The Paper Trail: April 7, 2026

DHS Launches “Less Lethal” Weapons Buying Spree; Trump’s Secret Global Health Agreements; Data Centers Make Life Hotter for 340 Million People; And More.

April 7, 2026

The Paper Trail

Announcements

How to Oversee Agency Transparency: POGO’s virtual training on strengthening oversight through transparency and accountability will be Friday, April 10 at 12 noon ET. This event is only open to staff in Congress, GAO, and CRS. Register HERE.

Iran War

Pentagon’s new plans in Iran give Trump a way out of war crime accusations: The Pentagon is expanding the list of Iranian energy sites it can target for attacks to include ones that provide fuel and power to both civilians and the military, a potential defense if the administration is accused of war crimes. But officials debate whether that justification is valid. (Paul McLeary and Leo Shane III, Politico)

🔎 See Also: House Democrat says she’ll move to impeach Hegseth over Iran war (Ashleigh Fields, The Hill)

Why a trillion-dollar defense budget won’t buy victory in Iran: Sending ground troops to Iran raises new risks and emphasizes the need to return to rational defense budgets that better serve our foreign policy. (Greg Williams and Virginia Burger, Center for Defense Information at POGO)

Calls for tougher U.S. bunkers, hangars go back years, analysts say: The March 27 Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia reignited a longstanding conversation about the need for the U.S. to protect its aircraft and other high-value equipment with underground bunkers and hardened shelters. (Hope Hodge Seck, Military Times)

“Casualty cover-up”: The Pentagon is hiding U.S. losses under Trump in the Middle East: The Pentagon has provided outdated or unclear statements on the number of U.S. troops killed or wounded in the Iran war, resulting in undercounts. CENTCOM refuses to even offer a count of U.S. bases that have been attacked during the war. (Nick Turse, The Intercept)

Trump threatens to jail reporters if they don’t turn over Iran source: President Trump threatened to jail reporters at an unidentified news organization if they didn’t disclose the name of a source who revealed details about a U.S. airman who went missing in Iran. (Scott Nover, Washington Post)

Polymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran: Polymarket issued an apology for allowing users to place bets on the fate of American pilots aboard a U.S. fighter jet downed over Iran. Polymarket apologized to Rep. Seth Moulton, who slammed the market in a social media post. Moulton replied to the apology, saying the company’s “integrity standards are severely lacking” and pointing to other war-related bets still active on the platform. (Matt Lavietes, NBC News)

Tensions in the Twin Cities

Newly obtained video of Minneapolis shooting undermines ICE account: Almost immediately after an ICE agent shot and wounded a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis in January, the federal government cast the injured man as an attempted murderer and the agent as the victim of a brutal beating. Video footage of the shooting raises questions about why it took weeks for the government to drop charges against the immigrant. (Ernesto Londoño et al., New York Times)

Epstein Files

Howard Lutnick will testify to Congress about Jeffrey Epstein next month: Commerce Secretary Lutnick agreed to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 6 for a transcribed interview about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats have accused Lutnick of misleading the public about the extent of his relationship with Epstein. (Jacob Wendler and Hailey Fuchs, Politico)

Insurrection

Supreme Court sides with Steve Bannon in bid to dismiss Jan. 6 conviction: In an unsigned order, the Supreme Court yesterday vacated a judgment by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upholding the conviction of former Trump chief strategist Stephen Bannon for defying a congressional subpoena. The high court sent the case back to the appeals court for reconsideration in light of a motion to dismiss that the DOJ filed two months ago. (Julian Mark and Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post)

Opinion: The people Trump pardoned are on a crime spree: At least 12 of the pardoned January 6 rioters have since been charged with other serious crimes, including child molestation, assault, harassment, murder plots, and charges related to a vicious dog attack. At least 27 rioters had committed other crimes before they were pardoned. (New York Times Editorial Board)

Weaponization of the Government

Raskin demands DOJ turn over details on settlement with Michael Flynn: Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche demanding files related to the DOJ’s $1.25 million settlement with former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. (Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill)

Fired FBI agents sue Patel, Bondi for “retribution campaign”: Three fired FBI agents allege the bureau and DOJ engaged in an illegal “retribution campaign” against them for their participation in an investigation into President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. (Cheyanne M. Daniels, Politico)

To keep climate science alive, researchers are speaking in code: Across federal agencies and academic institutions, scientists are avoiding a long list of words associated with climate change and DEI. (Kate Yoder, Ayurella Horn-Muller, and Clayton Aldern, Grist)

