Constitutional Stress Map: Pick One Area to Work On.
This “map” of the Constitution shows the whole picture at once: twenty-one places where the Constitution has been tested recently. Most areas are under strain; five are failing and only two areas have checks still holding. Our rights are being affected. Seeing it all together can feel overwhelming. That isn't its purpose. The purpose is to see the full scope of what is happening so each of us can decide where we have agency to do our part to defend the Constitution.
How can you help? Start with the area which concerns you most. Choose a citizen’s right below and click any colored bar to see how our rights are being tested -- under strain, which checks are holding, and which are already affected. Then join the organization or community already working to uphold that part of the Constitution. Everyone counts. Every single effort counts. Single efforts combined make a difference.
failing mixed holding
Failing
No check is stopping the executive branch in this area right now.
Mixed
Some checks on the executive branch are holding, but others have failed or are only pending.
Holding
A check, such as a court order or the Senate, is actively stopping the executive branch.
Citizens' rights:
Eight rights, each tied to the areas of strain that put it at risk. Click any colored bar for details: The bars are color coded to indicate the level of risk. Under each of our impacted rights are organizations working to defend it. To see all 21 areas side by side, go to All 21 areas; the Constitution's full text is at the bottom of the page under The Constitution (reference).
Direct
The right itself is being restricted now.
Indirect
The strain weakens a check that protects the right.
At risk
Not affected yet, but exposed if the strain continues.
Prefer something close to home? The National Civic League's Healthy Democracy Map lets you filter organizations by state, network, and category of work, from voter engagement to civic learning.
Volunteer + giveopen volunteer routesLawyers volunteer + givevolunteer roles for attorneysGiveno general volunteer program found
Work for democracy inside a faith community
Many congregations and faith networks organize around democracy, voting, and welcoming neighbors. Your own congregation or local interfaith council is often the best first step: it can host voter registration, a rapid-response training, or a refugee welcome team.
Organizations are listed for information, not endorsement. Check any organization's record before you give or volunteer. Participation labels reflect what was found in October 2026, and organizations change, so confirm directly with each one.
The landscape view: every area of strain in one list, with its status and the rights it touches. Each area names what is being done. Click any colored bar for details.
Failing: no check is stopping itMixed: some checks hold, others have failedHolding: a check is actively stopping it
How these areas were chosen
This list began with separate claims of “constitutional crisis” that continued to appear in news coverage and legal commentary. Each claim was traced back to the clause of the Constitution it tests, and an area was kept only if it was backed by active litigation or documented reporting. It started with 15 areas and has grown to 21 as new strains emerged. Only actions the executive branch took without Congress count; laws Congress passed are not treated as constitutional strain. A check counts as holding only if it is actively constraining the executive branch now, not if a case is merely pending or an order is unconfirmed.
For those who want to go deeper. This is the Constitution's text, with each clause under strain highlighted. Text in gray is not under active strain in this dashboard. Click any gray passage to read its full text, or use "Full text" beside a highlighted clause. The highlighted passages are quoted from the Constitution. Where one clause is tested by several domains, its highlight takes the color of the worst one.
Reporting and documents behind each area, grouped as on the map. Sources from the September research come first in each group, then October updates. Click an area to open its list.
General background (22)
"One Year In: Defending the Constitution Under a Second Trump Administration," ACLU — link
"United States: Freedom in the World 2026 Country Report," Freedom House — link
"Americans Believe the U.S. Is in a Constitutional Crisis," States United Democracy Center — link
"Checks and balances aren't working under Trump, growing majority says," PBS NewsHour — link
"A Year of Challenge and Hope for American Democracy," Brennan Center for Justice — link
"Tracking How Much of Project 2025 the Trump Administration Achieved," PBS NewsHour — link
"How Trump's Los Angeles Response Compares With Project 2025," Newsweek — link
"Project 2025 Fact Sheet on Immigration," Democracy Forward — link
"Project 2025 Would Target Immigrants, Expand Executive Power," Democracy Forward — link
"Trump's National Guard Deployments Aren't Random. They Were Planned Years Ago," NPR — link
"What Would Project 2025 Do for (or to) Journalism?" Nieman Journalism Lab — link
"Is Project 2025 a Roadmap for Media Repression?" Kettering Foundation — link
"How Many of Project 2025's Media Proposals Were Implemented in 2025," Poynter — link
"In Major Voting Rights Act Case, Supreme Court Strikes Down Redistricting Map," SCOTUSblog — link
"US Supreme Court Has Eviscerated the Voting Rights Act. What's Next?" Campaign Legal Center — link
"Safeguarding Fair Elections Amid Trump's Executive Orders," Brookings — link
"Justices Uphold State Law Allowing for Late-Arriving Mail-In Ballots," SCOTUSblog — link
"Supreme Court Rules Mail-In Ballots Arriving After Election Day Can Be Counted," The Washington Post — link
Watson v. Republican National Committee (Mississippi's late-arriving-ballot grace period), opinion, Supreme Court of the United States, June 29, 2026 — link
"Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin Threatens States Over Elections," NBC News, July 17, 2026 — link
"DHS Secretary Mullin Threatens to Prosecute Election Chiefs Who Refuse Voter Roll Demands," Democracy Docket — link
"DHS Threatens State Officials with Prison Time Over Election Security," UPI, July 17, 2026 — link
"Election Officials Sound Alarm Over Interference in Midterms," PBS NewsHour — link
"How the Trump Administration Plans to Interfere with the 2026 Elections," Protect Democracy — link
"How to Spot (and Push Back Against) Federal Voter Intimidation," Protect Democracy — link
"The Threats to the Midterm Elections," States United Democracy Center — link
"New Lawsuit Challenges DHS Over Unverified Noncitizen Voter Roll Claims," Democracy Docket — link
“Immigrant rights group seeks to block use of federal databases it says could purge legal voters,” AP via ABC News, Sept. 2, 2026 — link
"Trump Declines to Rule Out Declaring a National Security Emergency Over the 2026 Election," CNN — link
"No, INS v. Chadha Does Not Give Trump the Right to Declare a National Emergency and Impose Election Rules," Election Law Blog — link
"Where the House Redistricting Battle Stands Heading Into 2026 Midterms," NBC News — link
"The Redistricting Frenzy Is Scrambling the Midterm Elections. Here's Where Things Stand Now," Stateline — link
"DHS Asks DOJ to Investigate Voter Roll Group for Sharing Personal Data with Private Organizations," The Federalist — link
"Report: DHS Launches Voter Fraud 'Surge' Probes in Nine States," The Federalist — link
"Aggressive DHS Hunt for Voter Fraud Only Finding a Handful of Possible Noncitizen Cases," MSNOW — link
"Supreme Court Again Blocks New Missouri Congressional Map Favoring GOP," The Washington Post — link
"Supreme Court Deals Another Blow to GOP Hopes of Capturing Extra Congressional Seat," CNN — link
"Supreme Court Blocks Missouri's Attempt to Use Republican-Drawn Congressional Map," NBC News — link
"Missouri Congressional Map Backed by GOP Halted by US Supreme Court," Bloomberg — link
"Trump Slams Supreme Court Ruling on Mail Ballots as Personal Betrayal," The Washington Post — link
"Supreme Court Blocks Trump's Proposed Mail Ballot Restrictions for 2026 Election," Votebeat — link
"The Supreme Court Won't Allow Midterm Mail-In Voting Limits," NPR — link
"What's Next for Mail Voting After the Supreme Court Ruled Against Trump," CNN — link
"Supreme Court Blocks New Postal Service Rules for Mail Ballots in Blow to Trump," CBS News — link
"Trump Blasts Supreme Court 'Disaster' After Justices Rule Against Him on Mail-In Voting," Fox News — link
