The Trump administration moved Sunday to fire some 2,000 U.S. Agency for International Development workers and place most others on administrative leave, according to an email the agency sent to staff.
The big picture: The action that's set to take effect on Sunday just before midnight comes days after a federal judge permitted the administration to move ahead with the mass firings and continue the DOGE-led dismantling of the large-scale operation at what was the world's largest humanitarian aid organization.
The big picture: While Republican lawmakers have contended voters wanted drastic change, new polling suggests the Trump administration may be taking their chainsaw-wielding executive reach too far for some.
President Trump's firings of Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. and other top military leaders sends a "dangerous message" to service members about how the administration regards political loyalty, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Sunday.
Why it matters: The controversial dismissals, which also hit Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, come as the U.S. stares down instability abroad and amid tensions with some international allies.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has taken actions that undermine accessibility measures — critical for leveling the playing field for people with disabilities — as part of its efforts targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
President Trump's political operation is profiting from his flurry of executive orders by hawking gear such as "Make Greenland Great Again," "Gulf of America" and "DOGE" T-shirts, along with the black "dark MAGA" caps worn by Elon Musk.
Why it matters: Trump's team is capitalizing on his loyalists' support for his early moves to help build a $500 million war chest, which will be used to promote his agenda, back favored midterm candidates and potentially help Trump engage in politics for years to come.
Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine,Washington is shifting its pressure from Moscow to Kyiv as the Trump administration tries to end the war.
Why it matters: President Trump's dramatic change in U.S. policy toward Russia shocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is fueling fears among U.S. allies that the Trump administration will side with Moscow as it tries to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Employee buyouts, terminations and uncertainty at multiplefederal agencies are sparking warnings about an erosion of scientific and technical expertise at a crucial moment.
Why it matters: No one country now dominates in every scientific field. The U.S. is in a tight competition with China for science and tech leadership as innovation amasses more economic value and geopolitical tensions rise.
Elon Musk on Saturday said all federal employees will be required to send an email reporting what they accomplished in the last week — and failing to do so will be considered a resignation.
Why it matters: It's a page straight out of the playbook Musk used when he took over Twitter, making workers justify themselves to stay employed.
Advocates, historians, and descendants of enslaved people are planning to join a 60-mile walk in Texas to bring attention to the Underground Railroad to Mexico — a lesser-known route that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
Why it matters: The "Walking Southern Roads to Freedom,"scheduled for March 3 to 9 in South Texas, is the latest development drawing attention to a largely forgotten episode of Black/Latino history amid a new surge of research and advocacy around the route.
President Trump fired Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. and other top military leaders on Friday.
The big picture: The terminations, also reaching Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, come amid the Trump administration's mass firings and pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams says the city is suing the Trump administration, alleging it unlawfully took back more than $80 million in Biden-approved funding to pay costs related to housing asylum seekers.
The big picture: It's an unexpected move by Adams, who faces federal bribery and fraud charges the Justice Department fought to have dropped to incentivize the mayor's compliance with Trump-era immigration policies.
The U.S. Supreme Court is holding off on interfering in a lower court decision to block the Trump administration from firing the head of an independent watchdog agency that investigates federal workers' whistleblower reports.
Why it matters: The case concerning the removal of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel is the first of what's expected to be several appeals to the high court since President Trump regained office and moved to fire government workers in a federal workforce overhaul.
