A federal judge says the USAID shutdown likely violated the Constitution
A federal judge has found that the Trump administration likely violated the Constitution when it effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In a 68-page opinion Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee, wrote that “the Court finds that Defendants’ actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID Officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways, and that these actions harmed not only Plaintiffs, but also the public interest, because they deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”
The plaintiffs are more than two dozen unnamed current or recently fired employees and contractors of USAID. The defendants are Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
USAID employees who were fired or put on administrative leave were told to show up at the now-shuttered USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., late last month to collect their belongings. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said most foreign aid contracts will be canceled.
In recent days, the White House has criticized federal judges who’ve ruled against the executive branch’s authority.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Charlie Kirk’s killing raises the stakes for campus security
How much security at a campus event is enough? Campus police are mulling the question.
They want a COVID shot to protect their health or at-risk family. They can’t get it
Though the FDA narrowed criteria for the shots, many people still want them, to avoid illness and protect vulnerable family members. Some are turned down at the pharmacy or have to jump through hoops.
Jazz head at Kennedy Center is the latest firing at the beleaguered arts institution
The firing of Kevin Struthers is the latest in a line of dismissals and resignations at the D.C. arts behemoth.
Senate Republicans turn to ‘nuclear option’ to speed confirmation of Trump nominees
The change will allow certain nominees to be confirmed in groups rather than by individual vote. It follows months of GOP complaints that Democrats were dragging out the confirmation process.
A play about the revolt of human workers — not machines — gave us the word ‘robot’
A Czech playwright introduced the word to English in the 1920s. But back then, it wasn't analogous to machinery. New interpretations of the robot reflect a modernity once skewered by the writer.
Are hotel rooms accessible for people who use wheelchairs? NPR wants to hear from you
Hotels have accessible rooms for wheelchair users. If you or someone you know has experienced problems with those rooms, we'd like to hear about it.
