US board reinstates thousands of USDA employees fired by Trump administration

US board reinstates thousands of USDA employees fired by Trump administration
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins arriving at the USDA to assume the department's top post. (Photo courtesy of USDA)
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Updated 1 min 23 sec ago
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US board reinstates thousands of USDA employees fired by Trump administration

US board reinstates thousands of USDA employees fired by Trump administration
  • Merit System Protection Board halts firing of USDA employees
  • Judge blocked Trump from removing board’s Democratic chair

A US board that reviews the firings of federal employees on Wednesday ordered the US Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate thousands of workers who lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump’s layoffs of the federal workforce.
Cathy Harris, a member of the Merit System Protection Board, ordered the USDA to reinstate fired probationary employees for 45 days while a challenge to the terminations plays out.
The decision was issued a day after a federal judge blocked Trump from firing Harris, a Democrat, and from removing her from her position with the board without cause before her term expires in three years. The administration is appealing that decision.
“This is great news and needs to be done with all impacted agencies with similarly situated employees as fast as possible,” said J. Ward Morrow, assistant general counsel at the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some of the reinstated workers.
Tanya Torst, who was fired from the US Forest Service, a USDA agency, on February 15, said she would be thrilled to return to her former job fundraising for a group of six national forests, though she worried about talk of shutting federal offices nationwide and of further staff reductions later this month.
“We’re thrilled to come back, but we’re hoping they have a place for us.”
The USDA and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump and Elon Musk, the architect of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, are spearheading an unprecedented effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, including through job cuts.
It’s estimated that more than 20,000 federal employees, almost all probationary workers, have lost their jobs and another 75,000 have taken a buyout, out of the 2.3 million federal civilian workforce. Probationary workers typically have less than a year of service in their current roles, although some are longtime federal workers.
Union efforts to contest the mass firings in federal court have faced procedural hurdles with judges questioning whether unions had standing to bring the cases or finding that they should have been brought to administrative boards like the MSPB.
The merit board has proved to be a potential roadblock in the Trump administration’s efforts to purge the federal workforce. The board hears appeals by federal government employees when they are fired or disciplined.
It has already halted the firing of six other such employees at various agencies at the request of a watchdog agency whose leader, Hampton Dellinger of the US Office of Special Counsel, was fired by Trump.
Dellinger, an appointee of Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, on Tuesday revealed that he had asked the board to halt the firing of thousands of USDA employees.
Dellinger argued that the Trump administration’s firing of the probationary employees was done unlawfully and without regard to the workers’ rights while circumventing regulations governing mass reductions in the federal workforce.
Harris agreed, saying she found reasonable grounds to believe that the agency fired them in violation of federal law. The board ordered all probationary USDA employees terminated since February 13 to be temporarily reinstated.
Dellinger in a statement welcomed the decision. He said his agency would continue investigating the firing of other federal probationary employees, and he called on federal agencies that had recently fired such workers to immediately reinstate them.
“Voluntarily rescinding these hasty and apparently unlawful personnel actions is the right thing to do and avoids the unnecessary wasting of taxpayer dollars,” he said.
Trump removed Dellinger on February 7, but he was reinstated by a judge until a Washington federal appeals court on Wednesday allowed Trump to fire him.
Dellinger told Reuters on Wednesday he was removed from his post shortly after the ruling, which is temporary while appeals court judges review the merits of the case.


Elon Musk comes to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans who discuss turning DOGE cuts into law

Elon Musk comes to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans who discuss turning DOGE cuts into law
Updated 18 sec ago
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Elon Musk comes to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans who discuss turning DOGE cuts into law

Elon Musk comes to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans who discuss turning DOGE cuts into law
  • Musk has previously told lawmakers he envisions DOGE can save some $1 trillion in the federal government this year alone

