Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
California justice rules Office of Personnel Management ‘does not have any authority whatsoever’ to remove probationary staff from any agency other than its own
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
A California federal judge has ordered the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management to temporarily rescind directives ordering the mass firings of probationary employees at dozens of federal agencies, a major blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to drastically slash the size of the state being lead by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Congress has given the authority to hire and fire to the agencies themselves,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled in San Francisco on Thursday.
“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency.”
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meanwhile became the latest foreign leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, following in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron and setting the stage for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival on Friday.
While securing peace in Ukraine was top of the agenda between Trump and Starmer, the president also signaled that there may be good news for Britain regarding a trade deal and accepted a historic second invitation for a state visit from King Charles III.
Here’s the latest from the president on his social media feed, which is otherwise dominated by pictures and clips of yesterday’s gladhanding with Sir Keir.
As Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency take aim at the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), experts are warning that cuts could impact how forecasters warn about potential storms or get people out of areas in the line of fire.
Julia Musto reports.
Howard Lutnick has defended the president’s newly-announced “gold card” visa program, bragging that there were already “250,000 waiting in line” for the scheme, which essentially entitles wealthy foreigners to buy American citizenship.
Just one day after announcing the proposal, Lutnick told Fox News host Bret Baier that if all the 250,000 people he cites were willing to pay the $5 million that the gold card requires, it would amount to “over $1 trillion dollars” in stimulating the U.S. economy and paying down the national debt.
But it’s unclear where Lutnick is getting that total from. Or where anyone might be able to sign up if they were interested.
Ariana Baio reports.
The British PM has been more barn owl than barn stormer in the White House – but it worked, writes our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley.
This was another rather less than cosy moment, when Sir Keir dismissed Vance’s attack on Europe over censorship, a critique he offered at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.
The British Prime Minister became the latest foreign leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, following in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron and setting the stage for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival on Friday.
While securing peace in Ukraine was top of the agenda between Trump and Starmer, the president also signaled that there may be good news for Britain regarding a trade deal and accepted a historic second invitation for a state visit from King Charles III.
Although the bilateral was largely cheerful, with Trump praising Starmer as a “special” man with a “beautiful” accent and expressing admiration for his skills as a negotiator, there were a few distinctly awkward moments on Russia and Ukraine, particularly in relation to the American’s recent attacks on Zelensky.
Here’s a full report from Andrew Feinberg.
A California federal judge has ordered the Office of Personnel Management to temporarily rescind directives prompting the mass firings of probationary employees at dozens of federal agencies, a major blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to drastically slash the size of the government.
“Congress has given the authority to hire and fire to the agencies themselves. The Department of Defense, for example, has statutory authority to hire and fire,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup reportedly said from the bench on Thursday afternoon in San Francisco.
“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency. They can hire and fire their own employees.”
The decision also required the agency to inform certain agencies it lacked the power to order the mass firings.
The finding was the latest step in a lawsuit filed last week, after thousands of early-career government workers were terminated, part of the administration’s push with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to drastically shrink the government’s spending and headcount.
Josh Marcus reports.
Richard Hall writes:
Keir Starmer came to the White House with a list of daunting objectives.
The British prime minister had to press Donald Trump to exempt the UK from import tariffs, draw him closer to Europe on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, and convince him that the Chagos Islands are real.
Success would require an abundance of charm, which is not something the prime minister, a former human rights lawyer, is particularly known for.
But Starmer brought with him a secret weapon to meet the challenge…
Only two members of the Trump administration’s senior leadership are viewed favorably by the public, according to a new Economist / YouGov poll.
Josh Marcus reports.
David Maddox, The Independent’s political editor, reports from the Oval Office of the White House:
Sir Keir Starmer delivered a diplomatic success on Thursday as he appeared to charm Donald Trump into co-operation on major issues during his visit to the White House.
Even before formal talks had begun, the prime minister appeared to have secured a number of concessions on issues including trade and Ukraine.
In front of reporters and cameras in the Oval Office, their meeting began with a flourish from Sir Keir as he produced a letter from King Charles inviting him to a second state visit to Britain.
Read on…
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
