Civicslog

The proclamation designates May 9, 2025, as Military Spouse Day, encouraging the public to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities. It acknowledges the challenges faced by military spouses, including a 21 percent unemployment rate and a 25 percent wage gap compared to civilian counterparts. The proclamation also highlights efforts to improve military spouse employment, such as enhancing job opportunities within the Federal Government, expanding licensure portability, and increasing remote and flexible job options.

The proclamation recognizes and celebrates the role of mothers in American society, and encourages all Americans to show their respect for all forms of motherhood on May 11, 2025, designated as Mother's Day. It also mentions the administration's commitment to empowering American mothers and families, including support for the child tax credit and efforts to make fertility treatments more affordable. The observance of Mother's Day is in accordance with a joint resolution approved by Congress on May 8, 1914.

The order directs federal agencies, specifically the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Army, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to implement measures to prevent the spread of invasive carp in the Great Lakes Basin. This includes supporting the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a joint project involving the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the States of Illinois and Michigan, designed to prevent invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The federal government has allocated $274 million for this project and urges Illinois to acquire the necessary land to begin construction by July 1, 2025.

The order directs the Secretary of Energy to consider rescinding or amending water and energy use regulations related to various household appliances, including faucets, showers, toilets, and washing machines. These regulations, initially implemented under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, are specified in various sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.). The Secretary of Energy is also instructed to publish a notice in the Federal Register regarding the waiver of federal preemption of state regulations concerning water use or efficiency of these appliances. Finally, the Secretary of Energy and the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs are directed to prepare recommendations for Congress to rescind certain sections of the U.S. Code or repeal the Energy Policy Act of 199

The FDA announced it was extending the 60-day comment period before the Biden-era food safey rule takes effect. The rule will require nutrition labeling on the front of packaging and clearly show if amounts of fat, sugar, and salt in the product are "High," "Medium," or "Low." If finalized, food producers would have three years to comply.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked mass layoffs and restructuring at two dozen agencies. The judge said the Trump administration's actions were illegal without authorization from Congress.

A federal judge ordered the immediate release of a Turkish Tufts University student who had been held in a Louisiana immigration detention center. Rumeysa Ozturk was detained six weeks ago outside her Boston apartment by masked immigration agents.

In a major restructuring, the National Science Foundation will slash the number of temporary scientists it employs to review grant requests from more than 350 to 70. In a memo, NSF leadership said the reduced staffing will be more in line with the agency's expected reduced future funding.

The Trump II administration fired the Librarian of Congress over email, with no explanation. Carla Hayden had served in the role since 2016. In addition to overseeing the LOC, Hayden led the U.S. Copyright Office and the Congressional Research Service.

The president fired three Democratic members of the five-member Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC is an independent agency and its members can only be removed because of malfeasance or neglect of duty. The sacked commissioners intend to sue.

This proclamation commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, known as Victory Day. The text pays tribute to the American Armed Forces and the sacrifices made during the war. It also declares May 8, 2025, as a day in celebration of Victory Day for World War II.

The president announced that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro had been named interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. and that she would be the nominee for the position. Ed Martin had been in that role until his nomination ran into opposition from Republicans in the Senate.

The acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cameron Hamilton, was let go one day after he told Congress he did not think it was in the public's interest to defund the agency. The Trump administration by contrast plans to eliminate the agency and turn its functions over to the states.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it would stop keeping track of the cost of climate and weather disasters that cause at least $1 billion in damage. Insurers, government policy-makers, and scientists relay on this data. The NOAA said it would archive and make available the existing data, which covers 1980-2024.

The proclamation designates May 2025 as National Foster Care Month, encouraging all Americans to support children and youth in foster care and recognize the contributions of foster parents and other caregivers. It highlights the Family First Prevention Services Act, which aims to keep families intact through evidence-based intervention methods, including mental health support, substance abuse treatment, parental skills training, housing assistance, and job training. The proclamation also notes the need for more individuals to become foster families.

The administration is starting to make good on its promise to cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The $23 million "Ready to Learn" grant has funded shows like Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow.

Newly created "national defense areas" along New Mexico's border with Mexico is sowing confusion among immigrants, lawyers, and judges. The 60-foot wide strip of territory was declared a military defense zone by Trimp administration officials. Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced the new prosecutions in April.

The right-wing website One America has been tapped to provide news feed services to Voice of America and other federal-government funded media. Previously the Trump II admin had tried to gut the agency by putting its staff on leave. A federal judge blocked that effort Saturday.

The administration plans to deport some immigrants to Libya, where a civil war rages. However, leadership on both sides of the conflict in the North African nation denied meeting with the United Statres.

The president withdrew the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General after questions about her medical degree were raised. The president also announced Nesheiwat's replacement: Casey Means, a wellness influencer with a medical degree from Stanford. She has been an advocate of of the view that chronic illnesses are metabolic in origin. (RFK Jr shares those views.)

Last month the EIA released a pared-down version of its signature report: the Annual Energy Outlook. Fifty-three pages of narrative and context were removed, leaving only data tables and a brief methodology statement. It has now canceled another key report, the International Energy Outlook for 2025. The agency's data and reports are considered to be the "gold standard" by energy industry insiders, policymakers, and scientists.

The familiar energy-efficiency program is set to be closed, along with the EPA’s climate change office.

The Trump II administration has sacked the Vice Chair of the NTSB, Alvin Brown. No explanation was given.

The order directs federal agencies to increase oversight and security of biological research, especially gain-of-function research. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), in coordination with other agencies, is instructed to end federal funding of such research in countries where there is insufficient oversight. The OSTP is also tasked with revising or replacing the 2024 policies for oversight of dual use research and nucleic acid synthesis screening within 120 and 90 days, respectively.

The proclamation designates May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. It encourages citizens, particularly those in hurricane-prone areas, to prepare for potential disasters by creating evacuation plans and gathering essential supplies. Additionally, it highlights the signing of an executive order that gives state and local authorities a larger role in resilience, preparedness, and rapid-response efforts for hurricanes.

The order proclaims May 2025 as National Mental Health Awareness Month, urging all Americans to support those suffering from mental illnesses and raise awareness through appropriate programs and activities. It also tasks the Make America Healthy Again Commission with addressing the country's health crisis, providing transparency and open-source data, conducting research, improving access to nutritious food, and expanding treatment options. The order further emphasizes commitment to ensuring veterans have access to mental health care and suicide prevention resources.

The proclamation recognizes National Small Business Week from May 4 to May 10, 2025, highlighting the importance of small businesses to the U.S. economy. It acknowledges the challenges faced by small businesses due to global trade issues and federal policies. The proclamation also mentions the implementation of targeted tariffs to protect American businesses and the Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, which aims to create jobs, secure supply chains, and reduce regulatory burdens by $100 billion.

The order directs federal agencies to streamline regulations and facilitate domestic production of critical pharmaceutical products. Specifically, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, is to review existing regulations and guidance within 180 days, eliminating any unnecessary requirements and accelerating the development of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. The order also instructs the FDA Commissioner to improve the inspection process of foreign manufacturing facilities within 90 days.

Trump II Administration has temporarily paused air-quality monitoring at all 63 national parks across the country. The program collects data on harmful pollutants and ozone. In many regions of the country, Parks Service monitors are the only available air quality monitors.

A Department of Justice task force created during the Reagan era to fight international crime is set to be dissolved by Sept. 30. In the most recent fiscal year, the unit seized more than $2 billion from crime syndicates. It's budget over the same period was $550 million.