US Gov Tracker
@usgovtracker.bsky.social
Updates of news and actions by the US government, as they come up. Created after feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of news sources flooding us with poorly researched info. Will share the most factual information. Not in service of a political party.
RFK Jr., Trump’s HHS pick, discloses $1.2M in credit card debt, $10.5M in mortgages and potential $2-4M from future book deals. One book is about conspiracy theories and the other is pro-Israel. Critics question conflicts as he vows to divest some interests if confirmed, but not all of them. #RFK
RFK Jr. reports up to $1.2M in credit card debt, $30M net worth
From law firm payouts to endorsements and book deals, nominee for HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raked in at least $12 million in the past two years.
abcnews.go.com
January 26, 2025 at 11:13 AM
RFK Jr., Trump’s HHS pick, discloses $1.2M in credit card debt, $10.5M in mortgages and potential $2-4M from future book deals. One book is about conspiracy theories and the other is pro-Israel. Critics question conflicts as he vows to divest some interests if confirmed, but not all of them. #RFK
Trump eyes overhauling FEMA, calling it “a disaster,” while stripping Dr. Fauci’s federal security detail. States may soon shoulder disaster costs, and critics warn of chaos ahead . #FEMA #Trump #Fauci
Trump considering major changes at FEMA, removes Fauci's federal security detail
President Trump said Friday he was planning to sign an executive order that could lead to an overhaul, or elimination, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret ...
www.cbsnews.com
January 26, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Trump moves to grant federal recognition to North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe, a 55,000-member community long denied full benefits. Critics question their claims, but the tribe sees hope after decades of struggle . #LumbeeTribe #FederalRecognition
Trump calls on the federal government to recognize North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe
President Trump made good on a campaign promise to ask the Department of the Interior to recognize the Lumbee people of North Carolina — a tribe whose Native identity has long been called into questio...
www.npr.org
January 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Trump moves to grant federal recognition to North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe, a 55,000-member community long denied full benefits. Critics question their claims, but the tribe sees hope after decades of struggle . #LumbeeTribe #FederalRecognition
The House passed the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill aiming to streamline forest management, reduce wildfire risks, & cut red tape. Critics argue it weakens environmental protections & prioritizes logging over conservation, sparking fierce debate over its impact on ecosystems & communities
The “Fix Our Forests Act” won’t actually fix our forests
The Fix Our Forests Act could have devastating consequences for the environment and endangered species.
environmentamerica.org
January 26, 2025 at 10:56 AM
The House passed the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill aiming to streamline forest management, reduce wildfire risks, & cut red tape. Critics argue it weakens environmental protections & prioritizes logging over conservation, sparking fierce debate over its impact on ecosystems & communities
Trump dreams of buying Greenland, calling it vital for U.S. security. Greenlanders, proud and modern, say, “We’re not for sale.” A tale of geopolitics, minerals, and a people who just want to be Greenlanders. #Greenland
How Greenland feels about Trump, explained by a Greenlander
Greenland: not for sale, but open for business.
www.vox.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Trump dreams of buying Greenland, calling it vital for U.S. security. Greenlanders, proud and modern, say, “We’re not for sale.” A tale of geopolitics, minerals, and a people who just want to be Greenlanders. #Greenland
Rohit Chopra, Biden’s CFPB director, still holds his post under Trump, despite packing up his office and awaiting the axe. A quiet standoff in the bureaucratic labyrinth, where consumer protections clash with deregulation dreams. #ConsumerProtection
The head of a federal agency for consumers has packed up his office. But will Trump fire him?
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, has been waiting for a phone call, letter, email, text — anything, really — from the Trump administration to say if he’s getting...
apnews.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Rohit Chopra, Biden’s CFPB director, still holds his post under Trump, despite packing up his office and awaiting the axe. A quiet standoff in the bureaucratic labyrinth, where consumer protections clash with deregulation dreams. #ConsumerProtection
Trump’s hiring freeze slams veterans, canceling federal job offers and crippling VA care. A betrayal of those who served, leaving them adrift in a system they once trusted. #Veterans #HiringFreeze
Trump's Hiring Freeze Is Screwing Over Veterans
President Donald Trump is throwing the government into chaos with a federal hiring freeze. Veterans are one of the groups hit hardest by the action.
www.rollingstone.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Trump’s hiring freeze slams veterans, canceling federal job offers and crippling VA care. A betrayal of those who served, leaving them adrift in a system they once trusted. #Veterans #HiringFreeze
Trump’s early executive orders echo Project 2025’s playbook: slashing climate policies, dismantling DEI programs, and reshaping immigration. A blueprint for an authoritarian presidency, quietly unfolding. #Project2025 #Climate #DEI #Immigration
Trump's Early Actions Mirror Project 2025
A TIME analysis found that nearly two-thirds of the executive actions Trump has issued mirror or partially mirror proposals from Project 2025.
time.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Trump’s early executive orders echo Project 2025’s playbook: slashing climate policies, dismantling DEI programs, and reshaping immigration. A blueprint for an authoritarian presidency, quietly unfolding. #Project2025 #Climate #DEI #Immigration
Trump’s first week back: a deluge of executive orders, pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, and a border crackdown. Chaos, retribution, and a promise of a “golden age.” The zone is flooded, but what’s left standing?
