If you’ve been following the news today, January 15, 2026, things are moving fast. Really fast. It’s a busy Thursday in Washington, and if you’re wondering what did President Trump sign today, the answer isn't just one boring piece of paper. It’s a mix of school lunch overhauls, massive healthcare shifts, and a new strategy for the minerals that run your phone and your car.
Honestly, it’s a lot to dig through. But the biggest headline that’s going to hit your daily life—specifically if you have kids—is the "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act."
The Milk Mustache is Officially Back
Let’s get into the weeds of the milk situation first because that’s what people are talking about at the kitchen table. For over a decade, school cafeterias were basically a "skim or 1%" zone. That started with the Obama-era healthy lunch rules. But today, that’s officially over.
President Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law. He did it in the Oval Office, flanked by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who’s been heading up the "Make America Healthy Again" or MAHA initiatives). Basically, schools can now serve unflavored and flavored whole milk and 2% milk again.
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Why does this matter? Well, the dairy industry has been pushing for this for years. They argue that kids actually like the taste of whole milk better, so they’re more likely to drink it instead of throwing it in the trash. There’s also some newer science floating around—some of it cited by the USDA today—suggesting that the fats in whole milk might actually help kids feel fuller and potentially reduce obesity. Critics are still worried about the saturated fat, but for now, the law is the law. Whole milk is back on the menu.
What Else is on the Desk? The Great Healthcare Plan
While the milk bill is a signed law, the President also spent today unveiling a massive framework he’s calling "The Great Healthcare Plan." This isn't just a tweak; it’s a total overhaul of how you pay for your doctor visits.
Trump is calling on Congress to pass this right away. The core idea is "money to people, not insurance companies." He wants to take those big federal subsidies that currently go to insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and send that money directly to you. The idea is you’d put it in a Health Savings Account (HSA) and shop for your own plan.
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- Price Transparency: The plan would force any hospital or insurer that takes Medicare to post their actual prices publicly. No more "surprise" $5,000 bills for a simple test.
- Drug Prices: He’s pushing to codify "Most-Favored-Nation" pricing. That basically means the U.S. shouldn't pay more for a drug than people in other wealthy countries.
- Direct Payments: Instead of the government paying your insurer, they pay you to buy the insurance you want.
It’s a huge gamble. Some experts are already worried that this could leave people with pre-existing conditions in a tough spot if the "direct payment" doesn't cover enough. But the White House is framing this as a win for "patient power."
Critical Minerals and National Security
There’s a third thing you might have missed because it’s a bit more technical. Today, Trump also signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals.” This is all about breaking reliance on China. We use these minerals for everything—EV batteries, fighter jets, even the microchips in your microwave. Right now, China does about 40% to 90% of the world's processing of things like lithium and cobalt.
This EO tells the Secretary of Commerce to go out and make deals with "friendly" countries—allies like Canada, Australia, or even Japan—to build up our own processing plants. If those deals don't happen fast enough, the order gives Trump the power to slap big tariffs on imported processed minerals. It’s a "tough love" approach to trade that we’ve seen from him before.
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Why This Matters Right Now
It’s easy to get lost in the "political theater" of D.C., but these actions have real-world footprints.
- Your Kids' Nutrition: If your school district moves fast, you might see 2% or whole milk in the lunchroom by this fall.
- Your Wallet: If "The Great Healthcare Plan" moves through Congress, the way you choose your health insurance could fundamentally change within the next year.
- The Global Market: The critical minerals EO is a signal to the markets that the U.S. is serious about "on-shoring" or "friend-shoring" the supply chain. Expect prices for tech components to be volatile as these trade negotiations start up.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check with your School Board: If you want whole milk back in your local school sooner rather than later, ask your district’s nutrition director when they plan to update their USDA contracts. The guidance from the USDA was issued immediately today.
- Review your HSA: With the push toward Health Savings Accounts, it’s a good time to see if your current employer offers one or if you should look into opening a private one.
- Watch the Pharmacy: Look for the rollout of "Trumprx.gov." The administration says they’ll be listing drug prices there to help you find the "slashed" rates they're promising under the new most-favored-nation rules.
The dust is still settling on today's signings, but one thing is clear: the administration is moving on multiple fronts—from the cafeteria to the clinic—all at once.