Chris Megerian

Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday, Feb 3. The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending. The plan sparked confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline.

President Trump hasn't given an order to counter Russian meddling, NSA chief says

National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers said that the United States hasn’t done enough to deter Russian meddling in national politics, even as he acknowledged that President Donald Trump hasn’t directed cybersecurity officials to take more aggressive offensive actions against Moscow.  “I believe that President Putin has clearly come to the conclusion that, there’s little price to pay here and therefore I can continue this activity,” Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Rogers’ testimony was a reminder of the gap between the president, who has downplayed Russian interferen