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‘Trump-a-palooza’ aims to energize Republican base
Republicans gathered Wednesday night in Dallas for the first-ever Republican midterm convention, an event designed to energize voters, raise money and highlight key Republican candidates ahead of the November election. CNN’s Alayna Treene takes us through the key moments.
Pritzker joins Texas Democrats in rebuttal of Dallas Republican Convention
Illinois’s governor called out Republican leaders and President Trump for holding their Dallas midterm convention despite everyday Americans struggling.
Politics or NFL? Trump’s Dallas rally conflicts with season opener
President Donald Trump’s Republican midterm convention in Dallas has competition Wednesday night: the NFL season opener.
Sen. John Fetterman makes a surprise cameo praising Republicans at the GOP convention
The Democratic senator appeared on video promoting the efforts of President Donald Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick in shaping the U.S. Steel deal with Nippon Steel.
Flower Mound bakery taunts Trump with viral cookies
Hive Bakery is selling cookies to mark the GOP midterm convention, which runs two nights in Dallas.
Most Michigan voters oppose Trump tariffs on Canada, poll shows
A Detroit News-WDIV poll reveals Michigan voters oppose President Trump's trade war with Canada and believe it will lead to higher costs for goods.
Fetterman to Praise Trump in Convention Video
Senator John Fetterman, who has become alienated from his own party, was expected to make a surprise virtual appearance, breaking with Democrats’ midterm message.
Trump officials expect final approval of massive arch in November
A top National Park Service official, meeting with preservationists, rejected suggestions to change the planned 250-foot-tall arch’s size, design or location.
Trump’s Census Overhaul Would Exclude Some Immigrants and Remove Questions on Race
The proposals for 2030 are among significant changes that would upend a process for helping allot congressional seats and shape policies that address disparities.
WATCH: Trump says oil prices will come down after midterm elections
President Donald Trump, in an exchange with reporters before traveling to Dallas for the midterm Republican convention, added that he believes Iran will finally relent after the pivotal elections are held in the U.S.
A Hostile Trump Reopens Old Wounds in the U.S.-Canada Relationship
President Trump is not the first American president to feud with Canada. But today’s crisis might be the worst.
WATCH: Democrats say Trump's 'bizarre' convention is a distraction from his faltering presidency
‘Trumpapalooza’ and another primary night: From the Politics Desk
Plus, a lingering 9/11 lesson, 25 years later.
Trump’s health nominees set to move forward with Senate return
Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Trump’s health nominees set to move forward with Senate return Several of President Trump’s health nomi…
Most Americans Have Stopped Believing the Government
A pair of new polls offer a sobering snapshot of the impact of President Trump’s second term in office thus far.
California, other states warn Supreme Court of 'chaos' if it lets USPS mail ballot rules stand
A federal judge has already halted the plan nationwide, but the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to revive it, arguing the federal government would be seriously harmed by voter fraud if it does not.
The Case for a Psychiatric Deprescribing Clinic
Psychiatric medication prescribing practices have come under scrutiny since the Trump administration announced its plan to crack
The Case for a Psychiatric Deprescribing Clinic
Psychiatric medication prescribing practices have come under scrutiny since the Trump administration announced its plan to crack
Election Officials Grapple With Uncertainty as Supreme Court Considers Mail Ballot Plan
As they wait for word on whether the Trump administration’s new system to screen ballots can move forward, local officials say they are running out of time.
As midterms approach, new poll finds that few Americans trust campaigns or Trump
Americans are more skeptical of government information than they were a few years ago, with majorities now saying they have little or no trust in federal government information about elections and politics, foreign affairs or the environment, a new poll finds.
‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone ‘rename’ show to ‘South America’ in jab at Trump
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of "South Park," are changing the show's name to "SOUTH AMERICA," at least for now.
'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone 'rename' show to 'South America' in jab at Trump
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of "South Park," are changing the show's name to "SOUTH AMERICA," at least for now | Talk 1370
'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone 'rename' show to 'South America' in jab at Trump
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of "South Park," are changing the show's name to "SOUTH AMERICA," at least for now
Kathy Griffin jokes Barron Trump sends her notes pleading, ‘Don’t kill my daddy’
Kathy Griffin looks back on her Donald Trump photo scandal, joking to EW that Barron Trump sends her notes saying, ‘Don’t kill my daddy.’
