Judge blocks Trump from firing federal workers during shutdown

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. U-S District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She said that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the job cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated. Trump administration lawyers say the district court does not have the authority to hear personnel challenges, and that the president has broad authority to reduce the federal workforce.