Trump admin updates: White House officials hold prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk

A federal appeals court on Tuesday stayed a court order that had found the Trump administration’s use of federal troops in Los Angeles to conduct law enforcement operations to be unlawful.

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an administrative appeal of Judge Charles Breyer’s Sept. 2 decision.

The appeals court did not consider the strength of either side’s arguments; instead, the decision effectively stops the clock while the lawsuit makes its way up the courts.

Breyer’s decision – which prohibited troops from engaging in arrests, searches, or security patrols – was set to take effect on Sept. 12. While his order was confined to the Los Angeles deployment, Breyer warned that the practice of federalizing the National Guard in big cities risks creating a “national police force with the president as its chief."

In a separate decision on Tuesday, Breyer stalled a recent request from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to block the federalization of the National Guard in California. He wrote that the “complicated and fragmented procedural posture” of Newsom’s lawsuit made him “skeptical” he could take up the request.

Though neither decision considered President Donald Trump or Newsom’s legal arguments, the dual rulings are a practical win for President Trump, as he seeks to broaden his use of the military to combat crime domestically.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

"At this preliminary stage, the Court finds that Cook has made a strong showing that her purported removal was done in violation of the Federal Reserve Act's 'for cause' provision," U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb wrote in a ruling Tuesday evening granting a preliminary injunction.

Cobb will enter an order requiring the Federal Reserve to let Cook continue serving in her role.

The decision comes one week ahead of the Federal Reserve's next meeting, which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 16.

While the Trump administration asked the judge to delay her decision to allow an appeal, she denied their request in part because she said the public interest favors Cook staying in her role.

"Cook is one of seven members of a Board that is, by design, not intended to be susceptible to policy pressure, let alone tasked with implementing the President's agenda," Cobb wrote.

The judge concluded that Trump's attempted firing of Cook likely violated the Federal Reserve Act, which limits the basis for firing a governor to their behavior in office, and ran afoul of Cook's due process rights.

The judge said Cook demonstrated that her removal would cause irreparable harm, writing that the independence of the Federal Reserve is "critical in helping the nation's 'banking system to promote stability.'"

Cobb also criticized the Trump administration for advancing what she called an "absurd" argument about the scope of the president's power, which they argued allowed Trump to not only remove Cook but also barred a court from reviewing his action.

Cook's attorney, Abbe Lowell, applauded the judge’s ruling, saying it "recognizes and reaffirms the importance of safeguarding the independence of the Federal Reserve from illegal political interference."

The statement added that Cook will "continue to carry out her sworn duties as a Senate-confirmed Board Governor.”

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Alex Mallin, Peter Charalambous and Olivia Rubin

Trump praised the Missouri House of Representatives on Tuesday for passing a bill for a new congressional map that favors Republicans, saying on his social media platform that “this new Map will give the wonderful people of Missouri the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”

Trump, who had openly advocated for Missouri and other GOP-led states to redraw their congressional maps, called on the Missouri Senate to pass it “AS IS”. The Senate is widely expected to pass the bill by the end of the week.

During debate on the bill, Democrats argued the plan was driven by the White House and intended to weaken minority representation

“Gerrymandering turns democracy upside down. It weakens trust in our government. It divides communities. It silences the very people we are sworn to serve. We all took that oath. Where is that integrity now?” Democratic state Rep. Marla Smith said. "The 103rd Assembly should stand for fairness, transparency, and the truth not political games.”

-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim and Grace Sandman

Trump posted late Tuesday afternoon on his social media platform that trade negotiations are "continuing" with India -- saying that he'd be speaking with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the "upcoming weeks."

"I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!" Trump wrote.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray