Elon Musk is vowing but once more to fire any federal workers who don’t respond to an email asking them to checklist 5 issues they completed final week.
Hours after the U.S. Workplace of Personnel Administration had directed companies that responses to its e mail had been optionally available, Musk once more threatened federal staff in a submit on X, his social media platform.
This is the newest:
The FBI’s new deputy director is a well-liked podcaster — who has had a lot to say concerning the company
The favored right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino has constructed a profession of unleashing typically inflammatory rants towards the media, Democrats and the federal authorities.
Now, the 50-year-old former New York police officer and U.S. Secret Service agent will return to the government he has so typically criticized as Trump’s choice for deputy FBI director. He mentioned Monday he’ll quickly depart his day by day present to tackle the brand new position.
Bongino, who will serve below FBI Director Kash Patel, doesn’t have any expertise on the premier federal legislation enforcement company. Nonetheless, he has robust opinions about the way it needs to be run.
A sampling of Bongino’s podcast commentary from the previous yr reveals he’s a loyalist to Patel and desires to see sweeping adjustments, from clearing the bureau of anybody he views as inappropriately political to redirecting investigations away from home extremism.
▶ Learn extra about how Bongino views the FBI, in his own words
Practically 40% of contracts canceled by Musk’s DOGE are anticipated to supply no financial savings
That’s in response to the Trump administration’s personal information.
The Department of Government Efficiency, run by Trump adviser Elon Musk, final week published an initial list of 1,125 contracts it terminated in latest weeks throughout the federal authorities. Information printed on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” exhibits greater than one-third of the contract cancellations, 417 in all, are anticipated to yield no financial savings.
That’s often as a result of the entire worth of the contracts has already been absolutely obligated, which implies the federal government has a authorized requirement to spend the funds for the products or companies it bought and in lots of circumstances has already accomplished so.
“It’s like confiscating used ammunition after it’s been shot when there’s nothing left in it. It doesn’t accomplish any coverage goal,” mentioned Charles Tiefer, a retired College of Baltimore legislation professor and professional on authorities contracting legislation. “Their terminating so many contracts pointlessly clearly doesn’t accomplish something for saving cash.”
▶ Learn extra about contracts canceled by DOGE
FDA strikes to rehire medical machine, meals security and different staffers fired days earlier
Barely per week after mass firings at the Food and Drug Administration, some probationary staffers acquired sudden information over the weekend: The federal government desires them again.
The reversal is the newest instance of Trump and Musk’s chaotic approach to cost-cutting, which has resulted in a number of companies firing, after which scrambling to rehire, staff liable for nuclear weapons, national parks and different authorities companies.
The FDA reinstatements adopted pushback by lobbyists for the medical machine business, which pays the company tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} yearly to rent additional scientists to assessment merchandise. The business’s main commerce group mentioned Monday “a large quantity” of machine reviewers look like returning to FDA.
▶ Learn extra about the rehiring of employees at the FDA
Federal staff return to workplaces
Federal staff throughout the nation, a lot of whom have labored from residence for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, had been again at company workplaces Monday below President Donald Trump’s return-to-office mandate.
Musk, in the meantime, who’s scouring authorities companies for suspected waste, delivered a warning Monday to staff on his platform X.
“Beginning this week, those that nonetheless fail to return to workplace can be positioned on administrative depart,” Musk wrote.
Nevertheless, it seems at the very least some federal companies will not be ready for all distant staff to return to the workplace.
In an e mail to U.S. Division of Schooling Federal Scholar Assist staff on Friday obtained by The Related Press, company officers famous that some regional workplaces in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco weren’t prepared for staff to return. The message additionally famous that staff who stay greater than 50 miles from regional workplaces in some main cities wouldn’t be required to return to the workplace Monday.
The e-mail additionally famous that whereas some staff would start reporting to workplaces Monday, others would start relocating again to workplaces in phases by April and past.
▶ Learn extra about the federal worker retrn to office mandate
Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with calls for and threats
Trump is backing Elon Musk’s demand that federal staff clarify their latest accomplishments by the top of Monday or danger getting fired, whilst authorities company officers had been informed that compliance with Musk’s edict was voluntary.
The Republican president mentioned Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has discovered “tons of of billions of {dollars} in fraud” as he advised that federal paychecks are going to nonexistent staff. He didn’t current proof for his claims.
Whilst Trump and Musk pressed their case, the Workplace of Personnel Administration knowledgeable company leaders that their staff weren’t required to reply by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, in response to an individual with information of the dialog who requested anonymity to debate inner issues.
The conflicting directives led to various recommendation for federal staff, relying on the place they work. Some had been informed to reply the request for an inventory of 5 issues that they did final week, others had been knowledgeable it was optionally available, and others had been directed to not reply in any respect.
▶ Learn extra about Musk’s demand for federal employees
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