This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Despite its widespread perception, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is involved in much more than farming. The federal agency, established in 1862, is made up of 29 subagencies and offices and just last year was staffed by nearly 100,000 employees. It...
On March 14, President Donald Trump quietly rescinded a Biden-era executive order that raised the minimum wage for private sector employees on federal contracts. The move is just one part of a wider war the administration has launched against the working class since assuming power. Executive Order 14026 was issued by former President Joe Biden...
Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal charges brought over the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last year. The 26 year old, who was arrested in December and accused of shooting Mr Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel, faces the charges of murder and stalking. His not guilty plea...
Getty Images Trump’s dissatisfaction with Powell started almost immediately US President Donald Trump has some well-known nemeses: illegal immigrants, low-flow showers and last, but definitely not least, the head of the US central bank. Elevated by Trump to lead the Federal Reserve starting in 2018, Jerome Powell almost immediately found himself under fire – described...
The US Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging the ride hailing and delivery company engaged in deceptive billing and cancellation practices. The consumer protection watchdog accused Uber of charging customers for its Uber One subscription service with getting their consent and making it hard for users to cancel. “The Trump-Vance FTC...
Around 50,000 career civil servants would be reclassified as “at-will” employees and lose civil service protections. The largest federal labor union in the U.S. said Friday that tens of thousands of federal workers could soon “have their jobs politicized” and be swiftly fired under a new rule proposed by the Office of Personnel Management. Under...
As a handy person, Devon Curtin spends a lot of time helping people enrich their living spaces. Recently, while working with a friend to remodel their floor, Curtin noticed that the cost of do-it-yourself projects is already rising because of Donald Trump’s tariffs. “The cost of mahogany was the same as Douglas fir, which is...
US President Donald Trump has threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status after freezing $2bn in federal funding. The White House has demanded the institution make changes to hiring, admissions and teaching practices which it says will help fight antisemitism on campus. Harvard rejected his administration’s demands on Monday, accusing the White House of trying to “control” its...
As John wrote yesterday evening, Harvard declared that it would not “surrender its independence” after the Trump administration demanded significant changes in policies relating to the anti-Semitic intimidation campaigns on its campus. Hours later, they received good news … … the White House thinks Harvard should be independent as well: Harvard University said Monday it...
Originally published by Capital B. Alan Spears remembers visiting Gettysburg National Military Park with his parents in the 1970s. They wanted something educational, free, and fun to do with their only son, and the park was an obvious choice, given Spears’ interests — his favorite television show as a child was The Rat Patrol, about...
Among the most frequently asked questions over the last few weeks concern the abuse of injunction power by federal judges in district courts. The top question: How can one judge in a defined district issue orders that bind the executive branch across the country? That’s closely followed by: Is this happening to Trump more than...
Staff with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fear that billionaire and presidential adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is spying on them using artificial intelligence, according to reporting from Reuters, The Guardian, and Crooked Media’s newsletter What a Day. According to Reuters reporting published Tuesday, Trump administration officials told some managers at the EPA...
This proves once again that Supreme Court decisions require careful reading rather than broad assumptions. Federal judges in both Texas and California read the per curiam order issued late Monday in challenges to deportations of alleged Tren de Aragua organized-crime members — and issued separate stays today. The first came in New York: A...
Is this a win? Procedurally, it’s more of a pause, and may not even be much of a pause, as we’ll see. It may, however, send an important signal to lower courts, and to judges inclined to toss sand in the gears of the executive branch. Maybe. Earlier this afternoon,...
These bills are “a critical step” to protect gender-affirming care and abortion services in the state, advocates say. The Colorado House has passed four bills aimed at safeguarding abortion access and transgender rights amid a rising tide of federal hostility. Senate Bill 183 updates state law to align with Amendment 79, which voters approved last...