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While the climate has monumentally shifted in DC since our last update due to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the ensuing fight to fill that seat, much of the policy considerations remain in similar positions. Democrats and Republicans have not made any further progress in a deal on the next round of COVID-19 relief. Democrats, feeling pressure from some House members, have released a new $2.2 trillion relief package. This new version of the HEROES Act merges new priorities for small businesses, airline workers, and education with much of the content from the $3.5 trillion version of the HEROES Act passed by the House in May. White House and Senate Republicans haven’t moved from their position of a $1.5 trillion topline number so this new package, if taken up and passed in the House, is also dead on arrival in the Senate. With the new fault lines around the Supreme Court seat looking to deepen over the next month, and the existing ones from the approaching election not getting better, it’s hard to see a clear path forward for a relief package before the election. | More >

The Water Equity Network is a nationwide community of practice where cities can share best practices—including COVID-19 response strategies—in real time, engage in cross-city coaching and mentoring, and advance equitable water management. Network members will have an opportunity to build trusting relationships with diverse local partners to tackle water equity issues, and they’ll engage with other city teams facing similar issues to share ideas and solutions.  | More >

Washington lawmakers began August with three tall orders to fill. As unemployment hangs in the double digits, the need for another package of COVID-19 relief is growing more pronounced and key provisions of previous bills are expiring. And, with the September 30th deadline fast approaching, annual spending bills remain unfinished. And, looming just after the election, raising the debt ceiling will be a key need. Despite this consequential to-do list, Congress opted for a limited legislative schedule with long breaks in August and early September. That leaves only a few remaining months before a critical election for each party to act and make the case to the American for why their party deserves the mandate to govern. | More >

In the wake of the water crisis that began in 2014 and exposed tens of thousands to toxic lead levels, many Flint, MI residents were left not knowing who to trust about the safety of their water. In 2018, two organizations, Flint Development Center, a community center located in a former elementary school, and Freshwater Future, an established organization dedicated to the protection of the Great Lakes, stepped up to address this challenge of trust. The organizations created the Flint Community Lab. The Lab began as a summer pilot program with 15 teens and aimed to both inspire local youths to get involved in their city’s water issues, and to provide accurate information to residents about the water that serves them. Because of its unique strategy of engaging youth to address one of the most high-profile water issues in America, the Flint Community Lab has earned the US Water Prize for Cross Sector Partnership.   | More >