trump administration
After mass layoffs, some federal agencies are trying to bring employees back
A number of federal agencies, from HHS to the USDA, have laid off employees only to rescind those terminations days later. An expert says it "suggests something about mismanagement of government."
Republican proposals to cut Medicaid could be politically fraught
Republicans are proposing deep cuts to Medicaid to finance tax cuts and other priorities. Pushback is coming not only from Democrats, but also from hospitals that rely on revenue from the program.
Trump administration yanks CDC flu vaccine campaign
As flu rages, the Trump administration has pulled the plug on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu immunization campaign that targeted high-risk groups, including pregnant women.
The USDA fired staffers working on bird flu. Now it’s trying to reverse course
The USDA says "several" staffers working on the bird flu response were terminated over the weekend, and "we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters."
Trump wants to lower the cost of IVF. New executive order seeks ideas to do that
President Trump campaigned on lowering the cost of IVF, after a controversial ruling made the treatment stop in Alabama for a short time
Who is Steve Witkoff? Trump’s Middle East envoy is a real estate mogul and old friend
A real estate developer-turned-Middle East envoy, Witkoff has been credited with helping broker the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and free an American from Russian prison. Here's what to know about him.
President Trump is testing the limits of ’emergency’ powers — again
President Trump has declared multiple national emergencies since taking office. That's helping him act quickly. There are few checks and balances on the emergency powers he's claiming.
Layoffs start at CDC, targeting probationary staff
As many as 1,300 probationary employees at CDC are being let go, at the direction of the Trump administration. The cuts represent around 10% of the agency's workforce.
Unease grows at the CDC as Trump administration keeps grip on research, messaging
CDC employees can no longer publish documents without review by the executive branch, and must withdraw their names from external papers pending publication.
Deep cuts to NIH funding would cause economic harm across Trump-friendly Alabama
Birmingham has become one of the country’s leading hubs for biomedical research. Banners downtown brag about the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s status in the top 1% of institutions for NIH funding, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars into the region.
Are pennies worth it? Trump’s plan to scrap them didn’t come out of nowhere
President Trump isn't the first politician to call for the end of the penny — but getting rid of it may not be easy. The value of the 1-cent coin has been debated for decades.
Why many Republicans think shrinking Medicaid will make it better
Republicans proposals to change the public health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans could amount to more than $2 trillion of cuts over the next decade.
Morale plummets at the CDC as staff fear job losses
Staff at the CDC are bracing for a significant reduction in the work force that appears to be targeting staff with the fewest worker protections.
Rape crisis centers see funding delays amid Trump administration spending upheaval
Groups addressing sexual violence report not getting expected payments from grants that they depend on to keep running.
Senate Democrats call for answers on health communications freeze and funding delays
Two letters from different groups of senators call for answers from the Trump administration about pauses in scientific communications and funding.
A sense of foreboding hangs over the National Institutes of Health
There's widespread confusion and fear among scientists and doctors on the sprawling National Institutes of Health campus and at institutions dependent on the agency's funding.
Trump’s pulling a U-turn on EVs, but not much has changed — yet
President Trump has charted a new course for electric vehicle policy in the U.S. While the direction is clear, the details aren't.
Trump taps conservative media critic to lead global news agency
President Trump plans to nominate a conservative critic of the mainstream media, L. Brent Bozell III, to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America.
Trump wants to end birthright citizenship. That’s easier said than done
One of Trump's executive orders moves to end birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the Constitution. Here's what you need to know about the legal principle and its possible future.
Trump’s geographic renaming plans leave mapmakers pondering what to do next
Mapmakers and teachers are re-thinking what to call the gulf of water between Mexico, the United States and Cuba after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. There's no agreed-upon scheme to name boundaries and features shared by countries. And map lines are inherently political.
Trump is signing a flurry of executive orders. Here’s how those work
Trump is kicking off his second term with a flurry of executive actions. Here's a look at the three main types — orders, proclamations and memorandum — and how they typically work.
How would RFK Jr. handle bird flu? His record on vaccines has experts on edge
Trump's pick for health secretary has a record of attacking vaccines. In fact he's even taken direct aim at bird flu shots. Some scientists fear this doesn't bode well in case of a crisis.
