Aug 9, 2026
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CDC staff that the U.S. would have done better in the Covid outbreak by listening to alternative voices, speaking at a memorial for last year's shooting at the agency.
Trump Media and Technology Group terminated its planned $1+ billion CRO treasury venture with Crypto.com and Yorkville Acquisition Corp, along with a related prediction market services agreement, citing updated corporate strategies.
The Trump administration is granting states increased flexibility over federal education funding through waivers while simultaneously proposing to eliminate many Head Start program regulations. Six states have received waivers to consolidate over $109 million in federal education funding as part of broader efforts to dismantle the Education Department.
Representative Andy Ogles was defeated by former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in Tennessee's Republican primary, becoming the third House Republican to lose renomination this year despite President Trump's backing.
Federal judges appointed by both parties have unanimously rejected the Justice Department's lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking unredacted voter rolls containing sensitive voter information, as the administration pushes for expanded federal election oversight ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Customs and Border Protection began issuing refunds for tariffs collected under Trump's 'liberation day' trade policy, with $100 billion already returned to importers in what represents a significant reversal of the administration's signature economic initiative.
The Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., will cost an additional $1.4 billion through the end of his presidential term, or $51 million per month.
The Trump administration finalized a framework to address cybersecurity risks from advanced AI models following an executive order, but will not publicly share the testing framework. Officials briefed tech companies including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic on Tuesday.
Rep. Max Miller called for a House ethics investigation into himself after facing allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife Emily Moreno. Trump reportedly told Miller his race was "not looking good," while Miller's attorney accidentally posted sensitive content of Miller's daughter online.
A federal appeals court has ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to expand mandatory detention policies for immigrants, blocking the administration's efforts to broaden the categories of immigrants subject to detention without bond hearings.
ABC filed a formal complaint accusing the Trump administration's FCC of unfairly targeting ABC and ABC-owned stations in retaliation for news coverage, calling it attempted censorship meant to intimidate the entire media industry.
A federal judge refused to dismiss the case against an Afghan woman who is the first person facing deportation under the Trump administration's reactivation of a Washington-based court that had been inactive for years. The hearing marks the court's first public session since being brought back into operation.
Defense filings reveal the DOJ's case against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening Trump relied on accounts from a mobster and TV actress, with evidence showing Trump personally reviewed case details and Secret Service illegally surveilled Comey.
President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault. The DOJ is separately seeking to replace Trump as the defendant by invoking federal law.
The Trump administration is planning targeted bans on specific Chinese AI models rather than implementing blanket restrictions on open-weight models. The decision follows public pressure and an open letter from OpenAI and Google DeepMind opposing broad regulation.
President Donald Trump gave a primetime speech accusing China of meddling in the 2020 election and claiming vulnerabilities in U.S. voting systems, without providing new evidence. The address, which came ahead of November midterm elections, was criticized by experts as undermining confidence in American electoral integrity.
The Trump administration is reinstating a policy that would allow immigration officers to deny green cards to applicants who use public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers, or other safety net programs. The rule reverses a 2022 Biden-era policy and governs how officials apply the 'public charge' test in immigration decisions.
President Donald Trump fired Roger Rogoff as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington on Wednesday, less than an hour after he was unanimously appointed by federal judges and sworn into office. The firing highlights tensions between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary over prosecutorial appointments.
President Donald Trump overturned a temporary suspension of ICE vehicle stops that had been announced following two fatal shootings by immigration agents in Texas and Maine. Trump called traffic stops one of ICE's "most important and effective" enforcement tools, reversing the policy within a day amid criticism from his political base.
Jay Clayton, President Trump's nominee for top U.S. intelligence chief, appeared at his delayed confirmation hearing where lawmakers questioned him about subpoenas he issued to New York Times journalists in his current role as U.S. attorney for Manhattan. Democrats expressed concerns about potential interference with midterm elections.
Trump administration's CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz drew frustrated reactions from senators during her July 15 confirmation hearing when she pledged to 'never betray the science' while simultaneously backing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s actions, raising concerns about her willingness to protect the agency from political meddling.
A federal judge on July 14, 2026, blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a policy that would deny visas to and deport foreign nationals who study disinformation and hate speech on social media platforms.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, which would end the practice of changing clocks twice a year and make daylight saving time permanent. The legislation, supported by President Trump, now advances toward becoming law.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh testified before Congress for the first time on Tuesday, pledging to make high inflation "a thing of the past" and calling for "regime change" at the central bank. He also vowed to "do my job" if challenged by President Trump, his most direct comment yet on maintaining Fed independence.
Patrick Witt, the White House's lead crypto policy adviser, will begin months-long Army National Guard training on July 27, handing the CLARITY Act's final push to his deputy as the bill nears a Senate vote before August recess.
After months of delay, federal prosecutors have turned over key evidence including statements, police body camera video, and other materials to Minnesota investigators probing the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti during immigration enforcement protests. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced her office now has access to the comprehensive evidence, which also relates to the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint task force between the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute individuals who make unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information to news media. The announcement comes days after DOJ issued subpoenas to several New York Times reporters to appear before a grand jury.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that the Trump administration is launching a major effort to dismantle the International Criminal Court, calling it a threat to U.S. sovereignty and urging other countries to join the campaign against the global institution.
Top U.S. universities, scientific research advocates, patient groups, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are urging the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would give the White House broad authority over more than $1 trillion in annual federal grant funding, warning it would politicize the grant process and undermine biomedical research.
President Donald Trump announced he will not sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in protest of the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID measure. The housing bill will still become law automatically at midnight without his signature since he did not veto it.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Maryland over a new immigration law, claiming it obstructs Trump administration enforcement authority. This adds to growing tensions between the federal government and blue states over immigration policy.
FBI Director Kash Patel is under investigation by congressional Democrats over alleged misuse of taxpayer funds for luxury expenses including private jets, BMW vehicles, and helicopter tours. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has privately pressed Patel on whether he reimbursed the government for personal travel, marking rare Republican criticism of the Trump appointee.
The Trump administration's Department of Justice has sent letters to election officials in all 50 states threatening criminal charges if noncitizens vote, while also threatening to withhold federal funding from states that don't change voting practices. The move represents an escalation in federal pressure on state election administration.
A federal judge in Florida ruled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security must resume providing four Republican-led states access to an immigration database for verifying citizenship status of registered voters, despite another judge's nationwide block on the practice.
Erica Schwartz, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on July 15 for her confirmation hearing.
President Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire over after both sides exchanged strikes, with Iran targeting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain following American attacks. The escalation threatens the fragile June 17 ceasefire agreement.
President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his anti-communism rhetoric over the past two weeks, invoking the term 81 times while warning of a communist takeover of the Democratic Party. His political team is testing whether this messaging strategy will resonate with voters beyond his core base ahead of the November midterm elections.
President Donald Trump stated he will lift sanctions on Turkey and make a decision on selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a NATO summit. The move represents a significant policy shift despite concerns from Israel and questions about Turkey's S-400 missile defense system.
The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding center for migrant families and unaccompanied children awaiting deportation, located next to a Louisiana airfield used for removal flights.
The federal government has begun depositing $1,000 into new tax-deferred investment accounts for eligible children, with President Trump announcing that over 500,000 accounts have received initial funding. The program, which launched July 4, 2026, offers government seed money to children born between 2025 and 2028, designed to give young Americans an early stake in the stock market.
Two Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned to a Trump-backed anti-crime task force fatally shot an armed man being pursued by Memphis police, focusing attention on the controversial deployment of military forces for domestic law enforcement.
A U.S. appeals court lifted a lower court order that had required the Trump administration to reinstall dozens of exhibits related to slavery, climate change, and immigration that were removed from national parks. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for the administration's efforts to reshape historical and scientific presentations in federal parks.
The Trump administration is swiftly building a technology-enhanced border barrier system along the US-Mexico border following a massive congressional funding infusion of $46 billion, despite border crossings being at low levels. The project replaces decades-old barbed wire fencing with AI-powered surveillance and detection systems.
John Brennan filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday seeking a court order to compel officials to preserve records from Justice Department investigations targeting him. His attorneys claim he is being 'vindictively singled out for investigation' over what Brennan calls 'phantom criminal conduct.'
President Donald Trump's annual financial disclosure reveals he earned over $1.4 billion from family cryptocurrency business ventures during 2025, his first year back in office. The 927-page filing released Tuesday shows substantial profits from crypto operations while investors in these ventures reportedly faced losses.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily, affirming the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
President Donald Trump has announced that the Republican Party will hold an unprecedented national convention in Dallas, Texas in September 2026, ahead of the midterm elections. The event breaks with tradition of holding conventions only during presidential election years and aims to energize voters as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress.
House leadership abruptly canceled legislative business and sent lawmakers home before July Fourth after Republicans deadlocked over President Trump's election reform legislation, stalling the annual defense bill and other priorities.
President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly demanded that gasoline retailers immediately reduce prices, with Bessent warning "we're watching." The pressure comes as crude oil prices have fallen following progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a memorandum of understanding with Iran, though gas prices had risen 40.5% year-over-year through May.
President Donald Trump revealed new images of a commemorative U.S. passport watermarked with his portrait to mark the nation's 250th anniversary of independence. The State Department said the limited-edition document 'boldly honors' the president and the nation's founding.
President Donald Trump returned to the Washington Hilton on June 26, 2026, the site where an assassination attempt against him was stopped two months prior during the annual White House event. The visit occurred under tight security as Trump delivered a speech on faith.
John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during Donald Trump's first administration, pleaded guilty to illegally retaining classified information related to notes he compiled for a book. He pleaded guilty to one count of an 18-count indictment.
