9 h. ago Trump administration cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, documents show

The Trump administration says it is eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world

Politics

41 h. ago ‘We’re being treated as grifters or terrorists’: US federal workers on the fear and chaos of their firings

An educator, archaeologist and scientist were among the thousands of government workers culled by Musk’s agencyThe Trump administration has fired at least 20,000 government employees in its first month, as Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) dramatically overhauls work at federal agencies. Some economists have speculated that these terminations, which could affect nearly 300,000 workers, will be the biggest job cuts in US history.Most of the workers cut were in probationary periods and lacked job protections that come with longer terms of employment. In social media spaces, especially the r/fednews subreddit, these workers described scenes of confusion and feelings of anger directed at Musk, an unelected billionaire dubbed a “special government employee” by the White House. Last week, unions for federal workers sued the Trump administration for unlawfully using probationary periods to cut staff. Continue reading...

Events

42 h. ago Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Doge are expected to produce no savings – live

Almost 40% of federal contracts canceled as part of Doge’s cost-cutting efforts aren’t expected to save government any money, Trump administration’s own data showsIt’s coming down to the wire for beleaguered House speaker Mike Johnson, who is trying to rally GOP holdouts behind his budget plan for enacting Donald Trump’s agenda before the showdown vote this evening.Amid Republican opposition threatening to derail his bill, Johnson was up late last night locked in talks with holdouts from across his party who remain skeptical of his outline plan for tax and spending cuts - as well as border security, energy and defense policy - via a single reconciliation bill. Continue reading...

Politics

49 h. ago New document casts doubt on Trump admin denials about $400m ‘armored Tesla’ contract: report

After controversy, officials quietly edited the record to eliminate mention of Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company

Politics

5 d. ago Trump administration restores legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children

A stop-work order had been issued to government-funded attorneys to cease counsel for about 26,000 minorsThe Trump administration has rescinded its decision to cut off legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children, just three days after it ordered government-funded attorneys across the country to immediately stop their work.The Acacia Center for Justice and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) confirmed that the stop-work order affecting non-profits that provide legal counsel for about 26,000 unaccompanied minors had been lifted. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Federal workers brace for more firings after judge lifts block on Trump administration job cuts – US politics live

Trump administration expected to continue its mass downsizing of the federal workforce amid warnings of unlawful terminations and a ‘monumental’ billMass firings could cause ‘monumental’ bill, say expertsWe expect Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer to soon visit Donald Trump, at a moment when the American president is upending much of America’s foreign policy with his embrace of Russia’s position in the war in Ukraine. The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour looks at whether Starmer’s visit might reassure a rattled Europe:In November 1940, Winston Churchill sent a telegram to Franklin Roosevelt expressing relief both at the US president’s re-election and the victory of his anti-appeasement policy. “Things are afoot which will be remembered as long as the English language is spoken in any quarter of the globe, and in expressing the comfort I feel that the people of the United States have once again cast these great burdens upon you, I must now avow my sure faith that the lights by which we...

Politics

5 d. ago Huge cuts in National Institutes of Health research funding go before a federal judge

A court battle is set to resume over the Trump administration’s drastic cuts in medical research funding

Events

7 d. ago Trump administration reportedly orders Pentagon to plan for sweeping defense budget cuts – live

Hegseth orders senior leaders at the Pentagon to develop plans to cut 8% of the defense budget in each of the next five years, the Washington Post reportsAs Donald Trump’s administration continues to fire thousands of federal workers and radically slash federal spending, some Republicans are growing unnerved, Axios reports.As the cuts start to hit GOP lawmakers’ districts and states, some have told Axios there is a larger conflict brewing over the constitutional issue of whether the president can bypass Congress on such decisions.I think you’re going to see a clash when they start abolishing [agencies]. Say like USAid, right? We authorized that. That’s a creature of Congress. If they try to do something like that, then you’re going to get into a constitutional argument or crisis.Before making cuts rashly, the administration should be studying and staffing to see what the consequences are. Measure twice before cutting. They have had to backtrack multiple times.We all want efficiencie...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump administration cuts off legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children

Snatching funds from vulnerable minors will endanger those already at risk of being abused, advocates sayThe Trump administration abruptly cut off legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children on Tuesday, telling government-funded attorneys across the country they should immediately stop their work.Advocates called the decision shocking and warned that taking away legal aid programs would endanger minors already at risk of child trafficking, an issue that Trump and Republican members of his administration repeatedly highlighted as a concern during the 2024 election. The order to “stop all work” affects US non-profits that provide legal counsel for about 26,000 unaccompanied minors. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Who funds global aid – and where do the billions of dollars go?

The US decision to freeze its spending in low-income countries has thrown vital services into crisis – and prompted urgent questions about the role of foreign aid and whether it can survive. Anne Gulland and Alicja Hagopian report

Economics