WASHINGTON: Billionaire Elon Musk arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday and learned about something new — budget rescissions, an obscure legislative tool that could bring legal heft to his federal budget slashing effort and enshrine the cuts into law.
Musk joined a lunch meeting with Republican senators just hours after the Supreme Court issued a setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze some $2 billion in foreign aid funds as part of its sweeping shutdown of the US Agency for International Development. As he opened the private session, Musk led with a message urging Congress to act.
Over plates of fried catfish, senators explained how the White House could put the billions of dollars of savings he has amassed into what’s called a budget rescissions package, and send it to Congress for a vote to rescind the funding. Musk seemed thrilled, they said.
“He was so happy,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, who is among those championing the effort. “He didn’t know.”
The proposal introduced a potential next phase of his Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts and comes at an important time. The Trump administration is fighting in court — and in the court of public opinion — over the budget cuts tearing through the federal government.
The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are eager to show voters that DOGE’s actions are more than headlines of job losses and disruptions, but real savings as Musk’s team roots out waste, fraud and abuse to help reduce the nation’s staggering $2 trillion annual deficit.
It also comes as the courts are looking skeptically at the legality of the Trump administration’s actions and as lawmakers’ town halls are being overrun by protesters pushing for answers as tens of thousands of federal workers are being fired.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune half-joked that he was a little worried after Musk gave out his cellphone number for senators to call with any concerns.
“I thought, OK, his phone’s going to start blowing up,” Thune said on Fox News. “He might want to change his number.”
Senators said Musk aide Katie Miller would be setting up a direct line they can also call with any questions or problems about the cuts.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said senators seemed to be asking for “just better communication, wanting to know what’s going to happen next.”
But Hawley said, “I don’t know that anyone at the White House knows what’s going to happen next.” He said Musk’s team seems to “just kind of go from one thing to the next.”
It was Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who introduced the idea of using budget rescissions during the lunch meeting.
“I love what Elon is doing. I love the cutting into waste. I love finding all the crazy crap that we’re spending overseas,” Paul said afterward.
“But to make it real, to make it go beyond the moment of the day, it needs to come back in the form of a rescission package,” he said.
The libertarian-leaning senator has long stood as among the most persistent budget hawks in the Senate, one who routinely votes against federal spending bills. He said he’s planning to oppose the federal funding package that’s expected next week, which is needed to prevent a federal government shutdown when money expires March 14.
Paul said he explained to Musk that after the morning Supreme Court ruling, the administration should drop its plans to claw back federal funds through what’s called impoundments. The courts do not seem inclined to accept the legal arguments being presented challenging the Nixon-era Impoundment Control Act.
Instead, Paul said, “My message to Elon was, let’s get over the impoundment idea and let’s send it back as a rescission.”
Senators said it was unclear how big the rescission packages could be — Paul suggested several packages of at least $100 billion in federal cuts — or how soon they might push ahead with any voting if the White House sends them to Capitol Hill.
Musk has previously told lawmakers he envisions DOGE can save some $1 trillion in the federal government this year alone.
Thune and other GOP leaders did not immediately make any comments on the rescission plans.
While a rescission package can be approved in the Senate by a simple majority vote with an expedited process that would enable the Republican majority to maneuver around a potential filibuster by Democrats, it may be easier said then done.
Senators on the Appropriations Committee are likely to pan the idea of spending cuts that would essentially go against legislation they had already approved to fund the government, as would those who may want to preserve federal funding for certain home-state industries or programs that are important to constituents.
Even with a GOP majority, it could be difficult to keep all Republicans unified on a vote, especially if all Democrats are opposed.
Graham, the Budget chairman, sees the process as a way “for the White House to go on offense.”
“We’re losing altitude,” he said. “We need to get back in the game, on offense, and the way you can regain altitude is to take the work product — get away from the personalities and the drama — take the work product and vote on it.”
Absent from the lunch meeting with Musk was much discussion about the federal workers who are now out of work after the DOGE cuts.
“Any time there’s a transition, it’s difficult,” Paul said.
The senator said several people spoke up to make sure “we’re not just getting rid of people that we actually need, and that we are not overdoing it.”
Still, Paul said: “We do need a smaller government. We do need less federal workers.”


