By Hannah Parry
Associate News Editor
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Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced it is terminating $881 million worth of Education Department contracts.
DOGE announced, in a post on X, that it had cut 29 training grants for diversity, equity and inclusion, worth $101 million.
It claimed that one such grant, aimed to train teachers to "help students understand / interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognize areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis."
The department has slashed another 89 Education Department contracts including a contractor hired to manage mail and clerical operations.
The cuts come as President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order closing down the department.
Newsweek's live blog is closed.
Feb 11, 2025 at 05:11 PM EST
Trump signing order for DOGE ‘relating to shrinking federal workforce’
Trump and Musk are holding a joint press conference from the Oval Office, as the president signs an executive order related to DOGE.
The White House still has not confirmed what the order for DOGE is, but Semafor reports that it related to shrinking the federal workforce.
"The people voted for major government reform," Musk told reporters at the signing ceremony, adding that is what the people would get.
Trump added that DOGE had "found fraud and abuse" without giving any additional details.
Feb 11, 2025 at 04:45 PM EST
Federal Reserve chair gives update on US bank accounts amid Trump’s orders
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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reassured Americans on Tuesday that their bank accounts remain secure amid the President Donald Trump administration's decision to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a consumer financial regulatory agency.
Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell emphasized that "bank accounts overall across the economy are safe" and protected by government deposit insurance.
Newsweek reached out to the Treasury Department via email on Tuesday afternoon for additional information.
His remarks came amid heated partisan debate, as Republican and Democratic senators clashed over the Trump administration's recent order to halt the CFPBs supervisory and rule-making activities.
The CFPB was established in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and key architect of the CFPB, expressed apprehension about the agency's shutdown. She stated, "I'd be really worried about doing business with a giant bank when there's no cop on the beat."
Read in full from Gabe Whisnant on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 04:33 PM EST
Manhattan judge loosens restrictions on Treasury Department access
A Manhattan judge has ruled that the strict restrictions barring Elon Musk and his DOGE cost cutters from accessing sensitive data at the Treasury Department was not meant to include Senate-confirmed agency officials.
District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer had issued the order to halt DOGE's access to the Treasury information, after attorneys general from 19 states sued on Friday. The lawsuit had argued DOGE does not have security clearance to access the data, branding it a huge security risk.
In today's ruling, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas said that the lawsuit did not suggest that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other senior officials were included in the restricted access, nor did they pose a threat of disclosure of sensitive and confidential information.
But Vargas did not approve the Trump administration's request to remove the restrictions on political appointees more broadly.
She has set a hearing for the case on Friday.
Both Trump and Musk have pushed back strongly against the both Engelmayer and District Judge John Bates who has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the many federal health webpages that the president had ordered be removed.
Feb 11, 2025 at 04:22 PM EST
Musk joins Trump in Oval Office ahead of DOGE-related executive order
Elon Musk has joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, ahead of the signing of an executive order related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk, the head of DOGE, is with his son X at the White House for the signing ceremony.
Feb 11, 2025 at 04:18 PM EST
Sen. Mile Lee accuses judges of waging ‘unprecedented assault’ on presidential authority
Sen. Mike Lee has slammed the judges pushing back against President Donald Trump's sweeping executive orders, and Elon Musk's DOGE federal access and cuts.
"These judges are waging an unprecedented assault on legitimate presidential authority, all the way down to dictating what webpages the government has," he said on X Tuesday.
Feb 11, 2025 at 04:00 PM EST
Musk calls for another judge to be fired after order restoring federal health websites
Elon Musk has called for another federal judge to be fired after the Trump administration was ordered to restore several health-related datasets and webpages that President Donald Trump ordered taken down.
Musk took to X, former Twitter, to blast the judge, and call for an end of "jobs for life" for justices.
"Truly absurd. Judges as website editors!? We should at least ATTEMPT to fire this junky jurist. The notion of having a judge job for life, no matter how bad the judgments, is ridiculous! Enough is enough," he said.
The head of DOGE was commenting just hours after he complained about another judge on his social media platform, complaining that democracy "is being destroyed by judicial coup."
In that case, he was reacting after a federal judge blocked DOGE's access to the Treasury Department's payment systems.
