United States

United States


Judge blocks 2 federal agencies from disclosing personal records to Trump adviser Musk’s DOGE

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A judge agreed Monday to temporarily bar two federal agencies from disclosing records containing sensitive personal information to representatives of billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, ruled that the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management likely violated […]

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Iowa Republicans back a bill that would strip gender identity from the state’s civil rights code

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several protesters were arrested Monday at the Iowa state Capitol, where shouts of “trans rights are human rights” reverberated throughout the building as Republican lawmakers advanced a bill that would strip the state civil rights code of protections based on gender identity. Similar bills have been floated in recent years, […]

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Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with demands and threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump backed Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired, even as government agency officials were told that compliance with Musk’s edict was voluntary. Confusion and anger over the situation spawned new litigation and added to turmoil within the […]

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Trump’s Russian rapprochement, Mars musing and DOGE dividends. And is the gold gone? It’s Week 5

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s fifth week in office included a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward Russia, firing the country’s senior military officer, sitting for a chummy interview alongside bureaucracy-buster Elon Musk and seeking greater authority over independent regulatory agencies. Trump also said “inflation is back,” but said his short time back in […]

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Judge upholds ban on DOGE accessing sensitive Treasury information, for now

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday extended a ban on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency accessing sensitive Treasury Department information, but rejected broader restrictions sought by 19 Democratic state attorneys general who sued over the issue. Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued a preliminary injunction but said she may lift […]

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The Supreme Court won’t allow Trump to immediately fire head of whistleblower office

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily kept on the job the head of the federal agency that protects government whistleblowers, in its first word on the many legal fights over President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda. The justices said in an unsigned order that Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, […]

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Trump seeks greater control of independent regulators with his new executive order

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. The executive order that Trump signed Tuesday gives the president more power to shape the oversight of the financial system […]

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DOGE notches courtroom wins as Elon Musk crusades to slash federal government

WASHINGTON (AP) — Although some parts of President Donald Trump ’s agenda are getting bogged down by litigation, Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency is having better luck in the courtroom. Labor unions, Democrats and federal employees have filed several lawsuits arguing that DOGE is running roughshod over privacy protections or usurping power from […]

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Trump seeks greater control of independent regulators with his new executive order

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. The executive order that Trump signed Tuesday gives the president more power to shape the oversight of the financial system […]

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Georgia Republicans advance a plan to leave a bipartisan voter data group, despite warnings

ATLANTA (AP) — For years, Republicans echoing President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was ridden with voter fraud have pushed for states to leave a bipartisan group that lets officials share data to keep voter rolls accurate. Nine have, but none since October 2023. A new bill advanced Tuesday by House […]

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Supreme Court should keep whistleblower agency head in place for now, lawyers say in reply to Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court should reject an emergency appeal from the Trump administration asking for quick action to allow the firing of the head of the federal agency that protects whistleblowers, lawyers for the embattled official told the justices on Tuesday. The legal fight over the administration’s move to oust Hampton Dellinger as […]

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Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information: AP sources

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration ‘s acting commissioner has stepped down from her role at the agency over Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the official’s departure who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Acting Commissioner Michelle King’s departure from […]

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