Kayla Epstein BBC

Did US government cuts contribute to the Texas tragedy? Following the Texas floods some Democrats have warned about the

Did US government cuts contribute to the Texas tragedy? We've been examining a series of claims circulating online: bbc.co.uk/news/article...
(With @benchu.bsky.social @jakehorton.bsky.social
@kaylaepstein.bsky.social)

Hovering over this whole situation is an even bigger, more existential question: Can the US government use its formidable power to dictate what universities can teach, who they can hire, and who can enroll?

The two big questions in play:

- Do the government's reasons for targeting Harvard's participation in the student visa program hold up under the law?

- And, are those reasons legitimate, or just a pretext for punishing Harvard for constitutionally protected speech the administration dislikes?

Judge blocks Trump's effort to restrict foreign students at Harvard - for now The case pits the government's power over student visas against Harvard's free speech rights

As thousands of international students and researchers at Harvard University remain in limbo, I broke down the university's lawsuit against the Trump administration.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Here's what it boils down to....

"We were already so incredibly flooded with cases," said a Department of Education Office for Civil Rights attorney who was hit by the March reduction in force.

"I was never proud of our processing time."

With the new cuts, they said, "this work will not be able to be done".

Family in limbo after Trump's cuts to education civil rights team Mass firings at the Office for Civil rights made one mother fear her disabled son's case will vanish

When Trump issued his executive order to "begin eliminating" the Department of Education, he said it would improve education for students around the country.

But these families' experiences tell a different story. Here's my latest for BBC News: www.bbc.com/news/article...

As the Michigan family wondered what happened to their disabled son's Office for Civil Rights case, here's what was happening to the Cleveland bureau that was working to help them:

7/12 of OCR's offices were immediately shuttered with no clear plan for their thousands of cases

When a Michigan mom needed help for her disabled son, she turned to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

An OCR lawyer in the Cleveland office was helping arrange mediation with the school.

Then the Trump administration cut the entire bureau

Top US Supreme Court justice rebukes Trump's call to impeach judge Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare statement after Trump called for a judge that halted his deportations to be impeached.

Justice John Roberts just issued a rare rebuke after Trump called to impeach the judge who ordered this weekend's deportations to halt.

"...impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," Roberts said.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If you're a federal employee who has updates to share from inside your agency, or wants to talk to a reporter, you can DM me here for contact info.

USAID foreign staff in the dark about plans to return to US USAID foreign staff say in addition to feeling stranded, they also worry how their absences will harm the countries and people they leave behind.

Speaking of #USAID, as the agency was shut down, I spoke to foreign service officers stationed abroad who were left in limbo without instructions to get home.

"It's terrifying for a lot of people who have lived and worked overseas for a long time," one told me. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

USAID staff told to shred and burn classified documents USAID's acting executive secretary told staff to use shredders and burn bags to dispose of files

#USAID employees shared remaining staffers were asked to shred and destory classified and personnel documents this week.

The American Foreign Service Association union told me it was "alarmed" at the order, and noted the docs might be releveant for ongoing lawsuits
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Americans rely on NOAA weather data. Doge cuts may limit services NOAA data helps many decide what to wear, where to meet friends and what to do during hurricane, tornado or blizzard emergencies.

At #NOAA, the cuts to probationary employees ensared several members of the elite Hurricane Hunters team, which flies into hurricanes to provide Americans with data about their path and strength.

Though they have gotten their jobs back, it's been a turbulent time, to say the least:

Hey everyone. I'm a national reporter for BBC News who's covering the Trump administration's cuts to the federal workforce, and the legal questions surrounding these actions.

I've spoken to dozens of federal employees over the past few weeks about their experiences. Here's what they told me: 👇