Apple News Today: Detailed Summary of "Why Some of Trump’s Big Supreme Court Wins Remain a Mystery"

Release Date: July 18, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu
Description: Join Shemitah Basu every weekday morning as she guides you through some of the most fascinating stories in the news — and how the world’s best journalists are covering them.

1. House Approves $9 Billion Cuts to Foreign Aid and Public Media

Shemitah Basu opens the episode by discussing a significant development in federal spending. On July 17, 2025, the House approved a $9 billion budget that includes substantial cuts to foreign aid and public media. Both chambers of Congress had previously agreed to reallocate funds that were initially designated for global health programs and emergency food aid.

Key Points:

• Historical Context: This marks the first instance in over 25 years where Congress approved a rescission request allowing the President to cancel already approved funding.
• Administration Influence: Members of the Trump administration, notably White House Budget Director Russell Vogt and Elon Musk's Doge team, advocated for these cuts, arguing they were necessary to eliminate "waste, fraud, and abuse" in the federal budget.
• Legislative Support: The message resonated with many lawmakers, culminating in bipartisan support. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune commended the administration's efforts, stating, “[quote, 01:38]” “I appreciate all the work the administration has done in identifying wasteful spending, and now it's time for the Senate to do its part to cut some of that waste out of the budget.”

Investigative Insights: NPR conducted an in-depth investigation, interviewing six officials from USAID and the State Department who revealed that the purported reviews lacked thoroughness. Instead of comprehensive evaluations, Trump officials and Doge team members employed a simplistic keyword search methodology. They flagged programs containing terms like “gender,” “family planning,” “climate,” or “equality” for cuts, prioritizing alignment with Trump’s agenda over actual program effectiveness or instances of improper spending.

As explained by one official at [02:24]:

"The review may have focused more on how much a program aligned with Trump's agenda rather than measuring its effectiveness or identifying potential improper spending."

Additionally, Trump administration claims of wasteful expenditures were found to be largely unsubstantiated. For instance, Paul Martin, former USAID inspector general, alleged significant misallocation of funds toward LGBTQ initiatives in Uganda and Nepal but failed to provide supporting documentation. When NPR requested evidence, the response was nonexistent.

Contrasting Views: The State Department countered these claims by asserting that their review process was exhaustive and individual program evaluations were conducted meticulously. However, this stance was challenged by Paul Martin, who stated at [04:14]:

"As far as I know, never once has anybody in Doge or in the new administration referred to the IG's Office Criminal allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. Frankly, the handful examples I'm aware of were just completely made up."

2. Trump's Influence on the Supreme Court and the 'Shadow Docket'

A significant portion of the episode delves into the Supreme Court's recent activities under the Trump administration, particularly focusing on the use of the emergency appeals process, commonly referred to as the "shadow docket."

Understanding the Shadow Docket: The shadow docket allows the Supreme Court to make swift decisions on cases without the usual comprehensive procedures, such as full briefings, oral arguments, or detailed opinions. These decisions are often temporary, enabling policies to be implemented while lower courts continue to deliberate on the legality of the actions.

Key Discussion Points:

• Prevalence of Emergency Appeals: Trump’s administration has been aggressively utilizing the shadow docket to secure favorable rulings. This tactic has been employed in cases ranging from federal workforce reductions to immigration policies.
• Supreme Court Dynamics: The conservative majority, solidified by Trump’s three judicial appointments, has been instrumental in these swift rulings. Legal experts like Bloomberg Supreme Court reporter Lydia Wheeler explain that these decisions often lack transparency, making them appear partisan and undermining the court's reputation as an impartial institution.

Notable Quotes: Maria Sacchetti highlights the aggressive strategy:

“[04:55] Maria Sacchetti: Basically, every time the Trump administration loses a court challenge in a lower court, what they do is they rush up to the Supreme Court and they say, hey, justices, we need you to let us, like, implement the policy that we're trying to implement while we still fight whether it's legal in court.”

Lydia Wheeler adds concern over the court’s impartiality:

“[07:38] Maria Sacchetti: And the more that the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Trump administration, legal scholars say that it invites other people, other litigants to also come to the court the minute they lose at the lower court and try to appeal.”

Case Study: Department of Education Cuts This week, the court ruled against a lawsuit challenging Trump’s extensive cuts to the Department of Education. The Supreme Court allowed the administration to maintain cuts that led to a 50% reduction in the department's workforce, despite lower courts questioning the legality of such large-scale dismantling of a Congress-established entity.

Maria Sacchetti observes:

“[05:59] Maria Sacchetti: The Supreme Court said, you don't have to reinstate 1400 employees of the Education Department that you had cut, which a lower court had told him he had to do.”

This decision sets a troubling precedent, contrasting with previous rulings that limited executive overreach, such as the court’s earlier decision against President Biden’s attempt to cancel student loan debt.

3. Immigration Policy Changes: Removal of Bond Hearings and Increased Deportations

The Trump administration has implemented stringent immigration policies aimed at accelerating deportations to meet the ambitious goal of removing one million undocumented immigrants within the first year of the administration.

Key Changes:

• Elimination of Bond Hearings: Previously, individuals detained for civil immigration violations were eligible for bond hearings, allowing them to be released on bail while their cases were processed. The new policy removes this eligibility, significantly reducing the chances of release and legal recourse.

  As Amanda Hess explains:

  “[08:42] Amanda Hess: The Trump administration has departed from a very common practice. Normally, after someone in the interior of the United States, say Nebraska or Northern California, is arrested for civil immigration violations, they can be detained in immigration facilities. But generally they're eligible to ask for a bond hearing. They could be released on bail, then they can be with their families, they can work, and they can meet with their lawyers, crucially, so that they can build a case against being deported.”

• Increased Detention Capacities: The recently passed Republican tax and spending bill allocates over $3 billion to the Department of Justice for immigration-related activities, including expanding ICE's detention capacity to 100,000 individuals per day. This contrasts with efforts to reduce the federal workforce, such as the firing or resignation of approximately 50 immigration judges over the past six months, resulting in a 14% reduction in the judiciary.

Impact and Challenges: The removal of bond hearings severely hampers the ability of immigrants to defend themselves in removal proceedings, often stretching the process to months or years. Additionally, the shrinking number of immigration judges exacerbates the existing backlog of nearly 4 million cases, raising concerns about the system's capacity to handle the increased detention and deportation activities.

Legal and Humanitarian Concerns: While the administration asserts that these measures are essential for enforcing final removal orders and swiftly deporting individuals, critics argue that these policies undermine due process and human rights. The acting director of ICE acknowledges that the policy is likely to face legal challenges, but proponents within the administration remain steadfast in their commitment to the policy’s effectiveness.

4. Additional News Highlights

DOJ’s Recommendation on Brianna Taylor Case: The Department of Justice has recommended a one-day prison sentence for Brett Hankison, a former police officer convicted for his role in the fatal raid that killed Brianna Taylor in 2020. Taylor’s family and advocates view this recommendation as a gross miscarriage of justice, given the severity of the incident and the absence of charges against the officers who directly caused her death.

President Trump's Health Update: President Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common circulatory condition in older adults. This diagnosis comes amid public speculation about his health, especially after his recent appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup final, where he exhibited visibly swollen legs and a bruised hand.

Stephen Colbert’s Announcement: In a surprising revelation during the latest taping of The Late Show on CBS, Stephen Colbert announced that next year will mark the final season of the show. Colbert expressed his gratitude to CBS while simultaneously criticizing Paramount, the parent company, for their recent decision to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert quipped:

“[13:07] Stephen Colbert: The corporation released a statement where they said, you may take our money, but you will never take our dignity. You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low price of $16 million. We need the cash.”

CBS maintains that the decision to end The Late Show is purely financial and unrelated to other ongoing matters.

5. Conclusion

Shemitah Basu wraps up the episode by directing listeners to additional content available on the Apple News app, including an upcoming conversation with New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess about parenthood in the digital age. Basu encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged with the latest news through the Apple News platform.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• John Thune on Budget Cuts:
  “I appreciate all the work the administration has done in identifying wasteful spending, and now it's time for the Senate to do its part to cut some of that waste out of the budget.” [01:38]

• Paul Martin on Lack of Evidence:
  “As far as I know, never once has anybody in Doge or in the new administration referred to the IG's Office Criminal allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. Frankly, the handful examples I'm aware of were just completely made up.” [04:14]

• Maria Sacchetti on Shadow Docket Strategy:
  “Basically, every time the Trump administration loses a court challenge in a lower court, what they do is they rush up to the Supreme Court and they say, hey, justices, we need you to let us, like, implement the policy that we're trying to implement while we still fight whether it's legal in court.” [04:55]

• Amanda Hess on Immigration Policies:
  “The folks we're talking about here are folks who have been here a long time, and lawyers for immigrants argue have some defenses against being deported. But that's very difficult to build a case when you're detained, and it can take months, even years for removal proceedings to play out.” [09:33]

• Stephen Colbert on Ending The Late Show:
  “The corporation released a statement where they said, you may take our money, but you will never take our dignity. You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low price of $16 million. We need the cash.” [13:15]

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the "Apple News Today" episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the major discussions and insights surrounding Trump's administration's recent actions in federal spending, Supreme Court maneuvers, and immigration policies, as well as other pertinent news stories.