USAID’s New Leadership Includes DOGE Official Who Helped Dismantle Agency
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had canceled 83 percent of U.S.A.I.D.’s programs. A federal judge found that efforts to shutter the agency were likely unconstitutional.
Federal Aid (US)
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia
A Democratic lawmaker is drafting a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking whether a database on thousands of children has been deleted.
U.S. Threatens to Cut Off M.T.A. Funds Over Subway Safety
Sean Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, demanded a long list of details about crime in the subway and on buses in New York.
DOGE Reverses Move That Made Its Claims Nearly Impossible to Check
After getting called out, Elon Musk’s cost-cutting group reinstated details about the grants that it canceled.
Trump Says a Recession Would Be Worth It, but Economists Are Skeptical
President Trump and his advisers say his policies may cause short-term pain but will produce big gains over time. Many economists are skeptical of those arguments.
Why the Arabic ‘Sesame Street’ and Other Cuts Are Not Really About Fraud
As President Trump and Elon Musk cut federal programs, they often equate political and policy differences with corruption.
See How Elon Musk’s Team Inflated, Deleted and Rewrote Its Savings Claims
The cost-cutting group removed hundreds of contracts from its “wall of receipts,” added back many of them, and inflated savings values.
Judge Orders U.S.A.I.D. and State Dept. to Pay Funds ‘Unlawfully’ Withheld
The order prohibited the agencies from “unlawfully impounding congressionally appropriated foreign aid funds” owed to contractors and grant recipients. It applied to work completed before Feb. 13.
Trump Seeks to Bar Student Loan Relief to Workers Aiding Migrants and Trans Kids
The president signed an order that would deny loan forgiveness to workers for groups engaged in “substantial illegal activities,” which it indicated included things like diversity initiatives.
Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon Says We Don’t Need the Agency
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that President Trump intended to sign an executive order aimed at closing her department. The agency cannot be closed without approval from Congress.