A California federal judge has ordered the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management to temporarily rescind directives ordering the mass firings of probationary employees at dozens of federal agencies, a major blow to Donald Trump’s administration as it attempts to drastically downsize the state under the guidance of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Congress has given the authority to hire and fire to the agencies themselves,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled in San Francisco on Thursday.
“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency.”
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meanwhile became the latest foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House yesterday, following in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron and setting the stage for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival on Friday.
While securing peace in Ukraine was top of the agenda between Trump and Starmer, the president also signaled that there may be good news for Britain regarding a trade deal and accepted a historic second invitation for a state visit from King Charles III.
Key Points
- Judge halts Donald Trump’s mass firing of government employees
- Sir Keir Starmer warns Ukraine deal can’t reward ‘the aggressor’ as Trump reiterates trust in Putin
- Starmer lays the ground for warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky ahead of Friday summit
- Commerce Secretary claims 250,000 are already waiting for Trump’s visa ‘gold cards’
- DOGE cuts at weather forecaster NOAA 'could impact ability to save lives in hurricane season'
Coming up today at the White House...
14:39
,
Oliver O'Connell
Today’s agenda at the White House very much mirrors yesterday’s visit by U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
At 11 a.m. this morning, President Donald Trump will greet President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at the White House. Then, the pair will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and White House pool reporters will ask questions beforehand.
They will then attend a lunch in the Cabinet Room before holding a wider press conference in the East Room.
After the departure of Zelensky, the president will head to Joint Base Andrews via Marine One from the South Lawn. From there he will fly to Palm Beach, Florida, and if he manages to stick to his schedule, will be at Mar-a-Lago just before 8 p.m.
Where do U.S. refugee programs stand now?
14:35
,
Alex Woodward
In apparent retaliation for a court order blocking the Trump administration from ending refugee admissions, the administration canceled all its contracts with refugee groups this week.
Last night, responding to a separate but similar lawsuit by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, U.S. Attorney Ed Martin told a court that the contract was canceled and that the judge didn’t have jurisdiction.
Attorneys for Catholic leadership then blasted the administration’s “illegal commands” — read that filing here.
A court hearing on all this is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C.
Trump to sign order making English official language of the U.S.
14:32
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing White House officials, that President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order making English the official language of the U.S. for the first time.
Hundreds of languages are spoken in the U.S., a byproduct of the country’s long history of welcoming immigrants from around the world.
The executive order would rescind a federal mandate issued by President Bill Clinton that agencies and other recipients of federal funding are required to provide language assistance to non-English speakers, the officials said.
Agencies will still be able to provide documents and services in languages other than English, according to a White House summary of the order viewed by the Journal.
The summary of the order said the goal of making English the national language is to promote unity, establish efficiency in the government, and provide a pathway to civic engagement.
Only two members of Trump’s top administration poll favorably with Americans
14:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Josh Marcus on the popularity contest conducted by The Economist and YouGov.
When ‘Mr Charisma’ met ‘Mr Logic’: body language expert’s verdict on the Trump-Starmer meeting
14:19
,
Oliver O'Connell
When Keir Starmer met Donald Trump in the White House for Thursday’s high-stakes meeting over the future of US-UK relations, the messaging each projected wasn’t confined to words alone.
From the power of the handshakes, to their tender gestures during the televised Oval Office chat, and the way each stood apart during the later White House press conference, the pair could not be more “mismatched”, according to body language expert Caroline Goyder.
Angus Thompson reports on her observations:
Can an economic blackout day really harm Trump and Musk?
13:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
As today’s shopping boycott turns into a day of consumer action against the American president and his friends, Chris Blackhurst looks at whether deleting Amazon and other apps could ever work and what else would need to happen to really make a difference.
In pictures: Vance speaks at 20th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington
13:42
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s the VP this morning.
Trump cancels contracts with refugee groups one day after judge blocks suspension of resettlement program
13:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump’s administration abruptly terminated contracts with refugee resettlement and assistance groups 24 hours after a judge ordered the government to restore a federal refugee program and funding to aid organizations.
