March 13

Federal agencies submit Phase 1 reduction in force and reorganization plans to OPM

Federal agencies hit the OPM deadline for submitting Phase 1 Agency Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plans, outlining proposed workforce cuts and structural changes under Trump's government restructuring directive. OPM reviews the plans before agencies proceed to Phase 2 implementation targeting a September 30, 2026 completion date.

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USTR initiates Section 301 forced-labor investigations against 60 economies

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer launched Section 301 investigations against 60 economies on March 13, 2026, targeting acts, policies, and practices that fail to ban importation of goods produced with forced labor. The 60 targeted economies collectively account for more than 99% of U.S. imports in 2024 and include Canada, China, the European Union, and Mexico. USTR set an April 15 public comment deadline and scheduled hearings for April 28-29 in Washington, DC.

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Attorney General Bondi suspends one-year experience requirement for federal prosecutors

Attorney General Pam Bondi's Department of Justice issues a memo suspending the long-standing requirement that all federal prosecutors have a minimum one year of post-law school legal experience. The suspension, effective immediately, allows U.S. Attorneys' offices to hire lawyers directly out of law school. The memo cites 'exigent hiring need for attorneys across the Department,' following approximately 5,500 employee departures (resignations, buyouts, and firings) during Trump's first months in office. Major U.S. Attorneys' offices in Montana, Alaska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Florida, and Louisiana begin posting job openings requiring only a law degree and state bar membership. The suspension is set to remain in effect through February 28, 2027. DOJ officials frame the policy as empowering 'young and passionate prosecutors,' though critics warn of erosion of professional standards and concern about hiring less-experienced lawyers unable to resist improper pressure.

Legal scholars call Trump's Iran desalination threat a war crime

International law scholars condemned President Trump's threat to destroy Iran's desalination plants on March 13, 2026, as a threatened war crime under international humanitarian law. Marko Milanovic of the University of Reading stated strikes on civilian water infrastructure would be manifestly unlawful unless plants served exclusively military purposes. Amnesty International warned the plants supply tens of millions of civilians and their destruction would constitute prohibited collective punishment. Iran had accused the U.S. of already attacking a Qeshm Island desalination plant on March 7.

U.S. strikes 90-plus military sites on Iran's Kharg Island but spares oil infrastructure

U.S. forces launched a large-scale precision strike on March 13, 2026, destroying more than 90 Iranian military sites on Kharg Island, including naval mine storage facilities and missile bunkers. B-2 stealth bombers delivered the strikes as part of Operation Epic Fury; CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed that U.S. forces had flown over 6,000 combat sorties and destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels since the operation began. Trump stated the U.S. deliberately spared oil infrastructure but warned it would be targeted if Iran continued to threaten Hormuz shipping.

Trump invokes Defense Production Act to restart California Sable pipeline

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on March 13, 2026, directed Sable Offshore Corp. to restore operations of the Santa Ynez Unit and pipeline off Santa Barbara, invoking the Defense Production Act and citing Iran war supply disruption risks. The pipeline had been shut since the 2015 Refugio oil spill and was under a California court injunction barring restart without state approval. Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a federal lawsuit challenging the order as executive overreach. Sable resumed pumping oil on March 16.

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Judge Burroughs blocks end of Somalia TPS, protecting 1,100 Somali immigrants

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a temporary restraining order on March 13 blocking Trump from ending Temporary Protected Status for approximately 1,100 Somali immigrants, staying the March 17 expiration date. Burroughs cited "weighty" consequences including deportation to ongoing conflict and family separation. Plaintiffs — four Somali nationals and two advocacy groups — argued the termination was procedurally flawed and driven by unconstitutional racial bias against non-white immigrants.

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Trump signs executive orders directing EPA and Army Corps to revise wetland permitting

President Trump signed two executive orders on March 13, 2026, directing federal agencies to remove regulatory barriers to housing construction. One order instructed the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to revise Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland permits and stormwater rules to reduce housing development costs. A second order directed HUD, Commerce, and Transportation agencies to eliminate burdensome residential zoning and building code requirements. Trump framed the orders as emergency measures to address the housing affordability crisis ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Rep. Randy Fine faces congressional backlash for anti-Muslim remarks

Rep. Randy Fine faced renewed condemnation from members of Congress over anti-Muslim rhetoric, including posts and comments discussed in broader reporting on Republican anti-Muslim statements. The controversy showed anti-Muslim messaging moving from fringe campaign speech into congressional politics.

Rep. Brandon Gill attacks Mayor Zohran Mamdani over Ramadan iftar photo

Rep. Brandon Gill attacked a photo of Zohran Mamdani at a Ramadan iftar. The criticism singled out a visible Muslim religious gathering as a target of disgust and political ridicule.

Biden approves Willow oil project over Alaska Native objections

The Biden administration approves the Willow oil project on Alaska's North Slope on March 13, 2023. Some Alaska Native leaders and regional corporations support the project for jobs and revenue, while other Native leaders and climate advocates oppose it because of environmental and subsistence concerns. The decision highlights conflict within and between Native communities over federal land, climate policy, and economic development. Opponents argue that frontline Indigenous communities bear disproportionate environmental burdens. Environmental decisions on Native lands often raise civil rights questions about sovereignty, consultation, health, and unequal exposure to harm.

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Louisville police kill Breonna Taylor during apartment raid

Louisville police officers shoot and kill Breonna Taylor in her apartment on March 13, 2020, while executing a drug investigation warrant. Taylor is a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker.\n\nFederal prosecutors later charge four Louisville officers with crimes connected to the warrant, the raid, and the aftermath. The Justice Department says officers falsified information used to obtain the warrant and then tried to cover up their conduct.\n\nThe event is important because it connects racial justice protests to no-knock raids, police accountability, and the treatment of Black women in public debates about state violence.

Trump fires Tillerson and nominates Iran hawk Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State

Trump fired Tillerson and nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a known JCPOA opponent and Iran hawk. Tillerson had been a restraining force on Iran policy. With Pompeo's rise, the trajectory toward unilateral JCPOA withdrawal accelerated.

Hebron Protocol signed

Hebron Protocol signed..

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