The hottest Federal Agencies Substack posts right now

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Top U.S. Politics Topics

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI's Secret Stash Finally Uncovered

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5866 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. The FBI has long kept a separate, non-searchable "prohibited access" filing system that only a very small number of senior officials can access.
  2. Whistleblowers and congressional pressure have prompted a task force to begin examining decades of those hidden files, and some records have already been turned over to Congress.
  3. The files reportedly include off-books surveillance and politically sensitive investigations spanning both parties since at least 1999, raising serious oversight and constitutional concerns.

The Truth About FEMA and Helene

Tom Renz’s Newsletter • 5753 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. FEMA's response to disasters has faced serious criticism, especially in recent events. Many feel that the organization is not doing enough to help those in need.
  2. The situation in the North Carolina area after the hurricane is extremely bad, with reports suggesting a very high death toll. It highlights the urgency and severity of the crisis.
  3. It's important to support those affected by disasters through prayer and community efforts, as many feel let down by government responses. There's a call for individual action in times of need.

Gone Fishin’: How The FBI Can Spend Years Trying To Hook You

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 3072 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. The FBI can open informal "assessments" and collect information without a warrant or even suspecting a crime.
  2. These assessments can last for years as agents "fish" for wrongdoing, but they frequently turn up nothing and are quietly closed.
  3. The information gathered can be shared with other agencies and can become a lasting federal record about individuals.

Livestream, 2:00 PM ET: Matt Taibbi and Ryan Lovelace on the FBI's "Prohibited Access" Files

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1361 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Reporters uncovered the FBI's secret "Prohibited Access" filing system and turned a declassified description into a published story in about a week.
  2. A livestream discussion will go over what the files likely contain, why the story matters, who helped reveal them, and what might come next.
  3. The conversation will also explore possible downsides—including how to tell if attempts to expose the system are being blocked—and tells viewers where to tune in to watch.

What Happened in El Paso?

Breaking the News • 2488 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. The FAA abruptly issued a ten-day total no-fly order over El Paso with only a few hours' notice, a level of suddenness that normal flight planning and operations do not expect.
  2. The NOTAM was vague and unusually severe—citing only “special security reasons” and national defense authority—which created confusion and unnecessary alarm without a clear explanation.
  3. A blanket closure like this could block medevac, cargo, and routine flights and cause wide ripple effects, showing how poor decision-making can produce real safety and economic harm.
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Privatizing the Airwaves

David Friedman’s Substack • 188 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Print media thrive on private ownership, so anyone willing to pay can publish niche or offensive views, while broadcasters self-censor because they rely on government-owned airwaves and licenses.
  2. Because the airwaves are scarce public property, regulators must ration access and enforce a vague "public interest" standard, which pushes broadcasters to avoid controversial content.
  3. Turning frequencies into private property through auctions would let owners decide what to air, likely increasing diversity and allowing more controversial or niche speech on the airwaves.

Congress Forces NIH to Reverse Policy, Continue Funding Fauci’s “Unsafe” Infectious Disease Centers

The DisInformation Chronicle • 485 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Congress forced NIH to reverse its prior decision and allocate $18.2 million to restart the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID), despite earlier NIH findings that the program was unsafe and not a good use of taxpayer funds.
  2. The CREID awards involve controversial researchers, including Kristian Andersen and Peter Daszak; their work has been criticized over the 'Proximal Origin' paper, and Daszak has previously been debarred from receiving federal funds.
  3. HHS officials say they are alarmed that university lobbyists and Congress intervened in funding decisions, and the White House is finalizing a risk-based policy to limit funding for dangerous gain-of-function research and penalize nondisclosure of risky studies.

Activism, Uncensored: A Return to Minneapolis

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1920 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Local and state police took a bigger role at Minneapolis protests, which reduced the number of federal agents on the front lines and led to fewer uses of tear gas and other riot munitions.
  2. Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, is winding down and agents are withdrawing after being ramped up following a fatal shooting.
  3. A reporter who filmed ICE and Border Patrol actions was publicly criticized by ICE as "stalking," and the reporter defended continuing to film as a protected right.

