Halted
Some Trump administration initiatives have hit judicial roadblocks.
On Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), pausing plans to recall nearly all agency workers abroad and put 2,200 employees on paid administrative leave. Another hearing is set for Wednesday.
Early Saturday, a different federal judge blocked the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Treasury payment systems over security concerns. Officials who gained access since January 20 must delete any downloaded records.
While those efforts slowed, others began.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new policy limiting “indirect” costs on medical grants (which cover things like equipment, personnel, accounting, etc.) to 15%. Universities warn it could upend medical research; the NIH called it “vital” to prioritize funding for “direct scientific research.”
Verse to consider when it feels like you take one step forward, three steps back… “A person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 (CSB) (read full passage)