AFL-CIO vows to take issue to court as AFSCME union leader warns of ‘devastating effects’ for AmericansUS politics live – latest updatesThe White House announced layoffs of federal workers on Friday, making good on a threat it had made in response to the US government shutdown, which now appears set to stretch into a third straight week.Russell Vought, the director of the White House office of management and budget, wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun”, referring to the government’s reduction-in-force procedure to let employees go. Continue reading...