Feb 11, 2025 at 03:41 PM EST
Cuts to USAID’s budget
Under recent budget proposals, USAID could face billions in cuts, significantly reducing its ability to provide foreign aid. Trump and Musk have been vocal about their belief that USAID should be eliminated entirely.
Sub-Saharan Africa could be the most affected, as the region received more than $6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance last year. HIV patients in Africa seeking treatment at clinics funded by a renowned U.S. program that helped curb the global AIDS epidemic in the 1980s have found their doors locked.
USAID also supports governance and media projects in countries where Russia exerts influence, such as Georgia and Armenia.
In Latin America, the impact is already evident. A busy migrant shelter in southern Mexico has lost its doctor. A mental health program for LGBTQ+ youth fleeing Venezuela has been disbanded. In Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, so-called "Safe Mobility Offices," where migrants could apply to enter the U.S. legally, have shuttered.
Why Do Some Think USAID's Spending is Wasteful?
Americans have long held mixed views on foreign assistance.
While USAID's mission is to promote global stability and economic development, critics argue that the agency's spending is inefficient, poorly managed, or unnecessary.
A March 2023 AP-NORC poll found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults believed the U.S. government was spending "too much" on foreign aid.
When asked about specific costs, roughly 7 in 10 said too much money was going to international assistance. Among Republicans, nearly 9 in 10 agreed, while 55 percent of Democrats shared the concern.
Some policymakers and analysts believe that billions of dollars in foreign aid could be better spent on domestic priorities or that USAID's programs fail to achieve meaningful, long-term results.
However, polling has also shown that Americans overestimate foreign aid spending. Surveys from KFF found that on average, Americans believe foreign aid comprises 31 percent of the federal budget, when in reality, it is closer to 1 percent or less.
Feb 11, 2025 at 03:37 PM EST
How USAID spends its budget
The U.S. allocated roughly $40 billion to foreign aid in the 2023 fiscal year, according to a report last month by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. While the U.S. is the world's largest provider of humanitarian assistance, foreign aid accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget. In 2024, USAID comprised just 0.3 percent of total federal spending—down from 0.5 percent in 1980. Over the past decade, this share has remained stable.
USAID Spending by Sector:
- $16.8 billion – Governance
- $10.5 billion – Humanitarian assistance
- $7.0 billion – Health
- $3.5 billion – Administrative expenses
- $1.6 billion – Other programs
- $1.3 billion – Agriculture
- $1.1 billion – Education
- $1.0 billion – Infrastructure
- $0.7 billion – Economic growth
Regional Distribution:
A significant portion of USAID's funding went to Europe and Eurasia, primarily to support Ukraine's war effort and reconstruction.
- $17.2 billion – Europe and Eurasia (mostly Ukraine)
- $12.1 billion – Sub-Saharan Africa
- $5.5 billion – Multiple regions
- $3.9 billion – Middle East and North Africa
- $1.9 billion – South and Central Asia
- $1.8 billion – Western Hemisphere
- $1.1 billion – East Asia and Oceania
Top Recipients of USAID Funding:
USAID provided assistance to about 130 countries in FY2023. The top 10 recipients were:
- Ukraine
- Ethiopia
- Jordan
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Somalia
- Yemen
- Afghanistan
- Nigeria
- South Sudan
- Syria
Seventy of the 77 low- and lower-middle-income countries designated by the World Bank received assistance in FY2023, reflecting USAID's focus on poverty reduction.
Feb 11, 2025 at 03:34 PM EST
What does USAID spend money on? List of potential cuts
The future of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is in jeopardy due to cost-cutting measures proposed by former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Employees have been locked out, and the Trump administration is moving to merge USAID with the State Department, raising concerns about its ability to operate independently.
For decades, USAID has played a crucial role in global development, managing over $40 billion annually for programs that combat HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, provide disaster relief, improve access to clean water, and support economic development in struggling nations.
However, Trump and Musk, who now leads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), see many of these expenditures as "excessive" and "unnecessary." As part of their broader effort to shrink the federal government, they are pushing for deep budget cuts, arguing that USAID's funding includes wasteful spending that should be eliminated.
Read in full from Jesus Mesa on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 03:20 PM EST
Trump says FEMA ‘should be terminated’
President Donald Trump has accused FEMA of "disobeying orders" after it provided aid "in Democrat areas."
Trump, who has been increasingly critical of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said he wants states to be responsible for their own disaster relief.
He added that the agency was "under review and investigation."
"FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "IT HAS BEEN SLOW AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. INDIVIDUAL STATES SHOULD HANDLE STORMS, ETC., AS THEY COME. BIG SAVINGS, FAR MORE EFFICIENT!!!"
Feb 11, 2025 at 03:05 PM EST
Trump fires FEMA CFO Mary Comans over payments to house migrants in NYC
President Donald Trump has fired the CFO of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mary Comans, over payments to housed migrants in New York City.
Comans was one of four FEMA employees fired over the $59 million FEMA payment.
Elon Musk, head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had first posted about the payment yesterday, saying, "Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President's executive order. That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!"
Cameron Hamilton, acting FEMA administrator, had responded, promising to hold the personnel involved "accountable."
The Department of Homeland Security announced today that it had fired four individuals, including Comans.
"Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants," a DHS spokesperson wrote. "Firings include FEMA's Chief Financial Officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist."
"Under President Trump and Secretary Noem's leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people," the spokesperson added.
Feb 11, 2025 at 02:45 PM EST
Elon Musk’s DOGE gets polling boost
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New polling data shows that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is gaining traction among voters. Recent polls have shown mainly negative results for Musk.
The shift in opinion on Musk comes amid continuing concerns about how much power and influence the unelected tech billionaire has in how the country is run. Some have even gone as far as to say that Musk is the "real president," a claim that the White House has denied.
According to the latest Trafalgar Group and Insider Advantage poll, conducted between February 7-9, 49 percent approve of the job Musk is doing at DOGE, while 44 percent disapprove.
The poll also shows positive results for Trump. Some 54 percent approve of the job the president is doing, while 45 percent disapprove. The poll surveyed 1,321 voters with a margin of error of 2.98 percent.
This represents a departure from other recent polls, which have mainly been positive for Trump but negative for Musk. Polls currently show that Trump is more popular than ever. For example, the latest polling from Emerson College, conducted between January 27 and 28 among 1,000 registered voters, showed that Trump's approval rating stands at 49 percent, while 41 percent disapprove. The poll had a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.
Read in full from Martha McHardy on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 02:29 PM EST
Full list of webpages HHS, the FDA and the CDC must now restore
In a two-page ruling, U.S. District Judge John Bates ordered HHS, the FDA and the CDC to restore the following pages and datasets identified in DFA's complaint:
- The "Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System." The CDC said the resource "identifies emerging issues, and plans and evaluates programs to support youth health."
- Data and statistics for "Adolescent and School Health." This resource provided information and datasets from the CDC on youth school health policies and practices.
- "The Social Vulnerability Index." This resource contained information that helped "public health officials and local planners better prepare for and respond to emergency events with the goal of decreasing human suffering, economic loss, and health inequities."
- "The Environmental Justice Index." These webpages had information that "delivers a single rank for each community to identify and map areas most at risk for the health impacts of environmental burden."
- "PrEP for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the U.S.: 2021 Guideline Summary." The lawsuit said this webpage had the latest information "on prescribing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention to their patients and increasing PrEP use by people who could benefit from it."
- A webpage for "HIV Monitoring."
- A webpage on "Getting Tested for HIV."
- Web pages with information and data on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) procedures from fertility clinics.
- A webpage that had information about contraception.
- A webpage about enrolling more women in clinical trials and analyzing how medical products could affect men and women differently. The page's purpose was "to help ensure the generalizability of results and
facilitate exploration of potential differences in effects by sex." - A page with information about enrolling people from underrepresented populations in clinical trials.
Feb 11, 2025 at 02:16 PM EST
Judge orders health agencies to restore webpages that Trump team removed
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On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore several health-related datasets and webpages that President Donald Trump ordered taken down.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of Doctors For America. It names the Office of Personnel Management, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as defendants.
The lawsuit came after health agencies' websites were scrubbed of content and datasets related to HIV monitoring and prevention, sexual health, contraception, intimate partner violence and gender identity.
The plaintiffs argued that removing these datasets and health information from publicly accessible websites hampered their ability to find the information and treat and diagnose patients.
