Overview
- U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon temporarily ordered ACLS, AHA, and MLA to remove the videos after the Justice Department cited harassment and a death threat.
- The groups returned to court Tuesday seeking to restore access on First Amendment and public-interest grounds.
- The judge indicated she will rule this week on whether the depositions fall under a protective order that would bar publication.
- The testimony details how DOGE staff used DEI keyword sweeps and ChatGPT to flag grants for elimination, and one staffer acknowledged the cuts did not reduce the federal deficit.
- Independent archivists have reuploaded full copies, including on the Internet Archive and via torrents, complicating enforcement of the takedown.