On Wednesday, the administration closed entries for the "deferred resignation" program for federal workers after a federal judge denied a request to halt the program. It allows the White House to move ahead with its plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
This week Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the Secretary for Health and Human Services in a 52-48 vote. Several Senators raised concerns about his record of an anti-vaccine activism.
On Tuesday, District Judge John Bates ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to restore public health data to the CDC and FDA websites.
And in global news, Donald Trump spent time on the phone with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and hopes negotiations to end the war will begin immediately.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came under strain this week as Hamas announced that it would delay the release of three hostages in Gaza on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel. President Trump said there would be no right of return for Palestinians under his "Riviera of the Middle East" plan for Gaza.
On Thursday, President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners, including allies. These new tariffs will follow duties Trump has already slapped on China, Canada and Mexico, as well as on imports of steel and aluminum. Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Copyright 2025 NPR