Kate Michael
Kate Michael is a Writer/Reporter based in Washington, DC. In her early career she worked as a policy analyst for Members of both the House and Senate as well as The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. After completing a a Masters in Government from the Johns Hopkins University, she left the Hill and accepted an appointment to create a Green Collar Jobs program for the government of the District of Columbia. Currently she reports on a variety of topics as a freelance contributor. You can reach her at @kstreetkate.
Recent Work
WASHINGTON - While the Constitution does not expressly grant lifetime appointment for Supreme Court justices, it has, since the nation’s founding, been inferred from Article III, Section I, that “The Judges… shall hold their Offices during good Behavior” has meant career tenure. Today, due to advances... Read More
WASHINGTON - Canada is not usually at the center of debate on U.S. immigration, but policy changes due to COVID-19 have atypically limited travel to Canada and affected the United States’ and Canada’s control of the movement of people and goods across their shared border in... Read More
WASHINGTON - Even as students across the United States are beginning to head back to class, the reopening of schools remains a topic of intense debate. While no one can predict what is ahead for the Fall of 2020, there can be no doubt that COVID-19... Read More
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Well before the pandemic, migrants at the northern Mexican border were vulnerable to poor health outcomes. Mexican and U.S. policies put in place before COVID-19 affected migrants' quality of life, and policies added during the health crisis may have put asylum seekers and... Read More
WASHINGTON - While many businesses across the country have shuttered doors and furloughed employees, some essential businesses, like those that provide health care, food, utilities, and other critical services, have continued to operate throughout the pandemic. They are now joined by a variety of new businesses... Read More
WASHINGTON - Among other factors, COVID-19 has emphasized how nutrition research and development affects Americans in terms of disease susceptibility, food system challenges, and nutritional disparities. The pandemic’s health and economic setbacks have highlighted America’s need to invest in better nutrition both to fight food insecurity... Read More
WASHINGTON - Whether due to office closures, fear of seeking medical assistance during the pandemic, or simply for convenience, the nation has seen a rise in telemedicine over the last four months. While telemedicine isn’t new, barriers to adoption, such as security concerns or a lack... Read More
WASHINGTON - A summer series partnership between the District of Columbia’s Heurich House Museum and the Bipartisan Policy Center is exploring the immigrant experience in America. Last week’s discussion, the second in the series, focused specifically on immigrants’ arrivals and included details on how the process,... Read More
WASHINGTON - In a few days, the U.S. Justice Department is set to resume federal executions after what has essentially been a 17-year moratorium. The men scheduled to die by lethal injection starting next week at a prison in Terre Haute, Ind., will be part of... Read More
WASHINGTON - Little gestures can mean a lot, according to Capricia Marshall, ambassador-in-residence at the nonpartisan Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C.. The one-time presidential social secretary and chief of protocol of the United States shared her views on the role of protocol and diplomacy in light... Read More
WASHINGTON - The Latino voter may well determine the outcome of ballot races across the country this year, however, it’s a mistake to consider this population a single-issue constituency election strategists said at a recent virtual forum hosted by Third Way, the Washington, D.C. think tank.... Read More
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court heard a number of cases this term that could have major implications for reproductive rights. While each case heard by the Supreme Court is significant, the collective decisions on multiple health care-related cases could be much more consequential. The non-profit... Read More
WASHINGTON - The year 2020 will no doubt be remembered as the year when crisis and turmoil took center stage not just in the U.S., but around the world. From a global pandemic, to upheavals in the economy to social unrest in the wake of the... Read More
Novel technologies are being used around the globe to combat COVID-19. Practical applications of new technologies are poised to make a significant impact in the fight against the virus. Among those is a batch of innovations coming out of Israel, which is now seeing a low... Read More
WASHINGTON - Long-term care is a topic that hits close to home for many. Nursing homes and facilities providing care for people 65 and older are often crowded and understaffed, and care for seniors is even more complicated in the COVID-19 era. More than a third... Read More
WASHINGTON - The economy is in crisis, but not everyone is feeling it the same way. One of the hardest-hit sectors is America’s small businesses. Over 99% of the nation’s 28.7 million firms are small and medium-sized businesses which contribute to local economies by bringing job... Read More
WASHINGTON - At a time when experts instruct at-risk persons to avoid large crowds and to social distance to protect their health, the United States’ electoral process is getting more attention than ever. Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Representative Jason Crow, D-Colo.,... Read More
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 approved a new, independent Space Force within the Department of the Air Force. As this new military branch takes shape, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and Chief of Space Operations General Jay Raymond shared updates and details... Read More
On the same day that the Center for American Progress and the League of Conservation Voters released an issue brief detailing how states have stepped up where the federal government has neglected to lead on climate change, CAP convened representatives from a growing wave of state... Read More
WASHINGTON – Ron Klain, U.S. Ebola response coordinator from 2014 to 2015, recently spoke to diplomats convened virtually by the Meridian International Center to share his lessons learned about pandemic management from the ongoing Ebola crisis. Klain, informally dubbed the ‘Ebola czar’ in early 2014,... Read More
WASHINGTON - While COVID-19 is amplifying conundrums in many policy areas, perhaps nowhere has this been more manifest than in the area of immigrants and the U.S. immigration system. President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that he had signed an executive order “temporarily suspending immigration into the... Read More
WASHINGTON — Despite continued uncertainty over how the Coronavirus pandemic will end, its economic impact will surely cast a shadow over the November election, according to a pair of former governors. Govs. John Kasich, a Republican of Ohio, and Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat of Virginia, spoke... Read More
Coronavirus is testing election systems like never before. Voting has traditionally been a private, yet social affair, with citizens turning out to public polling places to make their voices heard and show the receipt of their civic duty with the coveted ‘I voted’ sticker. But coronavirus... Read More
WASHINGTON - H.E. Emily Haber, Ambassador of Germany to the U.S. claimed the German response to confronting the coronavirus epidemic on the health front was not that different from other European Union countries, but that Germany was able to better prepare because they were not the... Read More
Billionaire Investor Mark Cuban headlined a virtual discussion hosted by Axios Friday afternoon focused on leading in a crisis, sharing his thoughts on specifically how to lead and work together for social good in the midst of a global pandemic. “When you deal with imperfect information,... Read More
Schools and activities are closed, parents are trying to work from home, and everyone feels cooped up and a little crazy. Parenting during a pandemic puts additional stress on a family, but there are strategies that can help you to get through it and even experience... Read More
WASHINGTON - Fear. Anxiety. Grief. Helplessness. Depression. There are many ways Americans are feeling about the health and economic crisis that surrounds us as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the nation. Many are turning to friends and family for comfort. Others are seeking the advice of... Read More
WASHINGTON - Ambassadors from two of the European countries hardest hit by COVID-19 gave details on the rapidly unfolding situation in a virtual briefing Thursday morning hosted by the Meridian International Center. H.E. Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy, and H.E. Santiago Cabanas, Ambassador of Spain, shared... Read More
WASHINGTON - The United States’ former chief technology officer and a top regulatory policy official from Johnson & Johnson spoke at a Bipartisan Policy Center virtual briefing Tuesday morning about how artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to predict or mitigate pandemics. Given proper guidelines, panelists... Read More
WASHINGTON - Federal Communications Commissioners spoke about the nation’s race to 5G at a New America Open Technology Institute discussion held virtually on Tuesday afternoon. Panelists offered thoughts on heading off a 5G digital divide with affordable connectivity for all. “5G wireless networks are coming,” said... Read More
WASHINGTON - William McGee, an aviation consultant had a simple, overarching message for the members of the House Aviation subcommittee on Tuesday. “If you’re not in premium class or an Elite Frequent Flier, watch out,” he said. McGee was one of three witnesses to appear before... Read More
WASHINGTON – A new report released by D.C.-based think tank Bipartisan Policy Center hopes to strengthen transparency at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by suggesting options for growing a culture of data and evidence. On the cusp of the EPA’s 50th anniversary, BPC has published the... Read More
WASHINGTON — Environmental activist Greta Thunberg was a recurring topic of conversation at Axios’ first Washington, D.C. event of the year, held this week. The event consisted of a series of conversations dedicated to the future of science education and digital learning. Educators and other industry... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Earth Day Network and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication released a new research report last week on “Climate Change and the American Diet.” The report claims that Americans are more open than ever to plant-based foods. In advance of this year’s 50th... Read More
WASHINGTON — News around Capitol Hill last week was that actor Patrick Dempsey would be starring in a new political drama. The CBS pilot plot, originally named “The Whip” has since had a title change to “Ways & Means,” but is believed to have little to... Read More
WASHINGTON - National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien told a gathering of world ambassadors this week that China has engaged in a "massive theft" of Intellectual property from the U.S., complicating diplomatic relations and making events like the recent trade dispute between the two countries more difficult... Read More
WASHINGTON — Americans are working more and longer than ever, yet age discrimination worries often give older workers a lack of confidence in being able to keep their jobs or find new ones. That’s why the House threw its bipartisan support behind H.R. 1230, the Protecting... Read More
WASHINGTON — Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., believes veteran firefighters should receive fair retirement and health care benefits that better accord to their service to their country. Toward that end, she’s introduced H.R. 5637, the Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act. The bill is named for Michael... Read More
WASHINGTON - A new report released by D.C.-based think tank, Bipartisan Policy Center, hopes to create a “bipartisan blueprint” for higher education reform. Attaining a post-secondary degree is believed to be vital for success in today’s workforce, lauded for long-term financial gain, job stability, career satisfaction,... Read More
WASHINGTON — A House bill generally supported by congressional Republicans and manufacturers to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) nevertheless raised a few red flags when it came up before a House subcommittee last week. HFCs are a class of chemicals primarily used as refrigerants that gained widespread... Read More
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to attend a hearing on Tuesday to examine the Administration’s policy on Iran, including its recent decision to assassinate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Pompeo had been invited to attend the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, “From Sanctions to... Read More
WASHINGTON - A Facebook official told a House panel on Wednesday that the social media giant is “working proactively to remove harmful content,” but critics maintained the company has a “trust problem” that warrants greater government scrutiny. The showdown between advocates of freedom of speech and... Read More
