United States: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiated polygraph testing as part of its effort to determine the leak origin within the law enforcement agency. 

“We can confirm the FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to identify the source of information leaks within the bureau,” the bureau’s public affairs office told Reuters in a statement. 

The Washington Post originated the story about the FBI conducting polygraph examinations even though they are officially known as “lie detector” tests. 

Trump Administration Targets Media Leaks 

The Trump administration launched its campaign to suppress journalistic leaks after Donald Trump returned to power in January. 

The U.S. Justice Department established new procedures during the past week that allow investigators to detect news media leaks by using journalist subpoenas and witness testimonies. 

BREAKING: The FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to employees to identify the source of leaks to media at the direction of Director Kash Patel. pic.twitter.com/2yvuwwpyDQ

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) April 29, 2025

Pentagon Leaks Under Scrutiny 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced his intention to provide evidence supporting possible prosecutions of former senior advisors who lost their positions due to investigations of Pentagon media leaks to the Department of Justice after the probe finished. The investigation request memo from Hegseth permitted the use of polygraph tests while providing no definite scope of examination. 

Intelligence Director Vows Legal Action 

U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard declared in March to pursue recent intelligence agency leakers aggressively because unauthorized releases require legal action, as reported by Reuters. 

Gabbard declared two criminal intelligence referrals to the Department of Justice before revealing plans to file one more. 

Gabbard declared her readiness to cooperate with FBI and Justice Department investigations into prosecuting criminal leakers, who she called “criminals.” 

United States: The Trump administration issued Monday an emergency waiver that makes it possible to market a higher-ethanol fuel blend across the nation throughout the summer period because it expands supply while cutting fuel expenses, as reported by Reuters. 

Boost for Biofuel Producers and Corn Farmers 

The new policy will produce advantages for biofuel producers and corn farmers because it increases their market reach. Both industries advocate making E15 available across all states throughout the entire year, as the blend includes 15% ethanol. 

“This move to allow the summer sale of E15 will provide immediate relief to consumers, provide more choices at the pump, and drive demand for corn grown, processed, and used right here in America,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said. 

E15 gasoline distribution remains limited by governmental oversight during summer seasons because of alleged environmental dangers to the smog that biofuel representatives consider baseless. 

President Trump is working to unleash American energy dominance, and homegrown #IA04 biofuels are part of his America First energy strategy.

That’s why we must allow for #E15 to be sold this summer across all 50 states to lower gas prices & reduce our dependence on foreign oil. pic.twitter.com/5O6x8Nckg4

— Rep. Randy Feenstra (@RepFeenstra) April 26, 2025

Overcoming Environmental Restrictions 

The emergency waiver begins operation on May 1. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to keep the waiver active as long as it is determined to be essential. During summer months, the EPA has consistently granted these types of waivers to the public. 

“With geopolitical conflict roiling energy markets worldwide, we applaud President Trump and Administrator (Lee) Zeldin for acting quickly to combat potential fuel shortages and help keep a lid on gas prices this summer,” said Geoff Cooper, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, a biofuels trade group. 

Building on Previous Biofuel Policy Progress 

In early 2019, the EPA decided to respect the April 28 deadline established by Midwestern governors to enable year-round E15 sales, as reported by Reuters. 

The EPA issued waivers through its Monday action, which maintained E10 gasoline standards and requirements below those for conventional fuel in the seven-state region of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

United States: The U.S. Department of Education conducted a probe of foreign funding disclosures from the University of California, Berkeley, following a Friday announcement, as reported by Reuters. 

The investigation seeks to obtain records about foreign university funding following an assessment that showed Berkeley submitted “inaccurate or incomplete” data to federal regulators. This information came from a statement issued by the Department of Education. 

Millions in Foreign Support Unreported 

Media reports in 2023 demonstrated that Berkeley did not properly reveal hundreds of millions in funding from a foreign authority. 

President Trump conducted an executive order to castigate existing university laws, which necessitated complete disclosure of foreign funding sources during his efforts to confront potential foreign university meddling. 

The University of California has not provided a statement regarding this request. 

🚨BREAKING🚨: The Department of Education has opened an investigation into UC Berkeley over its alleged "deep involvements with Chinese entities" pic.twitter.com/3AYqeudY7L

— Jaryn Crouson (@Jaryn_Crouson) April 25, 2025

The department started an identical investigatory process against Harvard University recently. 

Trump-Era Oversight Measures Resurface 

“The Biden-Harris Administration turned a blind eye to colleges and universities’ legal obligations by deprioritizing oversight and allowing foreign gifts to pour onto American campuses,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. 

The Trump government conducts a broad enforcement action against leading American educational institutions because of Palestinian activist student demonstrations and additional matters encompassing transgender movements and diversity programs, as reported by Reuters. 

The president has established an ultimatum that blocks federal funding from specific academic institutions. Several rights organizations criticize what they view as a destructive attack against academic freedom together with speech rights.