Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Trump takes first steps to enact his sweeping agenda

Trump takes first steps to enact his sweeping agenda

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025.

(JIM WATSON/GETTY IMAGES)

On his first day in office as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump began to implement his agenda for reshaping the nation's institutions.

He signed a flurry of executive orders, memorandums, and proclamations.


Here are five notable Trump’s Day 1 actions:

Evening Shot of Border Wall Between El Paso Texas USA and Juárez Chihuahua Texas at Puerto Anapra with US Border Patrol Vehicle in the Distance Getty Images//Stock Photo

1. Immigration

President Trump issued an executive order regarding birthright citizenship, which restricts federal agencies from issuing certain documents typically available to U.S. citizens.

This order affects children born after the measure takes effect, particularly in cases where the parents are unlawfully present in the U.S., or the mother is temporarily in the U.S. on a visa, and the father is a noncitizen.

Logo of the World Health Organization WHO with the WHO headquarters in the background in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Lian Yi/Xinhua via Getty Images)

2. Withdrawal from WHO

Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), marking a substantial decision to sever ties with the U.N. public health agency. He has previously criticized the WHO, and the formal withdrawal process had begun during his administration amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Jan. 6 investigation goes primetime Brent Stirton/Getty Images

3. Pardons related to January 6

In a significant move, President Trump pardoned nearly all individuals convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack, which includes about 1,270 people.

He also directed the Justice Department to dismiss approximately 300 pending cases and ordered the release of a smaller group of 14 defendants involved in the most serious sedition cases.

This action was more extensive than many expected, including some of Trump’s own advisors and GOP allies.

Sun, Global warming, Global boiling from the climate crisis and the catastrophic heatwave, Climate change, the sun and burning Heatwave hot sun Getty Images/Stock Photo

4. Paris Agreement Exit

President Donald Trump signed an executive action to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, mirroring his decision during his first term. The Paris Agreement is an international accord to address climate change, with nearly 200 countries committed to limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally below 1.5 degrees.

Each participating country is responsible for creating its own plan to meet these climate goals.

Joe Biden speaking in PennsylvaniaThe speech Joe Biden won’t give Anadolu/Getty Images

5. Biden-era executive orders revoked

Trump revoked several executive actions from the Biden administration, including the decision to remove Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, sanctions on Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and measures aimed at mitigating risks associated with artificial intelligence.

These reversals were part of a larger effort to overturn Biden-era policies and were signed at Capitol One Arena shortly after Trump's inauguration.

Trump reportedly intended to sign as many as 200 executive orders on the first day of his second term. By comparison, he signed one order on Inauguration Day 2017.

Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum, and the publisher of the Latino News Network.

Read More

Just the Facts: Who Holds the Cards: The United States or China in Tariff Negotiations
A golden trump head stands before stacks of money.
Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

Just the Facts: Who Holds the Cards: The United States or China in Tariff Negotiations

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.

What is the current status?

Keep ReadingShow less
Thoughts on Gathering Storms

Category 4 Major Hurricane Helene approaching the Big Bend of Florida. At the same time the Pacific Category 3 Hurricane John making landfall on southwestern Mexico.

Getty Images, FrankRamspott

Thoughts on Gathering Storms

The North American hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. The season, therefore, is hard upon us, even as the federal government is not prepared for what it may bring.

For the past 45 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been responsible for planning and providing national emergency relief to areas in the path of or affected by catastrophic storms the season often brings. The National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), both of which are embedded in FEMA, provide critical information that FEMA used in its storm preparation process.

Keep ReadingShow less
AI Is a Weapon Pointed at America. Our Best Defense Is Education.

Elementary students raising their hands to answer the teacher's question in a class in the robotics mechanical and electric classroom.

Getty Images, Cravetiger

AI Is a Weapon Pointed at America. Our Best Defense Is Education.

Foreign adversaries are already deploying artificial intelligence as a weapon against America, not just on distant battlefields, but within our social media feeds, news sources, and critical infrastructure. AI-powered disinformation campaigns designed to sow chaos and division, sophisticated cyber attacks – these are no longer future hypotheticals; they are clear and present dangers. America's most significant vulnerability in this new era isn't necessarily a lack of technology but a lack of understanding among our own citizens. An unprepared public is fertile ground for manipulation and a weak link in our national defense. To secure our future, we must urgently equip Americans with the knowledge to navigate an AI-shaped world.

This isn't just about recognizing deepfakes. National resilience requires citizens who understand the basics of how algorithms shape their information environment and can think critically about AI's influence. Furthermore, our national security apparatus itself desperately needs more AI-savvy personnel. The Department of Defense faces alarming shortages in its cyber and tech workforce – tens of thousands of critical positions remain vacant – hindering our ability to develop, deploy, and defend against AI capabilities. Simultaneously, our economic edge depends on fostering widespread innovation and adoption of AI, which is bottlenecked by a lack of skilled workers across industries. Simply put, AI literacy is now a cornerstone of both national defense and economic competitiveness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Will Medicaid Cuts in the GOP Budget Hurt Millions of Americans?
A patient with a medical professional.
Getty Images, Halfpoint Images

Will Medicaid Cuts in the GOP Budget Hurt Millions of Americans?

Republican Senator Joni Ernst recently faced an unexpectedly hostile audience at a town hall in Iowa, where her constituents jeered as she defended the GOP’s proposed cuts to Medicaid—a program providing healthcare to 71 million low-income Americans, nearly 20% of the population.

Ernst attempted to defend the Medicaid cuts contained in what President Donald Trump has dubbed his “big, beautiful bill.” The cuts have been estimated by independent experts to slice about $880 billion over 10 years from Medicaid. The bill, she insists, will not cut anything from truly deserving Americans, it will only cut waste and fraud because there are millions receiving Medicaid benefits who are not really eligible, such as illegal immigrants, or who are otherwise undeserving.

Keep ReadingShow less