Federal judge won't stop Trump administration's mass firings for now
CBSN
Washington — A federal judge on Thursday allowed President Trump's efforts to shrink the federal workforce to continue moving forward while legal proceedings continue, declining a request from a group of labor unions to temporarily block his firing of federal employees and other actions targeting government workers.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who sits on the federal district court in Washington, D.C., said in a 16-page decision that he had to deny the unions' request for relief because he lacks jurisdiction over the claims. The judge, appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the unions must pursue their legal challenges through the scheme established by Congress in the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, which governs labor relations in the federal workforce.
The five unions, which represent federal workers, had asked Cooper to issue an order that temporarily prevented the termination of members who are probationary employees; implementation of large-scale reductions in force throughout the government; and a renewal of the president's "deferred resignation program."
Last fall, before being named the senior U.S. health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration would liberate Americans from the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of vitamins, dietary supplements, and other substances — ending the federal agency's "war on public health," as he put it.
Members of Elon Musk's private security detail have been deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service, granting them certain rights and protections of federal law enforcement agents, four sources familiar with the move confirmed to CBS News Thursday.
Delta Air Lines has revealed information about the crew on board a flight from Minneapolis that crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
The top official in charge of food safety and nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration resigned this week, protesting the dozens of scientists and other health officials now being let go across the agency's foods program.
Washington — Senate Republicans are forging ahead with a narrower budget proposal focused on defense, border security and energy priorities, despite President Trump's decision on Wednesday to endorse a competing plan put forward by House Republicans.
Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, revealed he has opened inquiries into public statements of Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, according to an internal memo to federal prosecutors in Washington.
Washington — A federal judge on Thursday allowed President Trump's efforts to shrink the federal workforce to continue moving forward while legal proceedings continue, declining a request from a group of labor unions to temporarily block his firing of federal employees and other actions targeting government workers.
The nation's largest airlines are looking to rescind new consumer protection rules for travelers with disabilities, arguing in court filings that the U.S. Department of Transportation had exceeded its authority in enacting them.
President Trump on Wednesday said he's considering using 20% of the savings from Elon Musk's cost-cutting task force, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to provide direct payments to taxpayers. But economists and policy experts across the political spectrum expressed skepticism about the feasibility of such a "DOGE dividend."
NBA star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the San Antonio Spurs announced Thursday. The team said doctors discovered the condition after Wembanyama returned to Texas following the All-Star break in San Francisco.
Former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said he won't run for reelection in 2026, and is expected to announce his impending departure from the Senate on Thursday, his 83rd birthday.
How Clinton's "reinventing government" compares to DOGE's approach: "We cut fat and they cut muscle"
As President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency push to slash spending, Republican allies have pointed to a White House program from 30 years ago as akin to DOGE's efforts.
A grand jury recommended abolishing a small Alabama police department because of a "rampant culture of corruption" after charging five officers with a variety of crimes, officials announced Wednesday.