Current Administration
A newsletter recap of the most pressing developments from the Current Administration for busy people who just want to know
We’re entering unchartered territories in 2025. Everyday, there are new executive orders and mandates put into place. There are also court orders and injunctions issued almost as quickly. Here’s a recap of what you may have missed in the past seven days.
AP punished for use of “Gulf of Mexico” - Feb. 11, 2025 (NPR)
The current administration has officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico and expects news organizations to use the name The Gulf of America. The Associated Press, which still referred to the gulf by the name it has used for over 400 years, was barred from attending an event at the White House where the administration shared cuts it was planning in conjunction with the DOGE. This mirrors the removal of several main-stream media outlets from the Pentagon, “including NPR, the New York Times, NBC News, CNN, the Washington Post, Politico, the Hill, and the War Zone.”
Footage of siege on U.S. Capitol has “disappeared” from DOJ website - Feb. 11, 2025 (NPR)
The video footage of the siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 has disappeared. Not all of it, just the footage related to the case of Glen Simon. Litigation brought by organizations including NPR are concerned that this is just the beginning of the current administration’s attempts to erase and whitewash the events of January 2021.
Judge orders DHHS, CDC, FDA to restore “gender ideology” websites pending litigation - Feb. 11, 2025 (CBS News)
The current administration has not minced words on the perspective of members of the community who are trans. On President Trump’s first day in office, the administration ordered the CDC, DHHS and FDA to scrub all data from their websites which mentioned trans people or treatment of trans people. Following a suit brought forward by Doctors for America, the court has ordered the pages and information restored pending litigation.
Musk’s DOGE announces cuts to education department - Feb. 11, 2025 (New York Times)
Despite legal pushback, the current administration is moving forward on cuts to the Department of Education. DOGE argues that much of the funding to the “fourth unconstitutional branch of government” is “not something that people want, and it does not match the will of the people.” The ways in which funding cuts to DOE would affect the department are still being uncovered.
Follow-up video:
President floats end of FEMA - Feb. 11, 2025 (New Republic)
The administration and FEMA have worked together well since the organization was created in 1979. Presidents from both parties have used the FEMA to send immediate and needed aid to areas hit by floods, fires, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and snow storms. Now, in the name of “efficiency,” the current administration wants to control the funds directly from the Oval Office, issuing them directly to the governor of the state needing assistance.
Trump, Putin negotiate for release of Marc Fogel from Russian custody - Feb. 11, 2025 (NPR)
In a piece of bipartisan good news, the U.S. and Russia have negotiated the agreement to release Marc Fogel from the Russian prison he’s been detained in since August 2021. Fogel had been “passed over” in other swaps and last year the U.S. Department of State updated Fogel’s status to “unjustly detained” which gave more urgency to Fogel’s situation. It is not yet clear what concessions the current administration made to facilitate this trade.
Follow-up video:
Trump’s plan for Gaza not accepted by Palestinian allies - Feb. 11, 2025 (Reuters)
In one of the most unique situations to date, the current administration floated the idea that the U.S. should take over Gaza, remove Palestinians, and create a resort area; displaced Palestinians would go to Jordan, among other countries. This proposition has been rejected by most every Arab nation, including Jordan.
USAID on chopping block sends ripples globally - Feb. 11, 2025 (NPR)
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has essentially been shuttered by the current administration. With “Schools. Vaccination programs. Medication and medical equipment. Media organizations. [and] Literacy programs” all on the potential chopping block, the international community has felt the shockwaves from Ukraine to South Africa, from Asia to Latin America.
Use of Guantánamo Bay for undocumented immigrants - Feb. 11, 2025 (New York Times)
In the past the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has been used almost exclusively for people convicted of terrorism. In a stark change, the current administration is now sending undocumented immigrants to the U.S. Navy base, labeling them “the worst of the worst,” despite protest from family.
A Constitutional Crisis? - Feb. 10, 2025 (New York Times)
Legal scholars weigh-in on the potential Constitutional Crisis facing the U.S. at the moment. While many argue that the current administration’s disregard for the Constitution, others argue that we have not quite made it to the constitutional crisis because the administration is listening to and following court orders.