Executive Powers

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to shift COVID-19 vaccination from blanket recommendation to shared clinical decision-making for all ages. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had purged all 17 expert advisers in June and appointed 12 new members including prominent vaccine skeptics Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Martin Kulldorff who publicly question mRNA and childhood vaccines. The panel initially moved to recommend splitting varicella from MMR vaccines and delaying hepatitis B birth doses but reversed both proposals after medical groups erupted in opposition. Former CDC Director Susan Monarez testified she was dismissed after refusing Kennedy's demand to rubber-stamp vaccine changes without scientific review.

The Senate blocked two rival stopgap spending measures that would have prevented federal agencies from shutting down after the September 30 fiscal deadline. The GOP-backed continuing resolution passed by the House with $30 million for congressional security failed 44-48 when Senators Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul joined Democrats while John Fetterman was the lone Democrat supporting it. The Democratic alternative extending enhanced ACA subsidies for 22.1 million enrollees and reversing Medicaid cuts fell 47-45, well short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Both failures leave Congress without a funding plan as October 1 government shutdown approaches.

President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that networks giving him only bad publicity should have their broadcast licenses revoked, saying the decision will be up to FCC Chair Brendan Carr. ABC had suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live the day before after Kimmel linked Charlie Kirk's alleged killer to Trump's MAGA movement, prompting Carr to warn broadcasters they could lose licenses for airing garbage content. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau directed consular officials to consider revoking visas for foreign nationals who praise, rationalize, or make light of Kirk's assassination. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed major tech CEOs over alleged content censorship and scheduled October hearings on platform accountability.

ABC and parent company Walt Disney indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened the network over Kimmel's monologue linking Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin to Trump's MAGA movement. Carr called Kimmel's segment truly sick and warned stations they risked license revocation under FCC public-interest authority. Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group immediately pulled the show from their ABC affiliates, prompting ABC's suspension decision. Senator Ted Cruz likened Carr's warnings to mob boss extortion while late-night hosts led by Stephen Colbert condemned the move, with Colbert calling Trump an autocrat.

On July 31, 2025, Susan Monarez was sworn in as CDC Director by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who praised her "unimpeachable scientific credentials." Less than one month later, Kennedy fired her in late August 2025 after she refused his demands to pre-approve vaccine recommendations from his handpicked advisory panel and fire career scientists. During a tense August meeting, Kennedy told Monarez the "childhood vaccine schedule would be changing starting in September" and that she "needed to be on board." When she refused, Kennedy called the CDC "the most corrupt federal agency in the world" and said CDC employees were "killing children." Jim O'Neill, a Silicon Valley investor with no medical training and former business partner of Peter Thiel, became acting CDC director. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry and three other senior officials resigned in protest. On September 17, 2025, Monarez testified to the Senate Health Committee about the pressure campaign, while Kennedy had earlier denied her account and claimed she called herself "untrustworthy."

The House passed two bills on September 16, 2025, dramatically altering DC juvenile justice over universal opposition from city officials. H.R. 5140, the DC Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), passed 225-203 and lowers the age for trying juveniles as adults from 16 to 14 for murder, first-degree sexual abuse, armed robbery, and first-degree burglary. H.R. 4922, the DC CRIMES Act by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), passed 240-179 and redefines "youth" from under-25 to under-18, forcing 18-24 year-olds into adult sentencing with mandatory minimums. The legislation follows House Oversight Committee markup on September 10 and supports Trump's broader DC crime crackdown after his National Guard deployment. Thirty-one Democrats joined Republicans on the CRIMES Act while eight crossed party lines on the juvenile bill. DC statistics show 51.8% of robbery arrests and 53% of carjacking arrests in 2024-2025 were juveniles, with over 2,000 juvenile arrests annually since 2020.

Understand where tax money goes and what governments prioritize. Useful for any budget analysis.

Understand how ideas become laws. Useful for following any step-by-step process.

Use government websites to find information you need. Great skill for research projects and fact-checking.

Know who represents you and how to reach them. Apply this networking skill anywhere you need influence.

Understand how courts work and review laws. System navigation for any legal issue.

See how government branches limit each other's power. Apply this balance thinking to any organization.