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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.
The Independent’s White House correspondent on what it’s like to tangle with Trump
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.
He subsequently appeared on Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC show to recount his experiences.
Here’s more from Kelly Rissman.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 12:10
Jeff Bezos pitched Trump a different VP pick last summer – months before he pulled endorsement for Harris, new book claims
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.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 11:50
Watch: Trump praises Starmer’s ‘beautiful’ accent as he makes special pledge
“I would have been president 20 years ago if I had that accent,” the American purred.

Donald Trump praises Keir Starmer’s ‘beautiful’ accent as he makes special pledge
Donald Trump praised Sir Keir Starmer’s “beautiful” accent as he pledged to continue the “special” relationship between the US and UK. The two leaders held a press conference following an earlier Oval Office meeting where the war in Ukraine and trade deals featured high on the agenda. Earlier on Thursday (27 February), Sir Keir handed a letter from King Charles to Mr Trump, inviting him to the UK for a second state visit. Speaking at the press conference, Sir Keir said: “I look forward to welcoming you to the United Kingdom.” The US President replied: “What a beautiful accent. I would have been president 20 years ago if I had that accent.”
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 11:30
Starmer ‘sees value’ in Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine
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.”
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 11:10
Release of Jeffrey Epstein files sparks anger among MAGA faithful: ‘The evil deep state lied to your face’
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.
Here’s more from Josh Marcus.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 10:50
Truth Social: Trump blames Joe Biden for never-ending budget chaos and tells Iowa to fall in line
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.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 10:30
DOGE cuts at weather forecaster NOAA could impact ability to save lives in hurricane season, experts warn
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.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 10:10
Commerce Secretary claims 250,000 are already waiting for Trump’s visa ‘gold cards’ – but there’s nowhere to sign-up
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.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 09:55
Analysis: Starmer lays the ground for warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky ahead of Friday summit
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.
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 09:40
Watch: Starmer clashes with JD Vance over vice president’s attack on Europe’s free speech
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.

Starmer clashes with Vance over vice president’s attack on Europe’s free speech
Sir Keir Starmer appeared to clash with US Vice President JD Vance over his previous attack on Europe’s free speech. America’s relationship with Europe was brought up during Sir Keir’s White House meeting with Donald Trump on Thursday (27 February). Speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier this. month, Mr Vance accused European governments – including the UK’s, of retreating from their values and ignoring voter concerns on migration and free speech. Mr Vance said US and Europe relations would be discussed at lunch, before he was interrupted by the UK Prime Minister, who told him: “We have had free speech in the United Kingdom for a long time.”
Joe Sommerlad28 February 2025 09:25