Bates' ruling is the latest legal blow to the Trump administration's sweeping effort to reshape the administrative state by testing the limits of executive power.
On Monday, five other judges issued rulings or temporary orders blocking the president from unilaterally firing civil servants, freezing federal funding, ending birthright citizenship, pushing federal workers to resign en masse, and cutting billions of dollars in funding for health research grants.
Read in full from Sonam Sheth on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 02:04 PM EST
Sen. Kennedy says DOGE is ‘losing’ in Washington, but is ‘winning with the American people’
Republican Senator John Kennedy said that DOGE and the Trump administration's sweeping federal cuts were "losing" in Washington D.C., but were "winning" with the American people.
Kennedy, of Louisiana, said in a clip, shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, Tuesday, that he is, "unapologetically with Trump and Musk."
The senator admitted that the cuts and unprecedented access DOGE has received has not been popular in D.C., with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticizing the deep funding slashes.
"Among the blue hairs and the opinion writers in Washington we're losing," Kennedy said. "We're wining with the American people.
"The big picture should not go unnoticed."
He added that "some people, mostly my Democratic colleagues.. have chosen to support the bureaucracy and the spending porn over the American people."
"They think they're winning. And they may be in the bubble of Washington but not among the taxpayers.
"I think the justice stick is coming and I think the American people support everything we're doing."
Feb 11, 2025 at 01:44 PM EST
Farmers on TikTok speak out about Trump’s USDA funding freeze
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President Donald Trump froze several key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding programs upon taking office, and a couple farmers have taken to TikTok to express their anger about being left with financial uncertainty.
The decision to freeze USDA funding has raised concerns among farmers and policymakers. While the Trump administration has framed the freeze as part of a broader effort to reassess government spending, critics argue that it disproportionately harms farmers and rural economies by affecting funds for conservation initiatives, research grants and assistance for small agricultural businesses.
The USDA has yet to clarify whether the halted funds will be reinstated or if the freeze will be permanent.
The USDA funding freeze is hitting farmers at a time when agricultural incomes have already been suppressed by low crop prices. Programs aimed at conservation, rural economic development and small farm grants have been halted as the administration conducts a review of 409 USDA programs. Some of these programs were supported by funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which earmarked $19.5 billion for agricultural sustainability initiatives.
Read in full from Suzanne Blake on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 01:28 PM EST
Ex-OMB director shares chilling warning about DOGE Treasury access
Jacob Leibenluft, the former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Biden Administration, has warned that DOGE's access to the Treasury payment system raises "serious concerns."
In a paper published on thinktank, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Leibenluft said that Elon Musk and his DOGE team's access to the sensitive data, poses a risk that payments to Americans, "will be illegally stopped based on Musk's own or the Trump Administration's political or policy preferences."
He also warned of "the possibility of severe cybersecurity and privacy breaches; and the potential that payments could be inadvertently delayed to millions of individuals, including retirees and veterans, to organizations and businesses providing public services on behalf of the federal government, as well as to states, localities, territories, and tribal nations for providing services like Medicaid and transportation."
He added that DOGE's access to the systems could affect:
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Veterans' disability compensation
- Medicaid
- WIC
- Pell Grants
Leibenluft added, "Access to or control of the BFS payment systems would potentially allow empowered political officials to bypass the guardrails of career civil servant stewardship in federal agencies and at BFS and centralize efforts to illegally block payments — either in conjunction with, or apart from, any steps agencies would take." .
Feb 11, 2025 at 01:12 PM EST
OPINION: Trump-Musk overreach has ignited the opposition. Viva la resistance!
In the period of time between Election Day and Inauguration Day, there was furious debate in some circles about what the so-called "resistance" would look like in Trump 2.0—or whether it would show up at all. Some speculated that those opposed to Trump and his dangerous policies would simply roll over, or seek to work with his administration.
The last few weeks should put that debate to rest. Let's be clear: We are not going anywhere. We have and will continue to come together and fight.
So much of the earlier media commentary pretended as if the energy behind "the resistance" had largely fizzled out compared to Trump's first term. And it's true that this moment is different from eight years ago. The circumstances and the environment was different. That moment demanded that we take to the streets by the millions in a show of force to make sure President Trump and the whole world knew the demagoguery presented by Trump and his first administration did not represent the popular majority that rejected him in 2016.
