Short Takes – 8-8-25

Trump and Schumer couldn’t clinch a deal. Now a shutdown hangs in the balance. Politico.com article. Pull quote: “Schumer and Senate Democrats have been trying to game out multiple scenarios in closed-door caucus meetings. They have also been discussing what demands to make in exchange for their votes to fund the government. Those could range from an ironclad commitment from Republicans that they won’t agree to claw back more funding or seek policy concessions, such as unfreezing foreign aid or National Institutes of Health funds, or pursuing a deal on soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act tax credits.”

Pipeline Safety: Clarifying Recordkeeping Requirements for Testing in MAOP Reconfirmation Regulation. Federal Register PHMSA notice of comment period. Summary: “On July 1, 2025, PHMSA published a final rule titled, “Pipeline Safety: Clarifying Recordkeeping Requirements for Testing in MAOP Reconfirmation Regulation.” The final rule contained a technical correction clarifying the applicability of the requirements in 49 CFR 192.624(a)(1) for reconfirming the maximum allowable operating pressure of certain gas transmission lines. On July 31, 2025, the Pipeline Safety Trust (PST) filed a petition for reconsideration and a request for a stay of the effective date of the final rule under 49 CFR 190.335(a). The petition is available for review in the docket for this proceeding.” Comments due September 8^th, 2025.

U.S. DOT Strategic Plan. Federal Register DOT request for information. Summary: “The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-62), as amended by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-352), requires that Federal agencies revise and update their strategic plan at the beginning of each new presidential term, and in doing so, solicit input from interested stakeholders. Further, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-435) requires that each agency's strategic plan include an evidence-building plan that identifies and addresses policy questions, which the agency develops in consultation with stakeholders. The DOT's current and previous Strategic Plans can be accessed at https://www.transportation.gov/​dot-strategic-plan.” Comments due September 5^th, 2025.

Astronauts and scientists explain why living in space is almost impossible. BusinessInsider.com article. Pull quote: “Common side effects of long-duration stays in microgravity include muscle and bone loss, decreased blood pressure, and blurred vision. While most of these return to normal once an astronaut is back on Earth, some effects of space radiation — like an increased risk of cancer, cataracts, and damage to the central nervous system — can be permanent.”

NASA Told to Overhaul Its Plans to Replace the International Space Station. Gizmodo.com article. Pull quote: “Duffy’s memo, however, reportedly states that NASA should continue issuing Space Act Agreements in the second phase instead of fixed-price contracts, as reported by Space News. The change is meant to accommodate NASA’s budget for 2026, which could create a $4 billion funding shortfall compared to this year’s budget.”

Final hurricane season forecast warns storms are coming soon. USAToday.com article. Pull quote: “The numbers released in the Aug. 7 forecast are a slight decrease from the original forecast in May, though not enough to change the overall message of the forecast.”

These nuclear reactors fit on a flatbed truck. How safe are they? WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “The flatbed-size reactors are designed to generate as little as a single megawatt of power — roughly one-thousandth the amount of a large legacy unit. It’s enough to power 1,000 homes, a single manufacturing plant or even a remote island owned by a billionaire (one company claims it has received such an inquiry).”

Nearly 2 million Americans on unemployment, highest since pandemic era. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “The figures reinforce the increasingly weaker labor market landscape. Even without a large pickup in layoffs, many Americans cannot find new work and are facing longer bouts of unemployment. A separate jobs report released last week showed that employers are hiring at close to the slowest pace in more than a decade, excluding the pandemic.”

EO 14328: Establishing the White House Task Force on the 2028 Summer Olympics. Federal Register.