'A chip on our shoulder': Trump's Week 1 actions reward his MAGA base and settle scores
Trump’s “flood the zone” strategy means that each move gets less scrutiny than it would under a less activist president.
www.nbcnews.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Trump’s first week back: a deluge of executive orders, pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, and a border crackdown. Chaos, retribution, and a promise of a “golden age.” The zone is flooded, but what’s left standing?
Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship targets a century-old tradition, sparking legal battles and fears for millions. The U.S. joins just 30 nations with this policy—now under threat. #Immigration #BirthrightCitizenship
Mapped: Birthright citizenship around the world
The U.S. is one of about 30 countries that offers unrestricted birthright citizenship.
www.axios.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship targets a century-old tradition, sparking legal battles and fears for millions. The U.S. joins just 30 nations with this policy—now under threat. #Immigration #BirthrightCitizenship
Trump’s new executive order revives the Muslim Ban, targeting Muslims and Arabs under the guise of “national security.” Organizers brace for impact, fearing deepened discrimination and eroded rights. Resistance grows, but the fight is far from over. #stopthehate
Trump Laid Groundwork for “Muslim Ban 2.0.” Here’s How Organizers Are Bracing.
Muslim organizers warn that an executive order signed by Trump on January 20 sets the stage for an updated travel ban.
truthout.org
January 26, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Trump’s new executive order revives the Muslim Ban, targeting Muslims and Arabs under the guise of “national security.” Organizers brace for impact, fearing deepened discrimination and eroded rights. Resistance grows, but the fight is far from over. #stopthehate
Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship sparks legal chaos. A federal judge calls it “blatantly unconstitutional,” but the fight’s just begun. The republican party is divided on the topic.
Trump wants to end birthright citizenship. That's easier said than done
One of Trump's executive orders moves to end birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the Constitution. Here's what you need to know about the legal principle and its possible future.
www.npr.org
January 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship sparks legal chaos. A federal judge calls it “blatantly unconstitutional,” but the fight’s just begun. The republican party is divided on the topic.
The Biden administration banned medical debt from credit reports, lifting a huge burden off 100 million Americans. A 20-point credit score boost awaits, but will it survive the new administration's opposition?
The effect of removing medical debt from millions of Americans’ credit scores
More than 100 million Americans are burdened with medical bills they can’t pay. In the final weeks of the Biden administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued new rules banning credit...
www.pbs.org
January 26, 2025 at 10:14 AM
The Biden administration banned medical debt from credit reports, lifting a huge burden off 100 million Americans. A 20-point credit score boost awaits, but will it survive the new administration's opposition?
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick, sworn in as defense secretary after a razor-thin Senate vote. Critics call him unfit; allies praise his “warrior ethos.” The Pentagon’s future? Uncertain, as always.
Pete Hegseth sworn in as Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth, President Trump's controversial pick for Secretary of Defense, was sworn in today following an historic, tie-breaking vote last night. NBC News' Yamiche Alcindor reports.
www.nbcnews.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick, sworn in as defense secretary after a razor-thin Senate vote. Critics call him unfit; allies praise his “warrior ethos.” The Pentagon’s future? Uncertain, as always.
The CIA now leans toward the lab-leak theory for COVID’s origin, though with “low confidence.” No new evidence, just new CIA Director John Ratcliff sworn in a couple days before this announcement. #covid19 #pandemic
The CIA believes COVID likely originated from a lab but has low confidence in its own finding
The CIA believes the COVID-19 virus likely originated from a laboratory — but acknowledges the spy agency has 'low confidence' in its own conclusion.
www.latimes.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Trump reinstates the “global gag rule,” silencing overseas NGOs that discuss or provide abortions, even with non-U.S. funds. A chilling echo of Reagan’s 1984 policy, it affects women's health globally, leaving clinics shuttered and lives in the balance. #abortion #womensrights #womenshealth
What is the Mexico City Policy? Trump's abortion policy change explained
Trump expands Reagan-era abortion policy, cutting billions in global health aid to groups that provide abortion services.
