Overview
- The White House issued an executive order directing officials to seek citizen members for the Smithsonian Board of Regents who will advance that order’s policies.
- Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch has publicly resisted changes to exhibits and told staff the institution will keep its work rooted in expertise and accuracy.
- Board vacancies and recent regent votes to redistribute duties have created openings that could let the administration install sympathetic regents if nominees clear the House vetting process.
- A federal judge recently rejected the administration’s bid to remove or block historic content at national parks, creating a legal constraint on efforts to alter public-history displays.
- Coverage ranges from investigative pieces about a White House push to conservative calls for changes to profiles of Bunch’s private handling of pressure, and the key next signs to watch are which nominees reach the House vetting committee and whether court rulings are appealed.