February 15

OMB orders agencies to repeal 10 regulations for every new rule

The Office of Management and Budget issued a directive requiring all executive branch agencies to repeal at least ten existing regulations for every new regulation they propose, a significant expansion of the one-in-two-out executive order from Trump's first term. The directive applied to regulations across all policy domains including environmental, financial, labor, and consumer safety rules. Agencies were required to submit deregulation plans within 60 days identifying which rules they would eliminate.

Brennan Center releases report analyzing impact of potential grace period elimination

The Brennan Center for Justice publishes a comprehensive report analyzing the potential impact of eliminating mail ballot grace periods nationwide. The report estimates that 1.8 million voters could be disenfranchised if grace periods are eliminated, with disproportionate impact on voters in rural areas, voters with disabilities, and communities of color. The report becomes a main resource for state legislators crafting emergency response legislation. Election officials cite the data in amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court.

Trump administration ends funding for science programs that study misinformation and disinformation

The Trump administration directed federal agencies to end support for research programs that studied misinformation, disinformation, and online influence operations, framing such research as ideological censorship of conservative speech. NSF's Trust and Authenticity in Communication Systems program and related efforts at NIH and the Department of Homeland Security were wound down. Researchers who had been studying foreign influence operations, social media manipulation, and health misinformation found their grants canceled or their programs administratively shuttered. The terminations generated concern in the national security community as well as the academic community, because disinformation research had informed both election security efforts and public health responses to vaccine hesitancy and pandemic-related misinformation. The elimination of a field of scholarly inquiry because it had political implications for the ruling party represented one of the clearest structural examples of anti-intellectualism operating as executive policy.

Education Department orders all federally funded schools to end race preferences in hiring, admissions, and programs

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague letter warning every federally funded school in the country that race-based preferences or stereotyping in admissions, hiring, promotion, financial aid, extracurricular programs, and clinical training could trigger enforcement action under Title VI and Title IX. The letter, signed by Acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor, gave institutions 14 days to review their policies before the department began taking complaints. Because virtually every college and university in the United States receives federal funding, the letter applied to the entire higher education system. It went well beyond earlier Supreme Court guidance on admissions by explicitly targeting hiring, promotion, scholarships, and many administrative programs. Universities with existing diversity fellowships, targeted recruitment programs, or equity-centered training immediately began consulting legal counsel about which programs to modify or discontinue.

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Cabinet officials attend Mar-a-Lago fundraisers amid Hatch Act concerns

Multiple Trump cabinet secretaries attended fundraising events held at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club and residence, raising immediate Hatch Act compliance questions. The Hatch Act prohibits most federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or using their official authority for campaign purposes. Ethics watchdog groups filed complaints with the Office of Special Counsel, arguing the attendance blurred the line between official duties and political fundraising for the benefit of the president's personal financial interests.

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White House overhauls press pool selection, breaking decades of tradition

The White House announced a new system for selecting which journalists join the rotating press pool, displacing the White House Correspondents Association from its traditional gatekeeping role. Under the new system, the White House Press Office would control pool membership, allowing the administration to exclude outlets it deemed hostile. The White House Correspondents Association condemned the change as an unprecedented attack on press independence and warned it would enable systematic exclusion of critical coverage.

Senate Republicans introduce a federal heartbeat bill to ban abortion at six weeks

Senate Republicans introduced the Life at Conception Act paired with a companion federal heartbeat bill that would ban abortion nationwide once cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The bill represents the first major federal abortion restriction attempt since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and returned the issue to states. Opponents argued the bill would override state laws that currently protect abortion access.

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Vance holds a second bilateral with Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference

Vice President JD Vance held a second bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15, 2025. Vance presented the administration's Ukraine peace framework, which included proposals for territorial concessions that Zelensky publicly rejected as incompatible with Ukrainian sovereignty; the meetings reflected the administration's push for a rapid ceasefire that European allies and Ukraine viewed with significant skepticism.

Gunman shoots two Jewish men leaving Los Angeles synagogues

A man shot two Jewish men in separate attacks as they left synagogues in Los Angeles. Federal prosecutors said the victims were targeted because their clothing identified their faith.

Prince Andrew settles Virginia Giuffre lawsuit without diplomatic immunity as royal status shields him

Prince Andrew settled a civil sexual abuse lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged Andrew assaulted her when she was 17 and trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew paid an undisclosed sum and made no admission of guilt. His attempt to claim diplomatic immunity failed, but royal connections and settlement money effectively ended public legal accountability.

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Prince Andrew settles Giuffre lawsuit for reported $12 million

Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, ending her federal civil lawsuit before it reached trial. The settlement included a financial payment widely reported as approximately $12 million (some UK outlets reported as low as £3 million) and a donation to Giuffre's victims' rights charity. Andrew admitted no wrongdoing. Queen Elizabeth II formally stripped him of his remaining honorary military roles and the use of his HRH title.

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Trump declares national emergency to redirect $3.6B in military funds to border wall

President Trump declared a national emergency on February 15, 2019, after Congress refused his full $5.7 billion border wall request. The declaration let him redirect approximately $3.6 billion in military construction funds to wall building. Congress passed a resolution to terminate the emergency — both chambers voted for it — but Trump vetoed it. Federal courts blocked significant portions of the military fund transfers, ruling the executive couldn't unilaterally redirect appropriated military money to an unauthorized purpose. The episode directly tested whether emergency powers can override the Appropriations Clause.

Trump declares national emergency to fund border wall after Congress refused full request

Trump declared a national emergency under 50 U.S.C. § 1621 after Congress passed a spending bill providing only $1.375 billion for border barriers, far short of the $5.7 billion he requested. Presidential Proclamation 9844 sought to reprogram $6.1 billion from Pentagon military construction and counterdrug accounts. The House voted 245-182 to terminate the emergency; Trump vetoed it. Courts blocked portions of the transfer; the Supreme Court partially allowed it to proceed pending litigation.

SEVIS electronic system becomes operational

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) becomes fully operational on February 15, 2003. International student tracking moves from paper-based institutional reports to a comprehensive federal electronic database. All U.S. educational institutions must enroll in SEVIS and report real-time student information to the government.