DALLAS (AP) — Previously classified documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">1963 assassination</a>&nbsp;of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;were released Tuesday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a> from the National Archives

The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The vast majority of the National Archives' collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.

Trump told reporters Monday that has administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it’s not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public.

“We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-kennedy-center-559bf5254b99f938dc156b60c9a495e7">while visiting</a>&nbsp;the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

Researchers have estimated that 3,000 records or so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">hadn't been released</a>, either in whole or in part. And last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.

Many who have studied what’s been released so far by the government say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it.

Trump's January order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records.

Kennedy was killed on Nov. 22, 1963, on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>. As his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested 24-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.

A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.

In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017</a>, barring any exemptions designated by the president.

Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remained unseen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Previously classified documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">1963 assassination</a>&nbsp;of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;were released Tuesday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a> from the National ArchivesThe documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The vast majority of the National Archives' collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.Trump told reporters Monday that has administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it’s not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public.“We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-kennedy-center-559bf5254b99f938dc156b60c9a495e7">while visiting</a>&nbsp;the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742345702324.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Researchers have estimated that 3,000 records or so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">hadn't been released</a>, either in whole or in part. And last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.Many who have studied what’s been released so far by the government say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it.Trump's January order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records.Kennedy was killed on Nov. 22, 1963, on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>. As his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested 24-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017</a>, barring any exemptions designated by the president.Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remained unseen.

Read the new JFK assassination files just released

WASHINGTON (AP)—Military leaders say the U.S. airstrikes in Yemen against Houthi targets have struck more than 30 targets since Saturday, including headquarters locations, drone launch sites and weapons storage facilities.

Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated those strikes have killed “dozens” of militants and would continue in the coming days.

The strikes targeted headquarters positions and drone sites where militants the Pentagon identified as “key leaders” for the Houthis’ drone program were located, Grynkewich told reporters Monday.

During the attacks, the Houthis claimed to fire one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles in response.

At a news briefing, both Grynkewich and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the responses “didn’t come anywhere near” U.S. assets in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Military leaders say the U.S. airstrikes in Yemen against Houthi targets have struck more than 30 targets since Saturday, including headquarters locations, drone launch sites and weapons storage facilities.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CENTCOM forces continue strikes against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists… <a href="https://t.co/Ao5FD7mDHW">pic.twitter.com/Ao5FD7mDHW</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1901784324812218796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM forces continue operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists... <a href="https://t.co/zEWykoDKQR">pic.twitter.com/zEWykoDKQR</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1901428374486089974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated those strikes have killed “dozens” of militants and would continue in the coming days.The strikes targeted headquarters positions and drone sites where militants the Pentagon identified as “key leaders” for the Houthis’ drone program were located, Grynkewich told reporters Monday.During the attacks, the Houthis claimed to fire one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles in response.At a news briefing, both Grynkewich and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the responses “didn’t come anywhere near” U.S. assets in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

U.S. forces continue strikes against Iran-backed terrorists

Johnny Joe “John” Pollock, 50, of Inman, died Friday, March 14, 2025, at Hospice House, Hutchinson, with his family by his side. He was born April 24, 1974, in Hutchinson, to Homer Wayne “Skip” and Mary Jo (Watkins) Pollock.

John graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1992, and received his bachelor’s degree from KU in 1996. &nbsp;He was inquisitive and enjoyed the challenge of learning new trades. As an entrepreneur, John owned and managed health clubs, including Bodies in Motion and then Body and Soul, Caribbean Tan, and Academy Martial Arts/Lil Dragons. (He even held a black belt in karate). &nbsp; In addition, John was a business and leadership consultant for John Maxwell Certified Consulting and Director of Operations for A.W.E. Inc.&nbsp;

John’s hobbies and interests were just as diversified as his jobs as he enjoyed motorcycles, gun collecting, fishing, and reading. &nbsp;In addition, photography, working on house renovations, cooking for his family and friends and anything to do with horticulture were just a few of his other interests. &nbsp;If John did not know how to do something, he would research it on the computer. &nbsp;Despite his health challenges over the past 17 years, John strived to be there for his family and friends. &nbsp;He was an amazing father and supportive husband.

On February 2, 2003, he married Alisha Leigh Delehoy, in Gatlinburg, TN.&nbsp;

John is survived by: &nbsp;his wife and best friend, Alisha of Inman; children, Kayleigh Pollock of Coeur d'Alene, ID, Tamra Pollock of Scottsdale, AZ, Grace Pollock-Gomez (Daven) of Winfield, Noah Pollock (Brisa) of Hutchinson, and Paige Pollock of Inman; grandchildren, Daven “Junior” Gomez, Leo Gomez, Lola Gomez, Soul “John Junior” Gomez, and another grandchild on the way; mother, Mary Jo Swenson (Paul) of Inman; father, Homer “Skip” Pollock (Oma) of Oklahoma; and a brother, Scott Wayne Pollock of Iola.

He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Celebration of Life service will be announced at a later date. &nbsp;

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the John Pollock Memorial Fund, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS &nbsp;67501. &nbsp;To benefit the John Pollock Memorial Fund, please make the check payable to Elliott Mortuary.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742246475808.jpeg" alt="Johnny "John" Joe Pollock&nbsp; &nbsp;1974-2025" />
 <figcaption>Johnny "John" Joe Pollock&nbsp; &nbsp;1974-2025</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnny Joe “John” Pollock, 50, of Inman, died Friday, March 14, 2025, at Hospice House, Hutchinson, with his family by his side. He was born April 24, 1974, in Hutchinson, to Homer Wayne “Skip” and Mary Jo (Watkins) Pollock.John graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1992, and received his bachelor’s degree from KU in 1996. &nbsp;He was inquisitive and enjoyed the challenge of learning new trades. As an entrepreneur, John owned and managed health clubs, including Bodies in Motion and then Body and Soul, Caribbean Tan, and Academy Martial Arts/Lil Dragons. (He even held a black belt in karate). &nbsp; In addition, John was a business and leadership consultant for John Maxwell Certified Consulting and Director of Operations for A.W.E. Inc.&nbsp;John’s hobbies and interests were just as diversified as his jobs as he enjoyed motorcycles, gun collecting, fishing, and reading. &nbsp;In addition, photography, working on house renovations, cooking for his family and friends and anything to do with horticulture were just a few of his other interests. &nbsp;If John did not know how to do something, he would research it on the computer. &nbsp;Despite his health challenges over the past 17 years, John strived to be there for his family and friends. &nbsp;He was an amazing father and supportive husband.On February 2, 2003, he married Alisha Leigh Delehoy, in Gatlinburg, TN.&nbsp;John is survived by: &nbsp;his wife and best friend, Alisha of Inman; children, Kayleigh Pollock of Coeur d'Alene, ID, Tamra Pollock of Scottsdale, AZ, Grace Pollock-Gomez (Daven) of Winfield, Noah Pollock (Brisa) of Hutchinson, and Paige Pollock of Inman; grandchildren, Daven “Junior” Gomez, Leo Gomez, Lola Gomez, Soul “John Junior” Gomez, and another grandchild on the way; mother, Mary Jo Swenson (Paul) of Inman; father, Homer “Skip” Pollock (Oma) of Oklahoma; and a brother, Scott Wayne Pollock of Iola.He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.Celebration of Life service will be announced at a later date. &nbsp;In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the John Pollock Memorial Fund, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS &nbsp;67501. &nbsp;To benefit the John Pollock Memorial Fund, please make the check payable to Elliott Mortuary.&nbsp;

Johnny "John" Joe Pollock | 1974 - 2025 | Obituary

Wesley Towers Inc. is excited to announce our partnership with Dr. Scott Pauly as the new Medical Director for our licensed healthcare operations. Dr. Pauly has several years of experience in similar roles and understands the many complexities associated with skilled nursing care and onsite rehabilitation services. Dr. Pauly is also a primary care physician at the Hutchinson Clinic.

