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Federal Workers Sue Trump Over USAID: 'Unconstitutional and Illegal'

Two unions on Thursday filed suit against the Trump administration over its barrage on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
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The lawsuit on Thursday marked the latest in a series of legal actions that federal workers have filed against the Trump administration over a host of issues, including President Donald Trump's executive orders, the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE's) access to sensitive payment and employee systems, and the White House's offer of deferred resignations to more than 2 million government employees.

The American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Government Employees filed Thursday's suit over USAID. It named Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department, USAID and the U.S. Treasury Department as defendants.
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The suit was filed shortly after the Trump administration proposed a plan to drastically cut USAID staff across the globe, which would leave the agency with less than 300 workers, compared to the thousands it had before Trump took office. USAID is responsible for distributing billions of dollars in foreign assistance to war-torn countries and populations facing poverty and disease.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit described Trump and his administration's actions as "unconstitutional and illegal," adding that they have "systematically dismantled" USAID.

"These actions have generated a global humanitarian crisis by abruptly halting the crucial work of USAID employees, grantees, and contractors," the court filing said. "They have cost thousands of American jobs. And they have imperiled U.S. national security interests."

The Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE have trained their sights on USAID since the day Trump took office. Musk has publicly spoken about shutting down USAID entirely, recently describing it as a "ball of worms" that's broken "beyond repair."

Trump also signed an executive order on January 20 directing the government to freeze all foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review of the programs to ensure they aligned with "United States foreign policy."

The freeze hamstrung most USAID global programs, and the Associated Press reported that nearly all the agency's employees have since been furloughed or placed on administrative leave. The agency's headquarters were shut down earlier this month, and the few programs that remain are in the process of being moved under the State Department's umbrella. Trump named Rubio acting director of USAID.

The president's actions, announced without warning, stunned employees within USAID, some of whom were later locked out of the agency's systems while serving in active war zones.

California Homeowners Could Get Payouts if Utility Company Started Fires

Southern California Edison (SCE), a subsidiary of Edison International, is under scrutiny as investigations into the Eaton fire's origins reveal potential malfunctions in its electrical equipment.

The fire, which swept through Altadena, California, in early January, claimed at least 17 lives and destroyed over 9,400 homes and businesses.

With homeowners facing massive losses and ongoing investigations by state regulators, the potential implications for compensation and utility accountability are significant.

Why It Matters

For homeowners in California, the recurring threat of wildfires is a significant concern. These disasters not only result in devastating property losses but also influence insurance availability, property values and regional resilience.

If Edison is responsible for the wildfires, the company could face liability. There are estimated damages ranging from $8 billion to $10 billion, per data analysis company Verisk. This estimate does not account for additional sums that may be awarded in various pending lawsuits involving homeowners and victims.

Utility power lines have been the cause of at least eight of the 20 most destructive fires in the history of California, according to the California Legislative Analyst's Office, though only 10 percent of overall wildfires are caused by utility equipment.

Kroger Food Recalls Issued for Over 15 States: List of Products Impacted

Kroger has recalled several food products from its stores across at least 15 states, and has also recalled products from several Kroger subsidiary stores across the country since the start of February.

Twelve Hummus Tubs From King Harvest
Kroger subsidiary stores Fred Meyers and QFC across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, have recalled tubs of:

King Harvest lemon hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest hummus classic, 10 oz
King Harvest roasted garlic hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest toasted onion hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest Chipotle hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest spinach hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest black olive hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest Sesame hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest jalapeño hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest balsamic hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest sun dried tomato hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest roasted pepper hummus, 10 oz
These products were recalled due to a defect in their plastic tubs which resulted in the potential for a plastic foreign object inside of the containers.

Kroger told customers: "Customers who purchased any of the item(s) below should not eat the product."

Pam Bondi Ends Task Force On Russian Oligarchs To Focus On Cartels

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has disbanded a task force established to target Russian oligarchs following the invasion of Ukraine, arguing that resources need to be shifted to focus on the administration's anti-cartel efforts.
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President Joe Biden established Task Force KleptoCapture and the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative to punish Russian oligarchs in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This empowered the U.S. to seize valuable assets, such as yachts worth $120 million, personal airplanes and funds based in the West.

