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.
Latest headlines:
- White House excludes low-value shipments from looming Canada, Mexico tariffs
- Kennedy stops short of calling for vaccines amid measles outbreak
- Intel community has concerns Russia, China could target fired employees
- Trump's doctor says he'll have annual physical exam 'next month'
- White House backs Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Hegseth to visit Guantanamo Bay
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Guantanamo on Tuesday, where he’ll visit the detention facility and the migrant operations center.
There were 178 deported migrants at the facility until late last week when almost all of them were transported to their home country of Venezuela.
A new group of detainees, reportedly 17, arrived at Guantanamo Bay on Sunday.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
HHS advises caution in replying to OPM email
After a slew of emails from HHS management about how to handle the OPM request to detail their week from the past week, employees were informed Monday afternoon that responses are not mandatory, but if they do respond, they should do so cautiously and under the assumption that "what you write will be read by malign foreign actors" and to "tailor your response accordingly.”
The email, which suggests "guidelines" for employees to follow if they respond, says employees should keep their responses "at a high level of generality" and "protect sensitive data, personally identifiable information, and applicable privileges to the extent possible."
"Do not (1) identify, by name or title, any other HHS employees with whom you have been working; (2) identify, by case name or otherwise, matters you are working on, or (3) identify any specific grants or contracts, or any specific grantees or contractors," the email directs employees.
HHS also suggested that employees don't include any information on scientific research or experiments, and avoid including the names of any drugs, devices or therapeutics that they work on.
HHS management was clear that there was no expectation that employees would respond and there would be no punishment for not responding.
Employees at HHS were first told that they should respond to OPM’s request, but then told six hours later to hold off on replying.
The email sent on Monday afternoon was the third sent to employees informing them how they should react to the email.
-ABC News’ John Brownstein, Youri Bendjaoud and Cheyenne Haslett
Department of Education says 70% of its workforce returned to the office
More than 70% of the U.S. Department of Education’s total workforce returned to its offices in D.C. and regional stations Monday, according to the department.
The statement said all employees will be back in the office by June 1 following the completion of building renovations and relocation arrangements.
It comes as the agency's future hangs in the balance -- secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon could be confirmed by the Senate as early as this week.
-ABC News' Arthur Jones
White House remains vague regarding change in OPM policy
The White House is not saying much when asked about the change in OPM policy relating to the five bullet point order from Elon Musk. A White House official said "DOGE is moving fast, at the direction of POTUS, and that's exactly the point," when asked to confirm the change in policy to ABC News.
"It's all about efficiency, even internally," the official added.
"Everyone is working together as one unified team at the direction of President Trump. Any notion to the contrary is completely false," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the statement.
-- ABC News' Michelle Stoddart