Judge rules Federal Labor Relations Authority chair must be reinstated
A federal judge ruled today that Susan Tsui Grundmann, the chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, was unlawfully removed from her job by the Trump administration and must be allowed to serve unless she is removed “upon notice and hearing and only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Grundmann’s term does not end until July.
Defendants in the case are barred “from removing Ms. Grundmann from her office without cause or in any way treating Ms. Grundmann as having been removed, from impeding in any way her ability to fulfill her duties as a Member of the FLRA, and from denying or obstructing her authority or access to any benefits or resources of the office,” the judge wrote.
Grundmann sued the Trump administration over her termination last month.
The order is not preliminary or temporary relief. Rather, the judge has awarded Grundmann summary judgment, which is a final, appealable decision on the law and facts.
The FLRA is an independent administrative agency that handles labor disputes between federal employee labor groups and management. It consists of three Senate-confirmed members who are appointed by the president.
Irish prime minister touts 'mutually beneficial' trade ties with U.S. as Trump threatens more EU tariffs
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin lauded Ireland's trading relationship with the United States in remarks today at a St. Patrick's Day reception at the White House, hours after Trump threatened to increase tariffs on the European Union.
"Ireland likes to trade with United States, and the United States likes to do business with Ireland because we are strong and reliable partners. Mr. President, let's do even more and better together," Martin said.
He hailed the role he said Irish workers and companies have played in "making this country great," in both the past and the present. The two economies, Martin said, are "deeply interconnected" and benefit from mutual investment.
"We've built prosperity through free and fair trade with partners all over the world, and particularly here in these United States. Let us continue to build on that foundation," Martin said. "Let us continue to work together to make sure that we maintain that mutually beneficial two-way economic relationship that has allowed innovation and creativity and prosperity to thrive."
Trump threatened earlier today to escalate tariffs on the European Union after it imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of U.S. goods in response to Trump’s placing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports.
“We’re going to be doing reciprocal tariffs. So whatever they charge us, we’re charging them. Nobody can complain about that," Trump said today in the Oval Office, seated next to Martin. "If they charge us 25 or 20% or 10% or 2% or 200%, then that’s what we’re charging them."
Federal judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump administration's Perkins Coie executive order
A federal judge just blocked parts of the Trump administration’s executive order called “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie,” saying the law firm has “met its burden” for a temporary restraining order.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is enjoining enforcement of Sections 1, 3 and 5 of Trump’s executive order, which sought to block Perkins Coie and its associates from entering government buildings and prevented government employees in their official capacity from “engaging with Perkins Coie employees to ensure consistency with the national security and other interests of the United States.”
“I am sure many in the profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through here,” Howell said in announcing her decision.
During arguments, the plaintiffs explained the issue in stark terms. “It is an immense, already existing problem that is like a tsunami ready to hit the firm,” plaintiffs attorney Dane Butswinkas said. “It will spell the end of the law firm.”
Addressing the government, Howell: “It sends chills down my spine when you say that if the president in his view has the position that an individual or an entity or a company is operating a way that is not in the nation’s interest, he can issue an executive order like this. That’s a pretty extraordinary power for the president to exercise.”
A Perkins Coie spokesperson said in a statement that the judge's ruling "is an important first step in ensuring this unconstitutional Executive Order is never enforced."
"We will follow the court’s direction regarding next steps and will continue to challenge the Executive Order, which threatens our firm, our clients, and core constitutional protections important to all Americans,” the statement said.
Trump administration says it intends to deport Mahmoud Khalil, alleging 'serious' foreign policy consequences
The Trump administration has filed a document seeking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who played a major role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, saying he is “subject to removal from the United States” in documents obtained by NBC News.
Federal immigration agents arrested Khalil, 30, in New York City on Saturday and briefly took him to a detention center in New Jersey before he was transferred to the facility in Jena, Louisiana. He is an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, married to a U.S. citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States.
In the document, the Department of Homeland Security cited a provision in immigration law that gives the secretary of state the authority to deport someone from the United States if it is determined that the person “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
“The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States,” it continued.
In rural Louisiana, Speaker Mike Johnson’s constituents fear potential Medicaid cuts
In House Speaker Mike Johnson’s backyard, many residents rely on anti-poverty programs to help make ends meet — and are pleading with Johnson, R-La., to protect those benefits as Congress weighs steep federal spending cuts.
Pastor Leroy McClelland, who lives in Johnson’s southwestern Louisiana district and volunteers at a local food bank, said he depends on Medicaid and food stamps after having suffered several medical issues and would be in a serious “bind” without government assistance. He added that he’s far from alone in those struggles.
“People can’t do without it,” McClelland told NBC News outside the food bank. “So I would tell them [Congress] to help us out. Help us. People are hurting out here. And you may be from Louisiana, but you’re the House speaker. Cross the aisle. Work together to do whatever you got to do. That’s my message.”
Summer Stinson, a mother of four who was picking up food for her family as well as an elderly woman who can’t drive, said the prospect of potential cuts to social safety net programs has been weighing heavily on her mind.
