Early Edition: November 7, 2025

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS 

Senior Trump administration officials—Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and a White House Office of Legal Counsel representative—told lawmakers in a classified briefing Wednesday that the administration is not planning strikes inside Venezuela and currently lacks a legal basis for attacking land targets, according to four sources familiar with the meeting. During the briefing to leadership from both chambers, as well as the top Republicans and Democrats on key committees, administration officials said the nonpublic “OLC opinion” authorizes only the September maritime campaign against suspected drug-smuggling boats and, per one source, lists 24 Latin America–based cartels and criminal organizations the administration is authorized to target; the campaign’s “execute order” likewise does not reach land targets. Officials didn’t rule out future options, noting they’re exploring a separate DOJ opinion that could justify land strikes without new congressional authorization, but no decision has been made. Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler,  Katie Bo Lillis, Zachary Cohen, and Kylie Atwood report for CNN, noting, “In several briefings to Congress, including the one on Wednesday, administration officials have acknowledged that they do not necessarily know the individual identities of each person on board a vessel before they attack it. Strikes are instead conducted based on intelligence that the vessels are linked to a specific cartel or criminal organization, sources said. Administration officials walked through the process they use to identify and target the vessels and discussed the types of intelligence they had connecting the vessels to cartels during Wednesday’s briefing, one of the sources said.”

The Senate yesterday rejected, 49–51, a joint resolution requiring congressional approval before President Donald Trump could take military action against Venezuela, following the classified briefing by administration officials. Introduced in mid-October by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) with 15 co-sponsors, the measure drew Republican support from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY). The resolution “directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.” Connor O’brien and Joe Gould report for POLITICO; Filip Timotija reports for The Hill.

Lawmakers briefed by administration officials Wednesday delivered mixed reactions, with top Democrat Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) backing the intelligence but pressing for more transparency. Warner said “our intelligence assets are quite good” and the administration has “visibility” into drug movements, but warned that conducting “kinetic strikes” without interdictions to show boats “are carrying drugs and … full of bad guys” undermines public confidence. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) said he doesn’t doubt “some connection of these boats to trafficking,” but questioned whether safeguards match counterterrorism standards to avoid harming innocents. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he didn’t know the identities of everyone aboard but cited “high reliability” that crews were cartel-linked rather than “haphazardly on a boat.” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said he heard “nothing” to convince him of the strikes’ legality; he added that lawmakers reviewed the nonpublic OLC memo. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pushed for an all-senators briefing, saying, “What we heard isn’t enough.” Alison Main, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju, Jennifer Hansler, and Kylie Atwood report for CNN.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce sweeping reforms to the Pentagon’s weapons procurement system today, aiming to accelerate the military’s acquisition of new technology amid rising global threats. Speaking at the National War College, Hegseth will outline changes mandated by an April executive order from President Donald Trump, according to a draft memo seen by Reuters. The overhaul targets what officials call “unacceptably slow” procurement caused by fragmented oversight and misaligned incentives. The plan establishes Portfolio Acquisition Executives with direct authority over major weapons programs—streamlining decision-making by removing intermediate approval layers—and requires at least two qualified suppliers for key components through early production. Jack Queen and Dietrich Knauth report for Reuters.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)—the Republican chairs of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees—wrote Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday, urging an investigation into anonymous federal judges who criticized the Supreme Court in a New York Times questionnaire, citing potential ethics violations. They argued judges must “act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence” and “not make public comment” on pending matters, saying descriptions of a “war zone” relationship and claims the Court is “undermining the lower courts” erode trust. They asked Roberts to report back on whether he had ordered an inquiry or cautioned judges. Karoun Demirjian reports for the New York Times.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit yesterday ordered District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to more closely assess how the Supreme Court’s July 2024 presidential immunity ruling bears on Trump’s New York falsified-business-records case—after Hellerstein ruled in September 2024 against removing the case to federal court because the case involved private conduct and Trump waited too long to seek removal. On remand, the appeal panel said the court should “consider the factors relevant to determining good cause,” which “presumably would entail closely reviewing the three categories of evidence that Trump claims relate to official acts and determining whether … the State’s use of such evidence means that his prosecution relates to acts taken under color of the Presidency as contemplated by Trump v. United States.” If so, the district court must assess “whether Trump has a colorable federal defense and whether he diligently sought removal,” and also decide “whether removal under § 1442(a)(1) and § 1455(b)(1) is even available at this stage of the state court proceedings.” The panel left procedure to Judge Hellerstein—“whether to solicit further briefing … or hold a hearing”—and emphasized it does “no more than direct the District Court to consider the motion anew,” adding it “neither rule[s] nor impl[ies]” any particular outcome. “If Mr. Trump is unsuccessful, he will continue a more conventional appeal, which will proceed through state court, a process that could take years. The president’s lawyers filed their formal appeal papers last week,” Jonah E. Bromwich reports for the New York Times. Kara Scannell and John Fritze report for CNN.

A suspected foreign actor breached the Congressional Budget Office’s network in recent days, potentially exposing communications between congressional offices and nonpartisan researchers, as well as internal email and chat logs, sources told the Washington Post and CNN. Congressional staffers were notified earlier this week via an email from the Senate Sergeant at Arms, who did not name a suspect but said the hacking incident was “ongoing” and that staffers should avoid clicking on links sent from CBO accounts because the accounts may still be compromised, CNN reported. A CBO spokesperson said in an official statement yesterday that the office “has identified the security incident, has taken immediate action to contain it, and has implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to further protect the agency’s systems going forward,” adding that “work for the Congress continues.” Four sources told the Post that “an adversary or one of” CBO’s “digital proxies” was to blame, while a U.S. official told CNN Chinese state-backed hackers are suspected of being behind the breach. One source told the Post that CBO officials told lawmakers they believe they detected the intrusion early, and another source said some Hill offices paused emailing CBO over cybersecurity concerns. The CBO is the nonpartisan scorekeeper that produces economic projections and “scores” every bill. Jacob Bogage and Riley Beggin report for the Washington Post; Sean Lyngaas reports for CNN.

A “suspicious package” containing an unknown white powder was delivered to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland yesterday, and opened in a building that houses the Air National Guard Readiness Center, sickening several people who were taken to the base medical center, sources said. The center and an adjoining facility were evacuated and a cordon established; first responders found “no immediate threats” and turned the scene over to the Office of Special Investigations, with an inquiry ongoing. An initial HAZMAT field test did not detect anything hazardous, and the team cleared the scene yesterday evening, sources said. Investigators are also reviewing political propaganda included in the envelope, and the extent of any illnesses remains unclear. Haley Britzky and Josh Campbell report for CNN.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned that Trump could use federal power to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections, citing a “disturbing pattern” of attempts to undermine trust in ballot security and disrupt state voting systems, referencing Trump’s 2020 subversion efforts. Bonta said his office is preparing for extreme scenarios, including potential deployment of the National Guard near polling places or misuse of the Postal Service to “undermine vote-by-mail ballots.” “We’ve thought about different types of intimidation and voter suppression, and, you know, [voter] roll purging,” he said, adding, “We’re going to do everything in our power to protect elections in California … and make sure they’re not improperly interfered with by the federal government.” Kyle Cheney reports for POLITICO.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee want former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to sit for an interview as part of their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, seeking “to uncover the identities of Mr. Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers and to understand the full extent of his criminal operations,” according to a letter addressed to Andrew dated yesterday. Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO.

SYRIA

The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus to support the U.S.-brokered Israel–Syria security pact, six sources said, including two Western officials and a Syrian defense official. The base sits at the “gateway” to parts of southern Syria expected to form a demilitarized zone under a non-aggression pact; at the request of U.S. officials, Reuters withheld the base’s name and precise location for operational security reasons. Planning has accelerated over the past two months, including several Pentagon reconnaissance missions to the base that concluded the long runway is ready for immediate use, a Western military official said. A Syrian defense official said Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft were sent to verify the runway, and a guard at one entrance said American aircraft were landing as part of “tests.” Technical talks have focused on using the site for logistics, surveillance, refueling, and humanitarian operations while Syria retains full sovereignty over the base, two Syrian military sources said. The move was discussed during CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper’s Sept. 12 visit to Damascus, where he and U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack met President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a person familiar with the talks said. Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Timour Azhari, and Feras Dalatey report for Reuters.

The U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution yesterday lifting sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, with 14 votes in favor and China abstaining. China’s U.N. ambassador Fu Cong cited counterterrorism and Syria’s security situation in explaining the abstention; Russia supported the measure, saying it reflected the aspirations of the Syrian people. Damascus called the vote a message of support for Syrians. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The United States approved the sale of sniper rifles last year to Brazil’s elite police unit BOPE—linked to last week’s raid that killed 121 people—despite objections from U.S. diplomats, including the ambassador, who warned the weapons could be used in extrajudicial killings, three current and former officials told Reuters. “Reuters could not establish whether the U.S.-made sniper rifles were used by BOPE in last week’s raid. BOPE also purchased accompanying suppressors for the rifles, which were produced by Wisconsin-based Griffin Armament, but the suppressor shipment was initially blocked by the U.S. government, according to the documents and sources. Reuters could not determine if the suppressors were ultimately sent at a later date, though the State Department implied that they were not,” Gram Slattery and Fabio Teixeira report for Reuters.

