Today in one sentence: The Trump administration laid off 10,000 federal health workers across the CDC, FDA, NIH, and other health agencies, in a disorganized and legally questionable effort by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to downsize the Department of Health and Human Services; 23 states and Washington, DC sued the Trump administration over its decision to rescind $11 billion in federal public health funding; voters in Wisconsin and Florida headed to the polls today in the first major elections of Trump’s second term; Cory Booker used a marathon speech on the Senate floor to protest what he called a “crisis” under the Trump administration; and the Trump administration admitted that immigration officials mistakenly deported a legally protected Maryland resident to a prison in El Salvador.

1/ The Trump administration laid off 10,000 federal health workers across the CDC, FDA, NIH, and other health agencies, in a disorganized and legally questionable effort by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to downsize the Department of Health and Human Services. Entire research divisions and offices were eliminated overnight, including top scientists, civil servants, and teams working on drug safety, food testing, mining injuries, tobacco, reproductive health, and vaccine access. Some employees received termination emails starting at 5 a.m., while others discovered they’d been fired when their security badges stopped working. “We got completely blindsided this morning,” one HHS worker said. “None of the programs or centers had any insight into what was happening,” an FDA employee added. Senior leaders were placed on leave or offered reassignments to remote Indian Health Service posts – moves widely seen as forced exits. “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished,” former commissioner Robert Califf said. “History will see this as a huge mistake.” The restructuring is part of Kennedy’s plan to cut the HHS workforce by 25% and consolidate multiple agencies into a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America. Hours after the mass firings, Kennedy posted: “The revolution begins today.” A CDC official, however, warned, “The agency will not be able to function. Let’s be honest.” One NIH staffer put it more bluntly: “Despair, I think, is the only fitting word.” (NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / CBS News / Washington Post / Politico / Axios / NPR)

  • The Trump administration directed some laid-off federal health workers to file discrimination complaints with Anita Pinder, who died last year. The outdated contact information appeared in official termination notices sent as part of the mass layoffs across health agencies. (Washington Post)

  • At least six federal agencies began offering a new “deferred resignation” program, allowing employees to leave their jobs while remaining on paid leave for several months. The latest offers, which vary by agency and were not coordinated by the Office of Personnel Management, went out to staff at HUD, USDA, DOT, DOE, GSA, and the Defense Department. (NBC News)

2/ 23 states and Washington, DC sued the Trump administration over its decision to rescind $11 billion in federal public health funding. The lawsuit argues that the Department of Health and Human Services lacks authority to pull back funds already allocated by Congress. The money supported programs beyond COVID-19, including mental health care, overdose prevention, and infectious disease tracking. HHS said it would no longer “waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic.” New York Attorney General Letitia James warned the cuts will “reverse our progress on the opioid crisis” and put hospitals and patients at risk. (CNN / Reuters / Associated Press)

3/ Voters in Wisconsin and Florida headed to the polls today in the first major elections of Trump’s second term, viewed as early signals of his political standing and Elon Musk’s influence in down-ballot races. In Wisconsin, a state Supreme Court race between liberal Judge Susan Crawford and conservative Judge Brad Schimel became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history – total spending surpassed $100 million. Musk and affiliated groups spent over $20 million backing Schimel. Musk also gave $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters at a campaign rally after the state Supreme Court declined to block the payments. He called the race “a vote for which party controls the House,” while Democrats accused him of trying to buy the court. Trump endorsed Schimel, while Crawford warned Musk’s involvement threatened judicial independence. In Florida, two special elections to replace House Republicans drew closer-than-expected contests, with Democrats gaining ground in fundraising and turnout. (NBC News / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / NPR / ABC News / Reuters / Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / New York Times / ABC News)

4/ Cory Booker used a marathon speech on the Senate floor to protest what he called a “crisis” under the Trump administration. “In just 71 days, the president […] has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy,” Booker said. He cited cuts to Medicaid and Social Security offices, increased deportations, and what he described as a disregard for the rule of law. “This is not right or left, it is right or wrong,” he said, holding up a pocket Constitution. Booker framed the protest as a moral stand, quoting Rep. John Lewis: “This is the time to get in some good trouble.” (NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / NPR / CNN / Washington Post / ABC News / Wall Street Journal)

5/ The Trump administration admitted that immigration officials mistakenly deported a legally protected Maryland resident to a prison in El Salvador. Even though ICE acknowledged a 2019 court ruling barred Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation due to the risk of torture, they deported him anyway, calling it an “administrative error.” Abrego Garcia, who has no U.S. criminal record and denies gang ties, was placed in El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, where his wife later identified him in a government-released image. The Justice Department, however, won’t seek his return, claiming U.S. courts lack jurisdiction and can’t force El Salvador to release him. “They’re just washing their hands of this man,” his lawyer said. The White House, meanwhile, doubled down, calling Abrego Garcia a “brutal and vicious MS-13 gang” member, despite no conviction or supporting evidence. (Politico / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / The Atlantic / Associated Press / CNN / New York Times)

The midterm elections are in 581 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Members of Trump’s National Security Council, including national security adviser Michael Waltz, used personal Gmail accounts to conduct government business. The personal Gmail use included discussions of sensitive military systems and internal schedules. NSC spokesman Brian Hughes said Waltz “didn’t and wouldn’t send classified information on an open account” and insisted any work-related emails were copied to official addresses. (Washington Post / Axios)

  2. Trump is preparing an executive order to loosen U.S. weapons export rules. The order would raise the dollar thresholds that trigger congressional review of foreign arms sales. If issued, the move would likely benefit major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Boeing. (Reuters)

  3. The House voted to block Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to stop a bipartisan measure that would allow new parents in Congress to vote remotely. Nine Republicans voted with all Democrats to block Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to stop a proposal for proxy voting for new parents. Johnson had tried to block the proposal by adding language to a different bill about voting laws. But Rep. Anna Paulina Luna used a rare tool called a discharge petition — which lets members bypass leadership if they get 218 signatures — to force a vote on her plan. Twelve Republicans signed on. Lawmakers were then sent home for the week after the vote failed. (Axios / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News)

  4. A federal judge blocked Alabama from prosecuting people who help women get out-of-state abortions, saying it violates the First Amendment and the constitutional right to interstate travel. (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / The Hill)

  5. The Trump administration froze $27.5 million in federal Title X family planning funds, cutting support for nine Planned Parenthood affiliates and other providers. Planned Parenthood said the cuts would affect cancer screenings, STI testing, and access to birth control for low-income patients. The Department of Health and Human Services claimed it paused the payments to investigate possible violations of federal law and a Trump executive order on “taxpayer subsidization of open borders.” (Reuters / New York Times / Politico / Washington Post)

  6. The Trump administration suspended dozens of federal research grants to Princeton and launched a $9 billion funding review at Harvard. Both actions follow investigations into alleged antisemitism on campus and are part of a broader effort targeting Ivy League schools. Princeton said it received notice that agencies including the Department of Energy, Defense, and NASA were freezing grants; Harvard’s funding review involves contracts with its affiliates, including major hospitals. A White House official called the moves a response to schools that “allow antisemitism to fester,” while Harvard warned the freeze could “halt life-saving research.” (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg)

Four years ago today: Day 72: "Based on a lie."
Five years ago today: Day 1168: "A very heavy price."
Six years ago today: Day 802: Meaningless.
Eight years ago today: Day 72: Disclosures.