White House revokes spending freeze in the face of legal challenges

The new order came shortly before a federal court hearing on a lawsuit filed by Democratic state attorneys general trying to stop the freeze. A White House official said the reversal was an attempt to short-circuit legal challenges.

President Donald Trump’s administration appeared to abandon its proposed freeze on hundreds of billions of dollars in aid on Wednesday in the face of legal setbacks and widespread opposition, though officials said they still planned to cut funds for activities opposed by Trump.