Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal” while enslaving hundreds of people at Monticello. The Constitution established democratic principles while permitting slavery. After the Civil War, formerly enslaved Americans were promised 40 acres and a mule as part of an effort to build economic independence, only to see those commitments abandoned.

A coalition led by the Society of Professional Journalists is urging the Trump administration to abandon a proposal that would allow federal agencies to require employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, warning that the measure could discourage whistleblowers, limit communication with journalists, and reduce public access to information about the workings of government.

A coalition of Democratic senators are asking a federal appeals court to overturn a decision they say threatens the foundation of the modern federal workforce, warning that millions of government employees could lose long-standing protections against politically motivated firings.

Donald Trump’s second presidency is littered with the firing of Black leaders, the dismantling of civil rights protections, the gutting of federal jobs that helped build the Black middle class, attacks on Black history and diversity programs, and even the public circulation of racist imagery depicting America’s first Black president and first lady as apes.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is warning that the White House’s national AI framework moves aggressively to boost industry growth but leaves unanswered who will benefit from the wealth and opportunity the technology is expected to generate.