US Senate to Avert Government Shutdown; Judge Reinstates Fired Federal Employees

Top U.S. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer signaled on Thursday that his party would provide the votes to avert a government shutdown. He announced on the Senate floor that he would vote to keep the government open, stating that a shutdown "would give Donald Trump and Elon Musk carte blanche." A federal judge in California ordered six federal agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were terminated as a result of mass firings. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the orders issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) were unjustified. The ruling applies to probationary employees at the US departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Interior and Treasury. The Trump Administration has vowed to fight back against the ruling.