Trump Administration

The Hill reports: The top health authorities of the U.S. and Argentina are launching what they call an “alternative international health system” separate from the World Health Organization (WHO). On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive starting the yearlong process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO. In February, Argentinian President Javier Milei followed …

404 Media reports: Data from a license plate-scanning tool that is primarily marketed as a surveillance solution for small towns to combat crimes like car jackings or finding missing people is being used by ICE, according to data reviewed by 404 Media. Local police around the country are performing lookups in Flock’s AI-powered automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system for …

The New York Times reports: A federal court judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to force New York to end congestion pricing, ensuring the tolling program would remain in place at least until early next month. The move effectively keeps congestion pricing, which charges motorists to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, running through at least June 9 …

Politico reports: The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting — a significant expansion of previous such efforts, according to a cable obtained by POLITICO. In preparation for such required vetting, the administration is ordering U.S. embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such …

NBC News reports: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend routine Covid shots for healthy children and pregnant women. Kennedy said the vaccine would no longer be recommended for “healthy pregnant women,” but it was unclear who would qualify as pregnancy itself is …

The Washington Post reports: A leader of the Trump administration’s effort to detain and deport millions of immigrants recently earned consulting fees from a detention center company that is expected to benefit financially from the crackdown, according to a federal ethics filing. Before he joined the administration, border czar Tom Homan earned an undisclosed amount in fees consulting for a …

The Guardian reports: The White House has lost confidence in a Pentagon leak investigation that Pete Hegseth used to justify firing three top aides last month, after advisers were told that the aides had supposedly been outed by an illegal warrantless National Security Agency (NSA) wiretap. The extraordinary explanation alarmed the advisers, who also raised it with people close to …

NPR reports: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed suit Tuesday morning in federal court against the Trump White House over the president’s executive order purportedly barring the use of Congressionally appropriated funds for NPR and PBS. “It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. ‘But this wolf …

Florida Politics reports: Denmark’s U.S. Embassy just hired Mercury Public Affairs to lobby on the nation’s behalf in Washington. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently worked at the high-stakes public affairs group, serving as Co-Chair of the firm’s Florida and Washington offices. Wiles also ran President Donald Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, and previously headed U.S. Sen. Rick …

The Washington Post reports: An enduring rift among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s cadre of senior advisers has divided the Pentagon’s front office and fueled internal speculation about his long-term viability in the Cabinet post after several episodes that attracted White House scrutiny, according to numerous people familiar with the matter. The conflict within Hegseth’s inner circle persists even after he …

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration is set to cancel the federal government’s remaining federal contracts with Harvard University — worth an estimated $100 million, according to a letter that is being sent to federal agencies on Tuesday. The letter also instructs agencies to “find alternative vendors” for future services. The additional planned cuts, outlined in a draft …

The Daily Beast reports: Oops! White House adviser David Sacks admitted over the weekend that the GOP’s tax bill will include significant cuts to Medicaid, despite claims from his boss and other MAGA loyalists that it will not. Sacks, who is President Donald Trump‘s AI and crypto czar, said plainly on the All-In podcast: “This bill cuts $880 billion from …

CNN reports: Amid an antitrust battle with the Justice Department, global entertainment company Live Nation is adding one of President Trump’s closest advisors to its board of directors. Richard Grenell, who is both Trump’s presidential envoy for special missions and the newly installed president of the Kennedy Center, was named to the Live Nation board. Live Nation, the parent company …

“Around 10 o’clock last night, I went and met with Bibi – with the Prime Minister-  and had a conversation about President Trump’s negotiations with Iran and had a conversation with him. President Trump specifically sent me here to have a conversation. It was a very candid conversation. I’ve known the prime minister for many years and had many good …

The Hill reports: The FBI’s No. 2 official said Monday the agency had either reopened or shifted resources toward “a number of cases of potential public corruption,” including the leaked Supreme Court draft decision on abortion and an incident involving cocaine found at the White House during former President Biden’s term. “I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies’ underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: “We need to be …

“We’ve got to talk about environmental toxins that cause cancer, not just the chemo to treat it. And maybe we need to treat more diabetes with cooking classes, not just throwing insulin at people. You know, scientists have been waving the flag for years, saying you’ve got to look at this body of scientific data, and the modern medical establishment …

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration late Friday to facilitate the return of a Guatemalan man it deported to Mexico in spite of his fears of being harmed there. The man, who is gay, was protected from being returned to his home country under a U.S. immigration judge’s order at the time. But the U.S. …

Axios reports: The Treasury told WSJ businesses will need to start rounding up or down to the nearest 5 cents when there’s not enough pennies to use in everyday cash transactions. Cashless transactions will still be priced at exact change. State and local governments should provide guidance to retailers so that sales taxes are properly collected, WSJ reports. This is …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. Justice Department’s new pardon attorney said he is going to take a “hard look” at two men who are serving long prison terms for leading a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “On the pardon front, we can’t leave these guys behind,” Ed Martin Jr. said this week. “In my opinion these are …