Democrats say Trump's convention is distraction from his faltering presidency
Democrats are in Dallas to try to convince voters that the reality of Trump's second presidency doesn't match the spectacle of his made-for-TV event
Competing court orders add confusion to Missouri congressional elections
Dueling court orders eight weeks before Election Day left Missouri’s congressional map uncertain Tuesday as legal wrangling over a redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump sparked fresh confusion.
Live fact check: Night 1 of the Republican Midterm Convention
President Donald Trump will appear at an unconventional national convention thrown by the Republican Party Wednesday night in Dallas.
Trump’s Convention Offers an Unusual Fund-Raising Opportunity for Republicans
Republicans are hoping to use the Dallas extravaganza as a fund-raising opportunity, with some local parties charging as much as $20,000 to be an “honorary delegate.”
Trump administration fires prosecutor in dropped case against politically-linked Indian billionaire
Gautam Adani had faced a criminal case that Trump administration moved to drop.
With AI memes, Trump promotes mythical version of himself as challenges stack up ahead of midterms
In the real world, President Donald Trump is struggling to stop inflation, rout the Iranian government and restore American manufacturing with tariffs. It's a different story in the fantastical vision that he shares with supporters on social media.
60 Posts in 10 Hours: How Trump’s Social Media Reflects His Version of Reality
With an assist from A.I., President Trump offers a window into how he wants to be seen — and, critics say, a barometer of his mental state.
Mail-in voters weigh flying to vote in person and other backup plans amid uncertainty
Voters and election officials are navigating uncertainty about mail-in voting for the midterms as the legal fight drags on over the U.S. Postal Service plan for President Trump's bid for restrictions.
Trump administration proposes dropping huge swath of immigrants from U.S. census
The proposal would block immigrants in the country legally from being counted in the 2030 census and would drop some questions about race and ethnicity.
Republicans gather in Dallas for two-day midterm convention billed as 'Trump-a-Palooza'
The highly unusual midterm convention puts President Donald Trump at the center of this fall’s midterm elections — whether the candidates running like it or not.
Why Trump’s Republican Midterm ‘Convention’ Isn’t a Real Convention
No nominations or formal party business will be happening, as they would at a traditional presidential convention. But the made-for-TV speeches will look much the same.
Trump administration proposes changes to census that could exclude millions
If adopted, the changes could exclude millions of residents from the decennial tally, reshaping congressional representation in the country.
‘Few new ideas’: What Trump’s feckless diplomacy tells Putin
Trump’s envoys in Ukraine seem desperate while Germany’s right surges.
The Latest: Republicans gathering for 'Trump-a-palooza' convention in Dallas
Republicans are gathering in Dallas on Wednesday for a highly unusual midterm convention, a “Trump-a-Palooza” that will put Trump at the center of this fall’s midterm elections — whether the
Pritzker slams Trump — and his GOP midterm convention
Pritzker appeared in Dallas today to offer a Democratic counter-message.
A Nazi-curious party just won big in Germany. The White House approves.
How a very dangerous state election in Germany helps reveal Trump’s real foreign policy.
Lawmakers question ties between Freedom 250 and Trump campaign
Lawmakers are questioning whether Republican groups used personal information collected at Freedom 250 events to build political contact lists.
At 9/11 tribute, Trump adds new claim to his disputed role after attack
There is no evidence backing up President Donald Trump’s claim about firefighters carrying him to safety after the attack. It's part of his evolving — and often disputed — account of his 9/11 actions.
Trump Administration Cuts 16 Minority Health Grants—Here’s What That Means For Public Health
A public health expert explains how the Trump administration cancelling 16 minority health grants could adversely impact public health.
The Latest: Republicans gathering for 'Trump-a-palooza' convention in Dallas
Republicans are gathering in Dallas on Wednesday for a highly unusual midterm convention, a “Trump-a-Palooza” that will put Trump at the center of this fall’s midterm elections — whether the
DHS: Salvadoran TPS holders ‘retain protection’ despite expiration
Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it is ending TPS for Salvadorans effective Wednesday
INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: NOAA Fisheries takes a ‘sharp turn away from science’
The agency’s focus on commercial interests threatens fisheries science and over one million miles of protected marine habitats. By Johnny Sturgeon, Inside Climate News This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. In July, the Trump administration relegated endangered leatherback turtles, sea lions and whales to mere collateral damage in its race to profit from the oceans. Now, fisheries science is in […]
Place-name politics: Why outrage alone won’t erase Trump’s name
Renaming Ottawa’s Trump Avenue is part of a long history of cities engaging in “toponymic diplomacy.”
