What's Happening

US News

Trump's Freeze on Government Funding on Hold for Now

What's going on: A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing federal grants and loans yesterday, just minutes before it was set to take effect. The judge’s move came after the executive order created a whirlwind of confusion and chaos among public service agencies, charities, and state Medicaid departments — many of which questioned if they could continue critical operations. The White House eventually clarified its vague language and assured the public that benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and food stamps wouldn’t be affected. But Medicaid’s online funding system went down yesterday, disrupting the program that provides health insurance to about a fifth of Americans. The White House said no payments would be affected, and many states regained access to the portal.

What it means: The judge’s pause on the order expires Monday, pending legal challenges. A group of Democratic state attorneys general has already filed a lawsuit against the Trump admin over the freeze. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemned the administration’s move as “destructive” and “unconstitutional.” But White House officials said the freeze is designed to align with other executive orders targeting the environment, transgender rights, and DEI efforts. If the federal funding freeze takes effect, nonprofit groups warn the impacts could be “devastating.” Programs like Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and funding for rape kits, hospitals, housing assistance, disaster relief, and domestic violence prevention could all potentially be at risk.

Related: The Big Trump Buyout: Two Million Federal Workers Offered the Option to Resign (Axios)

Geography

Are We in Two Geographical Realities? Google Maps Points to a 'Yes'

What's going on: What’s in a name? Apparently, a whole lot of politics. Following President Donald Trump’s executive order, Google said it will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Denali back to “Mount McKinley” in its maps, but only for users in the US. While these changes will soon be reflected in federal documents and official US maps, other countries are not required to follow suit. “For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico,” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said last week. Meanwhile, Alaska lawmakers are pushing back, urging Trump to keep Denali’s name, in recognition of its deep Indigenous ties. As for the media, The Associated Press will use both names in its reporting and style guide. See? Compromise.

What it means: While it may seem like Google Maps is bending the knee to the Trump administration, this isn’t its first foray into tech diplomacy — the app has been juggling geopolitics for years to keep the peace (and its market share). Take South Korea, for example: Locals see the body of water between them and Japan labeled “East Sea,” while the rest of the world sees it as “Sea of Japan (East Sea),” according to The Washington Post. Still, Google’s change is raising eyebrows given the Trump administration’s close ties to the tech industry (CEO Sundar Pichai sat front-row at the inauguration, alongside the other tech bros). As for Apple, it has yet to comment on whether it will be changing its map.

Related: US Government Agencies Now Have Their Own Version of ChatGPT (CNBC)

Travel

Can Countries Do Anything To Stop Tourists From Taking Over?

What's going on: We’ve all been there: You get to your dream vacation spot after months of planning, ready to take the perfect pictures… only to realize the entire place is overrun with tourists — and you’re one of them. Enter: “Overtourism.” Last year, more than 1.4 billion people visited another country. Now, countries are kicking things up a notch in 2025 to curtail the number of visitors. New Zealand introduced a $57 tourist tax, Pompeii is capping daily visitors, and Ibiza is limiting how many cruise ships can dock at the same time. Meanwhile, France, the Czech Republic, and Greece are imposing higher taxes on Airbnb and short-term rentals for foreign visitors.

What it means: Past efforts have done little to convince tourists to stay home or offset the negative impacts of their travels. (Not even Barcelona’s water guns can fight this battle.) It’s not clear if these new measures will have the desired effect either. These policies could also end up pushing travelers to visit other places and create issues there — like a game of whack-a-tourist. One expert told The New York Times that “once overtourism has arrived, it’s exceedingly difficult to turn back the clock.” Still, government leaders around the globe are struggling to strike a balance between keeping tourism in line while reaping the $1.6 trillion worth of economic benefits that it brings annually.

Related: This Is One Way To Make Sure Major Airlines Boot You (NYT Gift Link)