“Hours after the Trump administration announced a sweeping freeze on federal spending, the U.S. government on Tuesday found itself mired in confusion and chaos, as it looked to stave off potential interruptions to programs that promote food safety, combat crime, provide housing aid, produce medical research and respond to natural disasters,” the Washington Post reports.

“Few in Washington appeared to understand the scope and intention of a White House memo that initially directed agencies to ‘temporarily pause’ the disbursement of key funds, leaving thousands of government services — totaling billions of dollars and dedicated primarily to Americans’ health, safety and well-being — at risk of shutting down, at least temporarily.”

“The uncertainty forced the White House to clarify its approach by midday: In a new directive, the Office of Management and Budget said it sought only to bring spending in line with the president’s recent executives orders, including those that clamp down on foreign aid and funding for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, which Trump has called ‘radical and wasteful.'”

“President Trump and the writer E. Jean Carroll are arguing over whether a Supreme Court decision affording him substantial criminal immunity also shields him from having to pay tens of millions in damages for insulting her and saying she lied about his sexually assaulting her,” the New York Times reports.

Washington Post: “Around the nation, those who have crossed Trump are readying themselves, their families and their colleagues for the retribution that the president and his allies have pledged will come. Those who fear they could be targeted include election officials, prosecutors, current and former elected officials, democracy advocates, people who worked in Trump’s first administration and those who appeared on a list of perceived enemies written by Trump’s FBI pick, Kash Patel.”

“Interviews with more than two dozen people revealed the lengths that some are taking to safeguard themselves from whatever comes — if anything, at all. They are bracing for criminal investigations, tax audits, congressional or state legislative scrutiny, arrests, online harassment and physical threats.”

“More than half said they are lining up attorneys, a few are packing ‘go bags’ in case they need to quickly flee, a couple are carrying recently acquired weapons, and several still in public office are getting employees ready to receive subpoenas or field interview requests by authorities. About a dozen have spoken to spouses or children about the steps they should take if police arrive at their homes.”