This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

I SUPREME COURT TO HEAR BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

The Supreme Court will hear a case challenging President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order. President Trump signed the order on the first day of his second term. If allowed to go into force, it would prevent children born to temporary visitors or undocumented immigrants from automatically becoming U.S. citizens. Several district courts and two federal appeals courts ruled the order unconstitutional, finding it violated the 14th Amendment, which says “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” The Court is expected to rule on the case some time next year. 

>> Dig deeper into the debate about U.S. citizenship here.

I CDC CHANGES HEPATITIS B VACCINE GUIDANCE

New guidance from the CDC suggests revising the recommendations for giving infants the hepatitis B vaccine that have been in place since 1991. Under the new recommendations, mothers who test negative for the virus should consult with their doctor or health care provider before having their child vaccinated. The guidance also states that any baby who doesn’t receive a dose at birth should wait at least two months before being immunized. At least two health insurance industry groups, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and AHIP, have said the new guidance will not affect insurance coverage for the shot. The new guidance comes from an advisory panel and doesn’t go into effect until the CDC makes a final decision.

>> Find out how states set vaccine requirements for schools here.

I HEALTH SUBSIDIES GET A VOTE IN CONGRESS

With ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, both the Senate and House are considering votes this week on competing plans to address them. In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has also promised Democrats a vote on their health care bill this week, which would extend the subsidies in their current form for three years. The Republican plan is unsettled, with members weighing options including extending the expiring subsidies with new restrictions or shifting them into health care savings accounts. House Democrats have filed a discharge petition to force a vote on their plan.

>> Understand what happens if the subsidies expire here.

I U.S. EXPANDS TRAVEL BAN, PAUSES IMMIGRATION APPLICATIONS

The Trump administration will expand its travel ban to cover more than 30 countries. The decision charges against a man from Afghanistan suspected of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., one of whom has since died. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not elaborate on what countries would fall under the expanded ban, which the administration established in June and currently covers 12 countries. The administration also said it was pausing immigration applications from 19 countries in the wake of the shooting. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates that the pause will affect about 1.4 million people with pending asylum applications.

>> Learn more about how the U.S. asylum system works here.

I PENGUINS DYING IN MASS ALARMS SCIENTISTS

More than 60,000 African penguins have vanished from two South African islands in less than a decade. Scientists argue that the collapse of sardine stocks has triggered a wave of starvation, wiping out more than 95% of the penguin colonies on Dassen Island and Robben Island. African penguin populations have declined by nearly 80% globally in the past 30 years. Scientists theorize that warmer and saltier waters driven by climate change disrupted sardine reproduction and that, combined with sustained sardine fishing, led to mass starvation among the penguin populations.

>> Find out how the U.S. is approaching climate change since its withdrawal from the Paris Climate treaty earlier this year here.

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