United States Postal Service, et al. v. California, et al., Supreme Court of the United States (emergency stay application denied, Sept. 14, 2026) — link
“Trump DOJ now 0 for 20 after judge dismisses Colorado voter roll lawsuit,” Democracy Docket, Aug. 4, 2026 — link
“DOJ now 0-26 after judge rejects demand for Georgia voter rolls,” Democracy Docket, Sept. 30, 2026 — link
“The Supreme Court rejects Trump's mail voting restrictions for this year's midterms,” NPR, Sept. 14, 2026 — link
“Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now,” PBS NewsHour, Sept. 2026 — link
“Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to use modified voter verification database,” SCOTUSblog, Sept. 2026 — link
“Justice Department threatens legal action against California over alleged noncitizens,” NBC News, Oct. 14, 2026 — link
“Justice Department presses California on noncitizens and mail ballots,” CBS News, Oct. 14, 2026 — link
“Justice Department sues California, claiming it's mailing ballots to more than 20,000 noncitizens,” CBS News, Oct. 15, 2026 — link
“DOJ sues California to block the counting of mail-in ballots from alleged noncitizens,” NPR, Oct. 16, 2026 — link
“Judge strikes down DOJ's policy of reviewing state voter rolls, saying it would 'run roughshod over longstanding laws',” CBS News, Oct. 9, 2026 — link
Changing who counts in the census (7)
“Trump census plan to cut noncitizens from 2030 count spurs critics toward legal fight,” CNBC, Oct. 13, 2026 — link
“Trump officials propose sweeping changes to the census that would reshape voting maps,” NPR, Sept. 9, 2026 — link
“Census overhaul proposed by Trump administration could reshape Congress,” Roll Call, Sept. 9, 2026 — link
“Immigrant rights groups seek to dismiss a Republican lawsuit to exclude noncitizens from US census,” US News, Feb. 10, 2026 — link
“Proposed census rule summary (comments due Nov. 2, 2026),” Census Roadmap, Oct. 7, 2026 — link
“An end to prison gerrymandering? Not in the 2030 Census,” Prison Policy Initiative, Apr. 1, 2026 — link
“Prison gerrymandering distorts representation,” Brennan Center for Justice, 2026 — link
Bypassing Congress with emergency powers (11)
"US Supreme Court Hands Trump 3-1 Defeat in Key Rulings," Al Jazeera — link
"Supreme Court Rules Against Trump in the Birthright Citizenship Case," Reason/Volokh Conspiracy — link
"Supreme Court, Lisa Cook, Trump, Federal Reserve," CNBC — link
"Supreme Court, FTC, Independent Agencies, Humphrey's Executor," NPR — link
"The End of the Independent Agency: Supreme Court Overrules Humphrey's Executor," Sidley Austin — link
"Supreme Court Allows Federal Reserve Governor To Remain In Office," Gibson Dunn — link
"Trump's Threat to Invoke the Insurrection Act, Explained," ACLU — link
"Militarization of American Cities: Underway, Starting with D.C.," Indivisible — link
"Ringing the Alarm Bells: Rising Authoritarian Practices and Erosion of Human Rights in the United States," Amnesty International USA — link
"Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on National Guard Deployment to U.S. Cities," R Street Institute — link
"Supreme Court Rebuffs Trump's Planned National Guard Deployment to Chicago," Capitol News Illinois — link
"Supreme Court Blocks National Guard Deployment to Chicago," Smart Cities Dive — link
"Judge Dismisses National Guard Mobilization Suit After Trump's Loss at Supreme Court," Capitol News Illinois — link
“More than 500 U.S. citizens detained by ICE (ProPublica),” Investigative Post, Oct. 8, 2026 — link
“U.S. citizens detained by DHS: case database,” ProPublica, Oct. 2026 — link
“Federal immigration agents have shot at dozens of people: tracker,” CBS News, Oct. 2026 — link
“Bodycam video contradicts ICE claims in fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez,” CBS News, 2026 — link
“He was having a mental health crisis. Memphis task force agents came and shot him,” NPR, July 13, 2026 — link
“ICE agent on scene of NYC shooting was posing as construction worker,” The Intercept, Oct. 8, 2026 — link
“Fiscal Year 2026 becomes deadliest in ICE history: 37 deaths in custody (citing Bloomberg Law),” Cubaheadlines, Oct. 1, 2026 — link
“Losing Status: Protections and Workforce Tracker,” Fwd.us, Aug. 2026 — link
“Supreme Court lets Trump continue deporting people to 3rd countries while justices consider policy,” PBS NewsHour / AP, Sept. 29, 2026 — link