Mark Mains, President and CEO for Wesley Towers, stated “we are very happy to partner with a local physician for this important role at Wesley Towers, especially one with the experience and reputation of Dr. Pauly. Dr. Pauly is also accepting new patients and will visit the campus at least weekly to see patients and to fulfill the duties of the role of Medical Director. His assistant, Cayla White, ARNP, will visit Wesley Towers nearly every weekday to help ensure our residents’ clinical needs are met.”

Dr. Pauly added “I’m truly looking forward to serving the residents and staff of Wesley Towers and our new partnership.” Dr. Pauly began his new duties at Wesley Towers on February 20, 2025.

Wesley Towers, Inc. is a full-service, continuing care retirement community located in Hutchinson, Kansas. For over 55 years, Wesley Towers has provided exceptional care and services to seniors in a caring, Christian environment. For more information, please visit wesleytowers.com or call 620-663-9175.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584019059802.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WESLEY TOWERS&nbsp;Wesley Towers Inc. is excited to announce our partnership with Dr. Scott Pauly as the new Medical Director for our licensed healthcare operations. Dr. Pauly has several years of experience in similar roles and understands the many complexities associated with skilled nursing care and onsite rehabilitation services. Dr. Pauly is also a primary care physician at the Hutchinson Clinic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741976532508.jpeg" alt="Dr. Scott Pauly named Medical Director at Wesley Towers&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Scott Pauly named Medical Director at Wesley Towers&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Mark Mains, President and CEO for Wesley Towers, stated “we are very happy to partner with a local physician for this important role at Wesley Towers, especially one with the experience and reputation of Dr. Pauly. Dr. Pauly is also accepting new patients and will visit the campus at least weekly to see patients and to fulfill the duties of the role of Medical Director. His assistant, Cayla White, ARNP, will visit Wesley Towers nearly every weekday to help ensure our residents’ clinical needs are met.”Dr. Pauly added “I’m truly looking forward to serving the residents and staff of Wesley Towers and our new partnership.” Dr. Pauly began his new duties at Wesley Towers on February 20, 2025.Wesley Towers, Inc. is a full-service, continuing care retirement community located in Hutchinson, Kansas. For over 55 years, Wesley Towers has provided exceptional care and services to seniors in a caring, Christian environment. For more information, please visit wesleytowers.com or call 620-663-9175.

Dr. Scott Pauly named medical director for licensed healthcare operations at Wesley Towers 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20REGINA%20GARCIA%20CANO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press</a>

The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-aclu-deportations-venezuelans-b2566f05b10bf1cde1caf467a3b001cc">order</a>&nbsp;temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.

In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg's decision, said the immigrants “had already been removed from U.S. territory” when the written order was issued at 7:26 pm.

Trump's allies were gleeful over the results.

“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his country’s prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”

Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasberg's verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.

“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.

The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">Alien Enemies Act</a>&nbsp;of 1798, which has been used only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">three times</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history.

The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.

A Justice Department spokesperson on Sunday referred to an earlier statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi blasting Boasberg’s ruling and didn’t immediately answer questions about whether the administration ignored the court’s order.

Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-far-right-democracy-protests-afd-nazis-2dce0ea7ed40fccd3f0ec1c46edcfd42">Nazi concentration camps</a>.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-venezuela-guns-nypd-trafficking-50c6483916569a685daf55c2eb6d299f">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-aurora-colorado-crime-immigration-c76df9f1dcda7e06a983105e5e970aeb">misleading</a>&nbsp;pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.

The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">El Salvador</a>&nbsp;who had been arrested in the United States.

Video released by El Salvador’s government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist.

The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform — knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs — and placed in cells.

The immigrants were taken to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-us-rubio-prison-de912f6a8199aaa7c8490585dcaa3b87">notorious</a>&nbsp;CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukele's push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rights

The Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States on Friday night but didn't announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn't be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.

“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.

The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned they'd be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.

Boasberg barred those Venezuelans' deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it.

The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.

He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the U.S. Constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.

“Once they’re out of the country," Boasberg said, "there’s little I could do."

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20REGINA%20GARCIA%20CANO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press</a>The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-aclu-deportations-venezuelans-b2566f05b10bf1cde1caf467a3b001cc">order</a>&nbsp;temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">While you slept, your government sent three planes full of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 thugs to the beautiful prisons of El Salvador. Thanks to the leadership of this administration—and our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nayibbukele</a>—America is safer today than it was yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/eO76KRqOuG">pic.twitter.com/eO76KRqOuG</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1901344554000793658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg's decision, said the immigrants “had already been removed from U.S. territory” when the written order was issued at 7:26 pm.Trump's allies were gleeful over the results.“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his country’s prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasberg's verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">Alien Enemies Act</a>&nbsp;of 1798, which has been used only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">three times</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history.The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.A Justice Department spokesperson on Sunday referred to an earlier statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi blasting Boasberg’s ruling and didn’t immediately answer questions about whether the administration ignored the court’s order.Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-far-right-democracy-protests-afd-nazis-2dce0ea7ed40fccd3f0ec1c46edcfd42">Nazi concentration camps</a>.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-venezuela-guns-nypd-trafficking-50c6483916569a685daf55c2eb6d299f">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-aurora-colorado-crime-immigration-c76df9f1dcda7e06a983105e5e970aeb">misleading</a>&nbsp;pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">El Salvador</a>&nbsp;who had been arrested in the United States.Video released by El Salvador’s government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist.The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform — knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs — and placed in cells.The immigrants were taken to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-us-rubio-prison-de912f6a8199aaa7c8490585dcaa3b87">notorious</a>&nbsp;CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukele's push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rightsThe Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States on Friday night but didn't announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn't be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned they'd be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.Boasberg barred those Venezuelans' deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it.The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the U.S. Constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.“Once they’re out of the country," Boasberg said, "there’s little I could do."_____Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

🎥While you slept, the U.S. deported Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22PETER%20SMITH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By PETER SMITH Associated Press</a>

When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also announced recent cuts to staff at its headquarters and in its global missions program. The United Methodist Church, after undergoing a major schism, has settled into a historically low budget, having cut its numbers of bishops and other positions.

While the circumstances vary from one denomination to another, there are some common threads. Several Protestant denominations are losing members, particularly the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other historic mainline groups that have not only been aging and shrinking but have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methodist-lutheran-episcopal-presbyterian-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-ef5755c84d49896c520b5835e6169317">suffered schisms as they moved in more progressive directions.</a>

At the same time, the number of nondenominational churches has grown over the past decade, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pew-survey-american-christian-religious-decline-nones-1f1ac0da0577cfcb50f3c48e7014a070">the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated</a>.

As a result, denominations have had to do less with less — not only cutting budgets to balance the bottom line, but making strategic changes and trying out new ideas.

Despite their different structures, “every one of these national bodies really have to deal with changing social contexts and ethos,” said Scott Thumma, co-director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “A lot of that has to do with the skepticism around national organizations and institutions.”

In their heyday, denominational offices oversaw mission organizations that sent large numbers of church workers to far corners of the world. They put out officially sanctioned hymnals, devotional guides, magazines and Sunday School materials. They organized big national conventions that set — and fiercely debated — policy and doctrine. They set standards for how ministers were trained, credentialed and disciplined. They ran historical societies and pension funds for ministers.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-annual-meeting-indianapolis-women-pastors-politics-f1f43f93947fda83119c761c06ea18f0">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;'s Cooperative Program, marking its 100th anniversary this year, is a testament to the traditional idea that it's more efficient to pool everyone's money and trust leaders to allocate it wisely. The convention still runs a large missions program. But its churches aren't sending as much as they used to. The SBC has also declined in membership. and it faces unique challenges such as litigation following a report on sexual misconduct. Its Executive Committee, which trimmed its staff in 2023, is putting its Nashville office up for sale.

Nowadays, not only has trust in centralized leadership faded, but there often are fewer church members to support programs and activities. Many denominational churches are acting more like nondenominational ones — downloading music or Sunday School lessons from independent rather than official sources.

