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08/29/2026

This week Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit from roughly 52 Attorneys General, who alleged the company knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive in ways that harmed young users' mental health.

A federal judge approved the deal, cutting short a trial that had opened in Oakland.

What changes:
🔹 $18B paid out over 10 years — 70% ($12.7B) goes straight to states for youth mental-health programs
🔹 A default 2-hour daily time limit for under-18 users, adjustable only by a parent
🔹 Visible "like" counts and certain beauty filters disabled for minors
🔹 Five years of independent safety audits

About 30% of the payout is contingent on TikTok and YouTube adopting similar limits — California AG Rob Bonta has said states are prepared to pursue them directly if they don't.

For Congress this could reinvigorate the Kids Online Safety Act, as the settlement is proof that courts and state AGs can force platform change where legislation hasn't. Expect renewed KOSA momentum federally and a wave of state child-safety bills modeled on this case in 2027 sessions.

Read our full breakdown here: https://www.ascendconsultingdc.com/insights/meta-settlement-tech-kids-legislation/

08/28/2026

President Trump has declared a national emergency over foreign involvement in equipment used on the U.S. bulk-power system — the high-voltage backbone of the country's electricity grid. The order gives DOE new authority to block, unwind, or require replacement of transformers, generators, and other grid equipment tied to certain foreign entities.

Key dates to watch:
120 days — DOE publishes implementing rules
180 days — DOE recommends federal procurement changes favoring

U.S.-made equipment:
+90 days — FAR Council opens public comment

Utilities and federal energy contractors should expect DOE outreach ahead of any mandatory action. Read our full breakdown here https://www.ascendconsultingdc.com/insights/national-emergency-bulk-power-equipment/

07/23/2026

The House just passed the FY2027 NDAA — 216-212, a $1.15 trillion national defense authorization. That’s roughly $250B above last year’s bill.

A few things worth knowing if you’re tracking this:

→ 5-7% pay raise for servicemembers, with junior enlisted at the top end

→ $28.6B for military construction and family housing

→ Continued funding for “Golden Dome” missile defense and rebuilding mu*****ns stockpiles

→ A companion reconciliation package adds ~$60B more for the Pentagon

The bigger story, though, is the vote itself. NDAA has historically been one of the most bipartisan bills Congress passes every year. This one squeaked through on a near party-line vote — a real signal of how much defense policy is now tangled up with the fight over Iran and the federal budget topline.

This is a House bill, not a law. The Senate hasn’t even taken up its own version yet — they blocked procedural consideration earlier this month over the same budget concerns. Until both chambers pass identical language and the President signs it, none of these provisions are final.

07/13/2026

Today, we remember Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who passed away this weekend at age 71.

A dedicated public servant, Senator Graham served the people of South Carolina and our nation for over two decades. We were especially grateful for his leadership when he was the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee where he prioritized anti-exploitation and child protection legislation.

Our thoughts are with his family, his staff, and all who knew him.

07/10/2026

Severe weather costs the U.S. an estimated $115 billion in 2025. Congress is now weighing legislation to help forecasters get ahead of it including the wildfires and flooding that have been increasing concerns in the U.S. recently.

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5089 / S. 3923) is a bill that impacts every America, and we have been working to reauthorize and update NOAA's core research and forecasting programs through FY2030 — with upgrades to radar, expanded commercial weather data partnerships, statutory backing for tornado research program VORTEX-USA, and modernized alert systems for floods, storms, and hurricanes.

It also looks beyond emergency response, funding better soil-moisture monitoring and seasonal forecasts to help farmers and water managers plan for an increasingly unpredictable climate.

The bill has cleared committee in both chambers but still needs full passage before reaching the President's desk. Read more here: https://www.ascendconsultingdc.com/weatheract/

07/04/2026

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

In 1776, fifty-six men sat in a hot, windowless room in Philadelphia — bitter rivals, deeply divided, betting everything on an army that was already retreating. What got the Declaration signed wasn't agreement - it was mutual respect.

Our CEO breaks down the Seven Keys to Leadership, Influence, and Change the Founders left us — and why they still hold up 250 years later.

Read the full piece: https://substack.com//note/c-287919225?r=4g8whk&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

06/30/2026

Last week the House advanced the KIDS Act as a "landmark" bipartisan package of 17 bills on kids' online safety. There's one problem: the Senators who wrote KOSA say it isn't KOSA at all.

The House version strips out the duty of care — the provision requiring platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent harms like self-harm promotion and exploitation, with real legal accountability when they fail. In its place: annual audits. An audit can document a problem. It can't compensate a harmed child or create liability.

Sens. Blackburn and Blumenthal— KOSA's co-authors, with 75 Senate co-sponsors behind them — have called the House package "dead on arrival."

Read the full breakdown on our site → https://www.ascendconsultingdc.com/the-kids-act-is-not-kosa-and-the-senate-champions-are-saying-so/

06/03/2026

OMB just proposed the biggest rewrite of federal grant rules in more than a decade.

On May 29, the Office of Management and Budget published a proposed rule overhauling 2 CFR Part 200 — the Uniform Guidance that governs how virtually every federal grant dollar is awarded, conditioned, and terminated. This impacts nonprofits, state and local governments, universities, hospitals, and for-profit entities receiving federal funds.

Comments are due July 13, 2026. Our overview and the link to comment are on the Insights page of our website www.AscendConsultingDC.com

AscendConsultingDC

05/15/2026

🏛️ Sine Die, Missouri!

Today marks the end of the 2026 Missouri legislative session — and what a session it was. The gavel falls at 6 p.m. in Jefferson City, and Ascend Consulting was proud to be in the room advocating for our clients every step of the way.

This year, our team worked in more than a dozen state legislatures across the country, fighting for the policies and outcomes that matter most to the organizations we serve.

MoLeg

05/07/2026

Spring lobby days with our clients are one of the most meaningful parts of our year at Ascend.
These aren’t just meetings. They’re momentum.
Every conversation, every briefing, every moment spent connecting a constituent story to a policy priority moves the needle.

Here’s to the long hallways, the packed schedules, and meaningful work.

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