Federal judge approves Trump effort to obtain list of Jews from Penn: U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert ruled the EEOC was within its rights to demand that the University of Pennsylvania turn over the names and phone numbers of Jewish staff and faculty as part of a federal investigation into discrimination at the school. (Michael C. Bender and Alan Blinder, New York Times)

ActBlue may have misled Congress on vetting foreign donations, its lawyers warned: In early 2025, a law firm working for liberal fund-raising organization ActBlue concluded that the organization’s chief executive had given a potentially misleading response to congressional Republican investigators in a 2023 letter explaining how the organization vetted donations to ensure that they weren’t illegally coming from foreign citizens. A DOJ investigation of ActBlue that President Trump ordered last year is ongoing. (Reid J. Epstein and Shane Goldmacher, New York Times)

DOGE

U.S. marshals waived training rules for Musk’s armed DOGE security, emails show: The U.S. Marshals Service last year deputized Elon Musk’s private bodyguards as federal agents even though some of the guards lacked the required training and experience. The request to deputize Musk’s bodyguards came from the White House in February 2025. It’s not clear if or when the Marshals Service ended the special deputation. (David Ingram and Ryan J. Reilly, NBC News)

Edward “Big Balls” Coristine is helping out on viral fraud videos now: Nick Shirley — the right-wing creator whose YouTube video sparked the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota — claims his most recent video about alleged fraud in California was bolstered by Medicaid data provided by DOGE member Edward Coristine. (Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott, Wired)

White House Ballroom

Ballroom commission changed documents at White House’s request: The National Capital Planning Commission, the independent panel reviewing the White House ballroom project, changed the wording in a public document about the about the project at the White House’s request. A White House staffer asked it to soften language about the commission’s authority over the project. (Jonathan Edwards and Dan Diamond, Washington Post)

🔎 See Also: Planning commission approves Trump’s ballroom, but legal roadblocks remain (Luke Broadwater, New York Times)

Natural Disasters

Forest Service will close research stations that study wildfire risk: Scientists say their work on the effects of climate change on wildfires, drought, and pests could be lost as the agency moves its headquarters to Utah and shuts down 57 research stations in 31 states. (Eric Niiler, New York Times)

Reproductive Freedom

Over-the-counter medication abortion? These researchers say it would be safe: A new study adds to the growing scientific evidence that abortion pills would be safe to sell over-the-counter. But FDA decision-making around medication abortion may be influenced by the politicization of reproductive health care, such that scientific evidence must compete with ideological and legal pressures. (Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

Hegseth has intervened in military promotions for more than a dozen senior officers: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, some of whom were allegedly targeted because of their race, gender, or perceived affiliation with Biden administration policies or officials. (Gordon Lubold and Courtney Kube, NBC News)

🔎 See Also: Pete Hegseth forces out Army’s top officer and two other generals (Courtney Kube et al., NBC News)

U.S. plans military expansion in Greenland: The U.S. military is negotiating with Denmark for access to three additional bases in Greenland, an indication that President Trump’s interest in the Arctic island hasn’t waned. (Jeffrey Gettleman, Maya Tekeli, and Eric Schmitt, New York Times)

Military service member suicides fell in 2024 but overall trends remain: Officials warn that it’s too early to tell whether the data represents a blip or a long-term shift. (Nick Mordowanec, Military.com)

VA staffing shortages led to failure to refer veterans to supportive housing, investigators find: The GAO found VA case managers failed to refer veterans experiencing homelessness to the VA’s supportive housing program due to understaffing, high turnover, and staff burnout. Approximately 174,000 veterans weren’t referred to a federal voucher program between 2020 to 2024. (Nicholas Slayton, Task & Purpose)

Business and Finance

Consumer watchdog agency asks court for permission to slash its workforce by two-thirds:

Under a revised layoff plan, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would retain 556 employees — down from more than 1,100 employees currently and more than 1,700 when President Trump took office. Critics called the agency’s assertion that it can carry out all of its duties with one-third the staff “laughable.” (Eric Katz, Government Executive)

Trump administration sues three states over attempts to regulate prediction markets: Lawsuits filed on behalf of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ask federal courts to declare that Illinois, Connecticut, and Arizona can’t regulate the prediction market industry. (Bobby Allyn, NPR)

Scammers are raking in millions by impersonating U.S. government officials: Cybercriminals are posing as local law enforcement and even senior U.S. government officials to coax Americans into disclosing personal information and bank details. The FBI received more than 32,000 reports of the government impersonation scheme last year — a nearly 50% increase over 2024. (Dana Nickel, Politico)

