The Mexico City Policy (aka the "Global Gag Rule") bars U.S. foreign assistance from funding foreign NGOs that provide, counsel, refer for, or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning. The expansion announced in 2025–26 broadens the policy��to prohibit U.S. funding to organizations that directly or indirectly subsidize abortion, and (per the administration) to exclude groups that promote "gender ideology" or diversity/DEI programs; in practice it can block U.S. global health and development grants and contracts to NGOs unless they forgo covered activities or lose U.S. aid. (It applies to principal recipients of U.S. foreign assistance and to federal awards that include the Mexico City award term.)
NIH-funded fetal-tissue research historically included studies using human fetal tissue to study infectious diseases, vaccine development, organ development, and certain transplantation or developmental biology models (e.g., HIV, Zika, organogenesis, and humanized mouse models). An NIH decision to end use of fetal tissue in federally funded research would affect projects that rely on human fetal tissue reagents or models (humanized mice, fetal thymus/liver implants, some immunology and developmental studies), forcing investigators to find alternative models or stop those lines of work.
A Department of Health and Human Services "Notice of Violation" (NoV) is a formal finding by HHS�Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that a state or entity has likely violated federal civil-rights or program requirements; it triggers corrective actions and can precede enforcement (investigations, technical compliance requirements, referral to other agencies). In this case OCR said the Illinois referral requirement conflicts with federal conscience laws; OCR invoked federal conscience protections found in statutes such as the Weldon Amendment, the Church Amendments, the Coats-Snowe provisions and related HHS-administered conscience authorities that bar discrimination against providers who decline to participate in abortions or other procedures on religious or moral grounds.
HHS said it "rescinded eight Biden-era guidance documents" but the agency�fact sheet and public notices list the rescissions and repudiations rather than a single named set; they include rescission or repudiation of prior HHS/CMS/OCR guidance on EMTALA/emergency-stabilizing-care (letters and guidance reminding hospitals they must provide abortion as stabilizing care), and other Biden-era civil-rights/gender/abortion-related guidance identified in HHS�publication notices. HHS�has published a Federal Register notification listing specific HHS documents identified for rescission; consult HHS�press materials and the Federal Register notice for the exact list. (Article did not name each of the eight documents.)
The SBA review asks Planned Parenthood affiliates to document eligibility for roughly $88 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans received during COVID; the agency is reviewing whether entities met PPP eligibility rules (e.g., for-profit vs. nonprofit status, revenue sources). Potential outcomes include repayment demands, loan forgiveness reversals, civil penalties, deobligation of funds, or referrals for criminal investigation if fraud is found; if eligibility is confirmed loans remain forgiven.
HHS and CMS previously relied on Biden-era guidance (CMS letters and guidance tied to EMTALA and other policies) that said emergency/stabilizing care could include abortion to protect pregnant patients; the Trump HHS move rolls back that policy. Practically, hospitals and ERs would no longer be under that federal guidance to interpret EMTALA as requiring abortion as stabilizing care regardless of state abortion bans, which could reduce federal protection for providing abortions in emergency settings and allow more reliance on state law and hospital conscience policies when treating unaccompanied children. (The article�says HHS moved to roll back a policy guaranteeing taxpayer-funded abortions for unaccompanied children; HHS actions rescinding EMTALA/emergency-abortion guidance and related Medicaid/CMS letters change the federal posture on required services for such children.)
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTCA) signed by the President raises the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to $2,200 per child and establishes refundable "Trump Accounts" for newborns (a savings-like child benefit), expands childcare tax credits and strengthens paid-leave tax credits; it also includes language intended to bar Medicaid funds from being used to pay abortion providers. These changes generally increase direct tax benefits for families (higher per-child credit, expanded childcare and paid-leave tax credits) while adding a statutory protection restricting Medicaid payments to abortion providers; implementation details and budget effects depend on IRS/CMS rules and appropriations.