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3 weeks ago
White House halts $2.1bn of Chicago infrastructure funding
The federal government put $2.1bn earmarked for Chicago infrastructure projects on hold, Office and Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said on Friday, in another jab at a Democrat-led city during the US government shutdown.
Vought wrote on X that projects affected included the Red Line extension – which was set to break ground next year and extend public transport to underserved areas in the city – as well as modernization work to a number of transit lines.
Vought wrote on social media Friday that the money was “put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”
He made a similar announcement earlier this week involving New York, where Vought said $18 million for infrastructure would be paused, including funding for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
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The Eisenhower Presidential Library’s director has exited his position after advocating against giving a sword from the collection to King Charles as a gift during Donald Trump’s recent state visit, according to US media reports on Thursday.
Todd Arrington left his post on Monday after being told to “resign or be fired”, he told CBS News, which did not specify who had relayed the message to the historian.
The library and museum – located in former US president Dwight D Eisenhower’s home town in Abilene, Kansas – is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (Nara).
White House halts $2.1bn of Chicago infrastructure funding
The federal government put $2.1bn earmarked for Chicago infrastructure projects on hold, Office and Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said on Friday, in another jab at a Democrat-led city during the US government shutdown.
Vought wrote on X that projects affected included the Red Line extension – which was set to break ground next year and extend public transport to underserved areas in the city – as well as modernization work to a number of transit lines.
Vought wrote on social media Friday that the money was “put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”
He made a similar announcement earlier this week involving New York, where Vought said $18 million for infrastructure would be paused, including funding for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of US politics, with the shutdown entering its third day.
Although the Senate is scheduled to return today for another vote, there is little optimism that a deal is imminent as Democrats hold out for a series of health-focused concessions.
Meanwhile, the White House has continued to use its official, taxpayer-funded social media accounts to insult and mock Democrats, treating the standoff more like a political campaign than a negotiation over policy.
In addition, a growing number of federal agencies and staff are explicitly blaming Democrats for the shutdown. The political messaging by the agencies may be a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
Furloughed federal employees at some agencies have been instructed to set out-of-office messages explaining that they are not working because Democrats caused a shutdown. Government agency websites also have displayed messages informing site visitors the websites are temporarily on hold due to the “Democrat-led” shutdown.
Other agency websites have used more combative language.
“The radical left has chosen to shut down the United States government in the name of reckless spending and obstructionism,” the treasury department’s website reads.
You can read our full report here
Even warnings over economic damage don’t appear to be encouraging conciliatory moves. A report by EY Parthenon said that every week the shutdown lasts will mean a $7bn hit to the economy.
So stay with us to see what today holds.
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