Latest in 'Devastated.' 'Cruel.' 'Surreal.' Federal workers share the toll of losing their identity
Sort by
382 items
-
Reporter's Notebook: Federal worker morale amid shrinking bureaucracy
To shrink the bureaucracy, act like the bureaucracy -- this appears to be the goal of Elon Musk's surprise email that asked federal workers "What did you do last week?" The approach may shrink the ...CBS News - 2d -
Musk gives federal workers "another chance" to justify their jobs
Elon Musk told federal workers Monday evening that they had "another chance" to justify their work or lose their jobs. The original deadline passed later on Monday.CBS News - 2d -
Who Are the Probationary Federal Workers Being Cut Under Trump?
Many government workers being cut are those with fewer protections. They are relatively new in their current jobs, but often have years of experience.The New York Times - 3d -
Trump defends Musk as backlash to federal workers ultimatum grows
President intervenes amid first signs of internal dissension as government departments push back. Donald Trump has stepped in to defend Elon Musk from a mounting backlash in his own ...The Guardian - 2d -
#AltGov: the secret network of federal workers resisting Doge from the inside
Government employees fight the Trump administration’s chaos by organizing and publishing information on Bluesky. After seeing Elon Musk ’s X post on Saturday afternoon about an email that would ...The Guardian - 2d -
Marjorie Taylor Greene: Federal workers 'don't deserve' their paychecks
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said federal workers “don’t deserve” their paychecks during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Tuesday. “Those are not real jobs ...The Hill - 2d -
Musk dominates, disparages federal workers at first Trump Cabinet meeting
Elon Musk at the first meeting of President Trump’s Cabinet defended his email demanding all federal workers report their accomplishments to his office, calling it a “pulse check” and saying anyone ...The Hill - 2d -
‘A pulse check’: Musk and Trump defend email threatening firing of federal workers
Elon Musk called an email instructing government employees to describe recent accomplishments a “pulse check,” and alleged that paychecks for federal workers may have been going to dead or ...NBC News - 2d -
Mulvaney says Trump, Musk 'itching for a fight' with courts on federal worker cuts
NewsNation contributor and former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said President Trump and Elon Musk are itching for a fight with the courts over their cuts to the federal workforce. ...The Hill - 1d -
Federal agencies plan second email asking workers for weekly accomplishments
Some agencies plan to send a second Saturday email to federal workers asking them for bullet points on what they did this week, a sign at least some departments plan to continue with the ...The Hill - 9h -
DOGE's mass firings of federal workers continues to stir controversy
A federal judge in San Francisco ruled the mass firings of federal probationary workers was likely illegal. Judge William Alsup handed down a temporary restraining order, saying the Office of ...CBS News - 8h -
Federal Workers Will Get Another Email Asking Them to Detail Accomplishments
Elon Musk sowed chaos across the government just days ago by asserting that failure to comply with a similar directive would result in their dismissals.The New York Times - 3h -
Young federal workers express shock, hope after firings
Many recent college graduates who had planned careers in civil service were among those who lost their jobs to cuts pushed by President Trump and DOGE. NBC News' Morgan Radford spoke to several ...NBC News - 3h -
Judge blocks Department of Education, federal personnel office from sharing data with DOGE
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management from sharing the personal information of plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Trump ...NBC News - 4d -
From weather apps to taxes: the trickle-down effects of Trump’s federal worker firings
Gutting of workforce will have far-reaching consequences as advocates warn of playing ‘Russian roulette’ with safety. You wake up to dark clouds outside, so you check the weather on your phone: a ...The Guardian - Feb. 20 -
Woman uproots life to take job as federal worker, then fired in mass layoffs weeks later
Last month, Katie Sandlin uprooted her life in a small town in Alabama to accept a job at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. Three weeks later, before she even unpacked her ...CBS News - Feb. 20 -
Musk: Federal workers who gave 'good responses' to new policy deserve promotion consideration
Tech billionaire Elon Musk said he’s encouraged by the “good responses” he’s received so far to an email asking federal employees to detail their recent work efforts and suggested the employees who ...The Hill - 5d -
Sen. John Curtis says Elon Musk needs "dose of compassion" for federal workers
Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah says Elon Musk needs to bring a "dose of compassion" to his treatment of federal workers who are being fired across the government.CBS News - 5d -
How a low-profile federal board could host appeals for thousands of fired government workers
Thousands of federal workers fired in recent days by the Trump administration may be able to use an appeals process to get reinstated in their jobs — and potentially receive back pay.NBC News - 4d -
Trump posts SpongeBob meme mocking federal workers after email requesting accomplishments
