Mass layoffs, revoked grants, and silenced scientists — today’s headlines reveal sweeping changes with lasting consequences. The Trump administration cuts 10,000 jobs across U.S. health agencies, halts federal research grants to Princeton, and suspends security clearances for Covington & Burling attorneys tied to past investigations. New coal leases are proposed, and a crackdown on ticket price-gouging is announced. Meanwhile, over 1,900 scientists denounce what they call a coordinated assault on research and evidence-based policymaking. Supporters call it reform. Critics warn of institutional damage. Trump Today in 3 Minutes. Straightforward. Urgent. No spin.

Union rights rolled back. Harvard under review. Troops in Texas. In today’s episode, we cover the Trump administration’s sweeping move to eliminate collective bargaining for most federal employees, a high-stakes federal review of Harvard’s funding over antisemitism claims, and a new round of tariffs poised to jolt global markets. Meanwhile, troops are deployed to a low-traffic border zone in Texas, and special elections in Florida test the administration’s political footing. Overseas, strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue amid warnings of regional escalation. Trump Today in 3 Minutes. Direct. Urgent. No spin.

Democracy in name, but is the substance slipping away? In this Deeper Dive, we examine expert warnings of “competitive authoritarianism” in the U.S.—a system where democratic structures remain, but the playing field is rigged. From attacks on universities and media to executive overreach, purges of the civil service, and pressure on courts and law firms, we connect the dots between today’s headlines and historical patterns of democratic decline. Drawing global comparisons and grounded in powerful reporting, this episode asks: how fragile is American democracy—and what can be done before the window to act closes?