Feb 11, 2025 at 11:57 AM EST
Trump slams ‘activist judges’ after DOGE is blocked from Treasury
President Donald Trump has slammed "activist judges" in a post on X, after Elon Musk and DOGE were blocked from accessing sensitive payment data at the Treasury Department.
District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer had issued the order to halt DOGE's access to the Treasury information, after attorneys general from 19 states sued on Friday.
The lawsuit argues DOGE does not have security clearance and has not authority to access the Treasury Department's systems, branding it a huge security risk.
The move has infuriated both Trump and Musk, the latter of which has called for Engelmayer's impeachment.
Today, Trump said that DOGE had found "billions of Dollars of FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE, has already been found in the investigation of our incompetently run Government.
"Now certain activists and highly political judges want us to slow down, or stop. Losing this momentum will be very detrimental to finding the TRUTH, which is turning out to be a disaster for those involved in running our Government. Much left to find. No Excuses!!!"
Feb 11, 2025 at 11:42 AM EST
Judge to consider lawsuit seeking to bar Musk and DOGE from Education Department
A federal judge in Washington is set to hear a lawsuit seeking to bar Elon Musk and DOGE from accessing data from the Education Department.
Musk, whose DOGE cost cutters have been at the department for the past week, announced on Monday that the Education Department had "terminated" 89 contracts and 29 DEI grants.
Now a lawsuit from the University of California Student Association is seeking to prevent DOGE from accessing any more departmental information, citing privacy concerns.
A judge is set to consider the lawsuit later today.
Another judge has already blocked DOGE and Musk from the Treasury Department where they had gained access to highly sensitive payment information for millions of Americans.
Feb 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM EST
‘A judicial coup’: Musk rails against judge blocking DOGE cuts
Elon Musk has claimed that democracy "is being destroyed by judicial coup" after a federal judge blocked DOGE's access to the Treasury Department's payment systems.
District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer had issued the order to halt DOGE's access to the Treasury information, after attorneys general from 19 states sued on Friday.
The lawsuit argues DOGE does not have security clearance and has not authority to access the Treasury Department's systems, branding it a huge security risk.
Today, Musk shared another X user's post, asking, "What's the point of elections if judges can override everything a POTUS does?"
Musk, who has changed his name on X to Harry Bōlz ahead of a memecoin release of the same name, added: "Democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup. An activist judge is not a real judge."
Feb 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM EST
Elon Musk issues major Social Security warning
Billionaire Elon Musk has said there is widespread fraud taking place in the payment of "federal entitlements" like Social Security.
Social Security benefits are paid to more than 70 million Americans on a monthly basis, and help form the bedrock of income for many retirees, survivors of deceased claimants and disabled people.
Musk, who was selected by President Donald Trump to head up the non-official Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been tasked with streamlining government processes and cutting spending. But critics have raised the alarm about an unelected official gaining access to the payment records and personal details of Americans.
Musk wrote on X on February 11: "At this point, I am 100% certain that the magnitude of the fraud in federal entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Disability, etc) exceeds the combined sum of every private scam you've ever heard by FAR. It's not even close."
It follows another post from February 8 in which Musk said he was told there are currently over $100 billion per year of entitlements payments to individuals with no Social Security Number or "even a temporary ID number."
Read in full from Aliss Highman on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 10:48 AM EST
Republicans are starting to push back against DOGE’s cuts
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While GOP leadership continues to fall in line with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's actions to slash federal spending and cut the government workforce, some Republicans are beginning to speak up.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, called on the Trump administration and DOGE not to "throw the baby out with the bath water," CNN reports.
He is asking for the Trump administration to go through USAID funding line by line to ensure important programs serving U.S. national security aren't being axed, and called on it to ensure that DOGE is not allowed to side-step Congress.
"Congress has to catch up to the plan or the president's plan has to be revised. Because the law is law," Bacon said.
GOP Rep. Blake Moore of Utah and GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have expressed concerns about protecting their federal worker constituents, with Moore saying: "We need to do a better job of bringing them in instead of vilifying them," Moore said of his message to his constituents."
