Every federal agency, program, and institution being shut down — filtered through the lens of what it means for HBCU students and Black and Brown communities.
The U.S. Postal Service released new rules tightening mail-in voting eligibility in response to a Trump executive order — even after a federal court struck down that same order. The 95-page report sets stricter ballot distribution guidelines for November's midterm elections.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. starting September 8, matching Trump administration's new 50 percent tariffs dollar-for-dollar. This escalates an ongoing trade dispute between the two nations.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting policies to reduce childhood vaccinations while implying a debunked link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy is touring the country advocating for his 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda while downplaying vaccine safety.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended trade negotiations with the U.S. after President Trump imposed 50% tariffs on $28 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada announced it will match those tariffs dollar-for-dollar in retaliation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney withdrew his country's negotiators from U.S. trade talks hours before the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods. The breakdown in negotiations signals a major fracture in North American trade relations and potential economic disruption across both nations.
Trump's newly appointed attorney general, Todd Blanche, is planning a federal crackdown on mifepristone, the abortion pill used in over half of all U.S. abortions. A leaked call reveals plans to restrict access to medication abortion, which has been FDA-approved for over two decades.
CDC data shows kindergarten vaccination rates for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) declined slightly while non-medical vaccine exemptions hit a record high of 4.2%. This comes amid Trump making misleading anti-vaccine statements, creating a climate where public health protections are weakening.
Federal courts have lifted all remaining legal protections blocking deportations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders after a Supreme Court decision ended the program. DHS has begun deportation flights, removing the final barriers that prevented immigration enforcement against hundreds of thousands of people from countries like Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela.
Trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada collapsed at the midnight deadline, triggering 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney announced immediate retaliation with matching tariffs dollar-for-dollar.
The Department of Education is moving to strip the American Bar Association of its 70-year authority to accredit nearly 200 law schools across the country. This would fundamentally reshape legal education oversight and could open the door to alternative accreditation bodies with different standards.
The US Postal Service is moving to publish new rules requiring states to provide voter information to the federal government before delivering mail-in ballots for November midterms — despite active court orders blocking these changes. The rule would fundamentally alter how vote-by-mail systems operate nationwide.
President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping waterway between Iran and Oman, to be 'American territory' during a South Carolina rally. The comments came amid ongoing U.S. military blockade of Iranian shipping and ports, with Trump joking about bombing Iran.
President Trump announced a temporary suspension of higher tariffs on ground beef imports, citing consumer desire for lower beef prices. The move comes after receiving pushback from GOP members and represents a policy reversal on import restrictions.
President Trump temporarily lifted tariffs on imported beef to address rising beef prices. The decision bypasses domestic cattle ranchers who opposed the move, sparking immediate pushback from agricultural industry groups and some lawmakers.
Ed Martin, head of the Justice Department's 'Weaponization Working Group' and U.S. pardon attorney, is leaving DOJ after a brief, controversy-filled tenure. Martin led efforts to investigate alleged political targeting by federal agencies and oversaw the clemency process during a period of mass pardons for January 6 participants.
President Trump announced he's temporarily lifting tariffs on imported ground beef to lower prices by 25 percent, sparking immediate pushback from GOP lawmakers and cattle ranchers who say it undermines American producers. The move is framed as consumer relief but threatens domestic beef industry stability.
The Trump administration has begun transferring $725 million to the United Nations after withholding billions in dues, a move that comes as the UN Secretary General warned of 'imminent financial collapse.' The payment represents a fraction of what the U.S. owes in contributions to the international body.
SNAP (food stamp) enrollment dropped 13% in one year — far faster than expected — as Trump administration work requirements and restrictions from the recent legislative package kick in. This is the largest federally funded food assistance program in the country.
The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed Nevada had nearly 16,000 non-citizens on voter rolls, then quietly walked that number back to just 185 confirmed cases — a 99% error rate. DHS told Nevada officials the original 15,903 figure was 'preliminary' and more than 14,000 names still needed review before they admitted the actual count.
Over 1,000 employees at leading AI companies like OpenAI signed a letter urging the U.S. government to regulate and slow AI development due to concerns about the technology advancing beyond human control. A former OpenAI researcher argues that despite industry pressure to move fast, workers' safety concerns are valid and guardrails are needed now.
House Democrats are demanding DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin halt ICE's procurement of electric shock gloves for immigration enforcement agents. The gloves would be used during immigrant detention and deportation operations, raising concerns about excessive force and potential loss of life.
The Office of Personnel Management is launching a social media campaign using memes and younger communicators to attract Generation Z workers to federal service. This comes as the Trump administration simultaneously pursues significant cuts to the federal workforce and civil service protections.
José Mejía Hernández, a 45-year-old man in Virginia, was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and severe facial bruising after being arrested by ICE agents while walking to a bus stop in Arlington on August 11. His lawyers shared medical records and photos documenting his injuries with The Guardian before he was transferred to ICE custody and fitted with an ankle monitor.
Trump issued an executive order promoting separate MMR vaccines instead of the standard combined measles-mumps-rubella shot, contradicting established medical consensus. The Guardian editorial warns this mixed messaging will reduce vaccine uptake among parents and endanger children's health.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a reality TV series on the Department of Transportation's official YouTube channel featuring his family traveling across America. In one episode, Duffy tells his daughter that Harvard University has figured out how to 'corrupt' young girls' minds, bringing the Trump administration's ongoing conflict with Harvard into a taxpayer-funded family travel show.
