States Brace for Budget Crisis After Trump Aid Cuts Bill
By Adam Edelman State lawmakers are scrambling to deal with the expected financial fallout from President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” with many in blue states demanding special legislative sessions they say are necessary to shore up funding for health care and food assistance programs affected by the new law. Democratic governors in at least five states are weighing such special sessions, and Democratic lawmakers in several more are urging their governors to convene them to address expected funding shortfalls. Trump’s law institutes steep cuts to Medicaid and food aid benefits, mostly by establishing new work requirements. It also restricts state-levied fees on health care
Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Again
By Ana Faguy A US judge has once again blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order ending birthright citizenship for some US residents as a legal challenge moves forward. A New Hampshire judge approved a class action lawsuit against Trump’s executive order, and temporarily stopped the president’s order from taking effect. The class action lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of immigrant parents and their infants. The decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court introduced limits on how and when universal injunctions are issued by federal courts. However, the decision still allows them
State Department to Begin Layoffs Amid Major Reorganization
The State Department will begin issuing layoff notices to employees via email “in the coming days” as a part of the Trump administration’s plans to downsize government, Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, told staff on Thursday in a memo obtained by The Washington Post. The memo did not detail the number of employees who would be let go but said “every effort has been made to support our colleagues who are departing.” Uncertainty over the status of the plan has negatively impacted morale at the department, with some of the workforce exasperated and embittered
Trump’s $9.4B Cuts Spark Funding Showdown in Congress
By Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Brennan Leach President Donald Trump’s push for Republicans to bypass Democrats and claw back $9.4 billion in approved spending has ignited a new fight in Congress that could upend the normally bipartisan government funding process. Ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to prevent a shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is laying down a marker by warning that Democrats won’t sign off on an agreement if the GOP follows through with Trump’s request. “If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront — a huge affront
Supreme Court Allows Trump-Era Federal Layoffs to Proceed
By Melissa Quinn The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that blocked sweeping layoffs of federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies while a legal battle over President Trump’s plans to drastically cut the size of the government moves forward. The high court’s order clears the way for the Trump administration to resume its efforts to reorganize and scale back the federal government, which has been led by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The Justice Department turned to the Supreme Court for emergency relief after a federal judge in May ordered a halt to the job cuts and enforcement of
Trump’s Megabill Sparks 2026 Midterm Election Battle
By Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona and Julie Tsirkin The war over President Donald Trump’s megabill is just beginning, with both parties saying it will define the midterm elections next year, when control of Congress is up for grabs. Republicans start on the back foot, with recent surveys showing the bill is unpopular, even with pro-Trump cohorts. Still, GOP leaders say they have a plan to turn things around and make the legislation Trump signed into law last week part of an offensive push to protect their House and Senate majorities. Meanwhile, Democrats are gearing up for a political onslaught aimed at unseating Republicans who voted for it.
Trump Warns 10% Tariffs for Pro-Brics Countries by Aug 1
By Osmond Chia US President Donald Trump has warned that countries which side with the policies of the Brics alliance that go against US interests will be hit with an extra 10% tariff. Trump has long criticised Brics, an organisation whose members include China, Russia and India, which was designed to boost countries’ international standing and challenge the US and western Europe. “Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media. A deadline for countries to agree a tariff
Medicaid Cuts Fuel 2026 Midterm Battle Over Trump Tax Bill
By Domenico Montanaro Democrats feel that President Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill is giving them an opening — and a message — ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The focus is Medicaid, which provides health insurance for tens of millions of lower-income and elderly Americans, and affordability. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in an hours-long speech in opposition to the bill on Thursday, called it “cruel” and “dangerous.” He, like other Democrats, focused on the almost $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, an effort to partially offset the trillions of dollars Trump’s tax cut extension will cost. “This bill represents the largest
Pentagon Halts Ukraine Arms, Sparks Backlash and Confusion
The Pentagon’s decision to halt some weapons shipments to Ukraine blindsided even people who are usually closely briefed on such matters, including members of Congress, State Department officials and key European allies, according to six people familiar with the situation. The surprise move on Monday has fueled concern and frustration, including among top Republicans, that one senior Pentagon official appeared to hold outsized influence over the decision. The pause — reported first by POLITICO — was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby and a small circle of advisers over concerns that certain weapons stockpiles in the U.S. were running low.
Trump’s Tax and Spending Bill Faces GOP Resistance in House
By Brandon Drenon The US House of Representatives is working through the night as Donald Trump and his allies try to pressurise holdouts in the president’s own Republican Party to back his mega-bill on tax and spending in a final vote. The sprawling legislation, which could define Trump’s second term in office, passed a key procedural vote after 03:00 EDT (07:00 GMT). Trump’s bill has been opposed not only by opposition Democrats, but by a handful of Republicans who criticise its potential impact on national finances, healthcare and other issues. The bill ground through the Senate earlier this week in
