Category: Federal

  • President Trump has appointed 17 federal judges through November 1 of his first year of his second term

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    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…

  • SNAP benefit funding and the state's hold harmless period end on November 1

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    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…

  • Federal government shutdown now longest in U.S. history

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    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…

  • October saw President Donald Trump’s (R) lowest monthly executive order total thus far 

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    Image of the south facade of the White House.

    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…

  • Regulators withdraw climate-risk principles for large banks

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    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…

  • Federal government shutdown now tied for third-longest in U.S. history

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    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…

  • Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for October 2025

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    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…

  • President Trump has appointed eight federal judges through Oct. 1 of the first year of his second term

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    President Donald Trump (R) has appointed, and the Senate has confirmed, eight Article III federal judges through Oct. 1, the first year of his second term in office. This is the fewest Article III judicial appointments through this point in any president's second term since President Bill Clinton (D). The average number of federal judges…

  • U.S. Supreme Court has granted 83% of the Trump administration’s requests on the emergency docket

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    As of Oct. 1, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court had fully granted 19 of the Donald Trump (R) administration’s emergency applications for intervention in lower court cases, 83% of the decided emergency applications that the administration filed. The court granted in part and denied in part two applications, denied one application, and denied one other…