“Appeals court judges question the government about Trump's DC National Guard deployment,” AP via WSLS, Oct. 14, 2026 — link
Pressure on law firms and universities (11)
"The Dangers of Obeying: 4 Risks for Organizations Bowing to the Trump Administration," Center for American Progress — link
Scott L. Cummings, "The Autocratic Legal Playbook," SSRN — link
Scott L. Cummings, "When Lawyers Attack the Rule of Law: The Rise of Autocracy in America," Hofstra Law Review — link
"Stopping Autocratic Legalism in America — Before It Is Too Late," Verfassungsblog — link
"The Authoritarian Playbook," Protect Democracy — link
"Targeting Higher Education Is an Essential Tool in the Autocratic Playbook," Brookings — link
"Competitive Authoritarianism Comes for Civil Society," American Enterprise Institute — link
"Columbia University's Settlement with the Trump Administration," Wikipedia — link
"Trump's University Settlements and What He Wants to Accomplish," NPR — link
"Trump Ups Demands from Harvard, Seeks $1 Billion Settlement After...," CNN — link
"More Than Money: What a Harvard Deal with Trump Could Mean," WBUR — link
Spending and withholding funds without Congress (17)
"What Courts Can Do If the Trump Administration Defies Court Orders," Brennan Center for Justice — link
"Trump Violated Judge's Court Deportation Order," Democracy Docket — link
"Trump Rescission Proposal Builds on Illegal Impoundments," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities — link
"The Court Fight to Stop the Federal Funding Freeze," Brennan Center for Justice — link
Kevin Hardy, "Democratic AGs file 100th lawsuit against Trump," Stateline, April 1, 2026 (full text, 55 of 67 rulings) — link
"Multistate lawsuits against the federal government during the Trump administration, 2025–2026," Ballotpedia — link
Progressive State Leaders Committee, live case tracker — link and link;_case_status=challenged-policy-temporarily-allowed%2Cchallenged-policy-permanently-allowed
"2026 Appropriations Must Protect Against Further Partisan Cuts and Illegal Impoundment," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities — link
"Congressional and Executive Power Over Spending: Selected Recent Developments," Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — link
"Pocket Rescissions and the Impoundment Control Act: Legal Authority," Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — link
"Impoundment: Unlawful Stealing of Funds Promised to Americans," House Appropriations Committee Democrats — link
“Judge temporarily blocks payouts from Trump's $1.8B 'anti-weaponization' settlement fund,” PBS NewsHour / AP, May 29, 2026 — link
“Judge blocks Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund until government agrees it's been dissolved,” Wisconsin Examiner, June 12, 2026 — link
“A judge won't drop the lawsuit against Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund,” NOTUS, 2026 — link
“Judge orders Trump administration to immediately stop taxpayer-funded TV ads,” CNBC, Oct. 11, 2026 — link
“Lancet study projects global aid cuts could lead to 9.4 million deaths by 2030,” CNN, Feb. 4, 2026 — link
“Judge extends ban on Trump taxpayer-funded ads past Election Day,” Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance, Oct. 14, 2026 — link
Remaking landmarks and institutions without Congress (11)
“Supreme Court allows construction on White House ballroom to continue,” SCOTUSblog, Aug. 2026 — link
“Appeals court rules Trump can't build White House ballroom without congressional approval,” PBS NewsHour, Aug. 2026 — link
“SCOTUS greenlights White House ballroom construction, despite chief justice's dissent,” ABC News, Aug. 31, 2026 — link
“Judge chastises Justice Department lawyers after hundreds of trees cut down at D.C. golf course,” CBS News, Oct. 2026 — link
“Judge extends order blocking Trump administration from clearing trees at D.C. golf course,” NBC News, Oct. 13, 2026 — link
“Letter to the Smithsonian: Internal review of Smithsonian exhibitions and materials,” The White House, Aug. 2025 — link
“White House releases list of Smithsonian exhibits it objects to,” NBC Washington, Aug. 28, 2025 — link
“In scathing report, White House accuses Smithsonian of presenting 'a radical view of American history',” ABC News, July 6, 2026 — link
“Saving America's Story (Smithsonian report),” The White House, July 4, 2026 — link