In the United Methodist Church, giving to denomination-wide ministries fell by about 13% to $91 million in 2024, according to its General Council on Finance and Administration. That didn't cause an immediate shock because the denomination has been preparing for such declines in recent years.

It underwent a years-long schism in which a quarter of its churches left by the end of 2023. Many joined a more conservative denomination before the UMC's General Convention in 2024 removed its longstanding bans on ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, while continuing to allow church conferences in other countries to set their own rules.

United Methodist denominational agencies currently have 503 full-time employees, down 36% since 2016, according to the council.

Thumma said that even though “organized religion” gets a bad name these days, that's not the full story.

“You have people who are still interested in spirituality, some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he said.

“There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”

Last month, the Episcopal Church announced the layoff of 14 workers, with another 16 retiring this year under an incentive program. Another 13 vacant positions are being eliminated. Other staffers are being trained to take on new roles, and the denomination projects it will have a net total of about 110 full-time workers by next year.

“Our goal was to meet the emerging financial reality but also to determine how we can continue to serve the church as it’s becoming something different than it was,” Episcopal Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/episcopal-church-presiding-bishop-michael-curry-ea10f967d5f7e8464bce149a0da9bcb5">Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe</a>&nbsp;said in an interview.

“It’s creating networks on the ground," he said. "It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”

Some of the shift in strategy will involve looking at ways to support local dioceses and parishes, which are “better equipped to know what their needs are," Rowe said.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cut 12 positions from its central offices late last year. It also enacted a major change in its approach to global missions earlier this year, eliminating the position of mission co-worker, or those who worked directly in other countries in schools, churches or other ministries. The church will retain workers who will maintain regular contacts with Presbyterian and other churches overseas, as well as interfaith contacts, while also working with diaspora communities in the United States. The world mission staff reduced from 79 to 44, according to a church announcement last month.

The changes are difficult, acknowledged the Rev. Jihyun Oh, executive director of the PC (U.S.A.)'s Interim Unified Agency, a recently consolidated office overseeing a range of denominational work.

The denomination is roughly a third of its size when it took its current form in the 1980s, following a reunification of northern and southern branches. And while many members had increased their giving to missions over the past two decades, the net effect of fewer members was a decline in funds. It was important, Oh said, to reorganize now, before a financial crisis required a more drastic cut. Meanwhile, some of the countries where mission workers once were assigned now have well-established Presbyterian churches, she said.

“The church’s witness and ministry is not coming to an end,” she said. “There can be resurrection and renewal in a different sort of way." That renewal might be measured not so much by numbers but "in terms of impact, in terms of partnerships, in terms of other ways that we will actually be called to live out faith in this time.”

She hopes church members understand that “God’s not done with us."

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741965631739.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22PETER%20SMITH%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By PETER SMITH Associated Press</a>When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.And it wasn't alone.The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also announced recent cuts to staff at its headquarters and in its global missions program. The United Methodist Church, after undergoing a major schism, has settled into a historically low budget, having cut its numbers of bishops and other positions.While the circumstances vary from one denomination to another, there are some common threads. Several Protestant denominations are losing members, particularly the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other historic mainline groups that have not only been aging and shrinking but have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methodist-lutheran-episcopal-presbyterian-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-ef5755c84d49896c520b5835e6169317">suffered schisms as they moved in more progressive directions.</a>At the same time, the number of nondenominational churches has grown over the past decade, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pew-survey-american-christian-religious-decline-nones-1f1ac0da0577cfcb50f3c48e7014a070">the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated</a>.As a result, denominations have had to do less with less — not only cutting budgets to balance the bottom line, but making strategic changes and trying out new ideas.<h2>Widespread skepticism of institutions</h2>Despite their different structures, “every one of these national bodies really have to deal with changing social contexts and ethos,” said Scott Thumma, co-director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “A lot of that has to do with the skepticism around national organizations and institutions.”In their heyday, denominational offices oversaw mission organizations that sent large numbers of church workers to far corners of the world. They put out officially sanctioned hymnals, devotional guides, magazines and Sunday School materials. They organized big national conventions that set — and fiercely debated — policy and doctrine. They set standards for how ministers were trained, credentialed and disciplined. They ran historical societies and pension funds for ministers.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-annual-meeting-indianapolis-women-pastors-politics-f1f43f93947fda83119c761c06ea18f0">Southern Baptist Convention</a>&nbsp;'s Cooperative Program, marking its 100th anniversary this year, is a testament to the traditional idea that it's more efficient to pool everyone's money and trust leaders to allocate it wisely. The convention still runs a large missions program. But its churches aren't sending as much as they used to. The SBC has also declined in membership. and it faces unique challenges such as litigation following a report on sexual misconduct. Its Executive Committee, which trimmed its staff in 2023, is putting its Nashville office up for sale.Nowadays, not only has trust in centralized leadership faded, but there often are fewer church members to support programs and activities. Many denominational churches are acting more like nondenominational ones — downloading music or Sunday School lessons from independent rather than official sources.<h2>United Methodist Church cuts</h2>In the United Methodist Church, giving to denomination-wide ministries fell by about 13% to $91 million in 2024, according to its General Council on Finance and Administration. That didn't cause an immediate shock because the denomination has been preparing for such declines in recent years.It underwent a years-long schism in which a quarter of its churches left by the end of 2023. Many joined a more conservative denomination before the UMC's General Convention in 2024 removed its longstanding bans on ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, while continuing to allow church conferences in other countries to set their own rules.United Methodist denominational agencies currently have 503 full-time employees, down 36% since 2016, according to the council.Thumma said that even though “organized religion” gets a bad name these days, that's not the full story.“You have people who are still interested in spirituality, some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he said.“There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”<h2>Episcopal Church cuts</h2>Last month, the Episcopal Church announced the layoff of 14 workers, with another 16 retiring this year under an incentive program. Another 13 vacant positions are being eliminated. Other staffers are being trained to take on new roles, and the denomination projects it will have a net total of about 110 full-time workers by next year.“Our goal was to meet the emerging financial reality but also to determine how we can continue to serve the church as it’s becoming something different than it was,” Episcopal Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/episcopal-church-presiding-bishop-michael-curry-ea10f967d5f7e8464bce149a0da9bcb5">Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe</a>&nbsp;said in an interview.“It’s creating networks on the ground," he said. "It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”Some of the shift in strategy will involve looking at ways to support local dioceses and parishes, which are “better equipped to know what their needs are," Rowe said.<h2>Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cuts</h2>The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cut 12 positions from its central offices late last year. It also enacted a major change in its approach to global missions earlier this year, eliminating the position of mission co-worker, or those who worked directly in other countries in schools, churches or other ministries. The church will retain workers who will maintain regular contacts with Presbyterian and other churches overseas, as well as interfaith contacts, while also working with diaspora communities in the United States. The world mission staff reduced from 79 to 44, according to a church announcement last month.The changes are difficult, acknowledged the Rev. Jihyun Oh, executive director of the PC (U.S.A.)'s Interim Unified Agency, a recently consolidated office overseeing a range of denominational work.The denomination is roughly a third of its size when it took its current form in the 1980s, following a reunification of northern and southern branches. And while many members had increased their giving to missions over the past two decades, the net effect of fewer members was a decline in funds. It was important, Oh said, to reorganize now, before a financial crisis required a more drastic cut. Meanwhile, some of the countries where mission workers once were assigned now have well-established Presbyterian churches, she said.“The church’s witness and ministry is not coming to an end,” she said. “There can be resurrection and renewal in a different sort of way." That renewal might be measured not so much by numbers but "in terms of impact, in terms of partnerships, in terms of other ways that we will actually be called to live out faith in this time.”She hopes church members understand that “God’s not done with us."___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Protestant denominations cutting staff, trying new ideas amid declines in members and money

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20DAVID%20BAUDER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and DAVID BAUDER Associated Press</a>

President Donald Trump's administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-trump-administration-kari-lake-15b585b58f5a510374344b50b1a131b5">Voice of America</a>&nbsp;and other government-run, pro-democracy programming, with the organization's director saying all VOA employees have been put on leave.

