Pentagon redirecting $8 billion in research funds to pay troops through October, with Republican senators questioning legal authority and Nov. 15 paycheck deadline looming.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr delays prison phone call price caps until April 2027, more than two years after January 2025 implementation date, prompting Senate Democrats to call delay “unlawful.”
Two USDA officials overseeing food aid programs leave for HHS during shutdown, leaving agency without permanent leader as SNAP benefits lapse Saturday.
HHS fires biosecurity adviser Steven Hatfill for falsely claiming to be chief medical officer after he defended canceling mRNA vaccine research and called spike proteins “biologically toxic.”
DOD memo signed day before shutdown directs supervisors to fire civilian employees “with speed and conviction,” giving workers seven days to respond to termination notices.
White House fires all six members of US Commission on Fine Arts one week after demolishing East Wing for $300 million ballroom, before commission could advise on design.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s 4,000 shutdown layoffs as unlawful political retribution, citing statements that RIFs would target “Democrat programs.”
DHS removes ICE field office chiefs in five major cities, replacing them with Border Patrol officials to meet Stephen Miller’s demand for 1 million deportations per year.
Trump withdraws nomination of Middle East envoy Joel Rayburn for assistant secretary post after Sen. Rand Paul opposed him for allegedly hiding Syria troop levels from Trump.
Nation’s largest federal employee union calls for clean spending bill with backpay guarantee as shutdown enters fifth week and workers miss first full paycheck.
Trump narrows Federal Reserve chair search to 5 finalists including Black Rock executive and sitting governors, as Powell’s May exit looms.
LAX ground stop and delays at six airports triggered by controller shortage as Transportation Secretary Duffy warns unpaid controllers wearing thin, with 22 staffing triggers among highest since shutdown began.
Trump mega-donor Timothy Mellon gives $130 million to pay troops during shutdown, covering roughly $100 per service member in donation that may violate federal spending law.
Trump calls for prosecution of Jack Smith, Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, and Lisa Monaco over Jan. 6 investigation that analyzed phone records of nine Republican members of Congress.
Hundreds protest DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during Minnesota press conference as she announces thousands of newly-trained ICE officers will join field offices including St. Paul in coming weeks.
Trump administration denied Western Maryland’s final FEMA appeal for May flash flood recovery despite $33.7 million in damages exceeding state threshold by nearly 3x.
USDA uses Commodity Credit Corporation’s permanent borrowing authority to reopen 2,100 offices and pay workers during shutdown, selectively operating to help farmers three weeks after Argentina trade deals angered Trump’s base.
Social Security Administration denies telework and time off requests to unpaid workers during shutdown despite OPM guidance, labeling them AWOL and threatening discipline.
NASA acting chief opens moon lander contract to SpaceX competitors after delays, prompting Musk to attack him as “Sean Dummy” and question his IQ.
Trump fires Export-Import Bank inspector general without notifying Congress or providing rationale as required by law.
Trump’s nominee to lead whistleblower office withdraws after racist texts surface showing him describing himself with “Nazi streak” and losing Republican support.
Hegseth orders all Pentagon personnel to seek approval from legislative affairs office before communicating with Congress, marking departure from current practice.
Former Amazon driver sues EEOC for dropping her sex discrimination case over inadequate bathroom breaks after Trump executive order ended disparate impact investigations.
Senate Republicans refuse Democratic demands for health care funding at White House Rose Garden meeting with Trump during fourth week of shutdown.
ICE raids street vendors in NYC’s Chinatown for counterfeit goods, demanding passports as crowds intervene and officer points taser at bystanders, while city denies involvement.
Interior Department reveals plan to lay off more than 2,000 employees in court filing, with cuts blocked by restraining order but prepared for months before shutdown.
Government shutdown forces CDC researchers to skip nation’s largest infectious disease conference, leaving no federal scientists at meeting as measles and whooping cough surge.
Nuclear weapons agency furloughs 1,400 employees for first time in a shutdown, keeping 400 working to protect property and human life.
Chicago judge questions top ICE and Border Patrol officials over body camera noncompliance and use of tear gas in residential areas during Operation Midway Blitz.
Trump administration pauses $11 billion in Army Corps of Engineers projects in New York, San Francisco, Baltimore and Boston as shutdown pressures Democratic cities.
Federal judge expands restraining order blocking shutdown firings to cover employees in unions the government stopped recognizing after Trump’s executive order ending representation.
Federal courts run out of funding Monday and will furlough staff after exhausting court fees and non-appropriated funds during the three-week shutdown.
National Nuclear Security Administration will furlough 80% of staff managing U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile as shutdown funding runs out Saturday.
Trump says “we got the people that we want paid — paid” during shutdown, with FBI and military receiving paychecks while rest of federal workforce goes without pay.
Senate Democrats block annual Defense appropriations bill in 50-44 vote, demanding it be paired with Labor and Health spending bill as government shutdown enters third week.
Trump administration targets Office of Population Affairs for mass layoffs, threatening $300 million Title X family planning program that provides contraception and health services to millions of low-income women.
Federal judge blocks Trump from firing workers during shutdown, calling cuts politically motivated and carried out with “very much ready, fire, aim” approach that “has a human cost.”
Senior prosecutor Maggie Cleary removed from Eastern District of Virginia US attorney’s office after opposing Comey indictment, as Trump ally Lindsey Halligan fires prosecutors who resist politicized cases.
Multiple divisions in Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency hit with layoffs, including unit protecting power grids and water treatment plants as administration aims to “refocus” mission.
Trump appoints longtime aide Dan Scavino to head White House personnel office responsible for selecting almost all government positions.
Vance warns deeper cuts to federal workforce coming as shutdown enters 12th day, threatening painful reductions beyond the over 4,000 employees set to be fired.
Education Department fires nearly all Office of Special Education staff during shutdown, eliminating federal IDEA oversight despite Secretary McMahon calling disabled students a “top priority.”
HHS rehires CDC staff mistakenly fired through “coding error” in reduction-in-force, including disease outbreak investigators and measles response team.
Trump directs Pentagon to shift $8 billion from military research accounts to pay troops during shutdown, despite Democratic warnings of potential Antideficiency Act violations.
IRS warns shutdown-exempt employees they will be furloughed if they take more than eight hours of leave per pay period, reversing promises that they were safe from furloughs.
Trump administration issues layoff notices to 4,200 federal employees at seven agencies during shutdown, leveraging funding lapse for workforce cuts unprecedented in shutdown history.
DHS orders hundreds of CISA cybersecurity and FEMA staff to immigration enforcement with one week to accept or face termination, slowing response to active cyber threats including China-linked Cisco vulnerability.
IRS retracts back pay guarantee for furloughed employees and automatically deletes original guidance from inboxes, contradicting 2019 law Trump signed ending previous shutdown.
EPA furloughs most of 15,000 employees after nine-day delay using carryover funds, with only 11% continuing work as toxic pollution inspections and oversight halt nationwide.
Transportation Secretary Duffy threatens to fire air traffic controllers calling in sick during shutdown, calling them “problem children” while they work without pay.