A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston challenging a Trump administration rule that implements new Medicaid work requirements and narrows exemptions for medically vulnerable people.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the Trump administration will not seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, instead using the same company that received a no-bid contract for the troubled project that resulted in the water turning green with algae.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned US trip after President Trump claimed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had 'begged' him for a photo at the G7 summit. Meloni called the claim 'totally invented' and said she was 'stunned' by Trump's remarks, marking a sharp deterioration in their once-close relationship.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York state health officials alleging they rigged the bidding process to award a contract for managing the state's Medicaid homecare program to Georgia-based Public Partnerships through a 'sham bid process' in late 2024.
President Trump's White House ballroom construction costs have spiraled to $600 million, with taxpayers footing roughly half the bill according to financial records obtained by The Washington Post—significantly more than previously disclosed.
President Trump's personal lawyer was said to be among attorneys who pressed the Justice Department last year to drop a 2024 fraud case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and other tech leaders voiced security concerns to Trump administration officials about Anthropic's advanced AI models this week, prompting the government's decision to halt foreign access to Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
President Trump announced US forces killed Héctor 'Niño Guerrero' Flores, leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a military strike coordinated with Venezuela. The gang leader had a $5 million US bounty.
President Trump asked Congress for a temporary extension of foreign surveillance authority while defending his choice of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence amid bipartisan pushback that threatens the program's continuity.
An investigation found that India's Ambani family secured major policy concessions from the Trump administration while secretly funneling at least $100 million to a Texas firm connected to Donald Trump Jr.
President Donald Trump has formally nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer who has been serving as acting attorney general, to permanently lead the Department of Justice as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has officially submitted a clemency petition to the White House via the Justice Department's Pardon Attorney's Office, despite President Trump previously stating he does not intend to grant the pardon. Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year sentence.
Two lawmakers with national security expertise warned that Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence could prevent renewal of FISA Section 702, a key surveillance authority set to expire soon.
The Trump administration plans to reclassify top NIH positions under Schedule F, making federal workers easier to fire and more politicized. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is spearheading the move.
The White House Correspondents' Association announced the annual dinner will be held July 24, nearly three months after the April event was canceled when shots were fired at the venue. Trump said he will attend.
The Trump administration is seeking to raise regional content requirements for North American-built vehicles to 82% to qualify for preferential treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, with half of that value required to be produced in the United States. The proposal comes amid broader tariff actions affecting the auto industry.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before House lawmakers on Friday, admitting to 'redaction errors' in Jeffrey Epstein case files while defending the Department of Justice's handling of the matter. She refused to answer questions about President Trump's involvement in the files' release.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the Trump administration is developing plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at major U.S. airports in designated 'sanctuary cities' that don't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
President Trump appointed former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to a White House advisory committee focused on artificial intelligence policy, according to Axios. Bondi is also scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The White House, through the Office of Personnel Management, has proposed requiring all federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements aimed at preventing them from sharing confidential government information with journalists and media organizations.
The Senate confirmed President Trump's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees 250 million acres of public lands in Western states, as the administration expands drilling and mining operations.
The House postponed votes on a Senate resolution that would compel President Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes into June as Republicans struggled to find the votes to dismiss the legislation.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule (CMS-2449-P) addressing Medicaid managed care state directed payments and fee-for-service targeted practitioner payments, representing significant changes to how states can direct Medicaid spending.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before Congress about a new $1.776 billion fund created through Trump's IRS lawsuit settlement, refusing to rule out payments to January 6 Capitol rioters. Democrats launched an investigation into Blanche's oversight of the fund.
The Trump administration finalized major changes to Affordable Care Act exchanges, including significantly greater access to catastrophic health plans with high deductibles, raising concerns among insurance experts and healthcare stakeholders about coverage adequacy.
Republican lawmakers who initially deferred to President Trump on the Iran conflict are now facing constraints in their ability to impose war powers limitations, having missed crucial legislative milestones to establish parameters and exit criteria for the ongoing military engagement.
The Senate parliamentarian ruled against provisions in Trump's request for federal funding for ballroom security at his properties, creating obstacles for the administration's efforts to secure taxpayer dollars for presidential venue protection.
The Department of Justice filed discrimination allegations against Yale University's medical school, accusing it of illegally considering race in its admissions process. This is the second institution to face such allegations from the federal government.
The White House is requesting $1 billion in security-related funding tied to transforming the East Wing into a massive ballroom, sparking debate among House Republicans over the appropriateness and necessity of the expenditure.
Six former FDA officials shared their reasons for leaving the agency following significant staffing cuts and policy changes under the Trump administration. The departures come amid concerns about the agency's capacity to respond to public health threats like the ongoing hantavirus outbreak.
The Trump administration is drafting requirements for AI companies including Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI to share advanced models with the Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation for security testing before public release. This represents a significant policy reversal from the administration's earlier stance against AI regulation.