Iran has asked about lifting U.S. sanctions, President Donald Trump said yesterday, and he’s “open to” hearing the request, while offering no decision or timeline, Reuters reports.

Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Israel, Trump said yesterday on Truth Social following a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan’s government said the matter is in the final stage of negotiations, and Trump said a signing ceremony is forthcoming. “But there is a twist: Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic relations with Israel. The move shows how countries are finding creative ways to hand Mr. Trump political victories at a low cost to themselves,” Anton Troianovski reports for the New York Times; Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, and Steve Holland report for Reuters.

Trump yesterday hosted the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the White House, emphasizing critical minerals as a “key priority” and pledging to deepen U.S. partnerships in the resource-rich region. The meeting — part of the C5+1 framework — focused on securing U.S. access to uranium, copper, gold, and rare earths amid competition with Russia and China. Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose report for Reuters.

TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

The European Commission plans to pause parts of its AI Act amid U.S. and Big Tech pressure. A draft slated for Commission adoption on Nov. 19 would soften enforcement—granting firms a one-year “grace period” on high-risk AI rules—though details could still change and it would still need approval by a majority of E.U. member states and the European Parliament. Barbara Moens reports for the Financial Times.

OpenAI yesterday released a “Teen Safety Blueprint,” a framework it says artificial intelligence (AI) companies can adopt to protect teen users—and a practical starting point for policymakers—while committing to collaborate with experts and policymakers on public policy. The Blueprint seeks to establish standards so teens can use “safe and trustworthy” AI, saying ChatGPT should “meet them where they are” (e.g., respond differently to a 15-year-old than to an adult), and sets out five planks: (1) identify teen users with privacy-preserving age estimation; (2) adopt under-18 safety policies with age-appropriate defaults; (3) default to an under-18 experience when age is uncertain; (4) empower families with accessible parental controls; and (5) design for well-being with research-informed features and crisis supports. OpenAI also says it is “not waiting for regulation to catch up” and is already putting the framework into practice—pointing to the late-September parental controls rollout, proactive notifications, and work toward an age-prediction system to tailor ChatGPT for under-18s. Ashley Gold reports for Axios.

OpenAI also released “AI progress and recommendations” yesterday, calling for near-term, industry-led steps—without waiting for regulation—to steer frontier AI toward public accountability, privacy protections, and national-security safeguards. It proposes: shared safety standards and research-sharing among frontier labs; oversight and accountability “commensurate with capabilities,” including coordination with executive-branch safety institutes on biosecurity and control evaluations; building an AI “resilience ecosystem” (standards, monitoring, incident response); ongoing impact reporting by labs and governments; and user-empowering design that protects rights.

Chinese AI developer DeepSeek made its first public appearance since February yesterday, with senior researcher Victor Chen Deli warning in Wuzhen that AI’s long-term social impact could be “negative[ ]” despite near-term benefits. Speaking at the government-organized World Internet Conference alongside China’s “six little dragons,” including Unitree and BrainCo, Chen said AI may start displacing jobs within 5–10 years and could take over most human work in 10–20 years, urging tech firms to act as societal “defenders.” Liam Mo and Brenda Goh report for Reuters.

Meta internally projected that about 10% of its 2024 revenue came from scam and banned-goods ads, earning roughly $7 billion annually from “high-risk” advertisements shown an estimated 15 billion times per day, according to internal documents reviewed by Reuters. The records show Meta has for at least three years failed to stem widespread fraudulent ads across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, involving fake investments, illegal casinos, and banned medical products — sometimes even charging rogue marketers premium rates and compiling reports on the “Scammiest Scammers.” Smaller advertisers were allowed up to eight fraud violations before suspension, while major “High Value Accounts” could rack up over 500 strikes. One set of four scam campaigns generated $67 million in monthly ad revenue. The documents show Meta aims to reduce its reliance on illicit ad income but has warned internally that cutting such “violating revenue” too quickly could hit financial targets. The company also expects regulatory fines of up to $1 billion over scam ads, one document said. Jeff Horwitz reports for Reuters

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS 

Egyptian mediators have proposed that Hamas fighters remaining in the Israeli-held Rafah area of Gaza surrender their weapons to Egypt in exchange for safe passage to other parts of the enclave, two sources told Reuters. An Egyptian security official said the plan would also require Hamas to provide information on tunnel networks in the area so they can be destroyed. Israel and Hamas have not yet accepted the proposal, though a third source confirmed that talks on the issue are ongoing.  Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.

