7 h. ago Judge orders DOGE to turn over top secret records and demands Musk justify mass federal layoffs

On Wednesday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan turned the tables on DOGE three weeks after Musk's 'what did you do last week' email to staffers sparked mass protests.

Events

8 h. ago Judge orders Elon Musk and Doge to produce records about cost

The documents would ultimately inform whether Musk has been operating unconstitutionally to the extent Doge’s activities should be haltedElon Musk and his so-called “department of government efficiency”, or Doge, have been ordered by a federal judge to turn over a wide array of records that would reveal the identities of staffers and internal records related to efforts to aggressively cut federal government spending and programs.US district judge Tanya Chutkan’s order forces Musk to produce documents related to Doge’s activities as part of a lawsuit brought by 14 Democratic state attorneys general that alleges Musk violated the constitution by wielding powers that only Senate-confirmed officials should possess. Continue reading...

Events

13 h. ago Federal student loan site down Wednesday, a day after layoffs gutted Education Department

An hours-long outage on StudentAid

Politics

33 h. ago Most AAPI adults don't support cutting agencies and want a focus on costs: AP

A new AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll shows that most Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders do not agree with the strategy of putting entire federal agencies on the chopping block, nor are they broadly on board with mass layoffs of federal workers

Politics

40 h. ago NOAA to layoff 1,000 more workers at already depleted weather agency: ‘There’s going to be pain and a lot of it’

A former NOAA official says another round of ‘malicious’ layoffs will affect more than 1,000 additional employee

Politics

44 h. ago Elon Musk’s DOGE must comply with public records requests because of its ‘secrecy,’ judge rules

Federal court ruling opens DOGE to requests for communications and other records that detail how the agency works and who runs it

Events

46 h. ago Federal judge orders Doge to release internal records for transparency

Musk said social media posts were sufficient documentation for agency that is changing face of governmentUS politics live – latest updatesA federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) must comply with transparency laws and release its internal documents, finding the secretive operation exercises “substantial independent authority” that cannot be shielded from public scrutiny.In a 37-page opinion issued on Monday, US district judge Christopher Cooper ordered Doge – which took over what used to be the White House’s US Digital Service (USDS) – to begin a “rolling” production of records within weeks, rejecting the Trump administration’s attempts to position it beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act. Continue reading...

Events

67 h. ago NASA lays off top scientist and deputies as it implements DOGE’s job cuts that will see hundreds leave space agency

The news came after the White House reportedly paused mass firings last month for probationary federal employers

Technology

3 d. ago ‘I hope it lights a fire under people’: The federal worker standing up to Donald Trump and his ‘illegal mandates’

In an email, she called on colleagues to ‘resist.’ Then it was ‘mysteriously’ deleted

Events

3 d. ago The federal worker taking on Donald Trump and his ‘illegal mandates’

In an email, she called on colleagues to ‘resist.’ Then it was ‘mysteriously’ deleted

Politics

4 d. ago 'Elon Musk effect' has stargazers peering at Mars, Saturn and Uranus in record numbers

Telescope sales are on the rise partly due to the 'Elon Musk effect' with demands for telescopes growing as space fans want to get a glimpse of Mars, Saturn and Uranus

Politics

4 d. ago Coe targets Musk and Zuckerberg talks over ‘pond life’ abuse of female athletes

IOC presidency candidate wants discussions if elected‘It is vital that women feel that sport is a safe space’Sebastian Coe will demand urgent talks with Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to stop “pond life” abusing female sports stars with impunity if he becomes International Olympic Committee president.Speaking after a week in which Emma Raducanu spoke about not being able “see the ball through tears” after being approached by a stalker, and Eilish McColgan faced a blizzard of hate after posting a video of her running on social media, Lord Coe pledged to create a taskforce to find better ways to protect female athletes. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago NUKED BLOOD: Secret records hidden from ministers and Parliament

Officials have blamed a filing error for not revealing the existence of hundreds of documents about medical monitoring of troops during radiation experiments

Politics

5 d. ago US unemployment rate rises to 4.1% as economy added 151,000 new jobs in February – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, including February’s US jobs reportUS job market grows amid threats of mass federal layoffs and Trump tariffsThis has also been a rough week for the oil price.Brent crude, the international benchmark, has dropped by 4% so far this week to just over $70 per barrel.Trump paused tariffs and the market sold off. The old adage that the market hates uncertainty rings true. How the heck are you supposed to make investments or plan?The Nasdaq ended the session down 2.6%, while the S&P 500 finished 1.78% lower. Both are headed for weekly losses of around the 4% mark. Continue reading...

Society

5 d. ago US adds 151,000 jobs last month but sees unemployment tick up in first report on Trump’s economy

Economists forecast that the figure would be 160,000 ahead of the eagerly awaited report, which follows a month of widespread federal layoffs, tough immigration crackdowns and Trump’s trade tariffs

Politics

7 d. ago White House plans to expand mass layoffs to IRS and Veterans Affairs

Trump administration looks to axe half up to half of the tax agency’s workforce and fire up to 83,000 workers at the VAUS politics live – latest updatesMass layoffs are being planned for two more vital federal US government agencies as the IRS and Veteran Affairs have emerged as the latest targets of the Trump administration’s unprecedented purge through billionaire Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge), new reports suggest.The IRS is drafting plans to slash its 90,000-strong workforce by up to half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and buyouts, according to the Associated Press. The federal tax collector has offices across the country, with women accounting for 65% of the workforce, while people of color represent 56%. Continue reading...

Society

8 d. ago Trump administration briefing: trade turmoil, Zelenskyy peace offer and British fury at Vance

As the world awaits Donald Trump’s first key speech to Congress in second term, here are the key US politics stories from Tuesday at a glanceIn Donald Trump’s first address to Congress since returning to the White House – and his first major speech in a chilling six weeks in office – the president claimed a mandate justifying his sweeping executive orders, despite having won the popular vote by 1.5 points – the smallest margin for any successful presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1968.Trump’s second term has already seen him initiate sweeping mass layoffs of federal employees, and mobilize officers from nearly every federal law enforcement agency and the US military to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations. He has rattled Europe and other American allies with his pursuit of a peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine on terms preferential to Moscow. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Federal workers face second Musk deadline to explain their work last week

Federal employees face a midnight deadline to comply with Elon Musk’s second demand for reports on their recent accomplishments

Events

1 week ago Trump live updates: Zelensky visits White House after president’s insults; judge blocks DOGE’s mass firings

California justice rules Office of Personnel Management ‘does not have any authority whatsoever’ to remove probationary staff from any agency other than its own

Politics

1 week ago White House demands agencies identify hundreds of thousands of potential layoffs

A memo from the Trump administration gives federal officials until 13 March to submit plans for additional firingsUS politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration is pushing for federal agencies to carry out a large-scale slashing of the federal workforce, demanding plans for hundreds of thousands of possible cuts within weeks.A White House memo gave officials until 13 March to submit a plan identifying “agency components and employees performing functions not mandated by statute or regulation who are not typically designated as essential” during government shutdowns. Continue reading...

Events