Priyanga V

On May 9, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA Approves three Natural Food Color Additives: Galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract, and calcium phosphate. This decision aligns with a broader initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation's food supply by the end of 2026.

Executive Order on Voter Registration: On March 25, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order mandating stricter voting regulations in federal elections, including the requirement for individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. This action has sparked significant controversy and legal challenges from civil rights organizations, who argue that the order infringes upon constitutional rights and federal statutes governing elections.

The proposed Resolution Copper Mine in Arizona has become a focal point of a complex legal and ethical debate, intertwining issues of religious freedom, indigenous rights, environmental concerns, and national interests in mineral resources. The project, spearheaded by mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP, aims to develop one of the world's largest copper mines beneath Oak Flat land transfer, a site held sacred by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

U.S. and China Slash Tariffs: In a significant development in international trade relations, the United States and China have agreed to a 90-day reduction in tariffs, marking a temporary truce in their ongoing trade conflict. This agreement, reached after intensive negotiations in Geneva, reduces U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% and lowers China's tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 10% . The truce aims to provide a window for both nations to negotiate a more permanent resolution to their trade disputes.

On May 14, 2025, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This appearance comes amid significant controversy surrounding proposed budget cuts to key health agencies and Kennedy's past statements on public health matters.The hearing will focus on President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 fiscal year budget, which includes substantial reductions in domestic spending, particularly targeting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), both under Kennedy's oversight. These proposed cuts have raised concerns among lawmakers and public health officials, especially in light of recent measles and bird flu outbreaks .

On April 25, 2025, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice and concealing a person from arrest. The Wisconsin judge indicted for allegedly that Judge Dugan assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant, in evading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a court appearance on April 18. Specifically, she is accused of escorting Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of the courtroom through a back exit to avoid ICE agents waiting to detain him.