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
New York attorney general responds to DOJ lawsuit
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she is ready to defend her state from the Department of Justice's lawsuit against New York over its alleged resistance to supporting the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
"Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have,” James said in a statement Wednesday.
The Green Light law allows New York residents to get a driver's license regardless of citizenship or legal status.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
Army memo says transgender soldiers can continue to receive medical care
As the Office of the Secretary of Defense continues to examine its policy on transgender troops, the Department of the Army disclosed new guidance that notably directs the Army not to initiate any adverse personnel action solely because of a soldier's transgender status.
The policy -- revealed in a court filing in a case challenging the executive order -- also directs the Army leadership to allow any soldier to continue receiving medical care to transition or treat their gender dysphoria.
"At this time, do not initiate any medical board or adverse personnel action solely related to transgender status. Policy and implementation guidance related to current executive orders will be published when available," read the unclassified memo titled "Implementation of Executive Orders Related to Transgender Military Service."
The policy also instructed service members not to use any personnel or medical system to identify transgender soldiers.
"All service members will be treated with dignity and respect at all times," the memo said.
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Luis Martinez
Office of Personnel Management says buyout program is now closed
Following a Boston judge's decision to deny the request for an injunction blocking the Trump administration's federal buyouts, the Office of Personnel Management announced the program could officially close after the legal win.
"OPM is pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program. As of 7:00 PM tonight, the program is now closed," an agency spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.
"There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees. This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures," the spokesperson added.
As of Wednesday, 73,000 federal workers had accepted the Trump administration's buyout offer.
-ABC News' Ben Siegel
Union representing federal employees condemns judge's decision
The president of the American Federation of Government Employees -- one of the unions that sued to stop the Trump administration's government employee buyout plan -- is slamming the federal judge's decision as a "setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants" while vowing to continue challenging the buyout.
AFGE President Everett Kelley added in the statement Wednesday that U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr.'s decision does not weigh in on the lawfulness of the program, instead denying the request based on a lack of standing.
"We continue to maintain it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk," Kelley said.
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous