rules and program administration.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will not enforce a newly published interim rule that would base disability ratings on functional status while on medications, halting enforcement after widespread backlash; the rule—aimed at adjusting benefits and published in the Federal Register—drew fierce criticism from the VFW and lawmakers who warned it could penalize veterans who follow doctors’ orders, including concerns about psychiatric medications, and a lawsuit has been filed to block it.
The VA issued a Federal Register rule allowing disability ratings to reflect improvements from medications or treatments, potentially lowering ratings during reevaluation even when the underlying disability remains. Veterans groups warn this could reduce benefits and deter care, especially for PTSD and toxic-exposure conditions, while VA officials say the rule formalizes a longstanding practice and won’t affect current ratings. The rule has drawn widespread backlash and thousands of public comments as questions about implementation and legal implications remain unresolved.