PBS News Hour

GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Today, a federal judge said that President# Do.. a blanket freeze on federal spending and again# directed the administration to release the funds.

AMNA NAWAZ: That as top prosecutors# in nearly half the country just won a## temporary legal victory, restoring medical# research funding stripped late last week.

White House correspondent Laura# Barron-Lopez joins us now for more.

So, Laura, with three weeks into the# Trump administration, you're seeing a## growing number of federal judges describe# the president's actions as overreach.

What## more did federal judges say about Mr. Trump's# attempts to free some of those federal funds.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, on that sweeping# freeze of federal funding, District Judge## John McConnell said in a ruling today that# the Trump administration's continued freeze## of those funds -- quote -- "violate the plain# text of an order" that he previously issued## saying that they needed to stop and that# they needed to release all of those funds.

And Judge McConnell called Trump's actions# -- quote -- "likely unconstitutional" and## said that the freeze continues to --# quote -- "cause irreparable harm" to## much of the country.

Now, he didn't hold# any government officials in contempt,## criminal contempt, but hinted that he might# in the future if they violate this order.

And he specifically ordered the administration to# stop freezing money for the infrastructure law,## for the Inflation Reduction Act -- those are Biden# era laws -- as well as said that he needed -- that## the administration needed to release funding# for the National Institutes of Health.

So the big question here, Amna, is,# does the Trump administration comply## with this judge's order?

I asked the# White House.

They didn't answer that## question.

And there's some suggestions# from people like Vice President Pence## as well as Elon Musk that they think that the# administration should defy the court orders.

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned the# National Institutes of Health, or NIH.

On Friday night, we should remind folks, the# Trump administration announced it was cutting## billions of dollars in NIH funding.

We just# saw a temporary legal victory for the case to## let those funds move ahead.

What should we# understand about that case and its impact?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, now a second# judge has said just moments ago that## the administration needs to# release that funding for the## National Institutes of Health that goes to# medical centers, that goes to universities.

And it funds research for things like# cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.## And they said that the administration needs to# show within 24 hours that they have released## that funds and they have to show that on# an ongoing basis, because essentially the## states argue that this is lifesaving research# that is being held up because of this block.

AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, we have seen Mr.# Trump and Elon Musk's work to slash the## federal work force continue, this time# with the Consumer Financial Protection## Bureau.

Tell us about that.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: That's right.

Russ Vought, who is the head of the budget# office for the Trump administration,## but also the acting director of the# CFPB, that consumer watchdog group,## he ordered that all CFPB staff stop working,# don't come into the office.

This is something## that Project 2025 wanted to do.

They# wanted to eliminate the entire agency.

But like the USAID, Agency# for International Development,## it takes an act of Congress if you're going# to dismantle any of these agencies or even## try to transfer their functions.

And so,# again, it's a question of whether or not## Congress is going to step in here.

It's a# playbook similar to what they did with USAID.

And we did see today that, despite, again, a# judge's order saying that USAID workers had to## be allowed to return to work and to reinstate# their functions and the work of the agency,## ultimately, those workers were barred# from entering their office today, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: Our White House correspondent,# Laura Barron-Lopez, with the latest.

Laura, thank you.

Thank you.