Layoffs soar to highest level since 2020, led by Musk's DOGE cuts
Job cuts spiked in February, marking their highest point since July 2020, due to firings of government workers directed by DOGE.
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Job cuts spiked in February, marking their highest point since July 2020, due to firings of government workers directed by DOGE.
Layoffs spiked in February, led by the Department of Government Efficiency cuts. Employers cut about 172,000 jobs last month, according to the firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. That's the highest number of layoffs per month since the height of the pandemic in July 2020. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady breaks it down.
Hundreds of staffers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, have found themselves the target of the Trump administration's efforts to cut back the federal workforce. The move has many in storm-prone regions, like Louisiana, concerned. Rick Spinrad, who served as the administrator for NOAA during the Biden administration, joins "America Decides" to discuss.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) spoke with CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion about efforts to fund the government, President Trump's actions in the first weeks of his second term and more.
President Trump made claims during his address to Congress about apparent fraud in the Social Security system. Mr. Trump also touted the work by the Department of Government Efficiency, which is connected to Elon Musk's role advising the president. CBS News Confirmed's Rhona Tarrant fact checks the claims.
The White House's Department of Government Efficiency laid off about 1,000 National Park Service workers last month as part of its wave of federal mass firings.
Stacy Ramsey worked in Arkansas' Ozark National Forest as the only permanent river ranger, saving dozens of hikers and boaters on search and rescue missions. This month, she was let go as part of the Trump administration's federal mass firings, leaving her without health insurance. Karen Hua reports.
Several Democratic lawmakers are bringing fired federal workers to tonight's address to protest President Trump's so-called "war on waste." Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is one of those lawmakers. He joins CBS News to discuss why.
"This will no doubt result in preventable death, destabilization, and threats to national security on a massive scale," Nick Enrich wrote in the memo.
The Trump administration's latest wave of cuts to the federal government hit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week. Alan Sealls, president-elect of the American Meteorological Society, joins CBS News to discuss what the cuts could mean for the future of weather forecasting and how everyday Americans might feel the impacts.
A new CBS News poll shows an overwhelming amount of Americans think President Trump is making major changes to the government for better or for worse. CBS News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto unpacks the numbers.
One of the first federal agencies affected by the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal workforce was the U.S. Agency for International Development, which oversees aid programs worldwide. Dan McDonald, who has spent most of his career at USAID's Middle East bureau, was put on leave in February and expects to be fired on April 24. McDonald joins CBS News to discuss his experience.
Several former federal workers fired as a result of the Trump administration's widespread DOGE cuts are expected to attend the president's congressional address Tuesday night at the invitation of Democrats. New reporting from the American Communities Project looks into just how far-reaching these mass layoffs are. The Project's director and founder Dante Chinni joins "America Decides" to unpack the findings.
According to new CBS News polling, most Americans believe President Trump is transforming the federal government, but they are divided on whether that's a good thing. CBS News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto unpacks the findings.
President Trump has promised that Elon Musk will not participate in conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, Democratic lawmakers are expressing concerns over Musk's Starlink and efforts underway that might allow it to take over a $2.4 billion contract between the FAA and Verizon. Politico aviation reporter Oriana Pawlyk joins "America Decides" to discuss.
The firings were part of the sweeping cuts spurred by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
The Office of Personnel Management sent out a new email over the weekend that once again asked federal workers to send five bullet points on what they did last week. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro has more.
The GSA's tech unit, known as the 18F office, employed a team of researchers, website designers and product managers.
A second email asking government workers to detail what they did in the last week went out to some agencies on Saturday.
A new report from Wired says that the Department of Government Efficiency's takeover of the federal bureaucracy is "worse than you think." Brian Barrett, the article's author and executive editor of news at Wired, joins "America Decides" to explain.
There are similarities between ongoing federal "buyout" offers and how Elon Musk handled his acquisition of Twitter. Federal workers received the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer in an email entitled "fork in the road," the same subject line as a 2022 message Musk sent to Twitter employees. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports.
Democratic leaders are sharing their concerns about the House Republicans' budget resolution. Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, joins "America Decides" to discuss.
There are concerns over Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This comes as details emerge about another potential email asking for federal employees to provide details about their work week. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi reports.
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 Personnel Management "does not have any authority whatsoever" to "hire and fire employees at another agency."
He ordered the Office of Personnel Management to tell certain federal agencies it couldn't order the firings of probationary employees, including at the Defense Department.
A federal judge granted a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from a federal investigation in Florida into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, with members appointed by RFK Jr., voted to change longstanding recommendations on the hepatitis B vaccine.
The 2026 Men's World Cup will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The draw is being revealed from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The man suspected of planting pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in 2021 was ordered detained in his first appearance in federal court.
Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
The Trump administration says societal threats mean some European nations may not be "strong enough to remain reliable allies."
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Kerrville Police Chief Chris McCall warned that the calls received by dispatchers are distressing.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
Federal regulators are investigating multiple Texas incidents in which the robotaxis drove around stopped school buses.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
The man suspected of planting pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in 2021 was ordered detained in his first appearance in federal court.
A federal judge granted a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from a federal investigation in Florida into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Federal regulators are investigating multiple Texas incidents in which the robotaxis drove around stopped school buses.
President Trump's claims of a historic multitrillion-dollar investment surge don't match federal data or the administration's own numbers.
European regulators said X breached transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, a sweeping EU law intended to protect internet users.
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Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
The man suspected of planting pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in 2021 was ordered detained in his first appearance in federal court.
A federal judge granted a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from a federal investigation in Florida into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
President Trump's claims of a historic multitrillion-dollar investment surge don't match federal data or the administration's own numbers.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, with members appointed by RFK Jr., voted to change longstanding recommendations on the hepatitis B vaccine.
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The former officials said the FDA's plans to revamp how certain life-saving vaccines are handled would "disadvantage the people the FDA exists to protect, including millions of Americans at high risk from serious infections."
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European regulators said X breached transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, a sweeping EU law intended to protect internet users.
After a number of drone sightings near European airports and military bases, mysterious aircraft were seen over Ireland as Ukraine's Zelenskyy visited.
The Trump administration says societal threats mean some European nations may not be "strong enough to remain reliable allies."
The seizures come as Colombian President Gustavo Petro is calling on the U.S. to end strikes in the region against apparent drug-carrying vessels.
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Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
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European regulators said X breached transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, a sweeping EU law intended to protect internet users.
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Luigi Mangione, the man who faces a New York state trial over the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, did not attend his pretrial hearing because he's sick, the court announced Friday. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman has the latest.
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California Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu is calling for a war crimes investigation as more details emerge about the Sept. 2 strikes against a boat apparently carrying drugs. Lieu joined CBS News with more on his take about the strikes.
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Luigi Mangione, the man who faces a New York state trial over the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, did not attend his pretrial hearing because he's sick, the court announced Friday. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman has the latest.
The Pentagon announced a new strike and the deaths of four people aboard a boat apparently carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.