Trump administration: Last News

purge the federal government of — and to pressure the private sector to eliminate — diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programs, including anything that acknowledges the existence of transgender identity.Most of the studies funded by the revoked grant money — which had been awarded by the National Institutes of Health, an agency under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — were related to sexual minorities, including research focused on HIV prevention, cancer, youth suicide, and bone health.

A grant helping to fund a study on the potential health risks posed by synthetic menstrual hygiene products was revoked after being flagged for including transgender men.The $600,000 grant, “Farm to Feminine Hygiene: Enhancing the Textiles Lab for Research, Extension, and Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching at Southern University,” was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2024.It sought to “address the growing concerns and issues surrounding menstruation, including the potential health risks posed to users of synthetic feminine hygiene products,” according to the project’s documentation, which was publicly filed on the USDA website.

At Apple’s annual meeting on February 25, an overwhelming percentage of shareholders rejected a proposal to scrap the tech giant’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.The National Center for Public Policy Research, a right-wing think tank that has been leading the charge against DEI policies in the corporate sphere, submitted a proposal demanding Apple scuttle its DEI programs and initiatives.NCPPR frequently claims that DEI initiatives are inherently racist, discriminating against whites, males, and other groups by elevating racial minorities and members of historically marginalized groups.In an effort to convince corporations to drop DEI, the organization has argued that keeping pro-diversity programs places them at greater risk of lawsuits from individuals, contractors, or suppliers who may claim to have been victims of discrimination.Apple countered the proposal with a statement saying it has an active oversight effort to avoid lawsuits. It argued that the proposal inappropriately restricts the company’s “ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies.”Shareholders ultimately defeated the NCPPR proposal, with 8.84 billion votes against it and only 210.45 million votes in favor of it.While Apple discloses diversity data about its employees, the company says it has not set targets or quotas.

Defying an executive order from President Donald Trump, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Justice from transferring 12 transgender female inmates to male prisons.The Bureau of Prisons was slated to relocate the inmates to comply with a Trump executive order stating that the U.S.

The Guardian instructs visa officers to enforce a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows the United States to refuse entry to any visa applicant who commits identity fraud or misrepresents who they are.Unlike regular visa denials, anyone violating that section can be permanently refused entry to the United States, effectively constituting a lifelong ban.“In cases where applicants are suspected of misrepresenting their purpose of travel or sex, you should consider whether this misrepresentation is material such that it supports an ineligibility finding,” the directive from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reads.The directive comes in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.While signing the order, Trump directed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to deny visas to “men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes” during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.Trump also pledged that Rubio would tell the International Olympic Committee that America “will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”Transgender athletes are already a rare occurrence due to the small percentage of the population that they comprise globally.

White House memo claiming that the Biden administration recruited “individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA” under DEI hiring practices. Timothy Shriver, the chairman of the board for the Special Olympics, a sports organization for people with disabilities, said on Instagram that “to our knowledge, no persons with profound intellectual disabilities are employed as air traffic controllers in the U.S. or elsewhere,” reported NBC News.“I don’t know — incompetence might have played a role,” Trump added.

Tulsi Gabbard has been under scrutiny ever since President Donald Trump first nominated her to be the next Director of National Intelligence.Senators, including many Republicans, have expressed concerns about the then-congresswoman’s 2017 meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and her past adulation for Edward Snowden, a former NSA intelligence contractor who leaked classified information.Democrats have also expressed concerns about past comments the Democrat-turned-Republican made appearing to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Senators raised questions about those issues during hearings on January 30.Meanwhile, the Daily Beast published a story that seems to contradict past comments from Gabbard regarding her spiritual “guru,” Chris Butler, founder of the Science of Identity Foundation, an offshoot of the Hare Krishna movement, which describes itself as Hindu.The 43-year-old Gabbard has been a devout follower of Butler (who has taken the name Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, or “Jagad Guru”) since childhood, when her family joined his religious movement.Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to Congress, described Butler as her “guru dev” in a 2015 video.

On Thursday, January 23, the wholesale goods retailer considered a shareholder proposal – put forth by a right-leaning advocacy organization, the National Center for Public Policy Research – asking the company to issue a report outlining the risks associated with keeping DEI policies in place. One such risk is the threat of boycotts from conservative consumers, many of whom claim that DEI initiatives disregard merit and disadvantage whites, males, and heterosexuals, as well as others who are not part of historically marginalized communities.However, 98% of shareholders ultimately voted against the measure, reports Fox Business.Costco’s board of directors had previously – and unanimously – come out against the proposal, arguing that efforts to diversify the company’s workforce, as well as its suppliers, help the company offer consumers a wider range of products while also enhancing their interactions with employees who reflect the surrounding community.The National Center for Public Policy Research had argued that the company could potentially be sued over DEI initiatives, citing a Supreme Court ruling finding that race-based preferences in college admissions are unconstitutional and violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Target has been banned from a Pride celebration in Minnesota after the retail giant announced a rollback of DEI policies.On January 24, organizers of Twin Cities Pride, an annual Pride celebration bringing together the LGBTQ communities of St.