A top German military official warned yesterday that Russia could mount a “small, quick, regionally limited” strike on NATO territory “as early as tomorrow,” though any move would depend on Western allies’ posture. Lt. Gen. Alexander Sollfrank—head of Germany’s Joint Operations Command since 2024 and former chief of NATO’s logistics command (JSEC) in Ulm—said Russia is too tied down in Ukraine for a large attack but still has enough tanks and retains significant air, nuclear, and missile strength. Sabine Siebold reports for Reuters.

Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on southern Lebanon yesterday, targeting areas it said Hezbollah was using to rebuild military infrastructure, despite a year-old ceasefire. The strikes followed evacuation orders issued by Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X for several southern villages, including Aita al-Jabal, Al-Tayyiba, and Tayr Debba, with residents told to stay 500 meters from designated sites. Two additional evacuation orders followed later in the day. The airstrikes began about an hour after the orders, sending thick plumes of smoke over the area. Lebanon’s health ministry said one person was killed and another wounded, while civil defense teams assisted in evacuations. Reuters reports.

Pirates attacked a Malta-flagged tanker off Somalia yesterday, firing on the vessel and launching a rocket-propelled grenade, maritime security sources said. The Hellas Aphrodite—en route from India to South Africa carrying gasoline—was boarded by pirates in a skiff, while all 24 crew members took refuge in the ship’s fortified safe room. The EU’s naval force said one of its assets was moving in to respond. The assault marks the most significant escalation in Somali piracy since December 2023, when the Maltese-flagged Ruen was hijacked and later freed by Indian naval forces. Armed assailants launched two suspected Somali piracy attacks this week, the first such incidents since 2024. Jonathan Saul, Renee Maltezou, and Yannis Souliotis report for Reuters.

Thousands marched in Latvia’s capital, Riga, yesterday to oppose the country’s potential withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention—a Council of Europe treaty on preventing and combating violence against women, including domestic violence—after parliament voted last week to leave but President Edgars Rinkēvičs vetoed the move and sent it back for further debate. More than 10,000 gathered in Cathedral Square for the “Let’s Protect Mother Latvia” rally—one of the country’s largest demonstrations in recent years—with additional protests planned in other cities and outside Latvian embassies abroad. DPA reports; Gavin Blackburn reports for EU News

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INVESTIGATIONS

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., has been investigating “for months” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for potential bribery or campaign-finance violations tied to Qatar-funded travel by her and senior staff, people familiar with the probe told the New York Times. The inquiry stems from an April WJLA report about a 2023 U.N. climate-conference trip: Bowser’s office first said the D.C. Chamber of Commerce paid, then the U.S. Conference of Mayors, but records later showed Qatari officials covered more than $61,000 to bring Bowser and staff to Doha, and the conference group paid only part—prompting an ethics complaint by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which was once led by Matthew G. Whitaker. Prospects are uncertain amid DOJ turmoil: the FBI agent leading the inquiry was fired this week, and D.C.’s public-corruption unit has been depleted by dismissals and resignations, raising doubts about whether the case will move forward. “It is unclear whether the mayor’s office did anything for the Qatari government,” a key element for any bribery charge, and any campaign-finance case would need proof that misstatements were intentional rather than clerical errors, Alan Feuer, Devlin Barrett, and Michael S. Schmidt report for the New York Times.

Justice Department prosecutors in Florida are preparing to issue a series of grand jury subpoenas in their ongoing investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan and on the CIA and FBI investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election—part of an inquiry first reported in the Summer by Fox news, and now under the supervision of Jason Reding Quiñones, in consultation with senior DOJ officials in Washington. Ken Dilanian reports for MSNBC.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

District Judge Karin Immergut is expected to issue a ruling today on whether the Trump administration violated federal law by deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, following a three-day bench trial. The decision could mark the first to permanently bar the government from using federal troops to suppress protests against immigration authorities. Jack Queen and Dietrich Knauth report for Reuters.

