Good morning, it’s Monday, February 23, 2026. In today’s edition, lawmakers seek to attract foreign doctors; Trump tells governors no more immigration surges; California Dems won’t endorse a governor candidate:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers are backing bills to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to get medical licenses in the United States. The bills, aimed at addressing a shortage of doctors in some areas, win support from conservative free-market groups, business associations and left-leaning immigration advocates. Most would require physicians to commit to work in underserved areas. (Pluribus News)
MORE: The Virginia House of Delegates has approved legislation requiring a 72-hour waiting period for lab results relating to malignant cancers or genetic markers to be released as part of a patient’s health records. The measure is meant to ensure doctors or health professionals divulge sensitive results in person or by phone, rather than through an app. (Virginia Mercury)
REDISTRICTING: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has signed legislation redrawing the state’s congressional district map to give Democrats an edge in 10 of the state’s 11 districts. The bill, which pushes back candidate filing deadlines until May 25, would take effect if voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing the remap in an April 21 special election. (Virginia Public Media)
SOCIAL MEDIA: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is backing a bill to require a minimum age for users of social media platforms. The bill, introduced by Assemb. Josh Lowenthal (D), has bipartisan support. It would restrict social media usage for children under 16. (Sacramento Bee)
IMMIGRATION: President Trump told governors at a meeting Friday he has no plans to surge federal immigration operations into states where it’s not wanted. Trump met with a dozen Republicans and ten Democratic governors during a working session Friday morning. (Maryland Matters)
MORE: Connecticut Democrats are backing legislation to ban federal law enforcement operations within 250 feet of a polling place or an elections counting site without judicial authorization. The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Matt Blumenthal (D), said the aim is to prevent voter intimidation. (CT Insider) The Idaho Senate approved legislation requiring businesses and governments to use E-Verify when hiring new employees. (Idaho Capital Sun)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Missouri lawmakers have introduced legislation allowing residents to sue someone who distributes or publishes AI-generated sexual images of them without consent. The bill, dubbed the “Taylor Swift Act,” is one of several measures regulating deepfakes being debated in the legislature. (KCUR)
ELECTIONS: The New Jersey Assembly’s State and Local Government Committee has approved a state-level voting rights act, giving state courts broad latitude to rewrite discriminatory election rules or voting districts. The bill would require localities with a history of voter suppression or intimidation to seek approval from state officials before changing election rules. (New Jersey Monitor)
In Politics & Business
ILLINOIS: Businessman Rick Heidner (R) has entered the race for governor. Heidner said he decided to enter the race when he determined the other leading Republicans — think tank researcher Ted Dabrowski (R), Sheriff James Mendrick (R) and state Sen. Darren Bailey (R) — couldn’t win a general election. (St. Louis Public Radio)
CALIFORNIA: State Democrats will not endorse a candidate for governor, after no candidate came close to securing the 60% of the vote needed at the 2026 state convention. U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) led the field with 24%, followed by Controller Betty Yee (D) at 17%. (Sacramento Bee)
WISCONSIN: The Republican-controlled legislature has adopted a proposed constitutional amendment to end a governor’s authority to use partial vetoes to increase taxes or fees. Voters will decide the measure in November. It comes after Gov. Tony Evers (D) used his partial veto to extend funding increases for schools for 400 years. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
VERMONT: Senate President Phil Baruth (D) won’t seek re-election this year after 16 years in office. Baruth said he wouldn’t be endorsing a successor, either for his Senate seat or for the Senate presidency. (VT Digger)
PEOPLE: Virginia Del. Barry Knight (R) has died at 71, after a brief illness. The former chair of the House Appropriations Committee first won election to the House in 2009. (Virginian-Pilot) Our thoughts are with Knight’s friends and family.
By The Numbers
84%: The share of Michigan students who graduated high school after four years, the second year in a row the state has set a new high in graduation rates. Policymakers credited a statewide push to address high drop-out rates. (State Affairs)
9,500: The net loss in California’s population between July 2024 and July 2025, amid lower immigration rates. More than 229,000 people left for other states, but the number of people immigrating to California from other nations fell by half from the previous year. (State Affairs)
Off The Wall
A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for using more than $1 million in pandemic relief funds to buy a nine-hole golf course. Prosecutors said the man used funds meant for four restaurants he owned to purchase the course, with an intent to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying back the loans. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
The Richland Public Library in southern Washington took to social media to thank a patron for returning a biography of Henry Ford a mere 64 years after the due date. The man who returned the book found it in a collection given to him by a friend. There’s a second library book in the collection, which the man says he’ll return once he’s done reading it. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“Given the timeline of where things stand, the window of opportunity has closed.”
— Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D), putting the final kibosh on proposed redistricting plans. Maryland’s candidate filing deadline is tomorrow. (Maryland Matters)