Articles about Trump Administration

• The White House added Jentadueto, Jentadueto XR for Type 2 diabetes, and Striverdi Respimat for COPD to TrumpRx, enabling cash discounts on brand-name drugs from Boehringer Ingelheim. • Consumers can bypass insurance for lower prices on these medications via the website, expanding access amid high health care costs. • The move supports broader efforts to reduce drug prices as NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya's acting CDC role ends March 26.

• On March 20, 2026, the White House issued the National Policy Framework for AI, urging Congress to preempt state laws and promote innovation. • Framework emphasizes five principles: child safety, communities, creators, censorship prevention, and U.S. competitiveness, building on December 2025 executive order. • Recommendations include protections against AI scams, workforce training via land-grant institutions, and free speech safeguards for AI outputs.

• Republicans in Congress are escalating investigations into multiple aspects of the Trump administration, including communications between the administration and private companies, financial contributions to Trump's White House ballroom, and settlement funds for the Trump Presidential Library. • Congressional Republicans are scrutinizing federal contracts awarded to companies with ties to the administration, potentially improper use of government information by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and business investments related to Trump family interests in defense, drone, crypto, real estate, and media industries. • Investigations are also focusing on presidential pardons, with Democrats seeking transcribed interviews of individuals pardoned by Trump and related parties where allegations exist of donations or inappropriate influence linked to the pardons.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) filed a lawsuit on March 24, 2026, against the Trump administration as part of a coalition for removing scientific signage on climate change impacts from U.S. national parks like Glacier National Park. • Signs detailing climate effects on iconic landscapes, such as retreating glaciers, were censored, preventing public education on environmental changes documented as part of parks' missions. • The suit, represented by Democracy Forward Foundation, demands restoration of accurate climate and historical information to promote scientific literacy and protect public lands for future generations.

• The Trump administration published a national AI policy framework on March 20, 2026, calling for unified federal principles over state-level regulations. • The plan seeks to remove innovation barriers, assign oversight to existing agencies, and streamline AI infrastructure permitting. • Proposal faces Democratic criticism for potentially weakening consumer protections and state oversight.

Court’s decision to eliminate Save plan and internal shuffling on who handles what when it comes to student loans presents new challenges for borrowersSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxMany Americans with student debt are again facing future upheaval after a federal appeals court recently ordered the end of a Biden-era student loan repayment program, known as the Saving on a Value Education (Save) Plan, a move that coincided with another grim revelation: new education department data shows that by the end of 2025, 7.7 million borrowers had defaulted on $181bn in federal student loans.The Save plan, which was launched in 2023, is an income-driven repayment program created with the goal of cutting undergraduate loans in half, bringing some borrowers’ monthly payments to $0, and offering early forgiveness for low-balance borrowers. Shortly after the program was announced, Republican attorneys general across the country sued to get it killed, arguing that it was an overstep of executive power and imposed heavy taxpayer costs. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has granted Silicon Valley-based nuclear companies expedited pathways to test experimental reactor designs, with the DOE creating a new program and assigning concierge teams to help companies navigate bureaucracy. • About a dozen advanced reactor companies are currently planning to participate, with the administration targeting some reactors to achieve "critical" status—a key milestone toward functioning power plants—by July 2026. • The DOE quietly overhauled safety rules for new reactors and shared the revised regulations with companies before making them public, addressing long-standing complaints that companies lack opportunities to experiment.

• The Trump administration announced plans to halt billions in federal Medicaid payments to California, Florida, Maine, and New York, following similar actions against Minnesota involving over $2 billion in withheld funds and $260 million clawed back. • Officials cited alleged Medicaid fraud as the basis for these unprecedented measures, potentially creating a national playbook for pressuring states over program spending. • This escalation impacts public health insurance jointly funded by states and federal government, raising concerns about access for low-income Americans amid ongoing political tensions.

Lawsuit alleges university violated civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people in aftermath of war in GazaThe Trump administration renewed its assault on Harvard University on Friday, filing a lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging the Ivy League institution violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people in the aftermath of the war in Gaza.The lawsuit, shared publicly by the New York Times, accuses Harvard of allowing anti-Israel protesters to operate on campus “with impunity” following the 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Gaza and Israel’s massive military response. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration, through Energy Secretary Chris Wright's leadership, is accelerating AI data center expansion via a 'Ratepayer Protection Pledge' encouraging major tech firms including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and xAI to fund their own power generation. • Utilities have signed agreements for 183 gigawatts of data center capacity, equivalent to 22% of 2025 U.S. electricity demand, with initiatives including streamlined permits and federal land use for construction. • The expansion presents challenges in deregulated markets like Texas and mid-Atlantic states, where utilities manage only transmission infrastructure rather than power supply responsibility, requiring state and regional coordination to ensure adequate power plant development.

• Federal data reveals the National Institutes of Health has lost about 4400 employees, representing 20% of its workforce, during President Donald Trump's second term due to cuts in staff and research funding. • Former NIH scientists warn the exodus could lead to fewer biomedical breakthroughs, weaker responses to disease outbreaks, and diminished U.S. public health crisis management. • KFF Health News correspondent Rachana Pradhan discussed the brain drain on WAMU’s Health Hub on March 18, 2026, with departing D.C.-area workers citing tumult as a key factor for early quits or retirements.

• The Trump administration launched investigations on March 19, 2026, into 13 states requiring health insurance to cover abortion, citing violations of the Weldon Amendment. • Targeted states include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, most with Democratic governors. • HHS Civil Rights Director Paula M. Stannard stated the probes address states' disregard for protections allowing health entities to opt out of abortion coverage on conscience grounds.

• Governor Gavin Newsom announced California is suing the Trump administration for unlawfully repealing the EPA's Endangerment Finding on climate change, prioritizing polluter profits over public health. • Attorney General Rob Bonta stated the rescission breaks the law, with California joining prior coalitions of 24 states representing 55% of U.S. population to oppose the move. • California Air Resources Board Chair Lorne Piexot criticized the repeal as anti-science abandonment of protections, vowing vigorous court defense to safeguard communities and resources.

• The Varieties of Democracy Institute at Sweden's Gothenburg University found that Trump's second term is characterized by swift concentration of executive power, suppression of dissent, and targeting of civil rights at a rate comparable to some coups d'état. • The Trump administration is flouting Congress and the judiciary, attacking courts while the Department of Homeland Security openly violates dozens of judicial orders, and has unilaterally reallocated federal funding including a $10 billion gift to the "Board of Peace" without congressional approval. • Republican-controlled Congress has "abdicated its constitutional role" by ceding legislative, fiscal, and oversight powers to the executive branch during 2025, while the administration undoes civil rights achievements and suppresses left-wing dissent.

White House will take a financial loss to make it easier for Americans to walk away from citizenship starting in AprilThe Trump administration has agreed to take a financial loss in order to make it easier for Americans to walk away from their US citizenship.In April, the cost to formally renounce citizenship will plunge from $2,350 to just $450, below the actual cost to the government of processing the requests – but fulfilling a years-long promise to reverse an unpopular fee adopted in 2015. Continue reading...

• A federal judge in Boston on March 16, 2026, temporarily blocked U.S. health officials from reducing the number of universally recommended childhood vaccines, halting changes announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in January. • The ruling stems from a lawsuit by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups challenging cuts to flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, and RSV vaccines, with ACIP meetings postponed as a result. • Medical organizations hailed the decision as restoring science-based policy, while HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon stated 'HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned,' amid concerns over confusion and weakened protections in 30 states.

• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on national TV that Havana has held secret negotiations with the Trump administration due to a U.S. energy blockade causing power outages exceeding 30 hours in some areas. • The talks, confirmed Friday, stem from Cuba's economic collapse amid Trump's oil restrictions, pressuring the regime's 67-year command system. • Secretary of State Marco Rubio leads U.S. efforts, blaming Cuba's leadership while Florida's Cuban American community demands multiparty elections and prisoner releases.

• A person with a genetic mutation linked to ALS warns that the second Trump administration's funding cuts have halted key research, including at Mass General and the ALLFTD project for FTD. • Cuts defunded ALS studies at Harvard and other universities, pausing longitudinal research and denying symptomatic patients access to trials like baricitinib at MGH. • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s policies are linked to rising measles cases, potentially overburdening diagnostics and delaying ALS treatments that take a decade to reach patients.

• A federal judge on March 14, 2026, blocked subpoenas directed at the Federal Reserve by the Justice Department, hitting an institutional guardrail for the Trump administration. • The ruling delays confirmation of Kevin Warsh as next Fed Chair, with Republican Senator Thom Tillis warning of prolonged process; DOJ plans to appeal. • This occurs amid fading confidence in US trade policy and fiscal credibility, maintaining bearish USD views.

• The Trump administration is using Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act to investigate foreign factory capacity and forced labor, aiming to offset $1.6 trillion in tariff revenue lost due to a Supreme Court ruling on February 20. • Public hearings are scheduled for May 5 on factory capacity and April 28 on forced labor, with the goal to complete probes before the current 10% import tariffs expire in 150 days. • Trump imposed a temporary 10% tariff on all imports post-ruling, plans to raise it to 15%, but faces challenges from two dozen states; remaining tariffs on China, Canada, steel, lumber, and cars expected to yield $668 billion over a decade.

• The Trump administration has suspended sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea, a decision the European Union is actively pushing back against as counterproductive to international pressure on Moscow. • The move reflects competing priorities between managing energy prices during the Iran conflict and maintaining unified sanctions against Russia over its broader geopolitical actions. • EU officials argue that easing Russian oil sanctions undermines the coalition's ability to hold Russia accountable and contradicts the administration's stated commitment to allied coordination.

The U.S. under President Trump expanded waivers on Russian oil sanctions to all buyers, including easing restrictions on stranded oil at sea, aiming to tame surging domestic gas prices amid global tensions. EU officials pushed back against the move, while NATO leaders urged reversal of the suspension to pressure Russia. The policy shift matters as it balances inflation control against geopolitical leverage in Ukraine support, potentially providing Russia billions. Next steps include monitoring price impacts and possible congressional pushback before midterms.

The US Commerce Department withdrew a planned rule on artificial-intelligence chip exports on Friday, marking the latest policy reversal by the Trump administration regarding technology trade controls. The withdrawal represents a significant shift in the administration's approach to regulating AI semiconductor exports, which had been a contentious issue affecting companies like Nvidia and other chipmakers. This decision follows earlier statements from administration officials indicating a more flexible stance on AI chip distribution policies compared to previous regulatory frameworks. The reversal signals potential changes in how the US will manage competition with foreign nations in advanced semiconductor and AI technology sectors.

Two deportees sent to Eswatini were from Somalia, one was from Sudan and another was from TanzaniaThe government of Eswatini announced on Thursday it received four more “third country” deportees from the United States, as part of the Trump administration’s multimillion-dollar deal with the small African nation.Now a total of 19 deportees from the US have been sent to Eswatini even as they hail from other countries, amid the Trump administration’s continued anti-immigrant crackdown and changes to immigration policy. Continue reading...

Three ideologically inspired attacks occurred in the past week: ISIS-inspired bombings at a New York City protest, a vehicle ramming at a Michigan synagogue by a Lebanese citizen, and a shooting at a Virginia university by a prior terrorism convict yelling 'Allahu akbar.' These incidents coincide with the US war against Iran, following strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and FBI Director Kash Patel's firings of dozens of agents, including those on Iran and Trump document cases, straining counterterrorism resources. A Pakistani was convicted last week for 2024 assassination plots against Trump under Iranian Revolutionary Guard orders, while Justice Department seized domains used by Iran for dissident killings. The threats elevate national security risks as midterm elections approach, with cyber attacks like the one on Stryker adding to concerns.

President Trump has replaced the head of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following ongoing management issues and financial troubles reported in Washington. The move comes amid broader cultural policy shifts, with the center facing criticism over programming and budgets exceeding $250 million annually. Arts advocates express concern over potential impacts on national performances and funding. No successor named yet, with announcement on March 13 ahead of key spring events.

President Trump replaced the head of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 13, citing ongoing management troubles at the national cultural hub in Washington, D.C. The move comes amid broader scrutiny of federal arts funding during economic pressures from international conflicts. Insiders describe the center as plagued by financial issues and programming delays. The appointment signals potential shifts in cultural policy priorities ahead of major events.

The Trump administration is poised to receive a $10 billion fee after facilitating a deal for TikTok to establish a US-based entity, averting a potential nationwide ban. The agreement restructures TikTok's operations with American ownership to address national security concerns over Chinese parent ByteDance. Sources indicate the fee compensates for government intervention in the high-stakes negotiations. Future compliance monitoring by US regulators will ensure data protections.