Trump administration briefing: chaos caused by Musk’s Doge; fears over far-right podcaster tapped for FBI
From the latest in Musk’s fight to fire federal workers to concern over appointment of Dan Bongino – key US politics stories from Monday at a glance
Confusion continued on Monday over the demands made by Elon Musk of federal workers. Just hours after the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had directed agencies that responses to its email were optional, Musk again threatened federal workers.
He wrote on X, the platform he owns: “Subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
President Donald Trump backed Musk earlier Monday, two days after OPM initially sent an email asking federal workers to list five things they accomplished last week. Several government agencies, including the FBI and state department, have told their employees not to respond.
Here are the biggest stories in US politics on Monday, 24 February.
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Conservative podcaster Dan Bongino tapped for Trump's deputy FBI director
President Donald Trump announced the selection of conservative commentator and former Fox News host Dan Bongino to serve as deputy FBI director.NBC News - 1d -
‘Unqualified henchmen’: fears rise as Trump names far-right podcaster as FBI deputy director
Dan Bongino’s installation in high-ranking law enforcement role sparks concern in both Republicans and Democrats. Fears over the future direction of the FBI have intensified after Donald Trump ...The Guardian - 14h -
Trump taps Dan Bongino to be deputy FBI director
President Donald Trump announced that he has selected conservative commentator and former Fox News host Dan Bongino to serve as deputy FBI director. The position does not require Senate confirmation.NBC News - 15h -
Trump picks rightwing podcaster as FBI’s second-in-command
Dan Bongino among online influencers who supported US president’s conspiracy theories and re-election bidFinancial Times - 20h -
Trump names podcaster as deputy FBI director
The former New York City police officer will supervise daily operations and serve under new FBI director Kash Patel.BBC News - 13h -
Trump names conservative podcaster Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director
Selection of former Secret Service agent and author means two staunch Trump allies lead the principal federal law enforcement agency. Dan Bongino, a former US Secret Service agent who has written ...The Guardian - 1d -
Europe’s elite fears Trump, Musk and the truth
The EU's ruling class has become fanatical in its desire to censor.The Hill - 3d -
FBI agents express shock and dismay over naming of right-wing podcaster to No. 2 post
Current and former FBI officials expressed shock and dismay over the news that President Trump has selected Dan Bongino to be the bureau’s deputy director.NBC News - 10h -
Thursday Briefing: Trump and Zelensky Feud Over Peace Talks
Plus, Cambodia’s returned treasures.The New York Times - 5d -
Trump administration backtracks from latest Musk storm
The Trump administration on Monday appeared to be quickly retreating from Elon Musk's demand that all federal workers send an email by the end of the day highlighting their achievements or resign. ...The Hill - 8h -
Trump administration briefing: Zelenskyy rejects US minerals demand; bomb threat sent to anti-Trump conference
From a fight over a $500bn minerals deal to Trump ‘surrendering to the Russians’ – here are the key US politics stories from Sunday at a glance. As Ukraine prepared to mark the third anniversary of ...The Guardian - 1d -
DOGE Email Throws Federal Agencies Into Chaos and Confusion
Across the US government, workers failed to get clear guidance on whether or how to respond to an email asking what they did this week, despite Elon Musk’s claim that their jobs are at risk.Wired - 2d -
Dan Bongino tapped for FBI deputy director
The selection places two staunch Trump allies atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency at a time when Democrats are concerned that the president could seek to target his adversariesCBS News - 1d -
US politics briefing: Trump administration warns Kyiv and picks up court win in mass firings case
From the Trump administration’s latest moves abroad and in the US – here are the key US politics stories from Thursday at a glance. Thursday saw a judge rule that the Trump administration can ...The Guardian - 4d -
What do we know about Trump administration and DOGE's mass firings?
A federal judge is giving President Trump the go-ahead to continue mass firings of thousands of federal employees, for now. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro and CBS News congressional ...CBS News - 3d -
£3,000 rents cause housing fears near nuclear plant
Residents living near a nuclear power plant have seen rents double to £3,000 a month.BBC News - 2d -
Trump Administration, Breaking With Musk’s Directive, Says Replying to His Email Is Voluntary
The response to Elon Musk’s “What did you do last week?” email to federal employees suggests that there may be limits to how far he can push the government’s work force.The New York Times - 2h -
Trump’s Crypto Love Affair Is Blossoming as Musk’s DOGE Reins In Regulators
Lawsuits are being dropped in the friendlier regulatory environment, while officials investigating Musk’s companies are getting DOGE’d.Inc. - 3d -
Trump and Musk float 'DOGE dividends.' Low-income Americans might not benefit.
