Rolling back regulations: The Trump administration has finalized a plan to roll back regulations it says needlessly delay federal approvals for energy and infrastructure projects. The action Wednesday by the White House Council on Environmental Quality rescinds regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved. Read more from the Associated Press.
Wall Street-backed landlords: President Donald Trump says he is moving to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, calling on Congress to codify the effort as part of a broader push to tackle the housing crisis. The move targets Wall Street-backed landlords that have crowded out first-time buyers, though their overall market share remains relatively small. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.
Fewer positions added: U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up. Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from 7.4 million in October. Layoffs also dropped, however, as companies appear to be holding onto workers even as they are reluctant to add staff. Read more from The Associated Press.
To the polls: Speaker Phillip DeVillier released a proclamation on Wednesday setting the date of the special election to replace Rep. Paula Davis, who submitted her resignation in late December. Davis’ last day is Friday. Qualifying will run from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30, with the primary election set for March 14. The general election will be April 18.
