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December 26, 2025

3 entries on this date.

Coast Guard sole-sourced $2.39 billion in Arctic icebreaker contracts to Bollinger and Rauma without competitive bidding

On December 26, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard awarded sole-source, single-offer contracts worth a combined $2.39 billion to Bollinger Shipyards and Rauma Marine Constructions for six Arctic Security Cutters, citing a public-interest exception rather than competing the work. The awards were the first two of an 11-ship, roughly $3.3 billion program that followed President Trump's personal push for a larger icebreaker fleet than the Coast Guard had itself requested; the program's third contract, awarded to Davie Defense on February 10, 2026, is recorded separately.

Kennedy Center President Grenell threatened musician Chuck Redd with $1 million in damages over Christmas Eve protest cancellation

On December 26, 2025, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell sent musician Chuck Redd a letter threatening to seek $1 million in damages after Redd canceled his annual Christmas Eve concert in protest of the Trump-appointed board's renaming of the institution to the "Trump-Kennedy Center." The Kennedy Center followed through by suing Redd for breach of contract in March 2026.

HHS referred Seattle Children's Hospital to Inspector General over gender-affirming care for trans youth

On December 26, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' General Counsel referred Seattle Children's Hospital to the HHS Office of Inspector General for investigation, citing the hospital's provision of gender-affirming care to transgender minors. The referral -- the first enforcement action against a specifically named hospital following HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s December 18, 2025 declaration that such care is unsafe -- could result in the hospital losing federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general has separately sued to block the underlying declaration, arguing HHS lacks authority to redefine medical standards by fiat.