Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s federal funding freeze

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars and cause disruptions in health care research, education programs and other initiatives.

U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.

The White House had planned to enforce the pause Tuesday as the administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending.

Here’s the latest on the funding freeze:

• What’s happening with the judge’s ruling: U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
• What could be impacted by the freeze? Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans would not be affected, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and food stamps. But the lack of clarity around other programs is causing chaos.
• Why is the Trump administration doing this? Administration officials said the decision was necessary to ensure that spending complies with Trump’s recent blitz of executive orders. The president wants to increase fossil fuel production, remove protections for transgender people and end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.