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How Federal Agents Are Investigated When They Kill U.S. Citizens

Two Americans are dead, shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis seventeen days apart. Renée Nicole Good, 37, mother of three, killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026,…

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What the Fourth Amendment Requires Before ICE Can Enter Your Home

Federal agents broke into ChongLy "Very Scott" Thao's St. Paul home with the wrong address. They knew this within minutes—the person they were seeking no longer lived there and the…

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

How CFIUS Reviews Dual-Use Technology Mergers for National Security

A small federal committee called CFIUS has the power to reshape, delay, or kill Elon Musk's $1.25 trillion merger between…

FCC Spectrum Limits Were Designed for Dozens of Operators. One Wants Millions of Satellites.

SpaceX operates over 9,400 satellites. When Elon Musk announced the company's acquisition of xAI in a deal valued at $1.25…

Can the FTC Block Private Company Mergers? The Authority Is Murky.

Elon Musk announced a $1.25 trillion deal in early February 2026: SpaceX would acquire xAI. The deal raised a question…

Your Health & Safety

How State Criminal Cases Can Jump to Federal Court—And Why It Rarely Happens

A federal judge in Manhattan heard arguments about something that almost never happens in American criminal law: whether to move…

The Supreme Court Immunity Ruling Now Complicating Trump’s Hush Money Case

On January 10, 2025, a New York judge sentenced Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge—a sentence with no punishment at…

What Happens to a Conviction If a Case Moves to Federal Court After Trial

A former president sits convicted in New York state court while a federal judge decides whether that conviction should be…

Your Voice & Rights

Can the FBI Seize State Election Records? What Federalism Law Says.

On January 28, 2026, federal agents wearing tactical vests walked into the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center in…

Sealed Warrants and Election Records: How Federal Search Authority Works

On January 28, 2026, FBI agents in tactical gear loaded more than 700 boxes of certified 2020 ballots into vehicles…

What Role Does the Intelligence Director Play in Domestic Law Enforcement?

FBI agents backed trucks up to the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center in Georgia on January 28, 2026,…

Your World

The Obscure 1977 Law at the Center of Trump’s Tariff Battle

Hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs hang in the balance. The Supreme Court is deciding whether a president can…

Major Questions Doctrine: The Supreme Court Tool Reshaping Presidential Power

The federal government has collected $287 billion in customs duties in 2025 alone—a 192% increase over the previous year—while the…

New START Expires: The 50-Year History of U.S.-Russia Arms Control Treaties

For the first time since Richard Nixon met Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow, the United States and Russia have no active…

Without a Treaty, How Does the U.S. Track Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal?

On February 5, 2026, New START expired without replacement. For fifteen years before that, U.S. inspectors had walked through Russian…

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…

How Congress Forced the Release of the Epstein Files

By late autumn 2025, the United States House of Representatives found itself at the center of a constitutional clash. This…

USPS Tracking “Held in Customs”? What It Means for You

See 'Held in Customs' on your USPS tracking? Here's what it means. This status is a routine part of the…

Presidential Major Disaster Declarations: How Federal Aid Gets Activated

When a hurricane obliterates a coastline, a wildfire consumes a town, or a flood devastates a region, the immediate response…

Why a Federal Court Blocked the Texas Congressional Map in 2025 Redistricting Fight

In November 2025, a three-judge federal panel blocked Texas from using a new congressional map for the 2026 midterms. The…

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If the Supreme Court Sides with Trump, Congress Loses Its Oldest Power

When the First Congress convened in 1789, it didn't start with grand speeches about democracy or the rights of man. It passed a tariff bill. The Tariff Act of 1789…

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How Congress Could Reclaim Tariff Authority—And Why It Probably Won’t

President Trump imposed broad tariffs in 2025 using emergency powers. The Supreme Court will soon decide whether he exceeded his authority. But here's what matters more: even if the justices…

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What New START’s Expiration Means for Nuclear War Risk

On February 5, 2026, the last treaty constraining the nuclear arsenals of the world's two largest nuclear powers expired at midnight. For the first time since the early 1970s, the…

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Can a President Let a Senate-Ratified Treaty Expire Without Congressional Approval?

At midnight on February 5, 2026, the world's last remaining major arms control pact expired. No replacement exists. What makes this moment matter for how our government works isn't the…

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When Presidents Call Foreign Leaders: How the State Department Preps These Calls

When Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 4, 2026, the call itself lasted perhaps an hour. The preparation consumed days. Dozens of government employees across the…

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Presidential Foreign Policy Powers Have Few Limits. Here’s Why.

On February 4, 2026, President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping for 90 minutes—discussing Taiwan's future, Iranian nuclear threats, and trade—without asking Congress for permission. Congress learned about…

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The Federal Reserve Was Built to Be Independent. Here’s How That Works.

When federal prosecutors served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas in January 2026, most news coverage focused on the constitutional drama: Could a president investigate the nation's central bank…

19 Min Read

DOJ Probes Fed Chair Powell: What’s at Risk When Criminal Law Meets Central Banking

In January 2026, the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over his congressional testimony about a building renovation. Nearly every mainstream economist and…

12 Min Read

No Fed Chair Has Faced Criminal Investigation Before. Why This Is Unprecedented.

Federal prosecutors issued legal orders demanding Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell appear before a grand jury on Friday, January 10, 2026, threatening to formally charge him with a crime. The…

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What Congress Can Do If DOJ Investigations Threaten Fed Independence

In January 2026, the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for statements he made to the Senate Banking Committee about a building renovation.…

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Can State Prosecutors Charge a President? The Constitutional Question at Stake

The Second Circuit's November 2025 order doesn't cancel Trump's 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. But it does something that could matter more: it forces a federal judge to…

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