President Donald Trump's second administration continued its swift recasting of the federal government, prompting pushback from Democrats and legal challenges.
The president said Sunday that he will announce tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum on Monday but didn't say when they'll take effect.
Trump, meanwhile, is at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night to take in the Super Bowl. Trump picked the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in an interview aired before the game on Fox.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss relief efforts after last month's deadly wildfires in Los Angeles, the governor's office said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
The meeting is expected to take place after Newsom sits down with members of Congress "across the aisle to help secure critical disaster aid for survivors" of the fires, Newsom's office said.
-ABC News' Zohreen Shah
Feb 04, 2025, 11:22 PM EST
Rubio says US ready to 'Make Gaza Beautiful Again'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. "stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again," hours after President Donald Trump, in a stunning proposal, said he wanted the U.S. to "take over" the Gaza Strip.
Rubio, who is traveling in South America, posted his message on X.
Feb 04, 2025, 11:05 PM EST
Federal buyout offer extends to CIA
The buyout offered to federal employees last week was extended to the Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday, according to information first reported in the Washington Post and confirmed by ABC News.
The “deferred resignation” offer, as the White House calls it, had originally exempted federal employees in the national security sector.
However, a CIA spokesperson told ABC News that the newly installed director, John Ratcliffe, wanted to ensure his workforce was “responsive to the Administration's national security priorities" and said that “these moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission."
A U.S. official also told ABC News that the offer will not be open to everyone at the spy agency. The official explained that there will be a review process of applicants, and if an employee is working a "priority target," then they may not be able to take the buyout.
-ABC News' Cindy Smith
Feb 04, 2025, 10:55 PM EST
Federal unions sue over buyout offer, saying it "threatens employees" with layoffs
Three unions representing a combined 800,000 federal civil servants are suing the Trump administration over its plan to offer buyouts to federal employees, arguing that it "threatens employees" to take the "arbitrary" offer.
The three unions – the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Association of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – argue that the Office of Personnel Management failed to provide a legal basis for the buyout offer, leaving open the possibility that the government might not follow through with the buyout once federal employees agree to resign.
People gather to protest outside the headquarters of the Office of Personnel Management after the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency was charged with oversight of OPM, in Washington, Feb. 2, 2025.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
The lawsuit also argues the buyout’s promise of payments through September violates the law, because the current appropriation for federal agencies expires in March. Moreover, the buyout is unfair, the lawsuit argues, because it was made alongside a threat of future layoffs.
“To leverage employees into accepting the offer and resigning, the Fork Directive threatens employees with eventual job loss in the event that they refuse to resign,” the lawsuit said.
Overall, the lawsuit alleged that OPM rushed the offer with a questionable legal basis, largely mimicking Elon Musk’s management style following his takeover of Twitter.
The lawsuit comes as at least 20,000 federal workers -- roughly 1% of the civilian federal workforce -- have accepted the deferred resignation offer since last week, ABC News reported.