Shutting Down NCAR Is Vindictive Governance

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 3591 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Shutting down NCAR appears politically motivated and vindictive, not based on a clear national need. It would harm U.S. scientific capacity and undermine research that supports public safety and the economy.
  2. NCAR is a large, federally funded research center that provides broad atmospheric science, community models, and high-performance computing used worldwide, and it is not simply a hub of ‘climate alarmism.’ Its work spans weather, climate, space physics, and observational technology essential to many sectors.
  3. NCAR has real issues like mission creep and competition with universities that deserve reform, but modernizing and narrowing its mission is far smarter than dismantling the center. Terminating the center would cause unnecessary, long-lasting damage to the scientific enterprise.

Richard is going to lose the bracket

Of Boys and Men • 35 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Prediction-market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are effectively offering sports betting while operating under federal rules, which lets them sidestep many state gambling protections and serve users as young as 18.
  2. Aggressive app design and campus marketing plus the platforms' financial incentives risk real harms—research links easier online betting to higher bankruptcy, more child-maltreatment reports, and rising suicide risk, with young men hit hardest.
  3. Policymakers can curb these risks with common-sense guardrails—restrict advertising, add friction and deposit limits, raise the minimum age to 21, and regulate sports contracts like traditional gambling—and some lawmakers have already begun proposing such rules.

URGENT: A Biden-appointed federal judge has ruled the Trump administration may not change the childhood vaccine schedule or appoint new members of the vaccine advisory committee

Unreported Truths • 52 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Health Secretary’s January 2026 changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and pausing new appointments to the federal vaccine advisory committee.
  2. The judge found the changes were made without sufficient explanation, labeled them “arbitrary and capricious,” and questioned whether some appointees had the required expertise.
  3. The lawsuit was brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other physician groups, the administration plans to appeal, and the ruling has prompted debate about judicial overreach and the plaintiffs’ standing.

How ICE Makes Raids Go Viral

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 1492 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. ICE has reshaped its public affairs into an influencer-style media machine that churns out viral videos of tactical operations and immigration raids.
  2. That social media playbook is being copied by other agencies and helps dominate the internet, which in turn reshapes public opinion about immigrants.
  3. The shift is exposed through independent, subscriber-funded reporting that is often published behind a paywall.

Improper Payments Down from Covid-Era Highs But “Confirmed Fraud” Info Missing Amid National Scandal

OpenTheBooks Substack • 265 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Improper payments have fallen from Covid-era peaks but are still very large. Federal spending errors totaled about $186 billion in FY2025, which is higher than FY2024's $161 billion.
  2. Health programs drive most of the problem, with CMS alone accounting for more than half of FY2025's improper payments (about $96.1 billion), and other big agencies like HHS and the Pentagon also showing major losses and fraud.
  3. Transparency and compliance remain weak: the FY2025 report omitted the usual "confirmed fraud" data, many agencies have long histories of noncompliance, and recoveries are limited, although a new law should help stop payments to deceased people.

How the FBI Is Searching for Nancy Guthrie

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 259 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
📰 News Federal Agencies
  1. An 84-year-old woman vanished from her home near Tucson, and doorbell camera footage shows a masked person with a gun at her front door.
  2. Investigators have released few details and faced early stumbles, so they are relying on limited clues like the video to guide the search.
  3. A veteran FBI hostage-rescue founder is providing expert analysis on how the bureau is likely handling the case and interpreting the scant evidence.

Anti-corporate housing

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 758 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Large institutional buyers are not the main driver of high housing costs; their market share is small and banning them would cut off investment needed to create millions of rental homes.
  2. Strict mortgage underwriting and federal rules since 2008 have blocked many households from buying and slowed new home construction, creating a persistent supply gap.
  3. Targeting corporate landlords with bans or higher taxes without restoring mortgage access and boosting building capacity risks worsening affordability; solutions should combine looser underwriting, investor capital, and pro-housing zoning reforms.

ROI: Return on ICE Investment – What are Taxpayers Getting for their Spending Surge?

OpenTheBooks Substack • 201 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Taxpayers are financing a massive immigration enforcement surge—ICE's budget roughly tripled after a $75 billion push. Removals did not rise proportionally, so the true cost per deportation is unclear and demands transparent ROI data.
  2. Enforcement tactics and staffing raise serious safety and civil‑liberty concerns: officers have been masked, training was shortened to about six weeks, and aggressive raids and detentions have been tied to shootings, illegal detentions, and heavy judicial scrutiny.
  3. DHS spent large sums on advertising and contracts that appear politically linked and sometimes noncompetitive, while economists warn mass deportation could shave about 1% off GDP and cost hundreds of billions; lower‑cost alternatives like self‑deportation stipends are being offered.

