Art of the Deal
Week of May 9-15, 2025
Welcome to TRACKING THE CRISIS, a weekly round-up from The Democracy Collaborative tracking the administrative, legislative, and other actions of the new Trump Administration as well as the many forms of legal and movement response from across a broad range of social, political, and economic actors. TDC is providing this service for collective informational purposes, as a tool for understanding the times during a period of disorientingly rapid flux and change in the U.S. political economy. TDC should not be understood as endorsing or otherwise any of the specific content of the information round-up.
TRUMP TRACKER: Administration actions
Trump’s Middle East visit marked by significant U.S. foreign policy shifts, business deals. In the first major overseas trip of his second term, Trump visited Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week, announcing more than $2 trillion in business and trade deals throughout the region. Analysts note that Trump eyes the Arab countries’ capital, energy and mineral resources in exchange for access to U.S. weapons and technology, building an alliance that Trump hopes will become an economic and military bulwark against China. As the New York Times noted, Trump showed a more amicable side of himself during the trip, which was reflected in major foreign policy shifts as well as the opening of investment opportunities. On Tuesday, May 13, Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, saying the nation deserves a ‘chance at greatness,’ and met with Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, the first meeting between the two countries’ leaders in 25 years. The lifting of sanctions will allow for an influx of foreign investment coveted by business interests from Turkey, Syrian expats, and Arab countries aligned with the new government. While continuing to insinuate threats of military action against Iran, Trump also announced the two countries ‘sort of’ agreed to negotiate a new nuclear deal, as Iran proposed a ‘joint enrichment venture’ involving Arab countries and U.S. investment. In Saudi Arabia, Trump ‘lavished praise’ on leader Mohammed bin Salman as the two countries inked a record-breaking $142 billion arms deal described as a ‘bonanza’ for the defense industry. Dozens of U.S. tech CEOs joined Trump in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia pursued several private investment deals with Amazon and Nvidia, among others. On Wednesday, May 14, Trump visited Qatar, where he signed an agreement for more than $243 billion in investments between the two countries, including Doha’s agreement to make $52 billion in military purchases from the United States, $96 billion for Boeing jets, and over $3 billion in investments for the U.S. tech industry. Trump concluded his tour with a visit to the UAE, where the two countries signed a $1.4 trillion deal for AI data centers as well as a commitment to invest $445 billion in the energy sector through 2035. The trip also appeared tied to Trump’s personal business deals in the region, as Trump companies are building major real estate developments in the three countries he visited.
Critical situation in Gaza nets only passing remarks from Trump on Middle East visit, as Israel bombs hospitals, killing dozens of Palestinians. Notably absent from Trump’s Middle East talks was any substantive discussion on Israel; Trump largely sidelined Netanyahu on the tour, fueling recent speculations of tension between the two leaders as Netanyahu faces increasing political strife at home. Trump’s relative marginalization of Israel on his Middle East visit sparked concern among U.S. and Israeli officials, noting that Israel may be ‘outbid’ by Gulf states in terms of economic and political influence with Trump. While some commentators welcomed Trump’s relative downplaying of U.S.-Israel relations this week, others noted that Trump’s apparent snub of Netanyahu made no difference to the suffering of Palestinians as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza critically deteriorates. In Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Trump remarked that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza and pledged some action to allow aid, while echoing previous statements about turning Gaza into a ‘freedom zone’ for real estate development. In the four days Trump was in the Middle East, Israel bombed 2 hospitals and launched a new ground offensive in Gaza, killing over 250 Palestinian civilians over 36 hours as experts warned of a “critical risk of famine” in the territory that has been blockaded from international aid by Israel.
Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump’s birthright citizenship order. On Thursday, May 15, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order seeking to abolish birthright citizenship. While scholarly consensus and legal precedent support birthright citizenship backed by the 14th Amendment, the core issue in question, over which the Supreme Court appeared divided, was the ability of district courts to issue a nationwide ‘universal injunction’ to block executive orders. The debate over the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions, while pre-dating Trump’s presidency, has taken on a heightened degree of relevance in Trump’s second term amid a record number of executive orders as well as legal challenges to those orders over his first 100 days in office. Solicitor General D. John Sauer noted in his opening argument that over 40 nationwide injunctions have been issued against Trump’s executive orders since his inauguration. The Court’s conservative majority appeared to support alternatives to nationwide injunctions while putting aside the constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order, while liberal justices grilled Trump lawyers over the practical implications of allowing some states and jurisdictions to pursue unconstitutional actions while legal challenges play out in court. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee who could play a key role in the decision, challenged Sauer on why the government appeal is not focusing on the merit of Trump’s executive order, forcing a concession from Sauer on the ‘novel’ legal argument being used to justify revoking birthright citizenship. Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that four previous Supreme Court rulings have established a century of precedent on birthright citizenship. While no clear movement toward a decision has emerged as of this writing, a ruling on nationwide injunctions would carry massive implications for Trump’s ability to use executive power to carry out his second-term agenda.
Republicans remain divided over budget reconciliation in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as Johnson struggles to advance committee vote; hidden provisions threaten nonprofits, social safety net. As the House Budget Committee heads into a crucial markup session to advance Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill, opposition from a few hardline deficit hawks in the GOP’s ‘Freedom Caucus’ may undermine the party’s slim majority in the House and sink the bill before it moves out of committee. While most of Trump’s tax cut ‘wish list’ is included in the bill, it would still add about $2.5 trillion to the federal debt, which conservative deficit hawks find unacceptable. Republicans are also divided over deep spending cuts to social programs such as SNAP and Medicaid, a contentious issue that would heavily impact constituents in Republican districts. As Republicans scramble to find ways to balance Trump’s tax cuts through spending reductions, the proposed bill also enshrines rental price-fixing while cutting housing assistance for low-income individuals. Senate Republicans also objected to the bill’s plan to roll back clean energy credits established in the Inflation Reduction Act, which also disproportionately impacts red states. Critics also sounded the alarm this week over the small yet consequential “nonprofit-killer” provision buried in page 380 of the 389-page bill, which would empower the Treasury Department to revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that the Trump Administration deems as a “terrorist-supporting organization” without having to disclose its reasoning or provide evidence. Given the broad, vague definitions in the bill, and that Trump Administration officials have sought to label opposition movements from Black Lives Matter to Tesla protests as “terrorist,” critics warn that the provision gives the Administration “unlimited power” to destroy nonprofits and silence dissent.
Newark mayor Ras Baraka arrested, Dem lawmakers threatened at ICE facility; FBI, National Guard weaponized for deportation enforcement. On Friday, May 9, Newark mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for trespassing during a visit to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility. At his first court hearing on Thursday, May 15, Baraka’s lawyers moved to dismiss the charges against him, using a video showing that Baraka was invited into the facility and did not “barge in” as the charges described. Lawyers also argued that Baraka was “targeted” for arrest at the protest, citing his treatment while in custody; Baraka was forced to redo his fingerprints and mugshot twice, in what he describes as an attempt to ‘humiliate’ him. DHS officials also threatened to arrest three Democratic House members who were with Baraka at Delaney Hall; Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver say they were conducting an oversight visit, which is explicitly allowed by the legislation directing funding for ICE facilities, and called their treatment by DHS “un-American.” The arrest threats drew ire from Democratic leaders who accused DHS of creating an “environment of intimidation”; Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul also denounced the arrest threats as “very drastic” and reasserted the right of members of Congress to inspect federal facilities. The House Judiciary Committee on Oversight will hold hearings on the incident next week. Reuters revealed this week that the FBI has directed agents to dedicate at least one-third of their time to pursuing immigration enforcement cases and scale back on investigating white-collar crimes. The Justice Department also plans to mobilize up to 2,000 agents from the ATF and U.S. Marshals for the deportation program. DHS has also requested up to 20,000 National Guard troops to help with immigration enforcement, which would be the first time the Guard would be mobilized for such a purpose within the United States. The Washington Post also reported this week that Trump’s long-standing goal of matching Eisenhower’s ‘record’ of one million deportations is based on a false claim used by the Eisenhower administration to promote its “Operation Wetback” program in 1954.
