"Despite a federal hiring freeze, the Trump administration just appointed a scientist who calls Vance one of his “closest friends” to head the nation’s key environmental health research arm."

"More than 700,000 federal employees have been sidelined and thousands more are at risk of being fired as the government shutdown drags on." "Federal workers who issue permits for oil, gas and mining operations are on the job, along with those working to repeal pollution limits."

"The Department of Interior is preparing mass layoffs beginning Monday despite a federal judge’s order prohibiting firings due to the shutdown, a federal employee union said Thursday."

"Only about one-fifth of applicants for federal disaster assistance from Kerr County have been deemed eligible to get financial help so far, leaving hundreds without governmental aid more than three months after deadly floods ravaged the county on July 4."

"As the Trump administration halts climate programmes, local leaders plan to participate in Brazil's COP30 to reaffirm their commitment."

"A federal judge in California has temporarily barred the Trump administration from using the government shutdown as the basis for layoffs at EPA, the Energy Department and other agencies."

"Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power."

"Millions of women and children are at risk of losing food benefits during the shutdown. The USDA just killed the long-running survey that would track the fallout."

"An environmental advocacy group has filed complaints under the Hatch Act against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Forest Service over what it described as “partisan” messaging blaming Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown."