Judge orders Trump admin to clarify mass federal firings

A U.S. judge has ordered the Trump administration to issue written statements to thousands of probationary federal workers fired en masse in February, clarifying they were not terminated for poor performance.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup called the performance claims “a false pretense” and gave agencies until May 8 to comply. The order follows a lawsuit challenging the Office of Personnel Management’s authority in the firings.