President Donald Trump recently touted the of "DOGE dividends," which came to a 30-year-old investor in a dream and caught the attention of Elon Musk on X.NBC News - 1d -
DOGE Sparks Surveillance Fear Across the US Government
The US government has increased the use of monitoring tools over the past decade. But President Donald Trump’s employee purges are making workers worry about how their data could be abused.Wired - 3d -
Trump’s Tariffs Are Causing Some Startups to Scrap Their IPOs
This was expected to be a big year for IPOs, but now some companies are rethinking plans to go public.Inc. - 2d -
Trump taps Alice Johnson to be "pardon czar"
President Trump offered clemency to grandmother Alice Johnson in 2018 while she was serving prison time for nonviolent drug-related offenses.CBS News - 3d -
Trump job cuts could throw national parks and forests into 'staffing chaos'
The only locksmith at Yosemite National Park in California, the sole EMT ranger at neighboring Devils Postpile National Monument, an experienced sled dog musher in Alaska’s Denali National Park.NBC News - 4d -
Trump’s assault on aid sparks chaos in east Africa’s relief hub
Kenya’s economy and healthcare system are reeling from president’s bid to shut down USAIDFinancial Times - 2d -
Musk sends warning to federal employees over new Trump policy
Elon Musk, special advisor to President Trump, warned federal employees on Saturday of a new policy requiring them to detail their work efforts via email in order to keep their jobs. “Consistent ...The Hill - 2d -
Trump touts DOGE cuts at CPAC as he tells Elon Musk to 'get more aggressive'
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks today at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He's spoken at the conference every year since 2016.NBC News - 2d -
DOGE cuts at health agencies prompt 'brain drain' fears
The Trump administration's effort to reshape the federal government through Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is raising fears among public health experts, researchers ...The Hill - 1d -
Patel tells FBI employees to pause any responses to DOGE email
FBI Director Kash Patel told employees to hold off on responding to an email, sent at tech billionaire Elon Musk’s direction, asking federal workers to list their accomplishments during the ...The Hill - 1d -
Confusion, fear at the Justice Department under Trump
The Department of Justice is in upheaval from firings and resignations in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Fear has silenced many in the department, but two prosecutors are speaking up.CBS News - 1d -
Ukraine war briefing: Trump turnaround as he acknowledges Russia invaded Ukraine
US president earlier drew criticism after saying Kyiv ‘should have never started’ war; Trump predicts Ukraine will soon sign minerals deal with US. What we know on day 1,095. Europe live: latest ...The Guardian - 3d -
Elon Musk Is Focused on DOGE. What About Tesla?
Mr. Musk, one of President Trump’s main advisers, has not outlined a plan to reverse falling sales at the electric car company of which he is chief executive.The New York Times - 4d -
Musk wields his Doge chainsaw - but is a backlash brewing?
Facing constituents angry about the impact of sweeping government job cuts, some Republicans are expressing concern.BBC News - 3d -
Judge Questions Constitutionality of Musk’s DOGE Operation
The judge expressed concern over the unresolved issues about who is in charge of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, if it is not Mr. Musk, as the White House has claimed.The New York Times - 8h -
Agencies push back on Musk email, including FBI, Pentagon, State, Intel
Several federal agencies have advised employees not to respond to Elon Musk’s email demanding federal workers list five accomplishments from the past week or risk losing their jobs. The email ...The Hill - 1d -
Lost Causes
When we lose things, it’s tempting to think we need to keep better track of them, to hold on to stuff more tightly. What if the opposite is true?The New York Times - 2d -
Trump announces Dan Bongino as Deputy FBI Director
President Trump announced Sunday that he would be choosing radio and podcast host Dan Bongino, a longtime Trump ally, as the deputy FBI director. “Great news for Law Enforcement and American ...The Hill - 1d -
Democrats blast Trump for putting Bongino at FBI
President Trump’s selection of Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director adds another conservative firebrand to the top of the agency, fueling concerns from Democrats the bureau will be politicized. A ...The Hill - 11h -
Trump Claims Power to Fire Administrative Law Judges at Will
The Justice Department said a law protecting the officials from arbitrary removal is an unconstitutional intrusion on presidential authority.The New York Times - 4d -
Latest news on Trump administration's mass layoffs
Thousands of Americans who worked as federal employees are out of a job and more cuts are coming after a federal judge allowed the Trump administration's mass layoffs plan to continue. CBS News' ...CBS News - 3d
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Macron warns against ‘surrender’ in Ukraine as Trump claims Putin will accept peacekeeper deal
Macron and Trump disagree over aid and securing a lasting peace after US president says Russian counterpart has ‘no problem’ with European forces in Ukraine. . Emmanuel Macron, the French ...The Guardian - 3h -
More than 160 Gazan medics held in Israeli prisons amid reports of torture
Senior doctors claim they were subjected to months of physical abuse, as UN calls for release of those still detained. ‘No rules’: Gaza’s doctors say they were tortured, beaten and humiliated in ...The Guardian - 2h -
Dashcam footage captures deadly bridge collapse in South Korea
Sections of partly constructed elevated motorway in Anseong fell one after the other, killing at least three construction workers. A motorway bridge collapse has killed at least three people and ...The Guardian - 1h -
Shimmering oarfish rarely seen near ocean surface pops up on Mexico beach
Distinctive, slender deep-sea creature, also known as ‘doomsday’ fish, seen wriggling on Baja California beach. A shimmery, slinky oarfish – a deep-sea creature that is rarely seen near the surface ...The Guardian - 5h -
ICC urged to investigate Biden for ‘aiding and abetting’ Gaza war crimes
US-based nonprofit Dawn also accuses ex-secretary of state Antony Blinken and ex-Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. A US-based nonprofit organization has urged the international criminal court to ...The Guardian - 11h
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Britain’s insistence on total Ukrainian victory was misguided – it’s time for a realistic compromise | Robert Skidelsky
By refusing to back negotiations for the past three years, the UK has become irrelevant to the search for peace – we must change course. On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ...The Guardian - 29m -
Crucial UN nature talks are about to reopen in Rome – but will enough countries turn up?
After last year’s Cop16 biodiversity talks in Cali left key issues unresolved, the extra summit will attempt to seek consensus, especially over funding. Global talks to halt the loss of nature will ...The Guardian - 29m -
12 of the best independent shops in Copenhagen
From sleek interior stores to modern perfumiers and quirky sex shops, the Danish capital has no shortage of unusual shopping opportunities. Inspired by Keith Haring’s Pop Shop, which the artist saw ...The Guardian - 29m -
Thousands gather outside the Vatican to pray for Pope Francis' health
Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for an ailing Pope Francis, expressing sorrow for his suffering, hope for his recovery and gratitude for his efforts to steer the Catholic ...ABC News - 47m -
An elevated part of a highway being built in South Korea collapses, killing 3 workers
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