Smithsonian head retiring amid Trump pressure
Lonnie Bunch III has led the institution since 2019
Trump gave $45,000 holiday gifts to Natalie Harp and two other White House aides
President Donald Trump gave sizable holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to new financial disclosures released by the administration.
Republicans gather in Dallas for 2-day midterm convention
The schedule this week released by organizers makes clear that the convention will be the Trump Show, through and through.
Rubio visits Ecuador as Trump-friendly leader helps the US counterdrug push in the region
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Ecuador on the second leg of a three-nation tour of South America aimed at boosting security cooperation with conservative leaders.
Oregon Democrats seek to calm voters’ election uncertainties
Oregon Democrats express faith in the upcoming vote-by-mail election despite ongoing legal battles over President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict mail ballot delivery.
Place-name politics: Why renaming streets named Trump requires more than just outrage
Renaming Ottawa’s Trump Avenue is part of a long history of cities engaging in “toponymic diplomacy.”
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
Trump gave $45K holiday gifts to Natalie Harp and 2 other White House aides
A White House official said the cash gifts were not related to the "individuals' official government duties, and therefore are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards"
September 9 Playbook: “Trumpapalooza”
🏈 It’s a Football Wednesday. The NFL season starts tonight 🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. NFL on NBC Sunday Night Theme. Champions United PA Weather🌂 Bradford | Chance of Showers, 81🌤️ Mount Carmel | Partly Sunny, 82☀️ Ambler | Mostly Sunny, 87 PA Sports ⚾ Phillies (81-64, -4.0 GB, +3.5…
Trump Doled Out $45,000 Cash Gifts to Natalie Harp and Other Aides Last Year
The money, listed as “cash gift for the holidays,” was detailed in financial disclosure forms released by the administration.
Trump Doled Out $45,000 Cash Gifts to Natalie Harp and Other Aides Last Year
The money, listed as “cash gift for the holidays,” was detailed in financial disclosure forms released by the administration.
Trump’s Super PAC Is Tied to Mystery Group Spending $25 Million on Midterms
The recently created Republican group is pumping cash into half a dozen key midterm races, with the largest amounts going toward Senate contests in New Hampshire and Alaska.
Ted Cruz swears off Supreme Court spot, despite Donald Trump's asking
Despite a clear affinity for the Supreme Court, Cruz said he turned President Trump down three times already.
Trump center stage at RNC in midterms gamble
President to give speeches on both days of unprecedented gathering
Donald Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm rejects House Democrat's accusations of "insider political influence"
Rep. Jamie Raskin launched an investigation last month into the president's son's investment firm and its "almost clairvoyant" business moves.
Republicans tie midterm hopes to Trump at Dallas convention despite political risks
Many Republicans in competitive House and Senate races are skipping the convention.
GOP's first midterm convention kicks off Wednesday, putting Dallas at center of national politics
The Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention begins in Dallas as Trump and GOP leaders rally voters, while Democrats prepare their own counterprogramming ahead of November.
Democrats demand Trump administration halt collection of patients’ ER records
A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling for the Trump administration to suspend a new surveillance program it quietly launched to collect the personal and identifiable health data of Americans who visit emergency rooms.
Hiltzik: Resisting Trump turns out to be a winning business strategy
A study finds that businesses that resisted Trump's anti-diversity pressure paid no price. Are the law firms and universities that capitulated listening?
Stevens wants Trump administration to address tariff refund backlog
The Michigan congresswoman helped lead a letter to the Trump administration asking it to clear a backlog she says is hurting Michigan business.
Analysis | How Canada, with elbows up, could hurt Trump in the midterms
The president's fight with our neighbor to the north — a constant over the course of his second term with a focus on trade — has turned ugly in recent weeks.
Opinion | How Roy Cohn Shaped Trump
A new book reveals how the lawyer’s legacy lives on decades after his death.
Will Trump’s Midterm Convention Help or Hurt Republicans? 5 Things to Watch.
At an unusual gathering in Dallas, some of the party’s top candidates will be forced to decide just how tightly to tether themselves to an unpopular president.
The Republicans staying away from the ‘Trump-a-palooza’ convention
(CNN) — Republicans will gather in Dallas this week for a midterm convention that’s a version of the type normally held in presidential election years.
After a decade as GOP’s main character, Trump gets one more starring role at midterm convention
For a decade, President Donald Trump has made himself his party’s main character — a singular force around whom its rallies, conventions and political identity have revolved.
A generation of kids suffers as Trump destabilizes immigrant families
Children in immigrant families are facing multiple health threats from President Trump's policies.