The Department of Education Isn’t Going Anywhere

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 190 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🚌 Education Federal Agencies
  1. Despite a presidential executive order to shut it down, the Department of Education is still operating and its budget was increased.
  2. Congress — with Democrats and some Republicans pushing back — refused to abolish the agency and approved $79 billion in funding, more than the White House requested.
  3. Executive orders alone can’t eliminate a federal agency, and appropriations plus political resistance kept the department intact and growing.

EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Details of Trump’s Plan to Control Dangerous Virus Research

The DisInformation Chronicle • 415 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. The administration is building a risk-based policy to limit and track gain-of-function pathogen research, and researchers or their institutions can be barred from federal programs if they fail to follow the rules.
  2. The plan sets up multiple checks — funding agencies, institutions, scientists, and a new Independent Review Board led by OSTP — and submitting proposals to the board would provide a safe harbor.
  3. The rollout has been delayed and sparked controversy across agencies and the media, and key enforcement details, especially penalties for federal employees, remain unclear.

The Man Behind Trump’s Attack on the Fed

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 245 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Bill Pulte runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a little-known agency he has turned into a combative and influential force in Washington and on Wall Street.
  2. He has actively attacked Federal Reserve officials: he’s been tied to subpoenas in a probe of Chair Jerome Powell, mocked up a “wanted” poster of Powell, and even traveled with Trump, while denying knowledge of the probe.
  3. Pulte has used the FHFA to refer alleged criminal cases against Fed officials (for example, against governor Lisa Cook) to the Justice Department, fueling legal and political battles over the Fed’s independence and presidential authority.

ICE: Two Deaths, Many Narratives

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 163 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis were captured on video but prompted wildly different public interpretations based on politics, perspective, and missing facts.
  2. High-level officials and DHS quickly labeled the victims as threats and defended officers’ actions, which fueled distrust and led to resignations among prosecutors and civil‑rights staff.
  3. Bystander videos and reporting contradicted key official claims, raising serious questions about whether deadly force was necessary and underscoring the need for thorough, impartial investigations.

Is There Anyone Trump Can’t Fire?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 352 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. The Supreme Court may remove the legal limit that keeps presidents from firing officials of independent federal agencies, threatening agency independence.
  2. The case began when Trump tried to oust FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and directly challenges a 90-year-old precedent that allowed removal only for cause.
  3. If the Court overturns that precedent, presidents could replace commissioners for political reasons and fundamentally reshape the administrative state.

Trump's Executive Branch Revolution

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 4193 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Trump is changing how the executive branch works, using power in new ways that could impact future presidents. He wants to control parts of the government, like USAID, and has plans for the Department of Education.
  2. There's a long history of presidents not spending money that Congress gives them, called impoundment. This can change how money is spent and can lead to a stronger executive branch.
  3. The balance of power in the government is shifting. Just like how the Supreme Court influenced laws in the past, Trump's actions could redefine what future presidents can do.

Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Told 20 Lies in the First 240 Seconds of His First Minneapolis Press Conference

Proof • 55 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Tom Homan, the Trump border czar, reportedly made many false claims right away—about 20 lies in the first 240 seconds—at his Minneapolis press conference.
  2. Several members of Congress praised the presentation despite it being riddled with falsehoods.
  3. The false claims covered multiple hot-button topics, including the criminal justice system, ICE operations, citizen protesters, and Democrats.

Is ICE Running a Black Site in Minnesota?

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 95 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. ICE appears to be operating a secretive detention area in Minneapolis where some people, including known U.S. citizens, are being held separately from immigrant detainees.
  2. Citizen observers say they were sprayed with a chemical agent, taken into custody, put in adjacent cells reportedly reserved for U.S. citizens, and subjected to taunting and mistreatment.
  3. Lawyers and members of Congress have been denied access to the site, raising legal and constitutional concerns and echoing allegations of long-standing, secretive ICE tactics.

An article at the Hill

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 84 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Federal Agencies
  1. Housing costs are eating up renters' budgets and families need clear, practical economic solutions instead of political knee-jerk reactions.
  2. The administration can change lending rules at federal housing agencies and could restore older, more reasonable standards.
  3. Bringing back those lending standards would help regular families compete with Wall Street and make homeownership more affordable and financially responsible.