EU leaders to back defense surge, support Zelensky after US aid freeze

EU leaders to back defense surge, support Zelensky after US aid freeze
Updated 26 min 1 sec ago
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EU leaders to back defense surge, support Zelensky after US aid freeze

EU leaders to back defense surge, support Zelensky after US aid freeze
  • Prime ministers and presidents gather in Brussels

BRUSSELS: European leaders aim to endorse bold measures to ramp up defense spending and pledge support for Ukraine on Thursday, after Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid to Kyiv fueled concerns the continent can no longer be sure of US protection.
Leaders of the European Union’s 27 countries will be joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Brussels, although their show of solidarity may be marred by Hungary refusing to endorse a statement backing Kyiv.
The meeting takes place against a backdrop of dramatic defense policy decisions driven by fears that Russia, emboldened by its war in Ukraine, may attack an EU country next and that Europe cannot rely on the US to come to its aid.
US President Donald Trump has insisted he is committed to the NATO security alliance that links North America and Europe.
But he has also said Europe must take more responsibility for its security and previously suggested the US would not protect a NATO ally that did not spend enough on defense.
His decision to shift from staunch US support for Ukraine to a more conciliatory stance toward Moscow has deeply alarmed Europeans who see Russia as the biggest threat to their security.
“I want to believe that the United States will stand by us. But we have to be ready if that is not the case,” French President Emmanuel  Macron  said of the war in Ukraine in an address to the French nation on the eve of the summit.
In a sign of the gravity of the moment, Macron said France is open to discussing extending the protection offered by its nuclear arsenal to its European partners.
On Tuesday, the parties aiming to form Germany’s next government agreed to loosen borrowing limits to allow billions of euros of extra defense spending.
The European Commission – the EU’s executive body – also unveiled proposals that it said could mobilize up to 800 billion euros ($862.9 billion) for European defense, including a plan to borrow up to 150 billion euros ($161.8 billion) to lend to EU governments.
Diplomats expect leaders at the summit to give the proposals a broad welcome and instruct officials to quickly turn them into draft legislation. EU members will then have to agree on the nitty-gritty, which will not be straightforward.
On Ukraine, almost all EU leaders are keen to reassure Zelensky that he can still rely on Europe for support after his bruising Oval Office clash with Trump last week.
But EU members have so far not been able to agree on a proposal by foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to put a figure on the military aid they will pledge to Ukraine this year.
Officials have suggested the EU should vow to at least provide 20 billion euros this year, as it did in 2024.
The plan foresees each EU member state contributing according to the size of its economy, amid complaints from Nordic and Baltic states and the Netherlands that some bigger countries such as France, Italy and Spain are not doing enough.
Paris, Rome and Madrid reject those accusations, arguing that public estimates do not reflect the true value of their military aid to Ukraine.
The leaders are expected to call upon officials “to advance work swiftly on initiatives, notably that of the High Representative (Kallas), to coordinate increased EU military support to Ukraine,” according to a draft text seen by Reuters.
However, it is unclear whether the text on Ukraine will be endorsed by all 27 leaders, due to a veto threat from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally who has also maintained friendly ties to the Kremlin.
In a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa dated Saturday, Orban said there were “strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged.”


Russian missile attack kills two, injures 28 in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih

Russian missile attack kills two, injures 28 in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih
Updated 57 min 4 sec ago
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Russian missile attack kills two, injures 28 in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih

Russian missile attack kills two, injures 28 in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih
  • Kryvyi Rih, home town of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been a frequent target since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago

A Russian missile smashed into a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih late on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 28, the regional governor said.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said on the Telegram messaging app that a child was among the injured. Several people were seriously hurt, he said.
Ukraine’s Emergency Services, also posting on Telegram, said 14 people had been rescued from rubble at the hotel which suffered heavy damage.
They posted pictures of crews making their way through piles of rubble outside the floodlit five-story building and clambering up and down ladders.
Smoke billowed from the top of the hotel and virtually all its windows had been blown out. A crane was deployed to reach upper levels.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s military administration, said rescue operations proceeded through the night.
Kryvyi Rih, home town of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been a frequent target since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.