President Trump posted a "SpongeBob Squarepants" meme mocking federal employees in the wake of an email sent to the workforce asking them to document their achievements from the past week. The meme ...The Hill - 4d -
Trump calls Elon Musk's email ultimatum 'genius' as federal workers and some agencies push back
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday embraced Elon Musk's ultimatum demanding that federal workers report what they had accomplished last week or lose their jobs, a directive facing ...NBC News - 4d -
Federal workers free to ignore Elon Musk email ultimatum, US personnel office says – as it happened
This blog is now closed. Here’s our latest politics story . Here’s a little more on Dan Bongino , the Maga podcaster Donald Trump has named as deputy director of the FBI and who will oversee ...The Guardian - 3d -
Biden-era acting OPM director reacts to Elon Musk asking federal workers to justify their jobs
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is asking federal employees to detail in an email what they did last week or resign. Despite Musk claiming no response would be considered a ...CBS News - 3d -
DOGE boss Musk doubles down on federal worker threat: Submit what you did list or get fired
Elon Musk has been tasked by President Donald Trump with slashing federal government spending and the federal employee headcount, an effort known as DOGE.CNBC - 3d -
Former federal workers talk about firings, how cuts will impact trips to national forests
This summer, the family trip to a national forest could look a little different amid major DOGE cuts. There's been a 10% job cut to the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Trump administration's ...CBS News - 2d -
More large-scale federal firings expected, sources say, creating concern among workers
Sources tell CBS News that the Trump administration plans to issue a new memo in the coming days directing agencies to prepare for large-scale firings. Meanwhile, Elon Musk will be at President ...CBS News - 2d -
Trump admin tells federal agencies to make plans for large-scale layoffs of workers
Trump administration tells federal agencies to make plans for large-scale layoffs of workersNBC News - 2d -
Federal job cuts disrupt a stable retirement picture for many workers, including Black Americans
Black Americans are one of the groups with a higher than average share of federal jobs, which are valued for their benefits and stability.CNBC - 1d -
Breaking down Trump, Musk's claims that some federal workers are dead or don't exist
Amid widespread federal layoffs, another questionable claim has emerged from the Trump administration that there were dead workers on the payroll. CBS News Confirmed executive editor Rhona Tarrant ...CBS News - 1d -
Judge orders Trump admin to rescind memo directing mass firing of federal workers
The order by Judge William Alsup, who called the OPM directive "illegal," does not reinstate any recently dismissed government employees, but it could affect future attempts at firings.NBC News - 22h -
US judge temporarily blocks White House from ordering mass firing of federal workers
Ruling deals blow to efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink government workforceFinancial Times - 21h -
Second "what did you do last week" email expected to go to some federal workers
A second email asking government workers to detail what they did in the last week is expected to go out to some on Saturday.CBS News - 7h -
‘Like a cruel auction’: what Ukrainians think of Trump’s peace talks with Putin
Ukrainians inside the country and abroad express their hopelessness, anger and defiance at negotiations between Washington and Moscow. Europe live – latest updates “I don’t think that this ...The Guardian - Feb. 21 -
Dems press agencies to ignore Musk: ‘Reckless, cruel, unlawful, and unenforceable’
House Democrats are pressing every major agency head in Washington to reject the recent demand from Elon Musk that federal workers must detail their recent work accomplishments or be fired. More ...The Hill - 4d -
‘Cruel and thoughtless’: Trump fires hundreds at US climate agency Noaa
Employees informed by email that their jobs would be cut off at end of day in move a worker called ‘wrong all around’. Don’t let a billionaire’s algorithm control what you read. Download our free ...The Guardian - 1d -
Trans athletes on Trump’s executive order: ‘Stripping us of sports is devastating’
The NCAA has ruled only women assigned female at birth can compete in college sports. We spoke to some of those affected by the ban. On 5 February 2025 – coinciding with Women and Girls in Sports ...The Guardian - 3d -
Accelerating USAID cuts devastated lifesaving programs, aid groups warn
The Trump administration’s cancellation of $60 billion in U.S.NBC News - 7h -
Dark side of bright nights taking toll on forgotten invertebrates
From bats to moths, species working the night shift are suffering as light pollution soars. When we think about invertebrates, most of us picture bees, butterflies, worms, crabs or perhaps even a ...The Guardian - Feb. 21 -
Beware of text messages about unpaid tolls, FBI and state authorities warn
Drivers should be on the lookout for scam text messages warning of an unpaid road toll bill, according to recent warnings from authorities.The Hill - 5d -
After Public Clash Over Tolls, Hochul Tries to Persuade Trump Privately
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said that she and President Trump discussed congestion pricing, which Mr. Trump has moved to kill, in an unscheduled meeting on Friday.The New York Times - 3d