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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."
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.
Latest headlines:
- Murkowski to Musk: Treat federal workers with ‘dignity and respect’
- Largest federal worker union calls OPM email ‘unlawful’
- US attorney for DC encourages workers to reply to OPM email
- Air traffic controllers also got ‘What did you get done’ emails
- Witkoff heads to Mideast to negotiate next phase of ceasefire
Fired agency head tells SCOTUS to stay out of Trump case for now
Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel challenging his firing without cause by President Donald Trump, asked the Supreme Court to stay out of the case for now citing procedural grounds.
Dellinger asked the justices to allow the litigation to develop further before intervening in the separation-of-powers dispute, which has not been fully briefed by either side or adjudicated on the merits by any lower court.
Trump, by contrast, has asked for swift action by the Court to strike down a TRO blocking Dellinger's removal for 14 days saying it impedes his constitutional authority.
-- ABC News' Devin Dwyer
Over 900 former prosecutors, including Jack Smith, pen letter of solidarity for officials standing up to Trump DOJ
More than 900 former federal prosecutors, including former special counsel Jack Smith, penned a public letter Tuesday expressing solidarity with career officials who they say have properly stood up to the political demands by the top leadership of the Trump Justice Department.
"As prosecutors, we were rightly prohibited from making criminal charging decisions based on someone's political association, activities or beliefs, or because of our personal feelings about them," the prosecutors wrote in their letter.
-- ABC News' Alexander Mallin
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.
"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
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.
– ABC News’ Gina Sunseri