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been the most vocal in her opposition to DOGE's sweeping cuts.
She put out a public statement denouncing the administration's memo to free all federal aid - a move that was ultimately revoked after furious backlash.
On Monday, she criticized the NIH cuts, saying, "I oppose the poorly conceived directive imposing an arbitrary cap on the indirect costs that are part of NIH grants and negotiated between the grant recipient and NIH."
Collins said she raised these concerns with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, and he "promised that as soon as he is confirmed, he will reexamine this initiative that was implemented prior to his confirmation."
But even as some Republicans break ranks, Congressional GOP leaders have signaled their support for codifying many of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts into law.
"We are going to be codifying a lot of these changes," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday. "I wish the courts would allow the executive in the in the legislative branches to work
Feb 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
OPINION: How Musk makes MAGA weak by trumping Trump—The Rasputin Syndrome
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MAGA pillars such as Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer have been raising alarms over Elon Musk's blurring of public and personal business interests, with Bannon going so far as to call Musk "a truly evil person."
They appear to be channeling deeper-rooted concerns within the Republican base: according to a new poll out from The Economist, GOP support for Musk influence with Trump has already plummeted dramatically, down to just 26 percent today from over 47 percent last November.
Recent polling has found that Musk's unpopularity has soared 10 percent this month alone. Furthermore, Tesla sales are plummeting around the world, making Tesla possibly the largest meme stock in history with the bubble perhaps ready to be popped.
Those striking polls suggest that the 77 million-plus Americans who voted for President Donald Trump were more motivated by bona fide issues such as inflation and immigration, and were not voting for Musk to unilaterally access the entire payment system of the U.S. Treasury.
Feb 11, 2025 at 10:18 AM EST
DEI cuts could jeopardize safety of Nasa crew: Report
President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting DEI and DOGE's vast federal cuts, may be risking the lives of Nasa crews, The Guardian reports.
Trump and Elon Musk have announced an ambitious space plan for the next four years including the first manned Moon landing in 50 years and even Mars exploration.
But staff at Nasa warned that that cuts to the already thinly stretched agency would have a direct effect on missions.
One employee told the newspaper that the cuts to DEI is "going to impact flight ops."
"Mission control already struggles with certifying and retaining flight controllers, but this is sure to make things worse. And with 24/7 ops for ISS, I worry they can't take much more attrition and keep the consoles staffed around the clock," a source told the Guardian.
A former mission control employee told the newspaper that it was not a secret that flight controllers are "overworked, underpaid and disrespected by their management."
The Trump administration has offered most of the federal workforce a buyout option; to resign by last week and continue to receive pay through September, as it pushed for a return to the office, and for a workforce where Trump loyalty was high on the agenda. It's not clear how many Nasa employees took up the offer.
Nasa insists that, despite the cuts, that "Safety remains a top priority for the agency."
Spokesperson Cheryl Warner added, "We're continually looking at our staffing to ensure the coverage required to keep our crews safe, while also working to adhere to new executive orders and other guidance from the Trump administration as quickly as possible."
Feb 11, 2025 at 09:59 AM EST
Elon Musk’s own words used against him in court
Elon Musk's claims that federal employee "fraudsters" may be using people's social security numbers illegally, have been used against him in court.
On February 7, the University of California Student Association launched a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. to prevent the Education Department and the acting education secretary, Denise Carter, from sharing student loan information with DOGE.
In response, writer Ashley St. Clair wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "What the f*** do you think Elon Musk is going to do with your social security number??? Tweet it???? Open a line of credit you don't have??????"
Musk shared a link to her post on his X account and added the comment: "Seriously. And for damn sure, I'm 1000% more trustworthy than untold numbers of deep state bureaucrats and fraudsters who may be misusing your SSN right now."
As reported by Kyle Cheney, lawyers for the University of California Student Association used Musk's words against him in court on Monday.
"Litigants in federal court in DC right now, trying to block DOGE's access to student loan data, just cited this post in court," Cheney wrote on X on Monday.
By reading out Musk's words, the students' lawyers are attempting to show that Musk harbors a deep resentment of federal employees, especially in the Department of Education.