House Democrats to begin hosting town halls in Republican districts
House Democrats said today they will begin hosting town halls in GOP districts, “filling a void” after Republican leaders told rank-and-file members to stop holding the events following viral moments of attendees' lashing out at lawmakers.
“I’m going to be doing a few of these, and I think part of the reason is we’re filling a void, right? We’re filling a void that’s left open by our Republican colleagues who are too scared to show up to town halls in their own districts because they’re doing things that are not popular,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., one of the leaders of the House Democrats’ messaging operation.
“And it’s not just Democrats showing up; it’s Republicans showing up. I know you’ve all seen the videos — Republicans showing up, independents showing up, and now they’re being told stop doing it,” Frost continued.
“It’s too much of a political liability, and that’s not fair to their constituents. So it’s Democrats going above and beyond and saying, ‘Even though I don’t represent your district, I know you want to talk with a member of Congress, not just send a form online, not leave a voicemail … but you want to see someone face to face,’ and we, as Democrats, we’re going to fill these voids,” he added.
Frost made his comments at the start of House Democrats' three-day annual policy retreat in Leesburg, Virginia.
NBC News reported this month that Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the chair of House Republicans' campaign arm, told GOP lawmakers at a private meeting not to hold any more town halls in person after videos that went viral showed members being berated by people who were furious over Department of Government Efficiency cuts and mass layoffs.
There is enormous demand for lawmaker town halls. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., head of the Democrats' messaging arm, said she typically holds multiple town halls every weekend in her district. Recently, 11,000 people showed up at a town hall, she said. She immediately drove to another town hall right after, and 1,000 people attended.
“People were intense, and they had a lot of questions, but they respected me, and I did it with my state legislators, and we answered questions,” she said. “I’m accessible.”
Harvard doctors sue Trump administration after removal of patient safety research that refers to LGBTQ health
Two doctors from Harvard Medical School filed a lawsuit today against the Trump administration after the removal of at least two articles from the Patient Safety Network — a collection of the latest news and resources about patient safety and innovations.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Boston. It argues that the government violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by removing the articles without a reasoned basis.
The lawsuit claims the papers were removed as part of the Trump administration's decision to take down articles that “promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology,” including works that include “transgender” or “LGBTQ” in their contents.
The Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts are representing the doctors. The ACLU said in a release today that the removed articles include examples titled “Endometriosis: A Common and Commonly Missed and Delayed Diagnosis” and “Multiple Missed Opportunities for Suicide Risk Assessment in Emergency and Primary Care Settings.” Both pieces include references to transgender or gender-nonconforming people and the LGBTQ community.
“The takedown of these articles is nothing short of an assault on science,” Scarlet Kim, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, said in a statement. “The First Amendment protects against the removal of our clients’ research solely because the government disagrees with its message. The government cannot suppress medical knowledge because it acknowledges the existence of transgender people. The Trump administration’s attempt to do so violates the First Amendment and flouts the very mandate of PSNet to improve patient safety.”
Regional Education Department offices shuttered in major cities
Regional offices for the Education Department in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Cleveland were closed today, and all employees in those offices were affected by Trump administration efforts to slash the federal workforce, according to three department officials.
The Education Department said in a news release yesterday that employees affected by efforts to halve the department's staff would be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement yesterday that the reduction in force efforts were "a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
More than 1,300 career employees face termination, and about 600 more have accepted voluntary packages to end their government service.
South Carolina police respond to bomb threat at Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's sister's home
Police in Charleston, South Carolina, responded to a bomb threat this week at the home of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's sister, according an an incident report dated Monday.
An officer said that when he arrived at the home, he spoke with the husband of Barrett's sister, who said his wife, Amanda Williams, had received an email Saturday that detailed the construction of a "pipe bomb," which the email said was "recently placed" in Barrett's sister's mailbox. The pipe bomb's "detonation will be triggered as soon as the mailbox is next opened. Free Palestine!" the email said, according to the report.
Officials said the threat was a false alarm after they inspected the mailbox, according to the report.
The responding officer also said in the report that Williams recounted that an unidentified person "possibly related to the sender of the email" had delivered pizza to all residences related to Barrett on Saturday evening.
A police spokesperson said the investigation continues.
Barrett, a conservative justice whom Trump appointed to the high court during his first term, has been the target of criticism from Trump-allied figures in the wake of her rejecting an effort by the Trump administration not to pay contractors with the U.S. Agency for International Development in compliance with a federal judge's order.
Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats won’t provide votes to pass GOP funding bill as shutdown draws near
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said today that Democrats won’t provide enough support to pass a government funding bill that Republicans wrote and passed through the House, leaving it uncertain whether Congress can avert a shutdown before Friday night’s deadline.
The House yesterday narrowly approved a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through the end of September.
“Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their continuing resolution without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats. Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR,” Schumer said on the floor, calling for a one-month funding bill that provides more time to negotiate a deal.
“Our caucus is unified on a clean April 11 CR that will keep the government open and give Congress time to negotiate bipartisan legislation that can pass,” he said. “I hope our Republican colleagues will join us to avoid a shutdown on Friday.”