Dr. Erica Schwartz, the new CDC director, addressed staff fears of retaliation, pledging no punishment for honest conversation. This comes amid widespread federal workforce anxiety following recent agency purges and mass firings across government departments.
James Percival, the top lawyer at the Department of Homeland Security, is facing a Florida Bar ethics complaint after publicly attacking federal judges on social media through a 'Worst of the Worst' list criticizing their rulings against DHS actions.
The Trump administration plans to build over 100 miles of border wall through Big Bend region in Texas, including inside Big Bend National Park. The plan faces opposition from environmental activists, local county sheriffs, and community members concerned about ecological and cultural impact.
The US national debt crossed $40 trillion for the first time, doubling over the past decade under both Trump and Biden administrations. The Treasury Department confirmed the record-high debt balance, marking a significant milestone in federal spending patterns.
The U.S. national debt hit $40 trillion on Tuesday, doubling in less than a decade from $20 trillion in 2017. The Treasury Department confirmed the milestone as federal borrowing continues to accelerate.
A federal appeals court ordered the Department of Homeland Security to maintain Biden-era restrictions on immigration enforcement near churches and other houses of worship while litigation continues. The ruling temporarily blocks the Trump administration from loosening protections that limit ICE and Border Patrol operations at sensitive locations including religious sites.
President Trump announced a tentative trade deal with Canada that would eliminate the 50% tariffs set to take effect this week, though no formal documents have been signed. The agreement would reportedly remove tariffs on U.S. exports to Canada, but details remain unclear and subject to finalization.
Dr. Erica Schwartz is taking over as CDC director during multiple disease outbreaks, significant political pressure, and major workforce reductions. Her Senate confirmation means Congress can directly question and hold her accountable for agency decisions during this turbulent period.
Over 400,000 children are stuck on waitlists for the Child Care and Development Fund, the federal government's primary childcare assistance program for low-income families. The program currently serves 1.6 million children monthly, but demand far exceeds capacity, leaving hundreds of thousands of working families without support.
President Trump delayed imposing 50% tariffs on Canadian imports after reaching a last-minute agreement with Canada, just hours before the tariffs were set to take effect. The deal prevents what would have been massive price increases on goods ranging from energy to food to building materials.
Trump delayed imposing 50% tariffs on Canadian goods by three days after reaching a last-minute agreement with Canadian officials. He also signaled potential revival of the Keystone XL pipeline, a controversial oil infrastructure project that was previously blocked over environmental and Indigenous land rights concerns.
President Trump paused the planned 50% tariffs on Canadian goods for three days, hours before they were set to take effect at midnight Tuesday. The pause comes as the U.S. and Canada reportedly work to finalize a trade deal.
The Department of Justice indicted 17 Iranian nationals working for the Mabna Institute, a company allegedly conducting cyber theft operations on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The targets included American and foreign academic institutions, scientific research databases, and intellectual property.
Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce the Stop Social Security Garnishment Act of 2026 to prevent the Department of Education from seizing Social Security retirement or disability benefits from seniors who haven't paid back student loans.
The Trump administration is threatening to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian imports by midnight if no trade deal is reached. This represents a major escalation in trade tensions with the U.S.'s largest trading partner and could trigger retaliatory measures from Canada.
The DOJ's Office of Inspector General is investigating DEA tactics that reportedly allow drug traffickers to move thousands of fentanyl pills without arrest in order to build larger cases. Current and former agents have raised concerns about these 'controlled delivery' methods that may be putting communities at risk while investigations drag on.
The USDA is forcing office relocations without tracking how many experienced staff will leave as a result. Internal data shows the agency expects significant employee turnover, but leadership claims new hires can replace decades of institutional knowledge and expertise.
The Office of Personnel Management's public records operation has been gutted by budget cuts, leaving FOIA requesters stuck with dead email inboxes, broken online portals, and months-long delays for basic government transparency requests. OPM manages federal workforce data and personnel records—information that's supposed to be publicly accessible.
President Trump threatened military action against Oman and ordered reduced joint military exercises with South Korea amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. The threats represent a significant shift in longstanding U.S. military alliances and Middle East diplomacy.
The Senate is advancing a bill to expand paid family leave for federal employees from the current limited provisions to 12 weeks per year. However, senators stripped out protections that would have allowed federal workers to use this leave to care for family members affected by sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking.
Federal mental health and suicide prevention hotlines at HHS and the VA continued operating after staffing cuts in 2024, according to a government watchdog report. Staff reductions happened through attrition and targeted layoffs, but positions have not been refilled.
The EPA has stopped publishing cancer-risk assessments in its air pollution data releases. The agency still tracks pollution levels, but removed the health impact analysis that tells communities how toxic their air actually is. This happened quietly, with no formal announcement.
American Oversight, a government watchdog group, is demanding that USAID abandon a policy that purges old Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests if requesters don't confirm they're 'still interested.' This comes after American Oversight won a court case against the Department of Energy over the same practice, which federal agencies use to dodge transparency requirements.
The Department of Labor is piloting artificial intelligence tools to process workplace accommodation requests from disabled federal employees, who report waiting months for decisions. The agency aims to use AI to sort requests and identify missing documentation in a system currently backlogged with cases.
As wildfires intensify across the U.S., some states are failing to pass regulations that would require homeowners to use fire-resistant building materials and manage flammable vegetation around properties. These protective measures exist but lack enforcement mechanisms in many regions.