The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended a major quality control program used in food safety testing due to significant staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to Reuters. These reductions, affecting around 3,500 full-time employees, nearly 19% of the FDA’s workforce, were […]
Federal
Trump Administration Considers $5,000 ‘Baby Bonus’ to Reverse Declining Birthrates Amid Soaring Childcare Costs
The Trump administration is actively weighing a series of proposals aimed at encouraging American women to have more children. Among the most discussed ideas is a $5,000 “baby bonus” – a direct cash incentive that would be awarded to every American mother following childbirth. The bonus, if implemented, could supplement […]
Illinois College Leaders Join National Push to Defend Free Expression, Oppose Political Interference in Higher Ed
A coalition of higher education leaders, including several prominent Illinois colleges, has joined a nationwide initiative urging campuses to foster constructive engagement and uphold the principles of free expression amid rising tensions and polarization. “As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the […]
Trump Signs Executive Order Rolling Back Disparate-Impact Liability, Shifting Federal Civil Rights Enforcement
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed at eliminating the use of disparate-impact liability in federal civil rights enforcement, marking a significant shift in how the government addresses discrimination and affirmative action policies. The order, titled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy,” asserts that the United States […]
HHS Urges Voluntary Industry Action on Red Food Dye
The Health and Human Services Department released a statement Wednesday, stating they intend to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply through a series of new measures. Those efforts, though, will rely on voluntary efforts from the food industry. “We don’t have an agreement, we have […]
IMF Warns of Slower Global Growth Amid Rising Trade Tensions and Uncertainty
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply downgraded its global economic outlook for 2025, citing intensifying trade tensions, policy uncertainty, and the lingering effects of recent tariff hikes as major headwinds for growth and inflation. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released Tuesday, the IMF projects global growth […]
Twelve States Sue President Trump Over Sweeping Tariffs, Citing Constitutional Violations and Economic Harm
A coalition of twelve U.S. states filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging a series of sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald J. Trump, arguing that the measures are unconstitutional, lack statutory authority, and are causing widespread economic harm across the country. The lawsuit, led […]
CDC Study Shows Progress in Autism Identification Amid Misleading Political Rhetoric
A study released last week by the CDC found that more children have access to evaluations for autism and more children are being identified as autistic. The study concluded that actual cases of autism are not rising, but rather better screening and expanded diagnostic definitions are helping more children receive […]
Judge Halts Mass Layoffs at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Amid Legal Battle
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping plan to lay off nearly 1,500 employees—about 88% of the workforce—at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to protect Americans from unfair financial practices. To address the failures that […]
Stocks Plunge as Trump Escalates Attacks on Powell, Citing Fed Chair’s Stark Warning
U.S. stock markets suffered steep losses Monday after President Donald Trump intensified his public campaign against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a first-term Trump appointee. Last week, Powell delivered one of his bluntest assessments yet of the Trump administration’s sweeping new tariffs, warning they could push the U.S. economy into […]