Quick Hits

*** The changes of a government shutdown on Oct. 1 appear to have diminished, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin agreeing to back a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government funded past the November elections. Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the intent to pass a continuing resolution at current levels in a Friday interview on CNBC.

*** President Donald Trump has "critical race theory" in his sights. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Sept. 4 explaining that a ban on federal employee training programs that incorporated ideas on "white privilege" and "critical race theory" or that suggested "that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country" is in effect and urges agencies to begin looking at contracts to identify any such training and to take steps to cancel them. The memo from OMB Director Russell Vought characterized the effort as targeting "un-American propaganda training sessions." It's not clear what kinds of training incorporate such ideas, but bias training focusing on eliminating implicit bias and unconscious bias towards women, non-native English speakers and ethnic and racial minorities are relatively common in federal workplaces.