Student debt burdened them, so they moved abroad and stopped paying: More than 40 million borrowers are saddled with federal student debt, and a record number — 7.7 million — have defaulted on their loans. For some borrowers, moving abroad and out of reach of debt collectors can be tempting. (Laura O’Connor, New York Times)

These blind students say their college blocked their education. A new rule could help: Higher education is especially reliant on computers and phones, but accessibility for people with disabilities has often been forgotten. An update to regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act set to take effect later this month could change that. Public institutions, including colleges and universities, have had two years to prepare for this new era of accessibility — but even those that have prioritized the updates say it poses many challenges. (Jonaki Mehta, NPR)

Tech

Data centers are creating “heat islands,” warming the land around them by up to 16 degrees: The sprawling data centers that power AI not only guzzle huge amounts of energy, according to new research they also warm the land around them by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit and make life hotter for more than 340 million people. (Laura Paddison, CNN)

More teens are getting hooked on gambling. Parents say it often goes undetected: The explosion of online gambling and sports betting, and the advertising behind it, is attracting a growing number of young people, mostly boys. (Sequoia Carrillo, NPR)

How social media is driving teens toward steroids and extreme body transformations: A growing number of teenage boys are chasing viral body transformations online, but behind the dramatic physiques is a troubling trend: use of a powerful drug never approved for humans. (Adam Yamaguchi and Grace Baek, CBS News)

Judges are increasingly using AI to draft rulings and prepare for hearings: A study that collected responses from 112 federal judges found more than 60% reported using AI tools at least once in their judicial work. Around 22% said they used AI daily or weekly in their duties. Judges say they’re aware of the risks, even as some experts worry that AI’s unreliability could compromise their authority. (Daniel Wu, Washington Post)

Can I opt out of having my doctor take notes with AI?: Your doctor might ask to have an AI tool listen during your next appointment. If you opt in, you’ll likely get more of your doctor’s attention. But the technology isn’t perfect. (Katherine Ruppelt, Cara Anthony, and Blake Farmer, KFF Health News)

Health Care

She paid into Medicare for years. Trump’s immigration policy will end her coverage: Because of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an estimated 100,000 lawfully present immigrants will soon be cut out of Medicare. (Vanessa G. Sánchez, NPR)

Trump administration’s secrecy on health deals alarms experts, governments: The Trump administration has been quietly negotiating agreements with poorer nations over U.S. foreign assistance for efforts like HIV and tuberculosis prevention. To date, 28 deals have been negotiated with foreign governments, mostly in Africa. But in a break with precedent, the administration has refused to publicly disclose their full terms. (Adam Taylor, Washington Post)

CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing: The CDC paused its diagnostic testing for rabies, monkeypox, and other infectious diseases. It’s not the first time the CDC has paused some of its lab testing. But it’s pausing more kinds of tests than ever before, and it’s not clear why. The pause comes in the wake of the dramatic downsizing of the CDC in the last year. (Mike Stobbe, Associated Press)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ DOJ admits ICE courthouse arrests relied on erroneous information

→ As the death toll rises in Trump’s immigration crackdown, support for ICE shrinks

→ Mullin to cities with international airports: “You’ve got to partner with us”

→ Medical examiner in Buffalo rules Rohingya refugee’s death a homicide

→ How the White House's $100,000 H-1B visa fee is impacting America's ability to attract global talent

Other News:

→ Inspector general’s report says human error, not political motive, to blame for release of Mikie Sherrill’s military records

→ Congressional Black Caucus scholarships discriminate based on race, lawsuit alleges

→ FBI declares suspected Chinese hack of U.S. surveillance system a “major cyber incident”

→ Hegseth lifts suspensions of Army helicopter crews who flew over Kid Rock’s Nashville home

→ Judge rules Trump order eliminating NPR, PBS funding is unconstitutional

→ Appellate court stays decision that would have allowed Voice of America employees to resume work

→ The National Park Service race to rewrite history becomes a slog

→ Top FEMA official doubles down on claim he teleported to Waffle House

→ Colorado court orders resentencing for former county clerk in election fraud scheme

On The Lighter Side

TMZ sics its tipsters on a new breed of celebrity villain: members of Congress: After lawmakers left Washington for spring break with the DHS shut down and federal workers not being paid, the Hollywood tabloid news organization TMZ began publishing photos of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle living it up around the country. (Catie Edmondson, New York Times)

Upcoming Events

📌 How to Use ProPublica’s Database of Trump Appointee Financial Disclosures. ProPublica. Wednesday, April 8, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET.

Nominations & Appointments

Nominations

Mike Hendershot - Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
Arthur “Rob” Jones - Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Jeffrey Kuntz - Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
John Marck - Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas