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Trump 2nd term live updates: Dan Bongino named as deputy FBI director

He hosts the popular right-wing and pro-Trump podcast "The Dan Bongino Show."

Last Updated: February 23, 2025, 5:03 PM EST

President Donald Trump's administration is continuing its radical effort to cut much of the federal government and crackdown on immigration -- and is being met with dozens of legal challenges.

On the foreign policy front, Trump's press secretary said the White House believes it can reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine this week even as Trump attacks Ukraine's president and blames it for starting the war, which even some in his own party are calling him out over.

Meanwhile, heads of federal government agencies were telling employees not to reply to an email from Elon Musk, Trump's ally who he picked to cut government waste, which asked for them to list their accomplishments for the week or face termination.

Feb 18, 2025, 2:24 PM EST

Head of FDA food division resigns

The head of the FDA's food division, which helps ensure the country's food supply is safe, resigned Monday following what he called the "indiscriminate firing" of roughly 89 people, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Among those fired: staff working on nutrition and infant formula safety and staff hired to review potentially unsafe food ingredients, according to two sources with knowledge of the firings.

Jim Jones, deputy commissioner for human foods, explained his resignation in a letter to the agency's acting commissioner. A source confirmed the following excerpts to ABC News.

In this Oct. 14, 2015, file photo, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus is shown in Silver Spring, Md.
Andrew Harnik/AP, FILE

"I was looking forward to working to pursue the Department's agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food," Jones said. "It has been increasingly clear that with the Trump Administration's disdain for the very people necessary to implement your agenda, however, it would have been fruitless for me to continue in this role."

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Katherine Faulders

Feb 18, 2025, 1:01 PM EST

10% of NASA’s workforce has been laid off, sources say

As thousands of federal employees continue to be terminated, sources at NASA tell ABC News that 10% of its workforce has been laid off.

“NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by OPM. It’s premature to discuss the impact to our agency, at this time,” they said in a statement.

In this Nov. 20, 2023, file photo, the lNASA ogo is shown in front of the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
John M. Chase/Getty Images, FILE

– ABC News’ Gina Sunseri

Feb 18, 2025, 12:49 PM EST

Top criminal prosecutor in DC US Attorney's office abruptly resigns amid pressure from Trump officials

The chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney's Office for Washington, D.C., abruptly resigned Tuesday amid pressure from top Trump Justice Department appointees to freeze assets stemming from a Biden administration-era environmental initiative, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

A resignation letter sent to the office's employees by prosecutor Denise Cheung did not detail specific reasons for her sudden departure from the office, but encouraged prosecutors to continue adhering to the Constitution.

The move came just one day after President Donald Trump announced Ed Martin as his nominee for D.C. U.S. Attorney.

-- ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Katherine Faulders

Feb 18, 2025, 10:04 AM EST

Vance to speak at CPAC this week, source tells ABC News

Vice President JD Vance will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, a source familiar confirmed to ABC News.

Vance spoke at the event last year, where much of his speech centered around foreign policy. The vice president recently spoke at the Munich Security Conference, where he stoked controversy by focusing much of his remarks on criticizing European allies.

Vice President JD Vance delivers his speech during the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich on Feb. 14, 2025.
Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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