Key Events (13)
The Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling allowing President Trump to fire leaders of independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, striking down nearly a century-old precedent that insulated such agencies from direct presidential control. The decision expanded Trump's power over the federal bureaucracy while drawing criticism from legal experts as contrary to constitutional separation of powers.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, ruling 5-4 that the president cannot remove Fed officials at will and that the Fed must maintain independence from direct presidential control. The decision affirmed central bank independence while Trump vowed to take 'appropriate action' against Cook.
The Supreme Court rejected Trump's appeal in the E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse case, allowing a $5 million civil verdict against him to stand. Trump had sought to overturn the jury's 2023 finding that he sexually abused and defamed the former magazine columnist.
The Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if received within five business days, rejecting Trump's effort to restrict late-arriving mail-in voting. The decision could affect voting procedures in more than a dozen states pivotal to midterm control of Congress.
Trump administration officials headed to Qatar for peace talks with Iran after the U.S. and Tehran agreed to 'stand down' tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump posted that a meeting would take place on Tuesday in Doha following recent escalatory clashes between the two nations.
Former President Biden attacked Trump at a fundraising gala, calling him a 'loser' and criticizing his vanity projects in Washington, DC, including the planned new White House ballroom. Biden argued Trump had 'diminished' U.S. standing in the world.
Democrats in 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over its interpretation of new Medicaid work requirements, arguing the rules would prevent eligible Americans from accessing needed care due to overly narrow exemptions for sick people.
The Trump administration's Commerce Department accused California's coastal agency of 'environmental terrorism' and announced plans to evaluate the agency's policies, escalating the administration's conflict with the state over energy production and environmental protection.
Trump administration officials announced plans to limit public input on fossil fuel drilling on federal lands, a move advocates say will reduce scrutiny of polluters and shift financial risks to taxpayers while constituting an attack on democratic participation.
President Trump nominated acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to the full-time position, continuing to fill his cabinet with loyalists from within the administration rather than new external appointees.
Pardoned January 6 rioter Jake Lang showed up outside the 2026 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with racist protest signs, including one reading "Black parents are failures," and wearing a bulletproof vest with a Confederate flag and a hat with a Nazi Iron Cross. The crowd confronted the protesters, chasing them off, tearing away their signs, and throwing bottles at them.
Trump posted an early-morning defense of the Great American State Fair on Truth Social, claiming it was “packed with happy people” with “at least 45,000” attendees, contradicting Reuters photographs showing sparse crowds. Ongoing operational issues included power outages, a temporarily shut-down Ferris wheel, and the cancellation of Vanilla Ice’s performance due to weather, while organizers misspelled their own name as “Freeedom 250” on a digital billboard announcing a temporary closure.
The Office of Personnel Management issued a final rule expanding the grounds on which federal employees can be fired, allowing agencies to use 'suitability and fitness' standards — previously applied only to job applicants — as additional justification for disciplining or dismissing existing staff. The rule enables expedited firings and aligns with broader Trump administration efforts to reduce the size and tenure protections of the federal workforce.