☕ The battle over federal funding

It’s Wednesday.

But, more importantly, it’s Lunar New Year - the Chinese celebration of the turn of the year, coinciding with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. This year is the Year of the Snake - an animal that not only represents darkness, but also good luck and rebirth (thanks to its shedding skin).

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

New Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will remove retired General Mark Milley’s security detail and strip him of his security clearance. Milley was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs (the body of the most senior leaders within the Department of Defense, and the principal military advisor to the President) for four years under both President Trump and Biden. In recent years, Milley has publicly condemned Trump, calling him a “fascist” and “the most dangerous person to this country”.

At least 15 people have been killed in a crowd crush at the world’s largest religious gathering in India. Between 80 and 100 million people attended the Maha Kumhb Mela ceremony in the city of Prayagraj, dipping into the river as part of a sacred Hindu ritual. Authorities say a barrier near the river broke as crowds pushed to enter the water, causing a crush. It’s thought to be the largest single gathering of people in the world, with 400 million people expected to attend the festival over a six-week period. It is not the first time a crowd crush has occurred at the festival - in 2013, dozens were killed at a railway station near the festival site.

A global weather science body has found a direct link between climate change and the intensity of LA’s ongoing wildfire emergency. Analysis by the World Weather Attribution group (WWA) examined temperature, humidity, wind speed and rain fall data over the weeks and days leading up the the Southern California fires. It found the impacts of global warming increased LA’s risk of a fire emergency by about 35%. The WWA also noted the city’s water infrastructure was not designed to meet the “extreme demands of large-scale fires”. Its report called for “strategic investments” to “address more frequent future wildfires.”

One of the world’s largest studies into cannabis and its impact on brain function has found that heavy use of the drug (more than 1000 times in a lifetime) negatively impacts brain regions responsible for decision-making, memory recall, information retention and emotional processing. However, it did say that it could not conclusively link negative health or socioeconomic outcomes purely to use of the drug, but rather confirmed there is a neurological impact to long-term use. The study also found it had a more profound affect on males.

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Last night, a federal judge temporarily blocked a push by the Trump administration to freeze federal funding. The freeze has caused confusion countrywide - it’s a tricky one to get your head around, so let’s go slow.

The Freeze

On Monday night, a memo distributed by Trump’s team ordered all federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities involving “obligation or disbursement of federal financial assistance.”

The memo directs federal agencies to review all programs to ensure compliance with the slew of executive orders made by President Trump.

As examples, the memorandum lists programs funded by federal agencies which involve diverse, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), “Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies” as non-compliant with the administration's priorities.

In addition, the Trump administration has offered roughly two million federal employees the option to resign, but be paid until the end of September, in an effort to reduce the size of the public sector workforce.

The impacts of this announcement were far reaching and immediate - many state officials said social programs and low-income support initiatives would have to cease immediately should the flow of funding stop.

It remains uncertain which federal agency programs will be subject to the freeze. The President’s spokesperson insisted programs which directly assist individual Americans, such as Social Security, will not be affected.

The Block

Only minutes before it was set to take effect, District of Columbia Judge Loreen Alikhan granted the administrative stay (a temporary block) in response to an advocacy group called Democracy First filing a lawsuit against the government, claiming the freeze of federal funding is outside the bounds of the president’s executive power. 

The temporary freeze will allow more time for the Judge to analyse the issues raised by the lawsuit and make a decision. The White House hasn’t commented yet on the court’s decision.

What’s next

The Judge signalled she would make a more permanent decision next Monday.

With advocacy groups and political opponents insisting the freeze on funding is reckless and the White House insisting the freeze is necessary, it is unlikely there will be any compromise before then.

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Robert F Kennedy Junior (often referred to as RFK Jr), President Trump’’s nominee for Secretary of Health, is the next high-profile nominee to front the Senate for confirmation. This week, he’s in the headlines after his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, released a damning character assessment labelling him a “predator” who was unfit for the position. Here’s some context.

Who is RFK Jr?

RFK Jr is the son of Robert F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. His uncle, John F Kennedy, was the 35th President until his assassination in 1963.

The trauma of losing his father impacted RFKs early life and led to a heroin addiction during his twenties.

After recovering from drug addiction, RFK built a successful career as a environmental lawyer, fighting large corporations to protect natural spaces.

In the early 2000s, RFK became interested in public health, taking a stance against vaccines, questioning their efficacy and promoting the long disproven theory that they cause autism.

Entry into politics

Initially, RFK ran as a democratic candidate for President, and then as an independent. In August 2024, he withdrew from the race and endorsed Trump for President, who rewarded him with a cabinet nomination.

RFK has positioned himself as an anti-establishment health guru, accusing the current health regulatory agencies of being corrupted by pharmaceutical companies.

In addition to his history of vaccine scepticism, RFK has promised to end the suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells and raw milk, among other things, which he claims advance human health.

Experts are worried about RFK’s unconventional approach to health, citing his opposition to common vaccines as a dangerous view that could lead to increased mortality rates amongst certain population groups.

The letter

Yesterday, former US Ambassador to Australia (and daughter of President JFK), Caroline Kennedy, recorded a video reading a letter she had submitted to the US Senate ahead of her cousin’s confirmation hearings this week. In the video, she urged lawmakers not to confirm her cousin, who she labelled a “predator” who is “addicted to attention and power”.

Kennedy also recounted instances of animal abuse from childhood, and a fixation with birds of prey. Kennedy also said he encouraged other members of her family to engage in substance abuse. RFK has not responded to these allegations, or the letter itself. Speaking to his vaccine opposition, Kennedy said RFK is firmly against the HPV vaccine, a commonly-administered vaccine that can prevent cases of cervical cancer. RFK has not responded to any of these allegations.

What happens next?

RFK Jr’s nomination has to clear the Senate on Thursday with a majority vote. To win, he can only lose three Republican votes (assuming all Democrats vote against him).

All of President Trump’s nominations have been approved so far, but some with thin margins.