Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, announced that he is working with the state's attorney general to combat President Donald Trump's order prohibiting transgender individuals from participating in women's sports.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is appealing an order issued by a federal judge in Seattle blocking President Donald Trump’s order against birthright citizenship.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced a strategy to reduce long-term interest rates, focusing on lowering the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield. His plan, independent of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, emphasizes deregulation, tax cuts, and significant reductions in federal spending to stabilize interest rates and ease inflation. Bessent explained that fiscal policy adjustments, such as cutting wasteful government spending, could encourage economic growth without triggering inflation.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday imposing sanctions and visa restrictions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials involved in investigations targeting U.S. and Israeli personnel. The order responds to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Several Hamas leaders were also charged with alleged war crimes during Israel’s Gaza campaign.
Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, received a 57-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to cover gambling losses and buy rare baseball cards. He was also ordered to pay over $18 million in restitution.
A federal judge temporarily halted a plan by the Trump administration encouraging federal employees to resign voluntarily before a Thursday midnight deadline. The effort aimed to reduce the federal workforce by offering employees pay through September if they resigned. More than 40,000 workers had accepted the offer before the deadline was paused.
Unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the sudden closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut USAID’s workforce from over 10,000 to fewer than 300 and placed thousands of employees on administrative leave. This move disrupted foreign aid programs and sparked concerns about U.S. national security.
President Trump’s recent executive actions face growing resistance in federal courts, as judges block several of his key policies. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle recently struck down Trump’s order to limit birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional” and affirming it as a protected right under the 14th Amendment. In Boston, Judge George O’Toole paused Trump’s federal worker resignation program, awaiting further arguments.
Russell Vought was confirmed as the new director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in a 53-47 Senate vote. Known for advocating conservative fiscal policies, Vought is tasked with managing looming fiscal challenges, including averting a government shutdown and addressing the debt ceiling. His confirmation reinforces the administration’s goal of reshaping federal spending through deep cuts, particularly in social programs like Medicaid, and pushing for expanded presidential control over budget decisions.
