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
WHO director-general says despite waivers, many aid clinics have closed
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that despite the waivers issued by the State Department to keep some foreign aid operational, there are still numerous clinics that have been forced to close.
"The suspension of funding to PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, caused an immediate stop to HIV treatment, testing and prevention services in the 50 countries," he said.
He noted that despite a waiver for lifesaving services, prevention programs for at-risk groups remain excluded, clinics have closed and health workers have been put on leave.
He urged the U.S. government to reconsider its funding approach, at least until alternative solutions can be found to maintain essential health services.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Judge denies request for injunction blocking federal buyout offer
A federal judge in Boston has denied a request to issue a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's plan to offer a buyout to federal employees.
U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. also dissolved his temporary restraining order, allowing the policy to move forward.
The judge said he denied the request to block the buyout offer because the federal unions that brought the case lack standing to sue and because the district court lacks jurisdiction to review the case.
According to O'Toole, the federal unions that challenged the policy are not directly affected by the buyout offer. Rather, they are subject to collateral impacts, such a reduction in union membership and needing to answer their members' questions about the policy.
The judge did not include any interpretation about how the buyout deadline is affected in his order.
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous
'This is a new DOJ,' Attorney General Pam Bondi says
As Attorney General Pam Bondi delivered heated remarks announcing a new lawsuit against New York and its top officials, claiming they were resisting federal efforts to enforce the nation's immigration laws, she said, "This is a new DOJ."
"We sued Illinois," she added. "New York did not listen. Now you're next."
-ABC News' Pierre Thomas and Alexander Mallin
Attorney General Pam Bondi announces legal action against New York over immigration
The Justice Department is taking legal action against the state of New York and Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday, over its alleged resistance to supporting the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
It is not clear what action the department is specifically taking. Bondi said in her remarks that the DOJ is "filing charges" against the state and its top officials, though she clarified the department is filing suit over the state's "green-light laws."
-ABC News' Alexander Mallin