This Week In Washington, Nov 26, 2015

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama's announcement that more than 4 million undocumented immigrants will be eligible to apply for work permits and deferred deportation spurred emotional reactions on both sides of the immigration debate and laid the groundwork for battles with a Republican-led Congress.

Look ahead: In addition to alienating congressional Republicans, the president risks seeing his actions reversed by lawmakers or a successor.

2.      Bipartisan negotiations on legislation to renew and make permanent a raft of expired corporate tax breaks are faltering after President Obama threatened to veto the bill for failing to aid working families.

Look ahead: The measure could add an estimated $450 billion to the federal budget deficit.

3.      After pulling the plug on the regulation in 2011, the EPA proposed tightening the air-quality standard for ground-level ozone, or smog—a standard that's at the center of a fierce lobbying war between industry and environmentalists.

Look ahead: The revisions will lower the current standard of 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 ppb.

4.      Protesters clashed with law enforcement following the announcement that a St. Louis grand jury had declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Officers responded with tear gas as demonstrations turned violent, businesses were looted and buildings set ablaze.

Look ahead: Attorney General Eric Holder said a federal investigation into the shooting "remains ongoing," and Wilson could still face civil-rights charges. Still, several legal experts have suggested federal charges are unlikely.

5.      The P5+1 nations and Iran failed to secure a long-term nuclear agreement by the Nov. 24 deadline, but agreed to extend talks pursuant to requests from the U.S. and other world powers.

Look ahead: As the parties remain at odds over a number of issues, the talks will last through the end of June; both sides will meet again in December and they hope to have a political agreement within four months.