Lawyers for aid groups argue the administration is trying to circumvent court orders by cancelling their contracts altogether.
Alex Woodward reports.
When ‘Mr Charisma’ met ‘Mr Logic’: A body language expert’s verdict on the Trump-Starmer meeting
13:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
From the power of the handshakes, to their tender gestures during the televised Oval Office chat and the way each stood apart during their later White House press conference, the duo could not be more “mismatched”, according to body language expert Caroline Goyder.
Here’s more of her observations.
Musk urges retired air traffic controllers to come back as he continues to slash federal workforce
13:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
“There is a shortage of top-notch air traffic controllers. If you have retired but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so,” the billionaire wrote on X.
A few hours later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posted a recruiting flyer on the social media platform for entry-level air traffic controllers announcing the opening of applications now through March 17.
“Being an air traffic controller is one of the best, most rewarding jobs in America,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a written statement as part of the announcement.
“I witnessed firsthand the dedication, skill, and rigor that our future air traffic controllers bring to their training and the urgent need to do all that we can to recruit more people to join in our shared mission of safety in our skies.”
Michelle Del Rey has the story.
Elon Musk suggests pay hike for politicians after slashing federal workers’ jobs
12:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
The world’s richest man has suggested politicians could get pay raises after DOGE slashed jobs across the federal workforce.
Thousands of probationary workers have already been terminated from their posts as the Trump administration attempts to significantly downsize the federal government.
But Musk, a senior adviser to Trump, suggested yesterday that members of Congress and senior government workers should get pay hikes.
“It might make sense to increase compensation for Congress and senior government employees to reduce... corruption, as the latter might be as much as 1000 times more expensive to the public,” the tech billionaire wrote on X.
Members of Congress currently earn a salary of $174,000 with good benefits. Lawmakers haven’t received a pay raise since 2009.
Kelly Rissman has more.
Sketch: Trump gushes at invite from King Charles as Starmer charms president in the Oval Office
12:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
The British PM is not always known for his charm but he brought a secret weapon with him to Washington to disarm Trump, writes Richard Hall.
The Independent’s White House correspondent on what it’s like to tangle with Trump
12:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
Our own Andrew Feinberg annoyed the president yesterday with a question about King Charles’s opinion on his repeated threats to make Canada the 51st state, which is, after all, part of the Commonwealth.
Reporter: Did you discuss with President Trump his repeated statements of desire to annex Canada and has the King expressed any concern over the president's apparent desire to remove one of his realms from his control?
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 27, 2025
Starmer: You mentioned Canada, I think you’re trying to… pic.twitter.com/gx2zqWj462
He subsequently appeared on Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC show to recount his experiences.
Jeff Bezos pitched Trump a different VP pick last summer – months before he pulled endorsement for Harris, new book claims
11:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
The Amazon founder and owner of The Washington Post privately pitched an alternative vice presidential pick to Donald Trump last year, just months before the newspaper killed its endorsement for Kamala Harris, a new book has claimed.
Here’s Madeline Sherratt on Bezos’s intriguing choice.
Watch: Trump praises Starmer’s ‘beautiful’ accent as he makes special pledge
11:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Starmer ‘sees value’ in Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine
11:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
The British PM said he saw “validity” in the American president’s argument for pursuing a mineral deal with Ukraine on the eve of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington to finalise it.
Sir Keir claimed that Trump’s deal for highly valuable rare earth minerals would form “at least one element” of a security guarantee for Kyiv against Russia.
Starmer used his White House visit to push his counterpart into providing security protections for Ukraine and urged him not to abandon it in pursuit of a quick end to the war.
“I can see the value in the approach in relation to minerals,” Sir Keir told NBC.
“That is a matter between President Trump and President Zelensky.
“But I can see very clearly the argument that President Trump makes in relation to minerals, and I can also see the validity of his points when he says that if there’s a deal on minerals then the US has economic interests in Ukraine, which, if you like, form at least one element of any security guarantee.”
Shweta Sharma has more.
Release of Jeffrey Epstein files sparks anger among MAGA faithful: ‘The evil deep state lied to your face’
10:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
Figures on the right reacted with anger yesterday over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s much-hyped release of federal files on the late Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier accused of running a sex trafficking ring involving minors, which did not yield major new findings and featured some information that was already public.
“THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment,” Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the House Oversight Committee, wrote on X after the release, adding her committee hadn’t reviewed the release.
“GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!”
Former One America News Network host Liz Wheeler, one of the right-wing figures who was granted access to the newly-released files, was also dismayed, and claimed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York was hiding unspecified information.
Truth Social: Trump blames Joe Biden for never-ending budget chaos and tells Iowa to fall in line
10:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s the latest from the president on his social media feed, which is otherwise dominated by pictures and clips of yesterday’s gladhanding with Sir Keir.
As usual, Sleepy Joe Biden left us a total MESS. The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill ("CR") to the end of September. Let's get it done!
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 28, 2025
Iowa, a beautiful State that I have won BIG every time, has a Bill to remove Radical Gender Ideology from their Laws. Iowa should follow the lead of my Executive Order, saying there are only two genders, and pass this Bill – AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Thank you Iowa!
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 28, 2025
DOGE cuts at weather forecaster NOAA could impact ability to save lives in hurricane season, experts warn
10:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
As Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency take aim at the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), experts are warning that cuts could impact how forecasters warn about potential storms or get people out of areas in the line of fire.
Julia Musto reports.
Commerce Secretary claims 250,000 are already waiting for Trump’s visa ‘gold cards’ – but there’s nowhere to sign-up
09:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
Howard Lutnick has defended the president’s newly-announced “gold card” visa program, bragging that there were already “250,000 waiting in line” for the scheme, which essentially entitles wealthy foreigners to buy American citizenship.
Just one day after announcing the proposal, Lutnick told Fox News host Bret Baier that if all the 250,000 people he cites were willing to pay the $5 million that the gold card requires, it would amount to “over $1 trillion dollars” in stimulating the U.S. economy and paying down the national debt.
But it’s unclear where Lutnick is getting that total from. Or where anyone might be able to sign up if they were interested.
Ariana Baio reports.
Analysis: Starmer lays the ground for warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky ahead of Friday summit
09:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
The British PM has been more barn owl than barn stormer in the White House – but it worked, writes our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley.
Watch: Starmer clashes with JD Vance over vice president’s attack on Europe’s free speech
09:25
,
Joe Sommerlad
This was another rather less than cosy moment, when Sir Keir dismissed Vance’s attack on Europe over censorship, a critique he offered at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.
Sir Keir Starmer warns Ukraine deal can’t reward ‘the aggressor’ as Trump reiterates trust in Vladimir Putin
09:10
,
Joe Sommerlad
The British Prime Minister became the latest foreign leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, following in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron and setting the stage for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival on Friday.
While securing peace in Ukraine was top of the agenda between Trump and Starmer, the president also signaled that there may be good news for Britain regarding a trade deal and accepted a historic second invitation for a state visit from King Charles III.
Although the bilateral was largely cheerful, with Trump praising Starmer as a “special” man with a “beautiful” accent and expressing admiration for his skills as a negotiator, there were a few distinctly awkward moments on Russia and Ukraine, particularly in relation to the American’s recent attacks on Zelensky.
Trump: “I think Russia has been acting very well.” (Russia continues to bomb Ukraine.) pic.twitter.com/Jifs9qWpjK
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
Trump on Putin: “I think he’ll keep his word … we had to go through the Russian hoax together.” pic.twitter.com/dV95Qg8X1R
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
Trump on Ukraine joining NATO: “It’s not gonna happen. That’s what started this whole thing.” pic.twitter.com/9Yo8uATAuJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
Trump on calling Zelenskyy a dictator: “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that.” pic.twitter.com/rgkwLjw1D6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
“They don’t need much help” — Trump on if he’d help Britain if British soldiers are attacked by Russia in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/r1qTaqTpoH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
Trump asks Starmer if the UK could take on Russia on its own pic.twitter.com/mtstLVReLF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2025
Here’s a full report from Andrew Feinberg.
