US nonprofits

A federal court has ordered a stop to the US Department of Agriculture's reorganization plans following a lawsuit brought by labor unions, nonprofit organizations, cities, and counties. The plaintiffs challenged the restructuring, arguing it would harm their interests, and the ruling blocks the agency from proceeding with its planned overhaul while the case moves forward.

The Salt Lake Tribune explains that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can engage in abortion-related politics and even donate money without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status. US tax law allows churches and nonprofits to engage in limited lobbying and issue advocacy, and to fund political activity through affiliated entities, so long as they do not explicitly back candidates for office.

The Marshall Project, the US nonprofit newsroom covering criminal justice, and the Spanish newspaper El País have announced a partnership to expand joint coverage of criminal justice and immigration systems. The collaboration is intended to broaden reporting on how these systems operate across borders, combining the two outlets' investigative resources and reaching audiences in both English and Spanish.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has reopened its immigration verification reporting process, according to LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit aging-services providers. The move affects housing providers who use federal immigration status checks for benefit and housing eligibility, and organizations in the sector are circulating the update to members.

A US House committee has warned nonprofits linked to billionaire tech investor Nevine Singham that they must comply with congressional subpoenas or face enforcement action by Congress. The panel says the organisations have failed to hand over documents it requested as part of its investigation. The warning signals a possible escalation, though details of the probe and any next steps remain limited.

A new open call has been announced for the Investigator Initiated Research Grant Program in the United States, inviting researchers to apply for funding support. The program is aimed at investigator-led studies and has been listed among grants and resources for sustainability-focused organisations and nonprofit news outlets.

Space Dynamics Laboratory, the nonprofit defense and science research arm affiliated with Utah State University, has named Lance Fife as its vice president and chief operating officer. The appointment places Fife in a senior operational role at the Utah-based lab, which conducts research programs for the US military and NASA. No further details about the move were provided in the announcement.