District Judge Sara Ellis yesterday granted class-action certification and issued a preliminary injunction, finding that federal immigration officials “lacked credibility” and were likely violating protesters’ constitutional rights in Chicago. Ellis said from the bench that officials had lied about the nature of demonstrations against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, citing body camera and aerial footage that “directly contradicted” agents’ testimony. She found that federal agents’ use of tear gas and pepper balls against protesters, journalists, and clergy had chilled free speech, assembly, and religious exercise in violation of the First Amendment. Ellis ordered Border Patrol and immigration agents to give at least two warnings with a “reasonable opportunity” to disperse before deploying riot-control weapons, and declined to stay the injunction pending appeal. A written preliminary injunction followed. The court further ordered that defendants file by today a verification confirming that Commander Gregory Bovino was issued a body-worn camera on Oct. 31, completed required training, and is currently using the device in compliance with the preliminary injunction. Bill Kirkos and Priscilla Alvarez report for CNN.

Maryland and Prince George’s County yesterday sued the Trump administration after the Justice Department, the FBI, and General Services Administration scrapped the previously selected Greenbelt, Maryland, site for a new FBI headquarters and pivoted in July 2025 to the Ronald Reagan Building (RRB) in downtown D.C. The complaint alleges the administration is unlawfully “sabotaging” the Greenbelt site and defying Congress’s instructions to pick among three suburban sites (Greenbelt, Landover, or Springfield), and that the agencies then tried to steer money away from the FBI-HQ project to the RRB—via an FBI “reprogramming” of roughly $555 million (including $323 million appropriated for DOJ HQ) and a GSA transfer of about $843.8 million within the Federal Buildings Fund. On the law, the complaint claims the agencies: (1) violated appropriations law by using funds for a purpose Congress didn’t authorize (31 U.S.C. § 1301(a)) and by attempting an unlawful transfer (31 U.S.C. § 1532); (2) acted outside their siting and project-approval authorities under the federal public-buildings statutes (40 U.S.C. §§ 3301–3318 and related provisions) and implementing regulations (e.g., 41 C.F.R. § 102-83.85); and (3) violated the Administrative Procedure Act because the reversal from Greenbelt to the RRB and the funding maneuvers were “arbitrary and capricious.” The suit seeks to vacate the RRB decision and the funding moves, to bar the obligation of Greenbelt-designated funds for other purposes, and to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.

District Judge John McConnell yesterday ordered the Trump administration to fully fund November SNAP benefits by today, granting plaintiffs’ motion to enforce last week’s temporary restraining order and issuing a second TRO. In last week’s order, Judge McConnell gave the government two paths: either use Section 32 Agricultural Adjustment Act amendments of 1935, contingency funds, or both to pay benefits in full by Nov. 3, or use contingency funds to make partial payments by Nov. 5 only if it “expeditiously” resolved the administrative and clerical burdens. The administration chose the partial-payment option but, the court found, failed to act “expeditiously,” granting the motion to enforce. “Far from being expeditious, the record suggests quite the opposite,” Judge McConnell found, adding, the government has “undermined the intent and effectiveness” of the court’s prior orders. “not inclined to excuse this noncompliance.” Separately, the court held USDA’s refusal to fully fund SNAP was “arbitrary and capricious,” calling the rationale “pretextual” and “for political purposes” that furthered “unjustifiable partisanship”, and noting “children are immediately at risk of going hungry.” DOJ has appealed both yesterday’s order and last week’s, leaving it uncertain whether SNAP benefits will be fully paid out on Friday as Judge McConnell directed. Devan Cole and Tami Luhby report for CNN. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters. Tony Romm reports for the New York Times.

A Supreme Court majority, 6–3, yesterday allowed the Trump administration to temporarily enforce its rule requiring passport applicants to list their sex as designated on their birth certificate, staying a district court order that had allowed applicants to choose M, F, or X and had been left in place by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In an unsigned order, the Court wrote, “Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment.” The stay of U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick’s April order—which found that the Trump administration’s policy likely discriminates on the basis of sex and is rooted in “irrational prejudice” toward transgender Americans in violation of the Fifth Amendment’s equal-protection guarantee, and further violates the Administrative Procedure Act—will remain in effect through the First Circuit appeal and any petition for certiorari. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. Abbie VanSickle reports for the New York Times. Nina Totenberg reports for NPR.

In Boston yesterday, three unions representing federal workers filed suit against the Office of Personnel Management and Director Scott Kupor, targeting the Merit Hiring Plan’s required essay asking applicants how they would “help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities,” which is reviewed by political appointees, and amounts to a “loyalty question,” according to the complaint. The complaint alleges the policy violates the First Amendment, is “not in accordance with law” under the Privacy Act because it collects/uses political-view records barred by statute, and is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief to vacate the MHP’s loyalty question and bar agencies from using or retaining responses. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.