The Latest: Federal Judge Allows Trump’s Mass Firings Of Federal Workers To Continue

(AP)-U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block President Donald Trump’s mass firings of federal workers. He did, however, acknowledge the chaos caused by Trump’s blitz of second-term executive actions.
Here’s the latest:
Chinese Vice Premier expresses ‘solemn concern’ over tariffs in video call with US Treasury Secretary
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has expressed “solemn concerns” to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the Trump administration’s imposition of an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.
The comments came in a video call that was Bessent’s first contact with a senior Chinese official since assuming his post. Trump said he imposed the tariff because China needs to do more to control the fentanyl trade. China responded with tariffs on select American products and other targeted measures.
Ahead of the call, Bessent told Bloomberg that the first thing he wanted to talk about was curbing fentanyl precursor chemicals coming from China
Federal judge will consider further blocking Trump administration from freezing funds
The judge will consider a request to further block the Trump administration from freezing trillions of dollars of grants and loans that fund everything from clean energy programs to bridge repairs to emergency shelters.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, who already approved a temporary restraining order on the funding freeze, is hearing a request for a permanent injunction from nearly two dozen Democrat states. If approved, it would be the first order since the Trump administration announced a sweeping pause on federal aid, stirring up a wave of confusion and anxiety across the United States.
A second lawsuit over the funding freeze by groups representing thousands of nonprofits and small businesses is being heard by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C. AliKhan is also considering a request to issue a preliminary injunction.
▶ Read more about the lawsuits over funding freezes
Macron says he plans to tell Trump not to “be weak” in the face of Putin amid negotiation talks
Macron is to travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said.
In a one-hour question and answer session on his social media Thursday, Macron said he’ll tell Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President Putin. It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”
Trump’s recent statements that echo Putin’s narrative and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried. But Macron suggested Trump’s strategy to create “uncertainty” in talks with Russia could actually make Western allies stronger in these talks.
Macron added he would seek to persuade Trump that U.S. interests and Europeans’ interests are the same, telling him: “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”
That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Macron reaffirmed.
▶ Read more about Macron’s comments
Trump holds Black History Month event as some agencies skip recognition after anti-DEI order
President Donald Trump speaks as golfer Tiger Woods listens during a reception for Black History Month in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday by making an appearance at a celebratory reception with a surprise guest, golf legend Tiger Woods, while calling out other athletes in attendance and marveling at the size of the crowd.
Trump also announced he planned to bring Alice Johnson, a prison reform advocate whom he pardoned in 2020, into his administration to work on clemency issues.
The White House’s Black History Month reception preserved a tradition, but it comes in the wake of Trump issuing a wide-ranging executive order ending the federal government’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.
Trump didn’t mention his anti-DEI crusade as he addressed hundreds of guests in a reception in the East Room, though he did make a brief reference to the The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which highlights the lasting consequences of slavery in America.
▶ Read more about the Black History Month reception at the White House
How Trump’s mass layoffs raise the risk of wildfires in the US West, according to fired workers
The Forest Service firings — on the heels of deadly blazes that ripped through Los Angeles last month — are part of a wave of federal worker layoffs, as Trump’s cost-cutting measures reverberate nationwide.
Workers who maintained trails, removed combustible debris from forests, supported firefighters and secured funds for wildfire mitigation say staffing cuts threaten public safety, especially in the West, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires.
“This is 100% a safety thing,” said Tanya Torst, who was fired from her position as a U.S. Forest Service partnership coordinator in Chico, California. She recalled the deadly Paradise blaze that killed 85 people east of Chico in 2018. “That’s why I’m speaking out.”
▶ Read more about how the mass firings of federal workers will increase risk of wildfires