“Control of Smithsonian Institution exhibits,” Free Speech Center, MTSU — link
“In blistering ruling, judge says Trump's golf plans spurred 'breakneck' tree removal,” The Washington Post, Oct. 14, 2026 — link
Coercing states and cities with federal funds (5)
“Court rules administration cannot withhold or freeze federal funding to “sanctuary jurisdictions”,” Public Rights Project, Aug. 2025 — link
“Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding over 'sanctuary' policies,” NPR, Aug. 23, 2025 — link
“Trump threatens to cut off funds to 'sanctuary' cities and their states starting next month,” NBC News, Jan. 2026 — link
“Trump budget office orders review of funds to Democratic-controlled states,” The Washington Post, Jan. 22, 2026 — link
“Trump loses challenge to NYC sanctuary city laws,” Courthouse News Service, Oct. 15, 2026 — link
Profiting from office (emoluments) (27)
"Text - S.Res.244 - Affirming the Foreign Emoluments Clause," 119th Congress — link
"Text - H.Res.410 - Expressing the Sense of the House on the Qatar Jet Gift," 119th Congress — link
"The Intensifying Threat of Donald Trump's Emoluments," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) — link
"Ranking Member Raskin Introduces Dual Resolutions Demanding Trump Comply with the Constitution's Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses," House Judiciary Democrats — link
"Warner Joins Colleagues in Resolution to Condemn Trump's $400 Million Airplane Gift from Qatar," Sen. Mark Warner — link
"Unwrapping Qatar's $400 Million Winged Gift to Trump," FactCheck.org — link
"Qatar Gifting Trump $400M Luxury Jet Raises Ethical and Legal Concerns," PBS NewsHour — link
"'Brazen Act of Self-Dealing': Lawmakers, Watchdogs Alarmed by Trump Crypto Bank," CNN — link
"Conflict Coin: How the Trumps' Billion-Dollar Crypto Stake Depends on Favorable Policy," Public Citizen — link
"Inside Trump's $1.4 Billion Crypto Empire," Fortune — link
"Why the UAE's Investment in World Liberty Financial Was a Bad Financial Bet," Forbes — link
"Trump to Use Qatari Plane for International Trip Despite Security Worries," The Washington Post — link
"Trump Will Start Using Qatari Jet Again Despite Security Concerns," Forbes — link
"Inside the $187M Deal Between the Trump Family and the UAE's 'Spy Sheikh,'" Yahoo Finance (WSJ) — link
"UAE 'Spy Sheikh' Bought Stake in Trump Crypto Company: WSJ," CNBC — link
"UAE-Backed Investor Took 49% Stake in Trump-Linked Crypto Firm for $500M," Cointelegraph — link
"UAE-Linked Firm Bought Major Stake in Trump Family Crypto Company, Wall Street Journal Reports," CNN — link
"How Trump's $500 Million UAE Crypto Deal Trades U.S. National Security for Family Profit," Center for American Progress — link
"Congressman Ro Khanna Launches Investigation Into $500 Million UAE Investment in Trump Family Crypto Firm World Liberty Financial," Yahoo Finance — link
"House Probe Targets World Liberty Financial After Report of $500 Million UAE Stake," CoinDesk — link
"UAE 'Spy Sheikh' Takes 49% Stake in Trump Family Crypto Bank Venture," CNBC — link
"Ro Khanna Launches Probe Into $500M UAE Deal with Trump-Linked World Liberty Financial," Decrypt — link
"Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin," ProPublica — link
"Russian Oligarch Paid for Parts of Donald Trump Jr.'s Wedding Celebration, Report Says," ABC News — link
"Don Jr. Wedding: What We Know About the Putin Ally Who Funded the Bash," Axios — link
"Donald Trump Jr. Acknowledges Russian Oligarch with Ties to Putin Hosted His Lavish Island Wedding Celebration," NBC News — link
"Donald Trump Jr. and Wife Defend Lavish Wedding 'Gift' from Russian Oligarch," Forbes — link
Civil service and the press (earlier research) (36)
"Trump Strips Job Protections from 8,000 Federal Workers," NPR — link
"Trump's Schedule F Plan, Explained," Protect Democracy — link
"The Schedule F Threat to Democracy: A Project 2025 Explainer," Kettering Foundation — link
"Trump's Attacks on Press Freedom Escalate," ACLU — link
"Trump Administration Leak Investigation and Journalist Sources," Axios — link
"Trump Administration Subpoenas New York Times Reporters Over Coverage," Al Jazeera — link
"Trump Administration Escalates Attack on Press Freedom With Subpoenas Targeting Wall Street Journal Reporters," Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia — link
"Subpoenas Over New York Times Report on Air Force One Raise Press Freedom Concerns," PBS NewsHour — link
"Subpoenas Issued to New York Times Reporters Seen as 'Unprecedented' Threat to Press Freedom," MTSU Free Speech Center — link
"Trump Administration Tried to Force Journalists to Testify Before a Federal Grand Jury," NBC News — link
"DOJ Sought Phone Records of NYT Journalists in Effort to Unmask Sources," PBS NewsHour — link
"How Subpoenas Against Journalists Threaten Press Freedom," Committee to Protect Journalists — link
"FCC's Carr Threatens TV Broadcast Licenses Over News Coverage," The Spokesman-Review — link
"FCC Chair Threatens Broadcast Licenses Amid Trump's Criticism of Iran War Coverage," CBS News — link
"FCC Chair Threatens TV Networks Amid Iran War Coverage — But His Warning Rings Hollow," CNN — link
"FCC Chair Threatens Broadcasters' Licenses Over Negative Coverage of the War in Iran," NPR — link
"How Brendan Carr, the Attack-Dog FCC Chair, Helped Take Down Jimmy Kimmel With Words, Not Actions," CNN — link
"FCC Chairman Says His 'Easy Way or the Hard Way' Comment About Jimmy Kimmel Wasn't Meant as a Threat to Pull Licenses If ABC Didn't Fire Him," Deadline — link
"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to Testify Before Senate Committee About His Role in Jimmy Kimmel Suspension," Variety — link
"FCC Chairman Grilled Over Threats to ABC Affiliates on Jimmy Kimmel," Variety — link
"Trump Threatens TV Broadcast Licenses After Networks Skip Speech," Axios — link
"Donald Trump Says ABC and NBC Should Lose Broadcast Licenses Because They Didn't Carry His Primetime Address on Election Claims," Deadline — link
"FCC Approves Paramount-Skydance Deal After Skydance's CBS Ombudsman, Anti-DEI Pledges," Variety — link
"FCC Formally Approves Paramount Global/Skydance Media Merger in Deal Likely to Harm Consumers, Free Press," Public Knowledge — link
"FCC Chairman Says Network Oversight Offers a Needed 'Course Correction,'" PBS NewsHour — link
"ABC Says FCC Waging a Retaliatory Campaign," PBS NewsHour — link
"DC Circuit Won't Force FCC Action on News Distortion Policy," Radio Ink — link
"FCC Dismisses Bid to Repeal News Distortion Policy on Procedural Grounds," Inside Radio — link
"A 'Ban on the Free Press': White House Bars Journalists from Three Outlets," Al Jazeera — link
"Trump Bars CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House," NBC News — link
"Trump Says He's Banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House," CNBC — link
"'Free Speech' President Admits He's 'Banning the Free Press' from the White House," Techdirt — link
"White House Bans Wall Street Journal from Press Pool Covering Trump Trip as Feud Escalates," Yahoo News (WSJ) — link
"Major TV Networks Stand with CNN, Decline to Replace Its White House Pool Crew," CNN Business — link
"CNN, MS NOW and Politico Sue Trump Administration Over White House Access," CNN Politics — link
"Who Is Timothy Kelly, Trump Nominee Overseeing White House Media Ban Lawsuit?," The Hill — link
Firing civil servants without cause (4)
“Court blocks OPM 'loyalty question' from use in agency job applications,” FedScoop, Sept. 11, 2026 — link
“Following court order, OPM replaces 'favorite EO' question for jobseekers,” Government Executive, Sept. 2026 — link
“Agencies walking back and replacing essay question on federal job postings,” Maryland Matters, Oct. 5, 2026 — link
“Schedule Policy/Career: 2026 final rule, legal challenges, and issues for lawmakers,” Congressional Research Service, 2026 — link
DOGE: unconfirmed staff controlling agencies and data (33)
"Federal Court Greenlights Legal Challenge to DOGE's Sweeping Federal Authority," HCAMag — link
"Musk DOGE Lawsuit 2026: Full Legal Breakdown and Key Facts," Lawfold — link
"Court Advances Lawsuit Against DOGE," E&E News/Politico — link
"Judge Says DOGE Grant Terminations Are Unlawful and 'Troubling,'" ABC News — link
"Court Strikes Down Grant Terminations Driven by DOGE Review Process and AI-Generated Screening," Liebert Cassidy Whitmore — link
"Federal Judge Blocks AI-Driven DOGE Cuts for Unlawfully Targeting Race, Gender & Other Protected Classes," Black America Web — link
"Fed Judge Rules DOGE Illegally and 'Blatantly' Used DEI Terms to Cut Humanities Grants," Truthout — link
"DOGE's Official July 4 Expiration Date Leaves a Lasting Legacy," Fox 10 Phoenix — link
"Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Illegally Accesses Federal Government Systems," Economic Policy Institute — link
"DOGE Shuts Down with Tally of Budget Savings in Dispute," The Washington Times — link
"DOGE Ends With No Final Accounting for $215B Claim," Hoodline — link
"DOGE Continues to Publish Misleading or Inaccurate Claims on Its 'Wall of Receipts,'" CBS News — link
"DOGE Is Officially Done," The Fiscal Times — link
"DOGE Cut Screwworm Fly Monitoring Program From USAID Last Year. Now They're Back in the U.S.," Techdirt — link
"Did DOGE Cuts Cause Screwworm Outbreak in US? We Investigated," Snopes — link
"Texas Faces Screwworm Outbreak a Year After DOGE Cut Funding for Key Program," Democracy Now! — link
"DOGE Wanted One Database of Every American. 12 Lawsuits Call It Illegal," State of Surveillance — link
"DOGE Must Face Privacy Suit Over Access to Treasury, OPM Data," Bloomberg Law — link
"Judge Partially Blocks DOGE Data Access in Response to Lawsuit by AFGE, Allies," American Federation of Government Employees — link
"DOGE Member Took Social Security Data on a Thumb Drive, Whistleblower Alleges," The Washington Post — link
"Whistleblower: DOGE Put Millions of Americans' Data at Risk," Time — link
"Whitehouse, Wyden Demand Update on DOGE Infiltration of the Social Security Administration," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse — link
"Ranking Member Garcia Expands DOGE Social Security Data Leak Investigation Following Explosive New Whistleblower Allegations," House Oversight Democrats — link
"Federal Workforce: Deferred Resignation Program Largely Responsible for Sixfold Increase in Paid Administrative Leave Salary Costs," U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-26-108477, September 15, 2026 — link
"Paid Leave Under Deferred Resignation Program Cost $6.7 Billion, GAO Estimates," FEDweek — link
"Trump Administration's DRP Cost $6.7B Last Year, Watchdog Estimates," Federal News Network — link
"Thanks to DOGE, Federal Employees Got Paid Billions to Not Work," Time — link
"Trump's Federal Worker Buyouts Cost $6.7 Billion," The Washington Times — link
"A Year After Trump's DOGE Cuts, Workers Whose Lives Were Upended Ask What Was Saved," PBS News — link
"DOGE, Federal Workforce," The New York Times — link
“Court order presses pause on new ACIP committee and changes to childhood vaccination schedule,” Georgetown CCF, Mar. 31, 2026 — link
“The court's opening shot on federal vaccine policy changes,” KFF, 2026 — link
“Supreme Court grants Trump administration's request to review DOGE discovery dispute,” MS NOW, Oct. 13, 2026 — link
Bypassing Senate confirmation (14)
"Trump Likes Acting Cabinet Members. Research Shows They May Hurt Him," Time — link
"How Trump Could Put Allies in Key Government Posts Without Senate Approval," CBS News — link
"Trump Will Drive His Dubious Appointments Through the Vacancies Act's Many Loopholes," Cato Institute — link
"Vacancies, Acting Officials and the Waning Role of the U.S. Senate," Brookings — link
"Trump Can Use Recess Appointments to Bypass the Senate," Good Authority — link
"Thune Considers Senate Recess for Trump's Appointments," The Hill — link
"Senate Votes to Confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General," NPR — link
"Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General in Narrow Senate Vote," The Washington Post — link
"How Each Senator Voted on Todd Blanche's Attorney General Confirmation," CNN — link
"Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence, Citing Husband's Cancer Diagnosis," NPR — link
"Senate Confirms Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence," NPR — link
"Senate Confirms Jay Clayton as Trump's Director of National Intelligence," CNBC — link
"Jay Clayton Sworn In as Director of National Intelligence," Office of the Director of National Intelligence — link
“Senate approves Trump's pick to lead the Labor Department,” Federal News Network, Oct. 2026 — link
Appointing judges for personal loyalty (13)
"ABA Ratings During the Trump Administration," Ballotpedia — link
"Trump Judicial Pick ABA Rated Unqualified Advances in Senate," Bloomberg Law — link
"ABA Hands Trump Nominee 'Unqualified' Reality Check," Above the Law — link
"Republican Senators Confirm Former Trump Lawyer to Lifetime Judgeship Over Objection of Democrats, Whistleblowers," CNN — link