Trump Administration’s welcoming of white Afrikaners while revoking protected status for other asylum seekers underscores racial nature of anti-immigrant agenda. Fifty-nine white South Africans arrived in the United States this week to fanfare from U.S. officials as part of Trump’s ‘carve-out’ program to welcome white Afrikaners as ‘refugees.’ The Trump Administration has revoked the temporary protected status of over 500,000 migrants from countries in the Global South, adding Afghanistan to the revoked list this week; ProPublica also reports that the Office of Refugee Resettlement, whose mission has been to protect unaccompanied migrant children, is being revamped by the Trump Administration to use its data to target sponsors and children for deportation. The contradictions in Trump’s immigration policy evidenced by his ‘exception’ for white Afrikaners lend support to critics’ speculation that Trump is using immigration policy to advance a white nationalist agenda. Key to Trump’s justification for the South Africa exception is the “white genocide” conspiracy theory long espoused by the white nationalist far right. The New York Times and the Economist detail the history of factors, including Afrikaners in right-wing media and years of lobbying Trump, that led to Trump’s embrace of the idea and focus on Afrikaner resettlement. Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok also garnered media attention this week as it broke into rants about ‘white genocide’ in unrelated chat threads, telling users that it was “instructed by creators” to “address the topic of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa.” One of the resettled Afrikaners, Charl Kleinhaus, has a history of antisemitic posts on social media, while the Trump Administration has used antisemitism as a justification for deporting pro-Palestine activist students. Left-wing podcaster Hasan Piker, who was born in the United States, revealed that he was detained by customs officials while traveling back to the United States on Sunday and questioned for several hours about his views on Gaza and Trump. On Wednesday, May 14, DHS head Kristi Noem was grilled by members of the House Committee on Homeland Security over multiple scandals at the agency, including the ongoing detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador and the use of a doctored photo to justify his ‘gang ties’ to MS-13, despite the fact that Garcia was granted special status in 2019 because he was fleeing gang violence in El Salvador. On Tuesday, May 13, Matt Gaetz aired the first video of Venezuelan detainees in El Salvador’s CECOT prison, while National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard fired several staffers who produced a report contradicting the Trump Administration’s rationale for deporting Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act.
Tracking the Money: Fury over ‘Qatar-a-Lago’ as Trump prepares to accept $400 million luxury jet as gift from Doha. Trump’s plans to accept a $400 million ‘flying palace’ from Qatar to replace Air Force One has ignited outrage across the political spectrum for conducting “bribery in broad daylight.” The Boeing super-luxury jet would be the most valuable foreign gift ever given to a U.S. President, which according to sources would be converted for his personal use after he leaves office. While Qatari officials say the transaction is still undergoing legal review, experts say Trump’s acceptance of the gift would be a blatant violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prevents public officeholders from accepting foreign gifts without the approval of Congress. Attorney General Pam Bondi has released a memo backing the legality of Trump’s acceptance of the gift, which has raised even more concerns around corruption given the revelation that Bondi previously worked as a lobbyist for the Qatar government and had earned over $100,000 per month at the job, which she failed to disclose at her confirmation hearing. Critics also slam Trump’s personal business dealings in the Gulf state that pose potential conflicts of interest, including a deal for a multi-million-dollar development for a luxury golf resort in Qatar signed by the Trump family company last week. The Wall Street Journal outlines how Qatar has long used its oil wealth to influence institutional politics in the United States, and the Washington Post notes how Trump’s willingness to accept foreign gifts is a marked change from his stance during the first Trump Administration, where he derided Qatari contributions to the Clinton Foundation as part of his 2016 campaign strategy, and cheered the House GOP’s investigations into the Biden family’s $20 million worth of foreign dealings in the runup to the 2024 election. On Thursday, May 15, House Democrats opened a probe into the Trump Administration’s legal rationale for the gift, reaffirming the need for Congressional approval. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer announced a ‘blanket hold’ on approving DOJ nominees until the probe is completed, causing Trump to lash out in response, calling Schumer a ‘Palestinian’ for his efforts. Republican lawmakers also raised security concerns over Trump’s planned use of the gifted jet as Air Force One, noting the sheer cost of retrofitting the jet as well as potential risk of foreign espionage. Even Trump’s most ardent MAGA supporters bashed the deal, calling it “indefensible” and a “bribe, plain and simple.” Critics in the international community have also derided the “frankly pathetic” situation where “we essentially have world leaders treating the president of the United States like a toddler who needs to be placated with a shiny toy.”
