Latest News
Justice Dept. Says “Disparate Impact” Rules Should Be Eliminated in Job Recruitment
The Justice Department is accusing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under previous presidential administrations of violating civil rights laws through its guidelines that define what kind of job discrimination is prohibited.
One of the guidelines describes “disparate impact,” which refers to policies that disproportionately harm others based on their race, ethnicity or gender even when they are intended to be neutral.
The Justice Department’s legal opinion last week said guidelines that require employers to avoid “disparate impact” are unconstitutional.
The legal opinion does not have the force of law but it represents a policy shift that would make it harder for the EEOC to penalize employers accused of discrimination.
"The fundamental problem is that disparate impact liability tends to incent — and even coerce — employers to make race-based decisions to avoid liability or the threat of liability," said the opinion.
Judge Denies Emergency Order to Halt Removal of Trump's Name from Kennedy Center
Work crews removed Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., last week despite a last-minute appeal to a federal court by his supporters to stop them.
Trump’s name was taken down in response to a lawsuit filed by an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees.
She argued that the Trump-appointed board exceeded its legal authority when it voted in December 2025 to rename the institution "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper agreed in his May 29 decision. He ordered Trump's name removed from the building and from official materials no later than June 12.
His order also blocked a planned two-year closure of the center for $257 million in renovations at Trump’s direction.
Trump Advocates for “Anti-Weaponization Fund” Despite Judge’s Ruling Against It
President Donald Trump continues to advocate for his nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” despite a federal judge’s ruling that the payouts are likely illegal without congressional approval.
Trump is urging Congress to approve the controversial settlement between him and the Internal Revenue Service.
During a “Meet the Press” television interview last week, Trump said people were “hurt so badly by radical left lunatics” under the Biden administration and they should be paid what they “deserve.”
He was referring mostly to people who claim to have been victimized by reprisals after the 2021 attack on the Capitol. It could include compensation for January 6 rioters who were sentenced to prison.
The Justice Department initially said it was backing off the planned fund and that it would “abide by the Court’s ruling.”
Legal Briefs
D.C. Council Stuck in Budget Dispute Over Social Services
The District of Columbia Council is moving toward restoring hundreds of millions of dollars for social services and community programs that Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed cutting in her fiscal 2027 budget.
Council members proposed budget revisions last week to preserve funding for programs serving low-income residents, including housing assistance, violence prevention initiatives, public health programs and social services.
Bowser wants to reduce or eliminate many of the programs to deal with growing financial pressures. She is warning of bigger economic calamities without budget cuts.
The Council says its program restorations would be financed in part through the city's reserve funds and by generating additional revenue through changes to the District's tax code. The reserve fund is intended primarily for emergencies.
A key component of the Council's approach would be to decouple the District's tax laws from certain federal tax changes enacted by Republicans in Congress last year. Because the District generally conforms its tax code to federal law, congressional tax changes can affect local revenues unless city lawmakers take separate action.
Supporters of the Council plan argue that failing to decouple from the federal tax provisions would result in significant revenue losses for the District at a time when demand for social services remains high.
The city is only slowly recovering from downtown office vacancies and lower commercial real estate values. Law offices that switched many workers to remote work are part of the reason.
Council members who want to keep generous social benefits say the city’s reserve funds are adequate to avoid cuts to critical services. They say investments in housing, health care, education and public safety programs could prevent larger social and financial costs in the future.
Any spending plan approved by the Council would require the mayor’s signature, setting the stage for another round of funding disputes over the 2027 budget.
D.C. in Brief
Park and Planning Commission Sues PG County Over Budget Transfers
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is suing Prince George’s County in a dispute over millions of dollars the commission says county officials are improperly redirecting for their own benefit.
The lawsuit, filed in state court, alleges Prince George’s County exceeded its legal authority by attempting to transfer funds dedicated by law to the planning commission.
The money is supposed to be used for park maintenance, land use planning and community development. The commission argues the transfers threaten its ability to carry out services mandated under state law.
A court ruling in favor of the commission could reinforce the autonomy of independent agencies operating within county governments. A victory for the county could expand local officials’ flexibility in addressing budget shortfalls.
According to court filings, the commission contends county officials have repeatedly targeted reserve funds and other revenues under its control as they work to address broader budget pressures.
The agency claims the county’s actions violate statutory protections that govern how commission funds may be collected, managed and spent.
Commission officials said the lawsuit was filed only after efforts to resolve the disagreement through negotiations failed. They claim the county’s proposed transfers would undermine the commission’s financial independence.
“The commission has a legal obligation to safeguard public resources entrusted to it and to ensure those resources are used for their intended purposes,” the agency said in a statement announcing the litigation.
Prince George’s County leaders say the fund transfers are consistent with their interpretation of state law governing local government finances.
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