Trump 2nd term updates: Trump excludes low-value shipments from looming tariffs

The amendment exempts imports valued at less than $800 from Canada and Mexico.

President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal government to his liking suffered a loss in court when a federal judge blocked his administration from firing the head of a federal watchdog agency without cause, likely triggering a lengthy appeal that could end at the Supreme Court.

U.S. District Justice Amy Berman Jackson determined the move was unlawful and issued a permanent injunction that reinstated special counsel Hampton Dellinger to his position.

Meanwhile, the Social Security Administration said it will cut 7,000 jobs and six of its 10 regional centers as part of the president’s downsizing of the federal workforce.

And Trump’s physician announced the president will have his annual physical next month, days after reporters raised questions about a bruise they saw on the back of his hand.

Feb 27, 2025, 9:33 AM EST

Trump says tariffs against Canada, Mexico will go into effect March 4

President Donald Trump is continuing his threat to place tariffs on Canada and Mexico next week if the amount of fentanyl crossing the border does not go down.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 26, 2025.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date. The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect. Thank you for your attention to this matter. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" Trump wrote on his social media platform.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

Feb 27, 2025, 8:49 AM EST

USAID officials allege Trump admin sped up foreign aid review as a legal maneuver

USAID officials decried the State Department's seemingly rushed review of foreign aid grants as a legal maneuver to avoid having to comply with a deadline to pay foreign aid groups that was in place until it was stayed by the Supreme Court.

"Instead of complying with a court order to reimburse USAID partners by midnight tonight for the nearly $2 billion owed for programming already provided prior to Trump's inauguration, and to resume USAID programs that had not been reviewed, Director of the Office of Foreign Assistance and acting USAID Deputy Administrator, Pete Marocco, chose to shut down thousands of programs by terminating the awards," the officials said in a circulated release on Wednesday.

"It appears this may have been done to make the case that the entire suit brought by the plaintiffs was moot because the review had been completed or as an excuse for not making the payments yet because the review consumed the majority of the administration's time so they were unable to make the payments," they continued.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Feb 27, 2025, 8:09 AM EST

Trump hosting UK's Keir Starmer at the White House

President Donald Trump will meet United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 12:15 ET at the White House.

The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office before a press conference in the East Room at 2 p.m. ET.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a welcome reception at the Britain's ambassador's residence on Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP

The meeting comes after Europe was boxed out of talks between Russia and the U.S. on how to end Vladimir Putin's invasion in Ukraine. Trump has since said Europe will have to bear primary responsibility for any security guarantees for Ukraine.

"Well, I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond very much," Trump said at his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "We're going to have Europe do that because it's in you know, we're talking about Europe is the next-door neighbor, but we're going to make sure everything goes well."

Feb 26, 2025, 11:07 PM EST

Transgender US service members will be separated from military, Pentagon memo says

Transgender U.S. service members will be separated from the military unless they receive an exemption, according to a new Pentagon policy.
According to the memo, the Pentagon must create a procedure to identify troops who are transgender within 30 days (March 26) and then separate them from the military no later than June 25.
The memo specifically describes these individuals as having gender dysphoria and who are receiving some form of treatment, hormones or have gone through a gender reassignment surgery.

The new policy was included as an exhibit in the case Talbott v. Trump, a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order that lifted the previous policy allowing transgender service members to serve in the military.

Service members who will be separated will receive honorable discharges except where the service member's record warrants a lower discharge, according to the memo.

According to a defense official 4,240 active duty, Guard and Reserve service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

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