An embattled Donald Trump is increasingly using sports as prop
Sports is the rare topic in which the president has succeeded in shifting the conversation to his preferred terms
Republicans kick off a 'Trumpapalooza' of a midterm convention Wednesday in Texas
Republicans have never held a midterm convention before. But there's also never been a president like Donald Trump. Billed as a "Trumpapalooza," the unprecedented event kicks of in Dallas Wednesday.
The world’s best-paid politician is getting a $1 million pay rise
Singapore’s ministers are already among the world’s highest-paid politicians, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong earning more than four times US President Donald Trump’s annual government salary.
Devon Witherspoon responds to Christian Gonzalez trumping his historic deal
The wait has finally come to an end for Christian Gonzalez after he was rewarded with his record-breaking new deal by the New England Patriots. Whether the contract stand-off has had any effect on his preparations for Wednesday’s game in Seattle remains to be seen.
Trump gave Natalie Harp and two other aides $45,000 each in cash gifts for holidays
President Donald Trump gave Natalie Harp and two other White House aides $45,000 each in cash gifts, according to financial disclosure statements.
With AI memes, Trump promotes mythical version of himself as challenges stack up ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump is using memes to portray himself as powerful amid struggles with inflation and international issues.
US Research Cuts Drive Scientists to Germany
US-based researchers are seeking academic asylum in Germany following the Trump administration’s funding cuts—a loss to American science.
Trump gave $45,000 holiday gifts to Natalie Harp and two other White House aides
President Donald Trump has given substantial holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to financial disclosures released by the administration | 830 WCCO
Can the 'best showman in politics' deliver again? GOP bets on Trump at historic midterm convention
Donald Trump headlines the first-ever GOP midterm convention in Dallas, aiming to energize low-propensity MAGA voters ahead of key 2026 races.
Trump’s Ability to Channel Voter Concerns Is Tested as Republicans Gather in Dallas
As Republicans face down tough midterm elections, President Trump has appeared out of step with the party on Iran, the economy and other issues.
‘South Park’ is now ‘South America’ in move to mock Trump
Beyond parodying President Trump's Great Lakes order, the move jabs at Paramount and Skydance Media for settling a $16-million lawsuit to clear their merger.
Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, two other close aides
Financial disclosures show the sums were equivalent to nearly one-third of each of their salaries. Experts say the gifts are without precedent and may violate the law.
The Trump administration slams Ford for its ties to China
The Trump administration on Tuesday expressed “profound concern” to carmaker Ford about its alleged ties to Chinese technology and manufacturing.
A (temporary) win for science and sanity
Congress rejects rule that would give Trump control over all research and academic grants—for now
Trump plans to ban imports of some Canadian dairy, alcohol
WASHINGTON — The United States escalated its trade war with Canada, moving to block imports of some alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles, as well as seeking to bar Canadian
Trump-Backed Auto Executive Wins House Primary in New Hampshire
Anthony DiLorenzo, an automotive executive who ran with the president’s endorsement, will be the Republican nominee in the First Congressional District.
What to watch as Republicans gather in Dallas for Trump's unusual midterm convention
Midterms are often difficult for the party in power in Washington, and Trump believes the event can juice enthusiasm for the party and boost turnout among his voters.
Trump transport chief blasts Ford’s business deals with Chinese firms
CEO Jim Farley hit back, saying the letter urging him to cut ties with firms like China’s CATL, Geely and BYD was ‘wrong-headed’.
Saginaw County business not yet concerned about Canadian tariffs
Canada imposed tariffs on hundreds of U.S. products in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Canada hits US imports with tariffs, intensifying trade war
Canada imposed tariffs of 15% to 50% on hundreds of products from the U.S. on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Mark Carney bets that standing up to President Donald Trump will
Incumbent GOP governor rolls to primary victory after keeping Trump at a distance
Kelly Ayotte cruised past Republican primary challengers, setting up a high-stakes New Hampshire governor's race against Democrat Cinde Warmington.
Canada's tariffs go into effect, spotlighting soured relations with U.S.
Ottawa's latest measures are a response to tariffs imposed by President Trump last month on Canadian exports.
Putin and Trump discuss Ukraine in 'extremely frank' call
Washington has been pushing for fresh face-to-face talks between Moscow and Kyiv to reach a peace deal
Pritzker-backed PAC plans to bankroll anti-Trump candidates nationwide
The committee, called “Ready for the Fight” in reference to a line from Pritzker campaign speeches, launched today.