Judge halts Trump’s mass firing of government employees
08:50
,
Joe Sommerlad
A California federal judge has ordered the Office of Personnel Management to temporarily rescind directives prompting the mass firings of probationary employees at dozens of federal agencies, a major blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to drastically slash the size of the government.
“Congress has given the authority to hire and fire to the agencies themselves. The Department of Defense, for example, has statutory authority to hire and fire,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup reportedly said from the bench on Thursday afternoon in San Francisco.
“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency. They can hire and fire their own employees.”
The decision also required the agency to inform certain agencies it lacked the power to order the mass firings.
The finding was the latest step in a lawsuit filed last week, after thousands of early-career government workers were terminated, part of the administration’s push with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to drastically shrink the government’s spending and headcount.
Josh Marcus reports.
SKETCH: Trump gushes at invite from the King of Canada as Starmer charms president in the Oval Office
08:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Richard Hall writes:
Keir Starmer came to the White House with a list of daunting objectives.
The British prime minister had to press Donald Trump to exempt the UK from import tariffs, draw him closer to Europe on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, and convince him that the Chagos Islands are real.
Success would require an abundance of charm, which is not something the prime minister, a former human rights lawyer, is particularly known for.
But Starmer brought with him a secret weapon to meet the challenge...
Only two members of Trump’s top administration have a favorable view with the public — who are they?
07:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Only two members of the Trump administration’s senior leadership are viewed favorably by the public, according to a new Economist / YouGov poll.
Josh Marcus reports.
Starmer plays royal Trump card to win Chagos deal and no trade tariffs in critical White House summit
06:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
David Maddox, The Independent’s political editor, reports from the Oval Office of the White House:
Sir Keir Starmer delivered a diplomatic success on Thursday as he appeared to charm Donald Trump into co-operation on major issues during his visit to the White House.
Even before formal talks had begun, the prime minister appeared to have secured a number of concessions on issues including trade and Ukraine.
In front of reporters and cameras in the Oval Office, their meeting began with a flourish from Sir Keir as he produced a letter from King Charles inviting him to a second state visit to Britain.
Read on...
Watch: Trump shuts down Independent reporter
05:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Lutnick claims 250K are already waiting for gold cards — but there is nowhere to sign-up
04:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick defended President Donald Trump’s proposed “gold card” visa program, touting that there were already “250,000 waiting in line” for the visa pathway that the gold card program could soon replace.
Just one day after announcing the proposed gold card program, Lutnick told Fox News host Bret Baier that if the “250,000” people were “willing to pay the $5 million” that the gold card requires, it would amount to “over $1 trillion dollars” in stimulating the U.S. economy and paying down the national debt.
But it’s unclear where Lutnick is obtaining the “250,000” number.
Or where to sign up.
Ariana Baio has the story.
When ‘Mr Charisma’ met ‘Mr Logic’: body language expert’s verdict on the Trump-Starmer meeting
04:00
,
Kelly Rissman
When Keir Starmer met Donald Trump in the White House for Thursday’s high-stakes meeting over the future of US-UK relations, the messaging each projected wasn’t confined to words alone.
From the power of the handshakes, to their tender gestures during the televised Oval Office chat, and the way each stood apart during the later White House press conference, the pair could not be more “mismatched”, according to body language expert Caroline Goyder.
“Trump is the silverback, totally relaxed, totally grounded, you know, on his home turf. And the difference, it couldn't be starker,” Ms Goyder told ITV on Thursday night after viewing footage of the US and UK leaders as they prepared to discuss advances in security and trade.
Read the full story.
Joy Behar walks back Elon Musk comments on 'The View' after saying he was ‘pro-apartheid’
03:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Joy Behar has retracted her bold proclamation that the South African-born Elon Musk was “pro-apartheid” after she said she received flack for her comment.
While speaking about the tech billionaire’s working relationship with President Donald Trump on Thursday’s episode of The View, Behar remarked that Musk purely served as Trump’s ego-booster