MOVEMENT TRACKER
Pro-Palestine academics freed from ICE custody as support for Gaza grows. Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was released from ICE custody on Saturday, May 10 after a federal judge in Vermont ruled that her arrest on March 25 violated her free-speech rights and she should remain free pending resolution of her case. Ozturk returned to her Massachusetts home and will continue to pursue her degree as she fights her case in court. Shortly after Mapheze Saleh, the wife of Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri, spoke out in a heartbreaking interview with Zeteo and Suri himself penned a passionate defense of Palestine in Truthout, Suri was freed from ICE custody in Texas on Wednesday, May 14 after a U.S. district court judge determined that the government had not supplied sufficient evidence to justify his continued detention. Suri spoke out about his treatment after his release, describing how he was kept chained and that ICE agents treated him “like a subhuman.” Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who still remains in ICE detention, published a moving letter to his newborn son in the Guardian on Sunday, May 11 connecting his family’s separation to the plight of Palestinians everywhere. More scholars in the academy who were once reluctant to use the term ‘genocide’ to describe the war in Gaza now agree that the Israeli assault fits the definition of ‘genocide.’ Polls this week show a significant shift in public opinion towards support for Palestinians and ending the war in Gaza; a Gallup poll shows for the first time that a majority of Americans (and greater numbers of Democrats) oppose Israeli actions, while the Times of Israel reports that over 60% of Israelis support steps toward ending the war and pursuing normalization with neighboring Arab states. The American Friends Service Committee published a guide with six ways the public can support Palestinians in Gaza. Over 80 organizations have now endorsed the ‘No More Suppressed Solidarity’ campaign supporting the Freedom Flotilla which was attacked by Israeli drones two weeks ago and demanding an end to the Israeli blockade.
Pro-Palestine academics freed from ICE custody as support for Gaza grows. Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was released from ICE custody on Saturday, May 10 after a federal judge in Vermont ruled that her arrest on March 25 violated her free-speech rights and she should remain free pending resolution of her case. Ozturk returned to her Massachusetts home and will continue to pursue her degree as she fights her case in court. Shortly after Mapheze Saleh, the wife of Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri, spoke out in a heartbreaking interview with Zeteo and Suri himself penned a passionate defense of Palestine in Truthout, Suri was freed from ICE custody in Texas on Wednesday, May 14 after a U.S. district court judge determined that the government had not supplied sufficient evidence to justify his continued detention. Suri spoke out about his treatment after his release, describing how he was kept chained and that ICE agents treated him “like a subhuman.” Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who still remains in ICE detention, published a moving letter to his newborn son in the Guardian on Sunday, May 11 connecting his family’s separation to the plight of Palestinians everywhere. More scholars in the academy who were once reluctant to use the term ‘genocide’ to describe the war in Gaza now agree that the Israeli assault fits the definition of ‘genocide.’ Polls this week show a significant shift in public opinion towards support for Palestinians and ending the war in Gaza; a Gallup poll shows for the first time that a majority of Americans (and greater numbers of Democrats) oppose Israeli actions, while the Times of Israel reports that over 60% of Israelis support steps toward ending the war and pursuing normalization with neighboring Arab states. The American Friends Service Committee published a guide with six ways the public can support Palestinians in Gaza. Over 80 organizations have now endorsed the ‘No More Suppressed Solidarity’ campaign supporting the Freedom Flotilla which was attacked by Israeli drones two weeks ago and demanding an end to the Israeli blockade.