However, President Donald Trump made it a top priority to hit Mexican cartels and criminal activity along and involving the southern border of the U.S.
To that end, Trump signed an executive order designating the cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), equating the criminal organizations to groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda and broadening the legal tools available to undermine them.
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Bondi issued a flurry of memos on various orders for the Department of Justice, including one with the subject on February 5, "Total Elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations." The memo aimed to pursue "total elimination" of cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations—but doing so by shifting priorities and resources from other operations, including Task Force KleptoCapture.

"The Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section shall prioritize investigations, prosecutions, and asset forfeiture actions that target activities of cartels and TCOs," the memo stated.

Multiple Companies Ditching California For Texas

This week real estate listings website Realtor.com announced it is moving its corporate headquarters from Santa Clara in California to Austin, Texas.

It becomes just the latest high-profile company to transition from the Democratic-controlled Golden State to the Republican Lone Star State following the likes of Chevron, Charles Schwab Corp. and Tesla.

Speaking to Newsweek a Realtor.com spokesperson said: "Realtor.com is making its own big move, and has announced the relocation of our headquarters from Santa Clara, Calif. to Austin, Texas. With the move, the company is doubling down on Austin, making it its top hiring location with a commitment to the long-term growth of its team and office footprint in Texas."
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California and Texas have the biggest and second biggest economies in the Union respectively despite pronounced political differences, with the former Democratic Party run whilst the latter is Republican-dominated. As such they are sometimes held up as a microcosm showing the impact of liberal versus conservative policies across the nation.

Over the past few years, Texas has seen its population surge, increasing by 1.6 percent in the year to July 2022. Over the same period a number of Democratic-controlled states saw their populations fall with California shrinking by 0.3 percent, Illinois by 0.9 percent, Oregon by 0.4 percent and New York by 0.9 percent.
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According to Bloomberg Realtor.com has around 60,000 square feet in its Austin headquarters, with some workers who used to be based out of Santa Clara having been instructed to work remotely.

Over the past few years, Austin has seen a construction boom with a million square feet of new offices created, with the metro area having a nearly 30 percent vacancy rate at the end of 2024 according to data from real estate company Cushman & Wakefield.

Judge Temporarily Halts Donald Trump's Plan to Push Out Federal Workers

federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's "Fork in the Road" initiative to incentivize more than two million federal workers to resign as part of an effort to slash the bureaucratic workforce.

The Context

The Trump administration has aggressively worked to trim down the federal bureaucracy since Trump took office, in coordination with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

The White House announced the offer in an email on January 28 from the Office of Personnel and Management, which said federal employees would get full salary and benefits through the end of September if they resigned before February 6.

What To Know

The lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. did not comment on the legality of the Trump administration's offer and scheduled a hearing on the issue for Monday afternoon. He also ordered that the deadline for workers to decide whether to resign—originally set for Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET—be extended to at least Monday after the hearing.

"I enjoined the defendants from taking any action to implement the so-called directive pending the completion of briefing and oral argument on the issues," O'Toole said. " I believe that's as far as I want to go today."

Moments after O'Toole issued his ruling, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that 40,000 government employees had accepted the administration's offer for a deferred resignation, meaning they will stop working but continue to be paid through September 30.

O'Toole's ruling came in response to lawsuits from multiple labor unions who challenged the Trump administration's "Fork in the Road" offer.

Trump Admin Targets Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program With New Oil Sanctions

The Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a network of over a dozen individuals and companies accused of facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China.

The goal of the sanctions is to stop the development of Iran's nuclear program, which is funded by its oil revenues. The program is rapidly advancing, with Tehran close to enriching uranium at weapons-grade levels.

Why It Matters

In his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal between Iran and several world powers in which Tehran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and allow for more extensive nuclear facility checks in exchange for sanctions relief.

He also imposed sanctions on Iranian oil revenues and international banking transactions. Trump planned to "drastically increase" sanctions to "choke off" Iran's oil income, The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in October 2024 that income reached $144 billion between 2021 and 2023 and $34 billion in 2024.

During his confirmation hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized the Biden administration's sanctions policies. He advocated for a more aggressive approach, particularly toward Iran as well as Russian entities and oil.

What To Know

The sanctions, issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, are aimed at more than a dozen people and companies based in China, India and the United Arab Emirates. Those sanctioned include Iranian and Indian citizens, crew management companies and several ships.

The move comes after Trump signed an executive order that says Iran should be denied nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, its "terrorist network should be neutralized" and its development of missiles should be countered. The order also directs Bessent to impose "maximum economic pressure" on the Iranian government, according to a White House fact sheet released Tuesday.

INTERNATIONAL

Panama Canal Authority refutes Trump admin claim on U.S. vessel fees

In a rebuke of the Trump administration, Panama has refuted a claim by the U.S. State Department that American vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without being charged fees.

Why it matters: The dispute comes shortly after the State Department made the announcement Wednesday evening. President Trump has pushed to regain control of the canal — one of the world's most significant pieces of infrastructure.

The latest: "In response to a publication released by the United States Department of State, the Panama Canal Authority, which is authorized to set tolls and other fees for transiting the Canal, reports that it has not made any adjustments to them," the authority said in a statement posted to its X account.

Catch up quick: Trump demanded ahead of taking office that Panamanian authorities either lower fees for U.S. ships to transit the Panama Canal or return its control to the U.S.

• The State Department said on X that the now-disputed agreement to allow passage without fees saves the U.S. government millions of dollars a year, per a post on X.
  
• Representatives for the State Department and Panama's presidential office did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on further details of the deal.
  

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a phone call with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino discussed the U.S. and Panama's shared security interests, per a readout from Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

• The pair "agreed to expand cooperation between the U.S. military and Panama's security forces," Ullyot said.
  
• "They also highlighted the extensive and expanding cooperation between the United States, including the Department of Defense, and the Panama Canal Authority."
  

State of play: During a visit to Panama on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian officials including Mulino that Trump had made a preliminary determination that the current Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area was a threat to the artificially made waterway.

US Marine, Contractors Die in Philippines Plane Crash: What We Know

One U.S. service member and three defense contractors were killed on Thursday when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The U.S. Naval Institute reported, according to defense officials, that the service member was a Marine.

The Beechcraft twin-engine Super King Air 350 aircraft was on a routine mission, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of Philippine allies, the command said in a statement. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province but did not immediately provide further details to the Associated Press.
The bodies of the four individuals were recovered from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, according to a safety officer from Maguindanao del Sur. The Indo-Pacific Command noted that the names of the deceased are being withheld until family notifications are made.
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Thursday's crash in the Philippines comes amid the ongoing investigation of the January crash involving a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter and an American Airlines (AA) passenger jet. The jet was carrying 64 people on board and the Army Black Hawk was carrying three soldiers. All 67 people died in the incident.
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U.S. forces have been stationed at a Philippine military camp in the southern part of the country for decades to provide advice and training to Filipino forces combating Muslim militants. This region is the homeland of minority Muslims within the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told The Associated Press that residents reported witnessing smoke emanating from the plane and hearing an explosion before it crashed to the ground, landing approximately half a mile from a group of farmhouses.

Beaty said nobody was reported injured on or near the crash site. A water buffalo was killed as a result of the plane crash, local officials said.

Ukrainian Strike Hits Command Post in Russia, Causes 'Significant Damage'

A strike by the Ukrainian Air Force on Monday caused "significant damage" to a Russian command post in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to Kyiv's military.

Why It Matters

On August 6, Kyiv began a military operation into Kursk, which appeared to take Russian President Vladimir Putin and even Ukraine's allies by surprise. Kyiv later announced it had seized 500 square miles at what was then the lightly-defended border of the Russian region.

Ukraine has maintained positions in Kursk, but Russia has taken back control of approximately half of the area captured by Kyiv's military, according to reports.

Meanwhile, recent Ukrainian air strikes carried out on Russian territory have highlighted vulnerabilities in the Russian military's air defenses.
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On Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote in an update posted on Facebook that its forces had conducted a high-precision strike on a Russian command post near Novoivanovka, a village in the Kursk Oblast.

The General Staff said the command post was located in an abandoned building and that a Russian army unit used it to coordinate its military offensive operations in the Kursk region.

"As a result of the operation, the facility sustained significant damage, leading to substantial casualties among enemy personnel," the General Staff update said, noting that measures were taken to limit the risk to civilians.
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The strike near Novoivanovka follows another offensive operation carried out by Ukraine's military that targeted a different command post in Kursk only days earlier.

On Friday, Ukraine's forces conducted a strike that reportedly hit a command post in the Kursk city of Rylsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Associated Press on Sunday that the strike on the post in Rylsk killed dozens of Russian and North Korean officers.