Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to obstructing justice

BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira has pleaded guilty to military charges of obstructing justice. In his address to the judge at his court-martial Thursday, Teixeira called himself a “proud patriot” and claimed that he had exposed President Joe Biden’s lies about the war in Ukraine. His plea agreement calls for dishonorable discharge and jail. The judge has approved the plea agreement, but hasn’t yet addressed his sentence. The Massachusetts Air National Guard member was already sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison for violating the Espionage Act. Teixeira’s sharing of highly classified military documents about the war amounted to the most consequential national security breach in years.

Judge orders Trump to reinstate probationary workers let go in mass firings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies. U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Thursday found the firings didn’t follow federal law and required immediate offers of reinstatement be sent. The agencies include the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury. The San Francisco-based judge’s order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to dramatically downsize the federal workforce. Lawyers for the government maintain the mass firings were lawful.

Pete Buttigieg won’t seek US Senate seat in Michigan

SAUGATUCK, Mich. (AP) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will not seek Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026. Buttigieg, who served during the Biden Administration, announced his decision in a social media post. Buttigieg, a Democrat and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana has been considering his next moves since his role in the cabinet ended in January. Michigan’s Senate seat was opened after Sen. Gary Peters unexpectedly announced he would not seek reelection. Many of Buttigieg’s allies felt he could not realistically pursue the Senate seat while keeping the door open for a 2028 presidential run. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow is planning to announce a Democratic bid for Senate in April, two people tell The Associated Press.

Democratic-led states sue to block Trump administration layoffs at the Education Dept.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of Democratic-led states is challenging the Trump administration’s layoffs across the Education Department, saying it amounts to an illegal dismantling of an agency created by Congress. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Massachusetts, 20 states and Washington, D.C., say the layoffs are so severe that the department “can no longer function, and cannot comply with its statutory requirements.” A department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.