President Donald Trump's administration, including Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, is continuing its sweeping effort to cut much of the federal government -- but it's being met with legal challenges.
Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
And a day after Hamas released more hostages taken when it attacked Israel in October 2023, Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the militant organization needs to be "eliminated."
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has requested access to an IRS data system that retains the personal tax information on millions of Americans, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The system, known as the Integrated Data Retrieval System, or IDRS, is used by IRS employees to review tax information, issue notices to taxpayers and update taxpayer records.
Elon Musk leaves Blair House after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Blair House, in Washington, Feb. 13, 2025.
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Access to the data, which is tightly controlled within the agency, had not been granted as of this weekend, several sources told ABC News.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty, Soo Youn, Benjamin Siegel, Olivia Rubin and Hannah Demissie
Feb 16, 2025, 6:46 PM EST
Trump asks SCOTUS for permission to fire ethics watchdog
President Donald Trump's administration lodged its first emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday, seeking to dissolve a 14-day temporary restraining order against the president's move to fire the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger.
The U.S. Supreme Court Building is seen on Capitol Hill on Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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Dellinger, who was confirmed last year, heads an independent watchdog agency tasked with enforcing ethics laws and protecting government whistleblowers. He was fired on Feb. 7 with no rationale given.
A federal district court issued a TRO against the firing, after which the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. on Saturday upheld the TRO, 2-1, saying the issue was not yet ripe for intervention.
As the appeal bumps the matter to the Supreme Court, a 1935 precedent is likely to come into play: Humphrey's Executor v. United States unanimously upheld Congress' ability to constrain a president's control over independent agencies. Their leaders historically can only be removed for "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.”
The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in over the next few days.
-ABC News' Devin Dwyer
Feb 16, 2025, 6:18 PM EST
DOE official warns all schools to end 'discriminatory' DEI policies
In a stern four-page letter, a Department of Education official warned schools at every level to end discrimination on the basis of race -- or else they will face a "potential loss of federal funding." Compliance with the memo was expected within 14 days, with the letter posted Feb. 14.
"Under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal," wrote the DOE's acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor.
Denouncing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in any form, the memo also stated that race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains “impermissible.”
The U.S. Department of Education sign marks the entrance to the federal building housing the agency's headquarters on Feb. 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
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"DEI programs, for example, frequently preference certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not," the letter emphasized, adding that such programs "stigmatize" students and reduce them to "crude racial stereotypes."
“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal,” the DOE memo continued.
The four-page letter was sent in the wake of Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing last week to become the next education secretary -- during which she also disparaged DEI programs for segregating students based on race. The vote on McMahon's placement is expected Thursday.
-ABC News' Arthur Jones and Peter Charalambous
Feb 16, 2025, 6:01 PM EST
Dept. of Energy frantically tries to rehire critical nuclear staff, per email
Department of Energy officials are unable to get in touch with some critical nuclear workers with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as they frantically attempt to rehire them, according to an internal email obtained by ABC News.
"The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel," the email reads.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 07: A flower bed leads to the entrance of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on October 7, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images)
J. David Ake/Getty Images
The email asks managers to contact their employees directly because many of the terminated employees lost access to email and other government systems. Most managers are resorting to calling and texting their fired staffer’s personal phone numbers, ABC News has learned.
On Thursday, in a wave of firings across the federal government, the administration terminated roughly 300 employees with the NNSA, which is responsible for maintaining the U.S. nuclear stockpile, among other key nuclear functions.
ABC News was first to report that, after realizing the critical role these employees play in national security, the Department of Energy paused most terminations Friday and sought to "rehire" some employees.
The rehiring is currently underway. It’s unclear how many will ultimately return to work.