Descendant of plaintiff in landmark birthright citizenship case speaks out as communities mobilize to defend immigrants. As the Supreme Court considers Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship this week, Norman Wong, the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark case before the Supreme Court enshrined birthright citizenship in 1898, has been speaking out and urging the public to defend his great-grandfather’s legacy at events honoring Ark, who was born in San Francisco in 1870. Hundreds of activists rallied in protest at an ICE facility in South San Jose this week, and protests erupted in Framingham, Massachusetts after the detention of Daniel Orellana, who was arrested by ICE despite agents having a photo of an entirely different person. House Democrats grilled Kristi Noem on Wednesday, May 14 at a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security and demanded her resignation for ‘despicable’ acts committed under her watch. Rep. Julie Johnson blasted Noem for enabling the trend of far-right militia members posing as ICE agents to harass people of color in immigrant communities. Rep. Delia Ramirez posted a video online shortly before the hearing to call for Noem’s resignation. Connecticut activists have made gains in a state campaign to end tax subsidies for Avelo Airlines, which holds contracts for deportation flights. Truthout reports on how Mexican activists are building alternative digital infrastructure to protect personal data at a time when ‘big’ data is increasingly being used in deportation efforts. The Episcopal Church announced on Monday, May 12, that it will be ending its partnership with the federal government to resettle refugees, citing moral opposition to Trump’s program to resettle white Afrikaners.
Protests to defend Medicaid disrupt House, Senate budget talks. Over two dozen people were arrested at the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday, May 13 for protesting proposed cuts to Medicaid in the GOP tax bill during the Ways and Means Committee’s markup session. At least five people were removed from the chambers by Capitol Police, three of them in wheelchairs as lawmakers from the panel looked on. Sen. Cory Booker greeted protestors in the hallway and thanked them for showing up to protect Medicaid. On Wednesday, May 14, protests against the shuttering of HIV/AIDS programs and research disrupted Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s opening remarks as he appeared before the House appropriations committee to defend downsizing the HHS. An HIV-positive protestor in a wheelchair from Youngstown, Ohio was dragged out of a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing to debate Medicaid cuts on Tuesday. Common Dreams reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders is deploying organizers to key Republican and swing districts this week to mobilize pressure on lawmakers to reject the budget bill as it moves to a vote over the weekend.
High-profile celebs speak out against Trump as new Pope’s social media hints at future Vatican stance. Bruce Springsteen kicked off his 2025 tour in Manchester, England with a blistering tirade against the “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous” Trump Administration on Wednesday, May 14, calling upon the “righteous power of art, music, and rock n’ roll” to urge fans to “rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.” After The Boss’s rant went viral, Trump responded angrily to the comments on Friday, calling the 7-time platinum rock star “Highly Overrated,” claiming he never liked Springsteen’s music, and saying the ‘dried-out’ prune of a rocker needs to ‘KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT’ until he gets back into the Country.” Also this week, film A-lister Robert de Niro used his Palme d’Or lifetime achievement award speech at the Cannes Film Festival to denounce Trump’s authoritarian actions, calling for people to “act now” to defend democracy “with great passion and determination.” In the lead-up to Cannes, nearly 400 international film directors, actors, and producers released an open letter on Monday condemning Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Ahead of his scheduled commencement speech at Howard University, Reading Rainbow star LeVar Burton defended PBS against funding threats to public media. As Chicago-born pontiff Robert Prevost took on the mantle of Pope Leo XIV, his first speech as Pope on Sunday, May 11 echoed the late Pope Francis’ calls to align with ‘ordinary people’ and called for an end to war. In his first address to world diplomats on Friday, the Pope delivered a “striking message” urging global respect and compassion for migrants, in what many perceive as a direct challenge to Trump’s policies. When asked by a reporter what message he would have for the United States, Pope Leo simply said “Many. God bless you all.”
