White House says some employees were fired by mistake
After taking the recent buyout offer, some employees were fired, a source said.
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."
Latest headlines:
- Some employees who accepted buyout offer were fired by mistake: White House
- Trump asks SCOTUS for permission to fire ethics watchdog
- DOE official warns all schools to end 'discriminatory' DEI policies
- 13 soon to be immigration judges, 2 current judges fired by Trump admin, union says
- US floats proposal to own 50% of revenue of Ukraine's rare earth minerals
Secret Service announces retirement of its acting director
Ron Rowe, the acting director of the United States Secret Service, retired from the agency on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the USSS.
“Deputy Director Ronald Rowe, a valued executive and leader of the United States Secret Service, has announced his decision to retire after 26 years of dedicated service," the spokesperson said in a statement. "He is currently enjoying a well-deserved break before his retirement.”
Rowe took over for former Director Kim Cheatle in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in July 2024.
Rowe oversaw the agency through multiple reviews -- both from Congress and internally at the Secret Service -- and a Department of Homeland Security review panel about the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Prior to being acting director and deputy director, Rowe was the head of the president's protective detail.
-ABC News' Luke Barr
Fogel meets Trump at the White House
President Donald Trump greeted and welcomed American Marc Fogel back to the United States after being imprisoned in Russia.
Fogel, 63, had been serving a 14-year prison sentence in a Russian prison colony after being arrested in 2021 on drug charges.
"I am not a hero, President Donald Trump is a hero," Fogel said, addressing reporters from the White House.
At times overcome with emotion, Fogel thanked his family, including his 95-year-old mother who pleaded his case to Trump at a campaign rally last year.
He also thanked Steve Witkoff, special envoy, who played a key role in negotiating Fogel's release.
Trump announces the President's Intelligence Advisory Board
The White House announced on Tuesday the formation of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, tasked with advising President Donald Trump on national security challenges and advancing the administration's "America First" agenda.
Devin Nunes, chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs Truth Social, will serve as chairman. His general counsel, Scott Glabe, will also serve on the board.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy; longtime head of global government affairs for Blackstone Wayne Berman; former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien; and Katie Miller, who’s the wife of Trump's White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, will also join the board.
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh
Trump admin asks court to weigh in on cutting FEMA's migrant program
Lawyers with the Department of Justice are asking a federal judge to weigh in on whether FEMA can suspend a program that pays for states to house migrants once they are released from federal custody.
According to acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton, the federal government plans to suspend funding of the Shelter and Services Program – which provides state funds to house undocumented migrants – based on concerns that money was “going to entities engaged in or facilitating illegal activities.”
Earlier this week, Elon Musk claimed that his team at the Department of Government Efficiency “discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants” and would attempt to claw back the funds.
The DOJ requested the court weigh in by 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous