Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a top official at the National Institutes of Health, was terminated by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following her whistleblowing efforts. Marrazzo alleged that she was silenced for pushing back against NIH officials, appointed during the Trump administration, who questioned vaccine importance and canceled clinical trials. Her complaint to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel alleged retaliation, highlighting concerns over statements made by Dr. Matthew Memoli that echoed Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism. This dismissal occurred amidst other changes, including Kennedy’s removal of the Advisory Committee on Vaccine Practices and their subsequent replacements.
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The Trump administration has frozen funding for $2.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects in Chicago, including the Red Line extension, citing concerns about “race-based contracting,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Illinois’s elected officials, including Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, have strongly condemned the move, accusing the White House of using its power to punish political opponents amid the federal government shutdown and questioning the prioritization of aid to Argentina over Chicago. Officials like Representative Mike Quigley have warned that this could be the beginning of a broader effort to cut federal funding to cities that disagree with the president and that the Red Line funding might be permanently blocked.
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As the Trump administration expands surveillance against its critics, activists documenting and protesting the mass deportation campaign are facing increased scrutiny. This is exemplified by ICE issuing subpoenas to Meta demanding user information from Instagram accounts, including StopIce.net, which identifies immigration agents. Legal challenges from organizations like CLDC and ACLU are attempting to prevent the release of this data. The administration’s actions, including an executive order and a national security memorandum targeting “anti-fascism” and leftist groups, suggest a broader effort to silence dissent and criminalize constitutionally protected speech.
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The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to individuals in the country illegally or temporarily, solidifying the mounting legal setbacks for the president’s birthright order. This ruling marks the fifth federal court since June to either issue or uphold orders blocking the order, concluding that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their claims based on the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. The court upheld preliminary injunctions, which block the order that would have halted automatic citizenship for babies born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. The case is expected to move quickly back to the Supreme Court, where the administration hopes to be vindicated.
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A federal judge is considering whether to dismiss the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant, due to potentially “vindictive” prosecution by the government. The judge cited statements from Trump administration officials, including a Deputy Attorney General, as possible “direct evidence” of retaliatory motives related to Abrego Garcia’s legal challenges to his wrongful deportation. These statements, coupled with the timing of the criminal indictment, suggest a potential link between the charges and Abrego Garcia’s exercise of his constitutional rights. More hearings are scheduled to determine whether the prosecution was indeed motivated by retaliation.
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Google followed Apple’s lead by removing apps from its online store that facilitated anonymous reporting of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Apple’s decision, prompted by Attorney General Pam Bondi, cited safety risks associated with apps like ICEBlock that tracked law enforcement. The removal followed a shooting at a Dallas ICE facility where the attacker had researched apps for tracking ICE agents, resulting in fatalities. Both companies prioritized user safety and the protection of law enforcement in their decisions.
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Former Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library director Todd Arrington was reportedly told to resign after refusing to provide a historic sword from the museum’s collection for a gift to King Charles III, as requested by the Trump administration. Arrington, who had worked with the State Department to find a suitable replacement, said his superior informed him of the order, citing untrustworthiness due to the sword disagreement. The abrupt resignation also mentioned an issue related to the Eisenhower Foundation. This is not the first time employees have been fired from presidential libraries, with previous cuts affecting the Eisenhower Library and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston.
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Senator Ted Cruz celebrated the Trump administration’s plan to use a potential government shutdown to initiate mass layoffs of federal workers, a strategy he believes will negatively impact Democrats. Cruz praised the administration’s budget chief, Russ Vought, for shifting the approach from furloughs to outright firings, targeting agencies like the EPA and IRS. The administration has targeted blue states, canceling infrastructure projects and green energy initiatives, with Trump embracing Vought’s “Project 2025” and seeing the shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity.” Despite some GOP concerns, the administration has leaned into these threats, while Democrats have criticized the moves as harmful and potentially illegal.
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A US citizen and construction worker, Leo Garcia Venegas, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration after being detained twice by immigration agents in Alabama. The lawsuit challenges workplace raids targeting industries with large immigrant workforces, alleging unconstitutional enforcement tactics and targeting based on appearance and ethnicity. Despite providing identification, Venegas was detained in raids where agents allegedly lacked warrants and focused on Latino-looking workers. The Department of Homeland Security dismissed the suit, asserting that arrests are based on legal status, not race.
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Trump administration scraps $8 billion for climate-related projects, and it’s hard not to feel a sense of disbelief, mixed with frustration. The news is clear: $8 billion, specifically designated for climate-related projects, is being pulled. What’s particularly striking, and frankly, infuriating, is that this cancellation appears to be targeted squarely at projects in blue states – California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Now, it’s tempting to think, “Well, maybe those states just got all the funding in the first place.” But the reality is more complex.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood