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
How Trump’s Spending Bill Impacts Black Americans Most
By Phenix S. Halley With all the talks about President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” it’s time we take a deep dive into what’s really at stake for Black Americans. The Republican-led spending act is one step closer to reaching the finish line after a tie breaking vote in the Senate passed the legislation back to the House of Representatives for final approval. After that, it’s headed to Trump’s desk for his signature. But although he boasts the nearly 1,000-page long bill with pride, dozens of revisions, bipartisan pushback and months of deliberation should have folks on edge. With its hidden
Wisconsin Supreme Court Overturns 1849 Abortion Ban
By Adam Edelman The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday formally struck down an abortion ban from 1849 that had technically retaken effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights. In a 4-3 decision that came down along ideological lines, the court’s liberal majority affirmed a lower court ruling that overturned the 176-year-old ban and left in place a more recent law in Wisconsin allowing most abortions until about the 20th week of pregnancy. “We conclude that comprehensive legislation enacted over the last 50 years regulating in detail the ‘who, what, where, when, and how’ of abortion so thoroughly covers the entire
Judge Blocks HHS Layoffs, Cites Unlawful Restructuring
A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown “irreparable harm,” from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that“HHS’s action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.”
Red States Enact Trump-Aligned Laws as Fiscal Year Starts
By Raquel Coronell Uribe While Congress scrambles to pass President Donald Trump’s massive domestic policy bill, many red states are already implementing key aspects of his agenda through new laws this week. For most states, Tuesday is the start of a new fiscal year, when numerous laws take effect. Some of the statutes in Trump-won states this year mirror executive orders and other directives he signed early in his second term. Here’s a sampling of the new laws set to be enforced. Targeting gender identity Indiana and Georgia are instituting bans on transgender women’s participation in women’s sports. Georgia’s law is called the Riley Gaines Act,
