US politics briefing: Trump administration warns Kyiv and picks up court win in mass firings case

From the Trump administration’s latest moves abroad and in the US – here are the key US politics stories from Thursday at a glance

Thursday saw a judge rule that the Trump administration can continue the mass firing of US federal workers, rejecting a bid by labor unions to stop the US president dramatically cutting the jobs of many of the 2.3 million people employed by the government. The IRS began laying off roughly 7,000 workers on Thursday.

In his 16-page order, US district judge Christopher Cooper started by saying that Trump’s executive actions had “caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society”.

Topics

Trump administration can continue mass firings of federal workers, judge rules

US judge rejects bid by group of labor unions to halt president’s government overhaul through Musk-led ‘Doge’. The Trump administration can for now continue its mass firings of federal employees, ...
The Guardian - 1d
Latest news on Trump administration's mass layoffs

Thousands of Americans who worked as federal employees are out of a job and more cuts are coming after a federal judge allowed the Trump administration's mass layoffs plan to continue. CBS News' ...
CBS News - 2h
Trump Claims Power to Fire Administrative Law Judges at Will

The Justice Department said a law protecting the officials from arbitrary removal is an unconstitutional intrusion on presidential authority.
The New York Times - 19h
Trump Administration Stalls Scientific Research Despite Court Ruling

Using an arcane law, officials have effectively delayed funding from the National Institutes of Health, leaving medical studies in jeopardy.
The New York Times - 44m
Stop criticising Trump and sign $500bn mineral deal, US official advises Kyiv

National security adviser says Ukraine is wrong to push back against Trump’s approach to peace talks with Russia. White House officials have told Ukraine to stop badmouthing Donald Trump and to ...
The Guardian - 1d
Trump Administration Has Fired Health Inspectors at Some Border Stations

Scientists worry that the losses may open the door to human, plant and animal diseases that would otherwise have been caught.
The New York Times - 2d
Thousands of IRS employees expected to be fired by Trump administration this week

One month into Trump's new administration, the president is continuing with his efforts to reshape the federal government. More than 6,000 IRS employees are expected to be fired by the end of the ...
CBS News - 21h
Trudeau Uses Canada’s Hockey Win Over U.S. to Send a Message to Trump

Canada beat the U.S. in a championship game with added meaning because of political tensions caused by President Trump’s taunts and economic threats.
The New York Times - 7h
Trump scores big legal wins, but efforts to reshape government still face court hurdles

The Trump administration's efforts to swiftly remake the federal government notched some big wins in court this week — including a ruling that allows its firing spree to continue — but a number of ...
NBC News - 2h

More from The Guardian

Trump removes Ice chief amid apparent frustration over rate of deportations

Caleb Vitello reassigned as administration reportedly unhappy at slow rate of arrests and deportations. Donald Trump’s presidential administration has reassigned its top official at US Immigration ...
The Guardian - 1h
US envoy to Ukraine hails Zelenskyy as ‘embattled and courageous leader’

Keith Kellogg takes different tone from Trump, who contrasted ‘very good talks’ with Putin with cooler relationship with Ukraine’s leader. The US envoy to Ukraine, Gen Keith Kellogg, has praised ...
The Guardian - 5h
Man stabbed at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial days before crucial election

German police have arrested a suspect after attack on Spanish tourist and say they have not yet found a motive. German police have arrested a man suspected in a stabbing attack at Berlin’s ...
The Guardian - 3h
Brazilian city in Amazon declares emergency after huge sinkholes appear

In Buriticupu, about 1,200 people risk losing their homes, and residents have seen the problem escalate in 30 years. Authorities in a city in the Brazilian Amazon have declared a state of ...
The Guardian - 1h
Israel-Hamas swap to go ahead despite claim child hostages were killed with ‘bare hands’

Ceasefire deal still on track amid uproar over fate of two Israeli boys and false return of their mother’s body. Israelis and Palestinians are bracing for another tense exchange of hostages, ...
The Guardian - 6h