www.newsweek.com
January 26, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Trump reinstates the “global gag rule,” silencing overseas NGOs that discuss or provide abortions, even with non-U.S. funds. A chilling echo of Reagan’s 1984 policy, it affects women's health globally, leaving clinics shuttered and lives in the balance. #abortion #womensrights #womenshealth
RFK Jr., Trump’s HHS pick, vows to tackle chronic disease and opioid crisis but faces fierce opposition over his anti-vaccine stance and controversial health views. Concentration camps for people on ADHD meds, to "reparent" them, are one of his goals. Scientists & healthcare professionals are scared
RFK Jr. Wants to Create Drug Rehab ‘Wellness Farms’ — Pain News Network
By Pat Anson Confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, are expected to begin next week, with senators likely to ask abou...
www.painnewsnetwork.org
January 26, 2025 at 9:37 AM
RFK Jr., Trump’s HHS pick, vows to tackle chronic disease and opioid crisis but faces fierce opposition over his anti-vaccine stance and controversial health views. Concentration camps for people on ADHD meds, to "reparent" them, are one of his goals. Scientists & healthcare professionals are scared
In the dead of night, Trump purged over a dozen inspectors general—watchdogs meant to guard against waste and corruption. No warnings, no reasons given. A chilling act, some say, stripping away accountability. Many were people he appointed during his first term. 30 days notice is legally required.
Trump fires more than a dozen independent inspectors general at government agencies
The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies, a sweeping action to remove oversight of his new administration that some members of Congress are sug...
www.pbs.org
January 26, 2025 at 9:27 AM
In the dead of night, Trump purged over a dozen inspectors general—watchdogs meant to guard against waste and corruption. No warnings, no reasons given. A chilling act, some say, stripping away accountability. Many were people he appointed during his first term. 30 days notice is legally required.
The U.S. Army readies for deployment to the southern border, as Trump’s national emergency order calls for troops to “seal the border.” These are regular Army troops, not National Guard. Illegal crossings are at their lowest in 4 years due to efforts by Mexico, and Biden restrictions set in June.
Army tells units to prepare for deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border
This is the latest development after President Trump declared a national emergency along the southern border and ordered the Defense Department to provide troops.
www.cbsnews.com
January 26, 2025 at 9:21 AM
The U.S. Army readies for deployment to the southern border, as Trump’s national emergency order calls for troops to “seal the border.” These are regular Army troops, not National Guard. Illegal crossings are at their lowest in 4 years due to efforts by Mexico, and Biden restrictions set in June.
A Florida Republican, Rep. María Salazar, pleads with Trump to spare migrants under deportation plans, especially those with pending legal status. She calls for protecting Cubans, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans caught in Biden’s parole program. Fear spreads through communities as policies shift.
thehill.com
January 26, 2025 at 9:14 AM
A Florida Republican, Rep. María Salazar, pleads with Trump to spare migrants under deportation plans, especially those with pending legal status. She calls for protecting Cubans, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans caught in Biden’s parole program. Fear spreads through communities as policies shift.
Kristi Noem's stated to-do list:
- Reinstate the "Migrant Protection Protocols," AKA the "Remain in Mexico" policy
- Shut down the CPB One app
- End birthright citizenship
She will manage 260k federal employees. Immigration, natural disasters, and intelligence all fall under her leadership.
- Reinstate the "Migrant Protection Protocols," AKA the "Remain in Mexico" policy
- Shut down the CPB One app
- End birthright citizenship
She will manage 260k federal employees. Immigration, natural disasters, and intelligence all fall under her leadership.
January 26, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Kristi Noem's stated to-do list:
- Reinstate the "Migrant Protection Protocols," AKA the "Remain in Mexico" policy
- Shut down the CPB One app
- End birthright citizenship
She will manage 260k federal employees. Immigration, natural disasters, and intelligence all fall under her leadership.
- Reinstate the "Migrant Protection Protocols," AKA the "Remain in Mexico" policy
- Shut down the CPB One app
- End birthright citizenship
She will manage 260k federal employees. Immigration, natural disasters, and intelligence all fall under her leadership.
Kristi Noem is confirmed for a big immigration role. Some see a steadfast guardian; others are bracing for impact. Immigration is not simple--it's a tapestry of hopes, fears and lives tangled up in policy. Her decisions will cause ripples, and we're all in the water.
www.npr.org/2025/01/25/g...
www.npr.org/2025/01/25/g...
Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security
Noem will be in charge of executing one of President Trump's biggest priorities in his second term: cracking down on immigration.
www.npr.org
January 26, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Kristi Noem is confirmed for a big immigration role. Some see a steadfast guardian; others are bracing for impact. Immigration is not simple--it's a tapestry of hopes, fears and lives tangled up in policy. Her decisions will cause ripples, and we're all in the water.
www.npr.org/2025/01/25/g...
www.npr.org/2025/01/25/g...