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Shutdown lawsuit: Judge decides not to issue order forcing gov’t to pay workers

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has decided not to issue an order forcing the Trump administration to pay federal employees during the ongoing partial government shutdown.

A U.S. District judge in Washington declined a request by federal employee unions to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the government from requiring employees to show up for work without pay.

The ruling relates to a lawsuit filed by the National Treasury Employees Union representing federal workers. The lawsuit argued the government’s failure to pay workers who are required to stay on the job without pay during the shutdown is unconstitutional and violates federal labor laws.

Union representatives had hoped a ruling in their favor would help end the government shutdown, which is now in its 25th day.

A number of other federal employee unions have also filed suit, including the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

Congress recently voted to provide back pay to federal workers after the shutdown ends.

US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again

WASHINGTON (AP) — The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase as Saudi Arabia has publicly joined military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies. At the same time, an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war has faltered once again as mistrust deepens between the longtime adversaries. Despite several days of relative calm, both sides carried out military strikes in the last 24 hours that once again risk a return to all-out war — and further expansion in the region — while little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward. While President Donald Trump and his allies have spent recent days arguing that Iran is begging to return to the negotiating table, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that his country has made no requests to restart the diplomatic track in more than two weeks. Following a thwarted attack on the U.S. base in Jordan, Trump turned back to threats Wednesday even while sustaining the prospect of continued talks.
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