Labor resistance: Defending federal workers and programs against DOGE cuts, Panama workers revolt against Trump deals. On Wednesday, May 14, a group of 27 Democratic lawmakers urged the Trump Administration to rescind plans to implement ‘Schedule F’ status in the federal workforce, which would strip tens of thousands of federal workers of essential job protections and replace career civil servants with political appointees. On the same day, nearly 80 lawmakers from both parties released an open letter to FEMA urging the Administration to unfreeze funding for community resilience grants as acting director David Richardson admitted in an internal review that staffing and funding cuts have left the agency ‘unprepared’ for hurricane season. Former Social Security Administration commissioner Martin O’Malley has challenged Elon Musk to a debate over Social Security ‘fraud’ on social media. National Science Foundation board member Alondra Nelson resigned this week in protest of DOGE cuts to scientific research, as Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office released a report documenting how the Trump Administration’s war on science has decimated medical research, including a 31-percent cut to cancer research since March. NIH staffers rallied outside Robert Kennedy Jr.’s office this week protesting NIH cuts and calling on Kennedy to resign as Health Secretary. Teen Vogue reports on how the Instagram account “Dear White Staffers,” run by an anonymous Capitol Hill staffer, is helping organize federal workers and facilitating information leaks from insiders. The National Federation of Federal Employees is launching a petition campaign to urge Congress to oppose proposals targeting federal employee wages and benefits in the GOP budget bill. AFT president Randi Weingarten and AAUP head Todd Wolfson joined New Jersey lawmakers this week to denounce Newark mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest at the Delaney Hall ICE facility. And in Panama, which has been rocked by anti-government protests over the last two weeks, workers took to the streets to denounce President Jose Raul Mulino’s negotiations with the Trump Administration to cede sovereignty over key points on the Panama Canal.
Upcoming protests.
Saturday, May 17: RefuseFascism has called for a National Day of Protest against the Trump Administration. More information on local protests can be found at https://refusefascism.org/
Sunday, May 18: Activists in Chicago are planning an anti-Trump ‘human chain’ protest extending 30 miles from Aurora to Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood to protest increasing authoritarianism. More information can be found on the Hands Across Chicagoland website.
Thursday, May 22: The American Federation of Government Workers and the AFL-CIO, along with the #AltGov network, is planning a rally outside the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington DC to protest the gutting of worker safety programs under NIOSH.
Thursday, June 19th: Protests against Trump’s planned military parade on his birthday are being planned in Washington DC under the banner of the National Protest Against Trump and the War Machine. The 50501 Movement is also organizing a national ‘No Kings’ Day of Action across the country to coincide with the parade protest on June 19th.
Dozens of local protests continue at government buildings and Tesla dealerships across the country. Information on local mobilizations can be found at The Big List of Protests.
Lawsuit updates.
Twenty state Attorneys General are suing the Trump Administration over the withholding of federal funds to states and municipalities with sanctuary laws, and the implementation of new requirements tying federal funding to state participation in federal immigration enforcement. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that the Trump Administration “doesn’t have the authority to unlawfully coerce state and local governments into using their resources for federal immigration enforcement.”
This week, a federal judge dismissed charges for nearly 100 migrants accused by the Trump Administration of violating military-restricted zones that were newly declared along the US-Mexico border. Judge Gregory B. Wormuth ruled that the government had failed to show that the migrants were aware that they were entering a National Defense Area. Over 400 migrants have been charged, and Judge Wormuth is expected to dismiss them all as he works through the docket.
On Monday, May 12, the Brennan Center for Justice filed an amicus brief in the case of Emily Ley Paper et al., v. Trump, which challenges Trump’s use of emergency powers to unilaterally impose tariffs. The case argues that local small business are being harmed by tariffs’ impact on international supply chains.
A federal judge in California temporarily blocked the efforts by DOGE and the Trump Administration to overhaul and downsize the federal government, in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of labor unions, local governments, and nonprofits.
Harvard University expanded its lawsuit against the Trump Administration this week after the Administration froze $450 million in grant funding to the university, saying that the Trump Administration has “doubled down” on its intimidation tactics in ways that “will hurt students in every state in the country and around the world.”
An appellate court ruled this week that Florida’s ban on drag shows likely violates First Amendment free speech rights, signaling a victory for LGBTQIA+ rights throughout the country as other states consider similar bans.
Democratic lawmakers are considering bringing a lawsuit against Trump for accepting Qatar’s $400 million gifted jet.
