Welcome to The WonkLine, a daily 9:30 a.m. roundup of the latest public policy news. This is what we’re reading. Tell us what you found in the comments section below. You can also follow The Wonk Room on Twitter.
Immigration
According to Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), the DREAM Act will hit the House floor next week. Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R-FL) said he hadn’t seen the immigration bill recently filed by state Sen. Mike Bennett (R), but he’s supportive of the concept of stopping citizens to ask them to show proof of citizenship. Immigrant advocates are planning to rally outside a Christmas party hosted by U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) to pressure him to support the DREAM Act.
Justice
Anti-gay supporters of Prop 8 failed in their effort to remove a progressive judge from the panel hearing their appeal on Monday.
Reagan-appointed Judge Jack Camp, who recently pled guilty to a felony drug charge, is also being investigated for whether he also gave favorable treatment to white defendants in his courtroom.
When your anti-immigrant proposal is so radical even Ken Cuccinelli won’t sign on to it, it may be a good sign that you need to check yourself.
National Security
“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin… declared Russia might build up its nuclear weapons instead of reducing them if the New START treaty arranged with the Obama administration is not ratified by Congress.” “From hundreds of diplomatic cables, Afghanistan emerges as a looking-glass land where bribery, extortion and embezzlement are the norm and the honest man is a distinct outlier.” After awarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup to Russia and Qatar, charges of corruption have erupted against FIFA — the international body that governs soccer.
Education
Former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee joined the education transition team of Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R-FL); she will advise Scott on “innovations, cost-saving opportunities, success stories from other states and other potential education improvements.”
A commission appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) “is calling for ‘landmark higher education legislation’ to put Virginia on a path toward increasing degree attainment.”
The Department of Education has begun to “develop a set of legislative recommendations for the 2013 renewal of the Higher Education Act.”
Economy
The final report of President Obama’s fiscal commission will not receive enough votes to move forward, as six of the 18 commission members plan to vote against it.
The House yesterday approved a bill extending tax rates for only those making less than $250,000 per year; the Senate, however, does not seem likely to take the same step.
ABC News reports that JP Morgan suspected that Bernie Madoff’s investment returns were “too good to be true,” but continued doing business with him until his arrest.
Climate Change
U.S. and China negotiators, who had sparred confrontationally during October talks, have changed their tone, and “appeared close to agreement Wednesday” on whether China would accept some international measuring, reporting and verifying of its emissions reduction plans.
Solve Climate’s Stacy Feldman reports: “Advocates for poor nations angrily assailed Japan at the Cancun climate talks on Wednesday for planning to kill off the Kyoto Protocol.”
“The year 2010 is on track to be one of the three hottest years on record, capping off a record-setting decade that provides further evidence that the planet is warming,” said the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization.