Dozens of journalists from virtually every major American news organization walked out of the Pentagon on October 15, surrendering their government-issued press badges rather than agree to unprecedented restrictions on their reporting imposed by the Trump administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, issued a 21-page policy requiring journalists to […]
Arizona Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva has yet to be sworn into Congress, three weeks after winning a special election, with approximately 69-70% of the vote. Grijalva, a Democrat and former Tucson Unified School District board member, served 20 years (2002-2022) on the TUSD Governing Board. She also served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2020-2025). […]
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from firing thousands of federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown, ruling that the mass layoffs are likely illegal and politically motivated. The government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, and has now entered its third week, […]
A coalition of 15 Democratic governors representing more than one-third of the United States population unveiled the Governors Public Health Alliance on October 15. The independent state-level platform will coordinate public health policy as federal health agencies face unprecedented budget cuts, staff reductions, and controversial policy changes under the Trump […]
President Donald Trump welcomed approximately 130 wealthy donors, corporate executives, and political allies to a candlelit “Legacy Dinner” in the White House East Room on October 15, thanking them for their financial support of his ambitious $250 million ballroom construction project. This dinner occurred during an active government shutdown that […]
Nearly all staff from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) were dismissed during reduction-in-force actions that began Oct. 10, as part of broader government shutdown layoffs. The cuts represent a devastating blow to federal oversight of the Individuals with […]
U.S. District Judge April Perry granted a temporary restraining order Thursday evening blocking the Trump administration from federalizing and deploying National Guard troops within Illinois. Judge Perry found that the Trump administration failed to meet the legal requirements for deploying federal troops. The order prevents defendants from “ordering the federalization […]
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply in September 2025, dropping 3.6 points to 94.2, marking the lowest level since April and signaling growing economic anxiety among American consumers. The Consumer Confidence Index ended January 2025 at 104.1, down from 109.5 in December 2024. The Present Situation Index, which measures […]
The Trump administration is now challenging a 2019 law that guarantees backpay to furloughed federal workers. In a reversal from established precedent, the Office of Management and Budget has quietly removed references to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 from its shutdown guidance documents. This law, signed by […]
The ongoing federal government shutdown has triggered a major information blackout on the state of the U.S. economy, just when policymakers most need employment data, with economist Mark Zandi warning that, according to alternative indicators, the job market is “weak and getting weaker.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics failed to […]
