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June 26, 2025
Cancer experts alarmed over 'gut-wrenching' Trump plan to cut research spending by billions
(The Guardian) More patients may die as a result of plans drawn up by the Trump administration to cut billions of dollars from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), veteran federal government workers and experts have warned. Nearly $2.7bn would be cut from the agency, which is the largest funder of cancer research in the world – a decline of 37.2% from the previous year – under a budget proposal for 2026, in the latest effort to cut staff and funding. “These cuts are absolutely gut wrenching,” Erin Lavik, former deputy director and chief technology officer at the NCI’s division of cancer prevention, told the Guardian.
Go to discussionUS economy shrank much faster in 1st quarter than previously reported
(CNN) The US economy contracted in the beginning of the year at a much faster pace than previously reported, as tariff fears took a much greater toll on economic growth. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, registered an annualized rate of -0.5% from January through March, the Commerce Department said Thursday in its third and final estimate. That’s worse than the 0.2% decline reported in the second estimate. GDP is adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation.
Go to discussionAmericans brace for Trump's welfare cuts
(BBC News) Elizabeth Butler goes from one supermarket to the next in her hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia, to ensure she gets the best price on each item on her grocery list. Along with 42 million Americans, she pays for those groceries with federal food subsides. That cash doesn't cover the whole bill for her family of three. "Our food doesn't even last the month," she says. "I'm going to all these different places just to make sure that we have enough food to last us the whole month." But that money may soon run out, as Congress gears up to vote on what US President Donald Trump has coined his "big beautiful bill".
Go to discussionProtesters in wheelchairs cuffed with zip-ties during Capitol demonstrations against Medicaid cuts
(The Independent) A group of protesters, some in wheelchairs, were arrested and zip-tied on Capitol Hill and dragged out by police officers as they demonstrated against proposed cuts to Medicaid in Republicans' massive spending package. Proposed cuts could mean that some 10 million low-income Americans would lose coverage over the course of the next 10 years. The legislation would also put in place additional work requirements for those using the program.
Go to discussionBacklash after ICE detains journalist covering 'No Kings' immigration protests
(NBC News) Freedom of the press and civil rights groups are rallying around a journalist who was put in immigration custody after being arrested while covering a protest in Atlanta, warning that his detention could chill press freedoms and put noncitizen journalists at risk. Mario Guevara, an independent digital journalist who reports in Spanish, has been held for a week after law enforcement officials turned him over to Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
Go to discussion'They're Not Breathing': Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls
(Wired) On April 28, a nurse at the Aurora ICE Processing Center near Denver called 911. A woman in custody, four months pregnant, had arrived at the facility’s medical unit, bleeding and in pain. As the staff rushed to get vitals, the dispatcher rattled off questions: How old was she? Was the pregnancy high risk? The nurse hesitated: “She just came to us three days ago.”
Go to discussionNY College Republicans Club asks Trump to revoke Zohran Mamdani's citizenship
(Newsweek) The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) has called on the federal government to strip Zohran Mamdani of his citizenship and deport him. On Tuesday evening, Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, declared victory over Andrew Cuomo, former governor of the state of New York, in the Democratic primary for the 2025 New York mayoral election.
Go to discussionCNN slams Trump for saying reporter Natasha Bertrand should be 'thrown out like a dog'
(USA Today) CNN is slamming President Donald Trump for calling out its national security correspondent, Natasha Bertrand, over her coverage of U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday, June 25, to write that "Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out 'like a dog.'"
Go to discussionMelania Trump's Visa Questioned in Congressional Hearing
(Newsweek) First lady Melania Trump's immigration history came under fire during a heated congressional hearing this week. Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett questioned how the former model qualified for a visa typically reserved for individuals with "significant achievement." Speaking during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Crockett challenged what she described as selective outrage from Republican lawmakers over visa policy.
Go to discussionTrump drive to defund NPR, PBS resisted by Republicans from rural states
(AP) The Trump administration’s request to claw back $9.4 billion in previously approved spending on foreign aid and public media ran into significant opposition Wednesday, potentially dooming its path forward in the Senate. Numerous GOP lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee, including Chairwoman Susan Collins, expressed concern at how the proposed rescissions would affect American “soft power” as well as local radio and television stations that rely on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — many in rural America.
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