The Supreme Court delivered another setback to the Trump administration Wednesday in a case concerning USAID payments, though early "emergency" cases may tell us little of what's to come in the president's second term.

A federal appeals court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to at least temporarily fire the head of an independent US whistleblower agency, pausing a decision by a judge who determined the dismissal was illegal.

Hampton Dellinger challenged his termination last month as head of the Office of Special Counsel by filing a lawsuit against several Trump administration officials.

An appeals court has removed the head of a federal watchdog agency in the latest twist in a legal fight over Republican President Donald Trump’s authority to fire the special counsel.