Hundreds of US diplomats join letter to Rubio to protest dismantling of USAID

Hundreds of US diplomats join letter to Rubio to protest dismantling of USAID
Updated 06 March 2025
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Hundreds of US diplomats join letter to Rubio to protest dismantling of USAID

Hundreds of US diplomats join letter to Rubio to protest dismantling of USAID
  • “The freeze on life-saving aid has already caused irreparable harm and suffering to millions of people around the world,” the letter says

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of diplomats at the State Department and US Agency for International Development have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio protesting the dismantling of USAID, saying its dismantling undermines US leadership and security and leaves power vacuums for China and Russia to fill.
In a cable expected to be filed with the department’s internal “dissent channel,” which allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously, the diplomats said the Trump administration’s January 20 freeze on almost all foreign aid also endangers American diplomats and forces overseas while putting at risk the lives of millions abroad that depend on US assistance.
More than 700 people have signed onto the letter, a US official speaking on the condition of anonymity said.
“The decision to freeze and terminate foreign aid contracts and assistance awards without any meaningful review jeopardizes our partnerships with key allies, erodes trust, and creates openings for adversaries to expand their influence,” said the cable, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
The Republican president, pursuing what he has called an “America First” agenda, ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid on his January 20 return to office. The order halted USAID operations around the world, jeopardizing delivery of life-saving food and medical aid, and throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos.
“The freeze on life-saving aid has already caused irreparable harm and suffering to millions of people around the world,” the letter said, adding that despite statements on waivers being issued for life-saving programs, the funding remained shut.
The president tasked billionaire and adviser Elon Musk with dismantling USAID as part of an unprecedented push to shrink the federal government over what both say is wasteful spending and abuse of funds.
“Foreign assistance is not charity. Instead, it is a strategic tool that stabilizes regions, prevents conflict, and advances US interests,” the letter said.
A State Department spokesperson, when asked about the cable, said: “We do not comment on leaked internal communication.”
In fiscal year 2023, the United States disbursed $72 billion of aid worldwide, on everything from women’s health in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/AIDS trea“The freeze on life-saving aid has already caused irreparable harm and suffering to millions of people around the world,” the letter satments, energy security and anti-corruption work.
Upon evaluating 6,200 multi-year awards, the administration decided to eliminate nearly 5,800 of them worth $54 billion in value, a 92 percent reduction, according to a State Department spokesperson. USAID fired or put on administrative leave thousands of staff and contractors.
The cable said the government’s failure to pay outstanding invoices to contractors and implementing partners has severe economic repercussions.
“The resulting financial strain not only undermines confidence in the US government as a reliable partner, it also weakens domestic economic growth at a time of mounting global competition,” the cable said.
Organizations and companies that contract with USAID last month sued the administration, calling the dismantling of the agency unlawful and saying funding had been cut off for existing contracts, including hundreds of millions of dollars for work that is already done.
The US Supreme Court declined on Wednesday to let the administration withhold payments to foreign aid organizations for work they already performed for the government, upholding a district judge’s order that had called on the administration to promptly release payments to contractors.


Turkiye to build wall on Greece border

Turkiye to build wall on Greece border
Updated 06 March 2025
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Turkiye to build wall on Greece border

Turkiye to build wall on Greece border
  • The barrier is aimed at preventing migrants crossing into EU member states

ISTANBUL: Turkiye plans to build an 8.5-km wall on its western border where neighbors Greece and Bulgaria have already erected their own fences, a local governor said.

The barrier is aimed at preventing migrants crossing into EU member states.

Turkiye has in the past built walls on its border with Iran and Syria.

“For the first time we will take physical security measures this year on our western border,” Yunus Sezer, governor of Edirne in northwestern Turkiye, said.

The governor said that initially an 8.5-km wall was planned, adding it could be extended.

“We will start from the border with Greece and from there, God willing, it will continue in the upcoming period depending on the situation,” he added.

Turkiye shares a 200-km frontier with Greece and the border is separated along the Evros River, called Meric in Turkish.

In 2012, Greece built two 3-meter tall, barbed wire barriers along 11 km of its frontier with Turkiye, which has previously been mined.

It later tripled the length of the fence, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowing to extend it to more than 100 km by 2026.

In 2014 Bulgaria put up a 30-kilometer razor wire fence along its border with Turkiye as migrants flocked there to avoid the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing.

Four years later the fence was extended to cover almost all of the 259-km border.