Category: Federal
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Senate confirms largest number of Trump judicial nominees of his second term
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from Oct. 2 through Nov. 4. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 47 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy rate of 5.4%, which is…
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Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative relaunches without net-zero deadline
The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative announced on Oct. 30, 2025, that it will resume operations after pausing earlier this year to review its climate commitments. The investor coalition—which once included more than 325 firms managing over $57 trillion—said it has deleted language in its commitment statement that required members to aim for net-zero greenhouse-gas…
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President Trump has appointed 17 federal judges through November 1 of his first year of his second term
President Donald Trump (R) has appointed, and the U.S. Senate has confirmed, 17 Article III federal judges through Nov. 1 of the first year of his second term. This is the second-fewest number of Article III judicial appointments through this point in any president's second term since President Bill Clinton (D). The average number of…
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SNAP benefit funding and the state's hold harmless period end on November 1
November 1 marked two key events for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It was both the day that some SNAP recipients did not receive benefits due to the federal government shutdown and the day that marked the end of state agencies' hold harmless period, or the period during which states were not held responsible…
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Federal government shutdown now longest in U.S. history
At the end of the day on Nov. 4, the federal government shutdown became the longest shutdown in U.S. history. At 35 full days long, it has outlasted the shutdown that ran from Dec. 2018 to Jan. 2019, which lasted 34 full days. In addition to being the longest shutdown, this is also the first-ever…
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October saw President Donald Trump’s (R) lowest monthly executive order total thus far
President Donald Trump (R) issued one executive order in Oct., bringing his total to 210 in his second term. This was the lowest monthly total of his second term thus far. Trump issued one order on Oct. 15 titled, Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring. Trump issued ten fewer orders this month than he did…
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Regulators withdraw climate-risk principles for large banks
On Oct. 9, the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced they will withdraw the Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions. The principles were issued in 2023 to help large banks assess and manage climate-related financial risks. The agencies said they “do not believe principles for managing climate-related financial…
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Federal government shutdown now tied for third-longest in U.S. history
On Oct. 16, the federal government shutdown became tied for the third-longest shutdown in U.S. history. At 16 full days long, it is tied with the 2013 government shutdown over an attempt to alter the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If the shutdown lasts through Oct. 22, it will become the second-longest shutdown, and if it…
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Judge restricts ESG use in American Airlines 401(k) plan
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, appointed by President George W. Bush (R), issued a final ruling in Spence v. American Airlines Inc., siding partly with a pilot who sued the airline over ESG-linked retirement investments. O’Connor ruled that American Airlines breached its duty of loyalty under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) because it…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for October 2025
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from Sept. 2 through Oct. 1. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 51 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 5.9, which is…