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Section 702 Expires April 20. What Intelligence Agencies Lose If It Lapses.

Congress faces a deadline nine weeks away. What happens if nobody blinks and the authority lapses? Intelligence officials say the U.S. would lose the single most valuable foreign intelligence collection…

17 Min Read

Why Congress Keeps Fighting Over the Same Surveillance Law Every Few Years

The Trump administration wants Congress to renew Section 702—a surveillance law that lets intelligence agencies collect Americans' communications without a warrant—before April 20, 2026. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces pressure…

An Independent Team to Decode Government

GovFacts is a nonpartisan site focused on making government concepts and policies easier to understand — and government programs easier to access.

Our articles are referenced by trusted think tanks and publications including Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill, and USA Today.

Your Money & Home

If the Tariff Case Goes One Way, Billions in Collected Revenue Must Be Refunded

The Supreme Court will announce a decision within days that could force the federal government to refund approximately $130 billion…

If TSA Agents Walk Out, Can They Be Fired? What Federal Workers Risk in Shutdowns

On February 14, 2026, roughly 47,000 to 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents reported to work at America's airports knowing their…

Your Company Paid Tariffs. Here’s How to Prepare for Possible Refunds.

The Supreme Court has spent approximately 100 days deliberating over whether President Trump's tariffs violated federal law—a timeline measured from…

Your Health & Safety

Civil Rights History in Schools: What Federal Education Standards Require

When Reverend Jesse Jackson died in February 2026, the national conversation about his legacy collided with an uncomfortable reality: most…

Inside the Grand Jury: How Citizens Block Prosecutions Prosecutors Want

In fiscal year 2013, federal grand juries approved charges in 99.993 percent of cases—196,964 indictments out of 196,969 matters presented.…

Inside the Grand Jury: The Citizens Who Check Prosecutorial Power

The jury refused to charge them. What Grand Juries Are Supposed to Do The Constitution requires that before the federal…

Your Voice & Rights

How Jesse Jackson’s Presidential Campaigns Reshaped Voting Rights Enforcement

Jackson launched his first presidential campaign in 1983. The law existed. The federal government had tools to enforce it. What…

TSA Agents Must Work Unpaid During Shutdowns. Here’s What Labor Law Says.

This isn't some bureaucratic oversight or emergency improvisation. It's exactly what federal law allows. The legal framework permitting the government…

The Speech or Debate Clause: Why Prosecuting Lawmakers Is Nearly Impossible

Grand juries indict more than ninety percent of the time when federal prosecutors ask them to. This wasn't one of…

Your World

Data Centers Need Massive Power. Here’s Who Decides If They Get It.

Microsoft's stock plummeted in early 2026 after the company revealed an $80 billion backlog of customer orders it cannot fulfill.…

The Environmental Reviews Required Before Building a Massive Data Center

Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are preparing to spend nearly $700 billion on artificial intelligence data centers in 2026. Most of…

373 Judges Rejected This Detention Policy. Why ICE Can Still Enforce It.

Right now, 373 federal judges have rejected the Trump administration's sweeping immigration detention policy. Only 28 have sided with it.…

When Federal Courts Issue Conflicting Immigration Orders, This Is What Happens

More than 18,000 federal habeas petitions filed by detained immigrants since Trump took office. Over 4,400 favorable rulings issued by…

Trending Federal Guidance

USPS Package Size Limits

Whether you're shipping products nationwide as a small business owner or sending gifts to loved ones, choosing the right packaging and mailing option can save you time, money, and stress.…

14 Min Read

Understanding the Social Security Earnings Limit

You can receive Social Security retirement or survivor benefits while still employed. However, if you…

Understanding Your Passport Costs: A Clear Guide to Fees

Getting a U.S. passport is your ticket to international travel, but understanding the associated costs…

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: Understanding Your Rights Under the FLSA

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the cornerstone of federal wage and hour law…

Step-by-Step Guide for Applying for Social Security Benefits

Navigating Social Security benefits doesn't have to be complicated. This guide breaks down the application…

Other Top Federal Guidance

USPS Media Mail Rules and Restrictions

Media Mail is an economy shipping service provided by the USPS specifically for sending media items. Its primary purpose is…

The National Security Advisor, Explained

The most powerful person in American foreign policy often isn't who you'd expect. It's not the Secretary of State, who…

Is the White House Counsel the President’s Lawyer? Not Exactly

Every president has a lawyer, but the White House Counsel who sits just steps from the Oval Office, at the…

Who Sits on the National Space Council?

The National Space Council has operated with an on-again, off-again existence that reflects shifting presidential priorities. Established by law under…

The I Visa for Foreign Media and Journalists

The United States immigration system provides a specific pathway for international journalists and media professionals known as the Media (I)…

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Why Congress Created Agencies the President Can’t Fire—And Whether That Still Holds

On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that attempts to bring agencies that Congress set up to be independent from the president—the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the…

20 Min Read

When the White House Blocks Your Agency’s Rule: Legal Options for Fighting Back

On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an order that requires independent regulatory agencies—the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and others Congress…

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How Emergency Economic Powers Work—And What Counts as an Emergency

By late 2025, small business owners across America were paying more than $16 billion monthly in levies imposed under a law most Americans have never heard of. Tristan Wright makes…

20 Min Read

The Federal Process for Designating New Civil Rights Historic Sites

The death of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson on February 17, 2026, at age 84 set off an immediate scramble among preservationists. Not the usual scramble—the kind where historians debate legacy…

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The Supreme Court’s Opinion Schedule: Who Decides What Gets Released When

Most Americans will learn about Supreme Court decisions through news headlines, probably while scrolling their phones. What they won't see is the months of invisible maneuvering that determined why these…

15 Min Read

When SCOTUS Rules, Federal Agencies Have 30 Days to Respond. Here’s What Happens.

On February 20, the justices are expected to release opinions in cases involving Trump's tariff authority and Louisiana's congressional redistricting. Both rulings will trigger immediate implementation challenges and put federal…

15 Min Read

Speech or Debate Clause: The Constitutional Shield for Congressional Speech

On February 10, 2026, twenty-three ordinary citizens sitting in a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. did something that a former federal judge had never witnessed in nearly twenty years on…

23 Min Read

The Sedition Law Prosecutors Tried to Use Against Democratic Lawmakers

In 2010, federal grand juries refused only 11 of 162,000 proposed indictments. That's about 0.007 percent—roughly one in fifteen thousand. The system is designed to make indictments routine. So on…

20 Min Read

What Safeguards Exist Against Weaponizing Criminal Law for Politics

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. did something this week that almost never happens: they refused to indict. The target was six Democratic members of Congress. The charge prosecutors…

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The Legal Authority Behind Reassigning FBI Agents to Immigration Duty

They sent agents to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement round up undocumented immigrants. This happened fast, starting within days of the January 20, 2025 inauguration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,…

20 Min Read

Big Tech’s $690 Billion Spending Spree Could Strain the US Power Grid

Five American technology companies plan to spend nearly $690 billion on infrastructure in 2026—almost double what they spent in 2025. Amazon alone is committing $200 billion. Microsoft, $120 billion. Google's…

19 Min Read