Trump Administration Fires 16 WTC Health Staff, Cuts Two-Thirds NIOSH, Faces 19 AG Lawsuit Amid AmeriCorps and Sudan Aid Reductions

The Trump administration has implemented a series of budget cuts and staff reductions affecting multiple federal programs and aid organizations. Notably, the World Trade Center Health Program has seen the firing of 16 staff members following a previous reduction of two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which oversees the program. These cuts have delayed care for cancer patients and others relying on the program. Additionally, the administration's reductions to AmeriCorps funding have led to the termination of approximately half of the programs serving states that President Trump won in the 2024 election, prompting lawsuits from AmeriCorps grant recipients seeking to block the cuts.

The reductions have also impacted aid groups, many religious, that provide free or low-cost food to struggling Americans. Furthermore, 19 state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), arguing that the restructuring has destroyed life-saving programs and shifted financial burdens to states. Internationally, foreign aid cuts have forced 80% of emergency kitchens in Sudan to close amid a civil war that has killed over 150,000 people, displaced more than 14 million, and left over half the population facing starvation. Lawmakers and advocates have expressed concern that these budget cuts have gutted crucial programs affecting millions of Americans and exacerbated humanitarian crises abroad.