On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-14-2025">latest funding bill</a>, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanish-language news into Cuba.

On Saturday morning, Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the agency, posted on X that employees should check their email. That coincided with notices going out placing Voice of America staff on paid administrative leave.

“For the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Michael Abramowitz, the organization's director, said in a statement. He added that “virtually” the entire 1300-person staff was placed on leave.

“VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by telling America's story and by providing objective and balanced news and information, especially for those living under tyranny," Abramowitz said.

One reporter, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said: “We expected something like this to happen, and it just happened to be today.”

The press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said it “condemns this decision as a departure from the U.S.’s historic role as a defender of free information and calls on the U.S. government to restore VOA and urges Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented move.”

The Agency for Global Media also sent notices terminating grants to Radio Free Asia and other programming run by the agency. Voice of America transmits United States domestic news into other countries, often translated into local languages. Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti beam news into countries with authoritarian regimes in those regions like China, North Korea and Russia.

“The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a massive gift to America’s enemies," said the network's President and CEO, Stephen Capus, in a statement.

Combined, the networks reach an estimated 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of government-funded organizations trying to extend U.S. influence and combat authoritarianism that includes USAID, another agency targeted by Trump.

The reduction is a dramatic blow at a staple of post-Cold War order that has long had bipartisan support. Voice of America's directors have included Dick Carlson, the father of conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.

Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said that Trump’s intentions for the agencies are still foggy. Without these news sources, it will be that much harder for the country to get its messages to the world, he said.

“Without the international broadcasting, the image of the United States and the Trump administration will be in the hands of others, including the administration’s opponents, (and) countries and people who consider the United States an enemy,” said Kent, an international consultant on media ethics.

A video posted on X by Lake on Saturday talked about cost-cutting measures, not mentioning the employees and the mission of Voice of America. Her video was made at a building leased by VOA that Lake described as a waste of money. She said she would try to break the agency's 15-year lease on the building.

“We're doing everything we can to cancel contracts that can be cancelled, save more, downsize and make sure there's no misuse of your dollars,” she said.

The letter places employees on administrative leave and says staff would continue to receive pay and benefits “until otherwise notified.” It ordered employees not to use Agency for Global Media facilities and return equipment like phones and computers.

The Trump administration has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-trump-administration-kari-lake-15b585b58f5a510374344b50b1a131b5">made other steps to assert its authority</a>&nbsp;over Voice of America, and this week canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voa-government-media-contracts-2bd47cf0c1bbcdc5cbe08eea030c1454">contracts</a>&nbsp;that allowed VOA to use material from independent news organizations, such as The Associated Press.

The administration has also banned the AP from press pools that cover the president and moved to take charge of what news organizations are members of the pools, and the FCC is investigating news organizations like CBS.

Trump's order requiring reductions also includes several other, lesser-known government agencies such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22NICHOLAS%20RICCARDI%20and%20DAVID%20BAUDER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and DAVID BAUDER Associated Press</a>President Donald Trump's administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-trump-administration-kari-lake-15b585b58f5a510374344b50b1a131b5">Voice of America</a>&nbsp;and other government-run, pro-democracy programming, with the organization's director saying all VOA employees have been put on leave.On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-14-2025">latest funding bill</a>, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanish-language news into Cuba.On Saturday morning, Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the agency, posted on X that employees should check their email. That coincided with notices going out placing Voice of America staff on paid administrative leave.“For the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Michael Abramowitz, the organization's director, said in a statement. He added that “virtually” the entire 1300-person staff was placed on leave.“VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by telling America's story and by providing objective and balanced news and information, especially for those living under tyranny," Abramowitz said.One reporter, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said: “We expected something like this to happen, and it just happened to be today.”The press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said it “condemns this decision as a departure from the U.S.’s historic role as a defender of free information and calls on the U.S. government to restore VOA and urges Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented move.”The Agency for Global Media also sent notices terminating grants to Radio Free Asia and other programming run by the agency. Voice of America transmits United States domestic news into other countries, often translated into local languages. Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti beam news into countries with authoritarian regimes in those regions like China, North Korea and Russia.“The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a massive gift to America’s enemies," said the network's President and CEO, Stephen Capus, in a statement.Combined, the networks reach an estimated 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of government-funded organizations trying to extend U.S. influence and combat authoritarianism that includes USAID, another agency targeted by Trump.The reduction is a dramatic blow at a staple of post-Cold War order that has long had bipartisan support. Voice of America's directors have included Dick Carlson, the father of conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said that Trump’s intentions for the agencies are still foggy. Without these news sources, it will be that much harder for the country to get its messages to the world, he said.“Without the international broadcasting, the image of the United States and the Trump administration will be in the hands of others, including the administration’s opponents, (and) countries and people who consider the United States an enemy,” said Kent, an international consultant on media ethics.A video posted on X by Lake on Saturday talked about cost-cutting measures, not mentioning the employees and the mission of Voice of America. Her video was made at a building leased by VOA that Lake described as a waste of money. She said she would try to break the agency's 15-year lease on the building.“We're doing everything we can to cancel contracts that can be cancelled, save more, downsize and make sure there's no misuse of your dollars,” she said.The letter places employees on administrative leave and says staff would continue to receive pay and benefits “until otherwise notified.” It ordered employees not to use Agency for Global Media facilities and return equipment like phones and computers.The Trump administration has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-trump-administration-kari-lake-15b585b58f5a510374344b50b1a131b5">made other steps to assert its authority</a>&nbsp;over Voice of America, and this week canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voa-government-media-contracts-2bd47cf0c1bbcdc5cbe08eea030c1454">contracts</a>&nbsp;that allowed VOA to use material from independent news organizations, such as The Associated Press.The administration has also banned the AP from press pools that cover the president and moved to take charge of what news organizations are members of the pools, and the FCC is investigating news organizations like CBS.Trump's order requiring reductions also includes several other, lesser-known government agencies such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.___Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Voice of America channels silent as Trump admin. guts agency

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pledged to “expose” his enemies during a norm-breaking political speech Friday at the Justice Department in which he aired a litany of grievances about the criminal cases he faced and vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”

The speech was meant to rally support for Trump administration policies on violent crime, drugs and illegal immigration. But it also functioned as a triumphant forum for the president to boast about having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-court-classified-documents-2020-election-302f87960dbd84d7be5daedaf03328d8">emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;that one year ago had threatened to torpedo his presidential prospects but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dismissed after his election win last fall</a>.

Though other presidents have spoken from the Justice Department's ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s address amounted to an extraordinary display of partisan politics and personal grievance inside an institution that is meant to be blind to both. Casting himself as the country's “chief law enforcement officer,” a title ordinarily reserved for the attorney general, he promised to target his perceived enemies even as he claimed to be ending what he called the weaponization of the department.

The speech marked the latest manifestation of Trump’s unparalleled takeover of the department and came amid a brazen campaign of retribution already undertaken under his watch, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firing of prosecutors who investigated him</a>&nbsp;during the Biden administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">scrutiny of thousands of FBI agents</a>&nbsp;who investigated the president's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.</a>

“Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over, and they are never going to come back and never coming back," Trump said to cheers from a crowd that included local law enforcement officials, political allies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>. “So now, as the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred.”

The visit to the Justice Department, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brought him into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">installing loyalists</a>&nbsp;and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.

The event was reminiscent of a campaign rally, with upbeat music blaring from loudspeakers before Trump entered the Great Hall. Justice Department and White House officials mingled while members of the crowd posed for selfies. The podium was flanked by large signs that read “Fighting Fentanyl in America.” Also on the stage was a cardboard box that read “DEA evidence.”

Trump's unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the department he was now addressing hung over the speech as he vented, in profane and personal terms, about investigations as far back as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">Russian election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;to the more recent inquiries into his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.</a>

He mentioned by name prosecutors who investigated him, calling them “scum," and called the classified documents case against him “bulls—-." He claimed that “a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations," and said that before the department could turn the page, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls,"

“We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose, very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct," Trump said in a wide-ranging speech that touched on everything from Russia's war against Ukraine, the 2020 election to the price of eggs.

"It’s going to be legendary. And going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice. We will restore the scales of justice in America, and we will ensure that such abuses never happen again in our country.”

His claim that the Justice Department had been weaponized during the Biden administration overlooked that there were investigations during that time into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">Biden’s mishandling of classified information</a>&nbsp;and into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">the firearms and tax affairs</a>&nbsp;of his son Hunter. And his recounting of the recent investigations into him did not mention that prosecutors had amassed what they said was substantial evidence, including that he had sought to obstruct the classified documents inquiry.

When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.

He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.</a>&nbsp;He also endured difficult relationships with his first two handpicked attorneys general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">Jeff Sessions was fired</a>&nbsp;immediately after the 2018 midterm election, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">William Barr resigned</a>&nbsp;weeks after publicly disputing Trump's bogus claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Arriving for a second term in January fresh off&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">a landmark Supreme Court opinion</a>&nbsp;that reaffirmed a president's unshakable control of the Justice Department, Trump has appeared determined to clear from his path any potential obstacles, including by appointing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;— a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trump’s defense team at his first impeachment trial — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-trump-maralago-january-6-2db2b3a27adb295df30a9ffa72208688">Patel</a>, another close ally, to serve as FBI director.

“We all work for the greatest president in the history of our country,” Bondi said Friday in introducing Trump. “We are so proud to work at the directive of Donald Trump. He will never stop fighting for us and we will never stop fighting for him and for our country.”

Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">fired department employees</a>&nbsp;who served on special counsel Jack Smith's team, which brought the election interference and classified documents cases against Trump. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents.

Senior Justice Department officials also demanded from the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">lists of thousands of employees</a>&nbsp;who worked on investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol</a>, when a mob of Trump's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">stormed the building</a>&nbsp;in an effort to halt the certification of the electoral vote, and fired prosecutors who had participated in the cases. And they've ordered the dismissal of a criminal case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-us-attorney-0395055315864924a3a5cc9a808f76fd">against New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pledged to “expose” his enemies during a norm-breaking political speech Friday at the Justice Department in which he aired a litany of grievances about the criminal cases he faced and vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;As we begin a proud new chapter in the chronicles of American justice, we&#39;re turning the page on four long years of corruption, weaponization, and surrender to violent criminals. We&#39;re restoring fair, equal, and impartial justice under the constitution rule of law.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v6PkoGCivS">pic.twitter.com/v6PkoGCivS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900634634289021072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: For generations, the federal Department of Justice was one of America&#39;s most revered institutions... This department commanded the respect and admiration of the entire world. With Pam and Kash leading the way, it will soon be the most admired and most respected of all. <a href="https://t.co/SfRMxBFdHN">pic.twitter.com/SfRMxBFdHN</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900635670843978130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Our predecessors turned the Department of Justice into the Department of INJUSTICE,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> at the DOJ. &quot;I stand before you today to declare that those days are OVER — and they are never going to come back.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/a3K3FwFB2U">pic.twitter.com/a3K3FwFB2U</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900636102760738843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;But first, we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls. Unfortunately, in recent years, a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LB2lobIZcM">pic.twitter.com/LB2lobIZcM</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1900636403945640398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741999308216.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>The speech was meant to rally support for Trump administration policies on violent crime, drugs and illegal immigration. But it also functioned as a triumphant forum for the president to boast about having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-court-classified-documents-2020-election-302f87960dbd84d7be5daedaf03328d8">emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;that one year ago had threatened to torpedo his presidential prospects but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dismissed after his election win last fall</a>.Though other presidents have spoken from the Justice Department's ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s address amounted to an extraordinary display of partisan politics and personal grievance inside an institution that is meant to be blind to both. Casting himself as the country's “chief law enforcement officer,” a title ordinarily reserved for the attorney general, he promised to target his perceived enemies even as he claimed to be ending what he called the weaponization of the department.The speech marked the latest manifestation of Trump’s unparalleled takeover of the department and came amid a brazen campaign of retribution already undertaken under his watch, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firing of prosecutors who investigated him</a>&nbsp;during the Biden administration and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">scrutiny of thousands of FBI agents</a>&nbsp;who investigated the president's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.</a>“Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over, and they are never going to come back and never coming back," Trump said to cheers from a crowd that included local law enforcement officials, political allies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>. “So now, as the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred.”The visit to the Justice Department, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brought him into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/todd-blanche-trump-lawyer-deputy-attorney-general-5d526fd4c5919bc2e9522e4f7bfbf758">installing loyalists</a>&nbsp;and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.The event was reminiscent of a campaign rally, with upbeat music blaring from loudspeakers before Trump entered the Great Hall. Justice Department and White House officials mingled while members of the crowd posed for selfies. The podium was flanked by large signs that read “Fighting Fentanyl in America.” Also on the stage was a cardboard box that read “DEA evidence.”Trump's unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the department he was now addressing hung over the speech as he vented, in profane and personal terms, about investigations as far back as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">Russian election interference investigation</a>&nbsp;to the more recent inquiries into his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.</a>He mentioned by name prosecutors who investigated him, calling them “scum," and called the classified documents case against him “bulls—-." He claimed that “a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations," and said that before the department could turn the page, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls,"“We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose, very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct," Trump said in a wide-ranging speech that touched on everything from Russia's war against Ukraine, the 2020 election to the price of eggs."It’s going to be legendary. And going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice. We will restore the scales of justice in America, and we will ensure that such abuses never happen again in our country.”His claim that the Justice Department had been weaponized during the Biden administration overlooked that there were investigations during that time into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-hur-special-counsel-122526da6d89d7bf4d6ccfc54590312b">Biden’s mishandling of classified information</a>&nbsp;and into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">the firearms and tax affairs</a>&nbsp;of his son Hunter. And his recounting of the recent investigations into him did not mention that prosecutors had amassed what they said was substantial evidence, including that he had sought to obstruct the classified documents inquiry.When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.Trump has upended such norms.He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.</a>&nbsp;He also endured difficult relationships with his first two handpicked attorneys general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">Jeff Sessions was fired</a>&nbsp;immediately after the 2018 midterm election, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">William Barr resigned</a>&nbsp;weeks after publicly disputing Trump's bogus claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.Arriving for a second term in January fresh off&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">a landmark Supreme Court opinion</a>&nbsp;that reaffirmed a president's unshakable control of the Justice Department, Trump has appeared determined to clear from his path any potential obstacles, including by appointing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;— a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trump’s defense team at his first impeachment trial — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-trump-maralago-january-6-2db2b3a27adb295df30a9ffa72208688">Patel</a>, another close ally, to serve as FBI director.“We all work for the greatest president in the history of our country,” Bondi said Friday in introducing Trump. “We are so proud to work at the directive of Donald Trump. He will never stop fighting for us and we will never stop fighting for him and for our country.”Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">fired department employees</a>&nbsp;who served on special counsel Jack Smith's team, which brought the election interference and classified documents cases against Trump. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents.Senior Justice Department officials also demanded from the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">lists of thousands of employees</a>&nbsp;who worked on investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol</a>, when a mob of Trump's supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">stormed the building</a>&nbsp;in an effort to halt the certification of the electoral vote, and fired prosecutors who had participated in the cases. And they've ordered the dismissal of a criminal case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-us-attorney-0395055315864924a3a5cc9a808f76fd">against New York Mayor Eric Adams</a>&nbsp;by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.___

🎥Trump pledges to 'expose' his enemies in speech at Justice Dept.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two federal judges handed down orders requiring President Donald Trump's administration to rehire thousands, if not tens of thousands, of probationary workers let go in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">mass firings</a>&nbsp;across multiple agencies Thursday, slowing down for now the president's dramatic downsizing of the federal government.

Both judges separately found legal problems with the way the mass terminations were carried out and ordered the employees at least temporarily brought back on the job.

The Trump administration has already appealed the first ruling. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cast it as an attempt to encroach on the president's power to hire and fire employees. “The Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order," she said in a statement.

In San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William Alsup found Thursday morning that terminations across six agencies were directed by the Office of Personnel Management and an acting director, Charles Ezell, who lacked the authority to do so.

In Baltimore, U.S. District Judge James Bredar found that the administration ignored laws set out for large-scale layoffs. Bredar, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, ordered the firings halted for at least two weeks and the workforce returned to the status quo before the layoffs began.

He sided with nearly two dozen states that filed a lawsuit alleging the mass firings are illegal and already having an impact on state governments as they try to help the suddenly jobless.

At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though the government has not confirmed that number.

The Trump administration argues that the states have no right to try and influence the federal government’s relationship with its own workers. Justice Department attorneys argued the firings were for performance issues, not large-scale layoffs subject to specific regulations.

The White House did not immediately return an email seeking comment on Bredar's ruling.

Probationary workers have been targeted for layoffs across the federal government because they’re usually new to the job and lack full civil service protection. Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the mass firings.

Alsup's order tells the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury to immediately offer job reinstatement to employees terminated on or about Feb. 13 and 14. He also directed the departments to report back within seven days with a list of probationary employees and an explanation of how the agencies complied with his order as to each person.

The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to reduce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">the federal workforce</a>.

“These mass-firings of federal workers were not just an attack on government agencies and their ability to function, they were also a direct assault on public lands, wildlife, and the rule of law,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, one of the plaintiffs.

Alsup expressed frustration with what he called the government's attempt to sidestep laws and regulations governing a reduction in its workforce — which it is allowed to do — by firing probationary workers who lack protections and cannot appeal.

He was appalled that employees were told they were being fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.

“It is sad, a sad day, when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie," he said. “That should not have been done in our country.”

Lawyers for the government maintain the mass firings were lawful because individual agencies reviewed and determined whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment.

But Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has found that difficult to believe. He planned to hold an evidentiary hearing Thursday, but Ezell, the OPM acting director, did not appear to testify in court or even sit for a deposition, and the government retracted his written testimony.

“I know how we get at the truth, and you’re not helping me get at the truth,” Alsup said to Kelsey Helland, an assistant U.S. attorney.

There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies. They include entry-level employees but also workers who recently received a promotion.

About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans’ care, according to the lawsuit filed by the coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations that represent parks, veterans and small businesses.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two federal judges handed down orders requiring President Donald Trump's administration to rehire thousands, if not tens of thousands, of probationary workers let go in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">mass firings</a>&nbsp;across multiple agencies Thursday, slowing down for now the president's dramatic downsizing of the federal government.Both judges separately found legal problems with the way the mass terminations were carried out and ordered the employees at least temporarily brought back on the job.The Trump administration has already appealed the first ruling. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cast it as an attempt to encroach on the president's power to hire and fire employees. “The Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order," she said in a statement.In San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William Alsup found Thursday morning that terminations across six agencies were directed by the Office of Personnel Management and an acting director, Charles Ezell, who lacked the authority to do so.In Baltimore, U.S. District Judge James Bredar found that the administration ignored laws set out for large-scale layoffs. Bredar, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, ordered the firings halted for at least two weeks and the workforce returned to the status quo before the layoffs began.He sided with nearly two dozen states that filed a lawsuit alleging the mass firings are illegal and already having an impact on state governments as they try to help the suddenly jobless.At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though the government has not confirmed that number.The Trump administration argues that the states have no right to try and influence the federal government’s relationship with its own workers. Justice Department attorneys argued the firings were for performance issues, not large-scale layoffs subject to specific regulations.The White House did not immediately return an email seeking comment on Bredar's ruling.Probationary workers have been targeted for layoffs across the federal government because they’re usually new to the job and lack full civil service protection. Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the mass firings.Alsup's order tells the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury to immediately offer job reinstatement to employees terminated on or about Feb. 13 and 14. He also directed the departments to report back within seven days with a list of probationary employees and an explanation of how the agencies complied with his order as to each person.The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to reduce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">the federal workforce</a>.“These mass-firings of federal workers were not just an attack on government agencies and their ability to function, they were also a direct assault on public lands, wildlife, and the rule of law,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, one of the plaintiffs.Alsup expressed frustration with what he called the government's attempt to sidestep laws and regulations governing a reduction in its workforce — which it is allowed to do — by firing probationary workers who lack protections and cannot appeal.He was appalled that employees were told they were being fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.“It is sad, a sad day, when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie," he said. “That should not have been done in our country.”Lawyers for the government maintain the mass firings were lawful because individual agencies reviewed and determined whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment.But Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has found that difficult to believe. He planned to hold an evidentiary hearing Thursday, but Ezell, the OPM acting director, did not appear to testify in court or even sit for a deposition, and the government retracted his written testimony.“I know how we get at the truth, and you’re not helping me get at the truth,” Alsup said to Kelsey Helland, an assistant U.S. attorney.There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies. They include entry-level employees but also workers who recently received a promotion.About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans’ care, according to the lawsuit filed by the coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations that represent parks, veterans and small businesses.

2nd judge orders Trump admin. to rehire probationary workers let go 

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s sell-off hit a new low Thursday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;</a>escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-china-canada-trade-cfe1fa82a47f1bca21a82f4b504486c8">trade war</a>&nbsp;dragged the S&amp;P 500 more than 10% below its record, which was set just last month.

A 10% drop is a big enough deal that professional investors have a name for it — a “correction” — and the S&amp;P 500’s 1.4% slide on Thursday sent the index to its first since 2023. The losses came after Trump upped the stakes in his trade war by threatening huge taxes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-eu-whiskey-cb259623a25ca1bfdb4673262ceef85b">European wines and alcohol</a>. Not even a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-federal-reserve-economy-rates-0206becfb61f2f41434fb6b22f62cfbf">double-shot&nbsp;</a>of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-20896cf1a39e70fd335f9e5e59bf8fe6">good news&nbsp;</a>on the U.S. economy could stop the bleeding.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 537 points, or 1.3% Thursday, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2%.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-trump-tariffs-212a4d57c910a468b4c9eeb8757e49ea">dizzying, battering swings</a>&nbsp;for stocks have been coming not just day to day but also hour to hour, and the Dow hurtled between a slight gain and a drop of 689 points through Thursday’s trading.

The turbulence is a result of uncertainty about how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">pain</a>&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-recession-fears-535e22b2c7c62ce917afe12c19c60c75">will let the economy</a>&nbsp;endure through tariffs and other policies in order to reshape the country and world as he wants. The president has said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States, along with a smaller U.S. government workforce and other fundamental changes.

Trump’s latest escalation came Thursday when he threatened 200% tariffs on Champagne and other European wines, unless the European Union rolls back a “nasty” tariff announced on U.S. whiskey. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-eu-tariffs-countermeasures-806a3b9bcc9cd4e45817e672d95f0070">European Union unveiled that move&nbsp;</a>on Wednesday, in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum</a>.

U.S. households and businesses have already reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-4ec3430138e6d872a6dae273e212edd1">drops in confidence&nbsp;</a>because of all the uncertainty about which tariffs will stick from Trump’s barrage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">on</a>&nbsp;-again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-economy-mexico-canada-bfed103a11a2a71d8353350f94c78814">off</a>&nbsp;-again announcements. That’s raised fears about a pullback in spending that could sap energy from the economy. Some U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">businesses</a>&nbsp;say they’ve already begun to see a change in their customers’ behavior because of the uncertainty.

A particularly feared scenario for the economy is one where its growth stagnates but inflation stays high because of tariffs. Few tools are available in Washington to fix what’s called “stagflation.” If the Federal Reserve were to cut interest rates to boost the economy, for example, that could also push inflation higher.

Good news came on both those economic fronts Thursday.

One report showed inflation at the wholesale level last month was milder than economists expected. It followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-trump-883afba8a7199b3a92a617b68ab1a6a6">similarly encouraging report&nbsp;</a>from the prior day on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling.

But “the question for markets is whether good news on the inflation front can make itself heard above the noise of the ever-changing tariff story,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

A separate report, meanwhile, said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected. It’s the latest signal that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-jobs-unemployment-tariffs-immigrants-fed-eed80fafbb4ffb7edcb5b0cb8bb5fa14">job market remains relatively solid overall</a>. If that can continue, it could allow U.S. consumers to keep spending, and that’s the main engine of the economy.

On Wall Steet, some stocks connected to the artificial-intelligence industry resumed their slide and weighed on stock indexes. Palantir Technologies, which offers an AI platform for customers, sank 4.8%. Super Micro Computer, which makes servers, lost 8%.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-stock-ai-deepseek-wall-street-5ef5329d2a864f7f733f7e8984366238">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;swung between gains and losses before finishing nearly unchanged.

Such stocks have been under the most pressure in the U.S. stock market’s recent sell-off after critics said their prices shot too high in the frenzy around AI.

Other areas of the market that had also been riding big earlier momentum have seen their fortunes swing drastically.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">Elon Musk’s Tesla</a>&nbsp;fell 3% following a rare back-to-back gain, and it’s down more than 40% so far in 2025.

American Eagle Outfitters dropped 4.1% after the retailer said “less robust demand and colder weather” have held back its performance recently. It forecasted a dip in revenue for the upcoming year, though it also delivered a stronger profit report for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

On the winning side of Wall Street was Intel, which jumped 14.6% after naming former board member and semiconductor industry veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-new-ceo-lipbu-tan-chips-efcf8ab220b5927783924dd316cb4575">Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO</a>. Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next week, more than three months after Intel’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-ceo-gelsinger-zinsner-holthaus-f0a221f4987facc5f532f7f9101e4a06">previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired&nbsp;</a>amid a deepening downturn at the once-dominant chipmaker.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 lost 77.78 points to 5,521.52. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 537.36 to 40,813.57, and the Nasdaq composite sank 345.44 to 17,303.01.

In the bond market, Treasury yields lost an early gain to sink lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.26% from 4.32%. The yield has been mostly dropping since January, when it was approaching 4.80%, as traders and economists have ratcheted back their expectations for U.S. economic growth.

While few are predicting a recession, particularly with the job market remaining relatively solid, recent reports have shown a souring of confidence among U.S. consumers and companies.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia, but the moves were relatively modest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="File photo (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>File photo (AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s sell-off hit a new low Thursday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;</a>escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-china-canada-trade-cfe1fa82a47f1bca21a82f4b504486c8">trade war</a>&nbsp;dragged the S&amp;P 500 more than 10% below its record, which was set just last month.A 10% drop is a big enough deal that professional investors have a name for it — a “correction” — and the S&amp;P 500’s 1.4% slide on Thursday sent the index to its first since 2023. The losses came after Trump upped the stakes in his trade war by threatening huge taxes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-eu-whiskey-cb259623a25ca1bfdb4673262ceef85b">European wines and alcohol</a>. Not even a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-federal-reserve-economy-rates-0206becfb61f2f41434fb6b22f62cfbf">double-shot&nbsp;</a>of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-20896cf1a39e70fd335f9e5e59bf8fe6">good news&nbsp;</a>on the U.S. economy could stop the bleeding.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 537 points, or 1.3% Thursday, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2%.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-trump-tariffs-212a4d57c910a468b4c9eeb8757e49ea">dizzying, battering swings</a>&nbsp;for stocks have been coming not just day to day but also hour to hour, and the Dow hurtled between a slight gain and a drop of 689 points through Thursday’s trading.The turbulence is a result of uncertainty about how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">pain</a>&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-recession-fears-535e22b2c7c62ce917afe12c19c60c75">will let the economy</a>&nbsp;endure through tariffs and other policies in order to reshape the country and world as he wants. The president has said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States, along with a smaller U.S. government workforce and other fundamental changes.Trump’s latest escalation came Thursday when he threatened 200% tariffs on Champagne and other European wines, unless the European Union rolls back a “nasty” tariff announced on U.S. whiskey. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-eu-tariffs-countermeasures-806a3b9bcc9cd4e45817e672d95f0070">European Union unveiled that move&nbsp;</a>on Wednesday, in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum</a>.U.S. households and businesses have already reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-4ec3430138e6d872a6dae273e212edd1">drops in confidence&nbsp;</a>because of all the uncertainty about which tariffs will stick from Trump’s barrage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">on</a>&nbsp;-again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-economy-mexico-canada-bfed103a11a2a71d8353350f94c78814">off</a>&nbsp;-again announcements. That’s raised fears about a pullback in spending that could sap energy from the economy. Some U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">businesses</a>&nbsp;say they’ve already begun to see a change in their customers’ behavior because of the uncertainty.A particularly feared scenario for the economy is one where its growth stagnates but inflation stays high because of tariffs. Few tools are available in Washington to fix what’s called “stagflation.” If the Federal Reserve were to cut interest rates to boost the economy, for example, that could also push inflation higher.Good news came on both those economic fronts Thursday.One report showed inflation at the wholesale level last month was milder than economists expected. It followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-trump-883afba8a7199b3a92a617b68ab1a6a6">similarly encouraging report&nbsp;</a>from the prior day on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling.But “the question for markets is whether good news on the inflation front can make itself heard above the noise of the ever-changing tariff story,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.A separate report, meanwhile, said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected. It’s the latest signal that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-jobs-unemployment-tariffs-immigrants-fed-eed80fafbb4ffb7edcb5b0cb8bb5fa14">job market remains relatively solid overall</a>. If that can continue, it could allow U.S. consumers to keep spending, and that’s the main engine of the economy.On Wall Steet, some stocks connected to the artificial-intelligence industry resumed their slide and weighed on stock indexes. Palantir Technologies, which offers an AI platform for customers, sank 4.8%. Super Micro Computer, which makes servers, lost 8%.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-stock-ai-deepseek-wall-street-5ef5329d2a864f7f733f7e8984366238">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;swung between gains and losses before finishing nearly unchanged.Such stocks have been under the most pressure in the U.S. stock market’s recent sell-off after critics said their prices shot too high in the frenzy around AI.Other areas of the market that had also been riding big earlier momentum have seen their fortunes swing drastically.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">Elon Musk’s Tesla</a>&nbsp;fell 3% following a rare back-to-back gain, and it’s down more than 40% so far in 2025.American Eagle Outfitters dropped 4.1% after the retailer said “less robust demand and colder weather” have held back its performance recently. It forecasted a dip in revenue for the upcoming year, though it also delivered a stronger profit report for the latest quarter than analysts expected.On the winning side of Wall Street was Intel, which jumped 14.6% after naming former board member and semiconductor industry veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-new-ceo-lipbu-tan-chips-efcf8ab220b5927783924dd316cb4575">Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO</a>. Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next week, more than three months after Intel’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-ceo-gelsinger-zinsner-holthaus-f0a221f4987facc5f532f7f9101e4a06">previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired&nbsp;</a>amid a deepening downturn at the once-dominant chipmaker.All told, the S&amp;P 500 lost 77.78 points to 5,521.52. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 537.36 to 40,813.57, and the Nasdaq composite sank 345.44 to 17,303.01.In the bond market, Treasury yields lost an early gain to sink lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.26% from 4.32%. The yield has been mostly dropping since January, when it was approaching 4.80%, as traders and economists have ratcheted back their expectations for U.S. economic growth.While few are predicting a recession, particularly with the job market remaining relatively solid, recent reports have shown a souring of confidence among U.S. consumers and companies.In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia, but the moves were relatively modest.

Wall Street tumbles 10% below its record as trade war escalates

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to reinstate thousands — if not tens of thousands — of probationary workers let go in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">mass firings</a>&nbsp;across multiple agencies last month, saying that the terminations were directed by a personnel office that had no authority to do so.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury to immediately offer reinstatement to employees terminated on or about Feb. 13 and 14 using guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell.

Alsup directed the agencies to report back within seven days with a list of probationary employees and an explanation of how the departments complied with his order as to each person.

The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to dramatically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">downsize the federal workforce</a>.

The White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Alsup expressed frustration with what he called the government's attempt to sidestep laws and regulations governing a reduction in its workforce — which it is allowed to do — by firing probationary workers who lack protections. He was appalled that employees were fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.

But Alsup has found that difficult to believe. He planned to hold an evidentiary hearing Thursday, but Ezell, the OPM acting director, did not appear to testify in court or even sit for a deposition. The judge encouraged the government to appeal.

There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies. They include entry level employees but also workers who recently received a promotion.

About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans’ care, according to the lawsuit filed by the coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations.

The plaintiffs said in their complaint that numerous agencies informed workers that the personnel office had ordered the terminations, with an order to use a template email informing workers their firing was for performance reasons.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to reinstate thousands — if not tens of thousands — of probationary workers let go in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">mass firings</a>&nbsp;across multiple agencies last month, saying that the terminations were directed by a personnel office that had no authority to do so.U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury to immediately offer reinstatement to employees terminated on or about Feb. 13 and 14 using guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell.Alsup directed the agencies to report back within seven days with a list of probationary employees and an explanation of how the departments complied with his order as to each person.The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to dramatically&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">downsize the federal workforce</a>.The White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Alsup expressed frustration with what he called the government's attempt to sidestep laws and regulations governing a reduction in its workforce — which it is allowed to do — by firing probationary workers who lack protections. He was appalled that employees were fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.“It is sad, a sad day, when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie," he said. “That should not have been done in our country.”Lawyers for the government maintain the mass firings were lawful because individual agencies reviewed and determined whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment.But Alsup has found that difficult to believe. He planned to hold an evidentiary hearing Thursday, but Ezell, the OPM acting director, did not appear to testify in court or even sit for a deposition. The judge encouraged the government to appeal.There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies. They include entry level employees but also workers who recently received a promotion.About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans’ care, according to the lawsuit filed by the coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations.The plaintiffs said in their complaint that numerous agencies informed workers that the personnel office had ordered the terminations, with an order to use a template email informing workers their firing was for performance reasons.

Judge orders fired probationary federal employees reinstated

The bill builds upon funding allocated in 2023, which only supports 11% of requested project costs from more than 200 cities

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A House bill would allocate an additional $20 million annually to the Kansas Water Plan fund to support projects for cities across the state.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2113/" target="_blank">House Bill 2113</a>&nbsp;builds upon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwo.ks.gov/news-events/hb-2302-grant-programs#:~:text=for%20HB%202302%2C%20increased%20the,issues%20identified%20in%20the%20KWP." target="_blank">new funding from the 2023 session</a>&nbsp;with House Bill 2302. It would increase the current annual allocation of $35 million to $55 million for the Kansas Water Plan, and from that amount an additional $2 million to the Technical Assistance Grant Fund and $6 million to the Water Projects Grants Fund. The money would come from the State General Fund.

The House passed the bill 106-15 on Feb. 20. The Senate Agriculture and National Resources Committee heard the bill Monday.

“House Bill 2302 made a huge difference. This bill basically builds off of house bill 2302,” said Wendi Stark, a legislative liaison with the League of Kansas Municipalities, during Monday’s hearing. “It’s helping to address our immediate needs.”

In the past two years, Kansas communities have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/21/kansas-towns-request-600m-in-first-two-years-of-water-project-grants/">requested more than $600 million for water needs</a>&nbsp;with almost 600 applications. Stark said that of the 219 municipalities who applied in 2024 or 2025, 45.7% were from towns with a population of fewer than 500 people. Current funding allowed for just 11% of requested funding to be approved.

The Ogallala Aquifer, the water source much of western Kansas relies on, is drying fast.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/21/kansas-towns-request-600m-in-first-two-years-of-water-project-grants/">The Kansas Geological Survey found</a>&nbsp;that parts of western Kansas have 25 years of water left. Sen. Ron Ryckman Sr., a Republican from Meade, said his southwest Kansas district is “always hurtin’ for water.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741888971416.png" alt=" A dog keeps watch over an irrigated field in southwest Kansas, where farmers are facing increased pressure from state lawmakers to preserve groundwater in the quickly depleting Ogallala Aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption> A dog keeps watch over an irrigated field in southwest Kansas, where farmers are facing increased pressure from state lawmakers to preserve groundwater in the quickly depleting Ogallala Aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The bill builds upon funding allocated in 2023, which only supports 11% of requested project costs from more than 200 cities</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A House bill would allocate an additional $20 million annually to the Kansas Water Plan fund to support projects for cities across the state.<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2113/" target="_blank">House Bill 2113</a>&nbsp;builds upon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwo.ks.gov/news-events/hb-2302-grant-programs#:~:text=for%20HB%202302%2C%20increased%20the,issues%20identified%20in%20the%20KWP." target="_blank">new funding from the 2023 session</a>&nbsp;with House Bill 2302. It would increase the current annual allocation of $35 million to $55 million for the Kansas Water Plan, and from that amount an additional $2 million to the Technical Assistance Grant Fund and $6 million to the Water Projects Grants Fund. The money would come from the State General Fund.The House passed the bill 106-15 on Feb. 20. The Senate Agriculture and National Resources Committee heard the bill Monday.“House Bill 2302 made a huge difference. This bill basically builds off of house bill 2302,” said Wendi Stark, a legislative liaison with the League of Kansas Municipalities, during Monday’s hearing. “It’s helping to address our immediate needs.”<figure>
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 </figure>In the past two years, Kansas communities have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/21/kansas-towns-request-600m-in-first-two-years-of-water-project-grants/">requested more than $600 million for water needs</a>&nbsp;with almost 600 applications. Stark said that of the 219 municipalities who applied in 2024 or 2025, 45.7% were from towns with a population of fewer than 500 people. Current funding allowed for just 11% of requested funding to be approved.The Ogallala Aquifer, the water source much of western Kansas relies on, is drying fast.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/21/kansas-towns-request-600m-in-first-two-years-of-water-project-grants/">The Kansas Geological Survey found</a>&nbsp;that parts of western Kansas have 25 years of water left. Sen. Ron Ryckman Sr., a Republican from Meade, said his southwest Kansas district is “always hurtin’ for water.”Rep. Jim Minnix, a Republican from Scott City, introduced the bill and testified at the Senate hearing. He said he gets questions about where the money is going, since the state can’t “make” any water.“It’s a finite resource. What we’re trying to do is save it for future generations,” Minnix said.When Gov. Laura Kelly took office in 2019, the state had not funded the water plan for a decade. Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns over the state’s water supply issues —&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/16/kansas-governor-proposes-another-30m-to-address-dwindling-water-supply/">Kelly’s proposed budget includes another $30 million per year for the water plan</a>, while the Republican-crafted House budget would give&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/19/kansas-house-forwards-republican-crafted-state-government-budget-bill-to-senate-colleagues/">$11.7 million to water projects</a>.Dozens of individuals testified in support of the legislation in both the Senate and House, with no opposition or neutral testimony.At the House Water Committee hearing on Feb. 11, the public works director for the city of Edgerton, Dan Merkh, said the city had applied and been rejected for both the technical assistance and water project grants.“Cities across Kansas face many unfunded state and federal mandates,” Merkh wrote in testimony for the House hearing. “The Technical Assistance (Grants) Fund and Water Project (Grants Fund) help cities like Edgerton address a variety of needs, from emergency connections to water-quality related problems to mitigating the risk of a sanitary sewer overflow.”Hardy Howard, the city administrator for WaKeeney, said “it seems deeply obvious” that the water infrastructure around the state needs to be replaced. He said the city needs to replace an aging pipeline, which is the city’s only way to get water distributed from the wells. Howard said there have been multiple breaks.“HB 2113 supports a small increase in funding to assist communities with these critical needs,” Howard said.