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Photo by Lisa Desjardins/PBS News

It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.

SPRING BREAK
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent

Natural colors are returning to the nation’s capital. Spring green leaves and purple redbuds ([link removed]) , with the first hot pinks of azaleas.

The skies over the U.S. Capitol have been a mix of cold gray clouds and warming air.

Which is to say, this is a time of sharply conflicting weather patterns: a new season of potential movement but also the dynamics of thunderstorms.

One thing is calm: Congress is gone for recess.

And they have much to contemplate. The weeks after they return will be intense. We expect the president’s budget, outlining where he wants Congress to cut or eliminate programs. This reportedly could include:
* A nearly 50 percent cut ([link removed]) to the State Department’s funding. A cut this big means eliminating funding for international organizations, such as the United Nations, NATO, among others.
* A would-be elimination of Head Start ([link removed]) , a federal program that operates in all 50 states and provides child care and preschool education to low-income families.
* Steep cuts to climate research ([link removed]) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the dissolving of the agency’s research arm.
* A plan to rescind $1.1 billion ([link removed]) from the 2-year budget allocation for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds local public media stations, who in turn provide funding for NPR, and PBS programming (including PBS News Hour).

April 30 will mark 100 days since President Donald Trump began his second term in office. It is a reflection and potential inflection point for both Republicans and Democrats.

Before we get to that point, we wanted to take a break for everyone to catch their breath, step outside and look up at the politician-free heavens for a minute.

I will be camping this week, still keeping up with the news and sources. But importantly, I also will be spending time with neighbors and family while cooking over a fire.

Let us know any ways — big and small — you are taking breaks this spring. We will catch up again next week.
More on politics from our coverage:
* Watch: Confusion over electronics tariffs injects more uncertainty ([link removed]) into the economy.
* One Big Question: What do voters think about Trump’s economic policies? NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss. ([link removed])
* A Closer Look: A look at the history of public media ([link removed]) in the U.S. as Republicans target federal funding
* Perspectives: Ditch the switch? Senators debate the future of daylight saving time. ([link removed])

THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION
By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital

Today is the anniversary of a major turning point in U.S. history.

This historic event happened 160 years ago, not long after a major war. It was the first time something like this happened in the U.S. The New York Times described the big news as, “Our Great Loss.”

Our question: What was this historic event?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Which U.S. state became the first to ban adding fluoride to its public drinking water?

The answer: Utah. ([link removed]) The state’s Republican governor signed the legislation ([link removed]) in late March to go into effect May 7. Other anti-fluoridation measures have cropped up in states, such as Tennessee, while others are trying to end mandates ([link removed]) that require larger communities to fluoridate their water.

Congratulations to our winners: Steve Brydon and Priscilla R. Smith!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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