Feb 11, 2025 at 09:48 AM EST
DOJ seeks to overturn Judge’s order blocking DOGE from Treasury systems
Trump's Department of Justice is seeking to overturn a federal judge's order blocking Elon Musk's DOGE employees from accessing highly sensitive Treasury Department data about millions of Americans.
Justice Department lawyers argued in court documents that the order was "anti-constitutional," because it too broad and it prevented Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from running the department.
"Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency's work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the President," the lawyers wrote, according to the Washington Post.
District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer had issued the order to halt DOGE's access to the Treasury information, after attorneys general from 19 states sued on Friday.
The lawsuit argues DOGE does not have security clearance and has not authority to access the Treasury Department's systems, branding it a huge security risk.
Feb 11, 2025 at 09:30 AM EST
‘Big Brains’ behind ‘Big Balls’: Legal firebrands powering Musk’s DOGE
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Elon Musk's budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is attracting some high-powered lawyers with Supreme Court experience, something the tech billionaire may need as legal challenges mount.
Musk's effort to cut the federal budget by $2 trillion a year is facing major legal challenges. The DOGE is arming itself with lawyers with Supreme Court clerking experience ahead of legal battles that will likely make their way to America's highest court.
Trump announced the formation of the DOGE on his Inauguration Day as part of plans to "dismantle" bureaucracy and reduce federal spending, and announced Tesla CEO Musk as co-chair.
Writing in his legal blog Judicial Notice on Sunday, lawyer David Lat noted that "Elon Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency is getting lots of media coverage for its teenage tech whizzes with nicknames like 'Big Balls.'"
That is a reference to Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old high school graduate and DOGE hire who used the nickname "Big Balls" in his online profiles.
Lat wrote that as well as taking on "Big Balls," the DOGE has hired "some legal Big Brains," which include two former Supreme Court clerks. James Burnham, who clerked for conservative Supreme Court judge, Neil Gorsuch, and Keenan Kmiec, who clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, also a conservative.
Read in full from Sean O'Driscoll on Newsweek.
Feb 11, 2025 at 09:15 AM EST
Thune and Johnson pledge to codify DOGE’s sweeping cuts
Congressional GOP leaders have signaled their support for codifying many of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts into law.
"We are going to be codifying a lot of these changes," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday. "I wish the courts would allow the executive in the in the legislative branches to work
Senate Majority Leader John Thune shared a similar sentiment, telling Axios, "I think that anything that DOGE does will be factored into what we do up here."
The U.S courts have halted DOGE's major cuts to the federal government, at least temporarily.
But if the GOP majority Senate and House support DOGE and its head Elon Musk's ideas, they can back them up through legislation.
However, any spending bill would need Democratic votes in the Senate to overcome the 60-vote filibuster.
Feb 11, 2025 at 09:00 AM EST
Do you sill have to pay student loans if Department of Education is abolished?
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Discussions about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) have led to widespread speculation about the future of student loans. While some believe the agency's elimination could lead to sweeping policy changes, experts largely agree that student loan obligations will remain intact. Regardless of which federal entity oversees repayment, borrowers will still be required to fulfill their loan commitments.
President Donald Trump has reiterated his stance on dismantling the DoE, viewing it as an unnecessary federal agency and advocating for a return of education oversight to the states. However, dissolving the DoE would require congressional approval, which remains uncertain. Even if the department is abolished, student loan programs—many of which predate the DoE—would likely be transferred to another federal agency rather than eliminated entirely.
The potential dismantling of the DoE would not just be an administrative shift—it could have significant consequences for millions of borrowers and the broader education system. The department currently oversees federal student loan programs, distributes financial aid and enforces policies meant to protect borrowers from predatory lending practices. Eliminating the DoE could introduce uncertainty into loan servicing, possibly delaying repayments, altering forgiveness programs or making it harder for students to access federal aid.
The fate of student loans remains a pressing concern for borrowers as discussions about the Department of Education's potential elimination continue. While changes to the administration of loans may occur, the underlying obligations are expected to persist. Understanding how these shifts could impact loan management and repayment structures is essential for those with federal student debt.
Feb 11, 2025 at 08:47 AM EST
Trump fights back after DOGE blocked from accessing files
A judge's decision to stop all external access to Treasury Department data could put the global economy at risk, a government official has warned.
The standoff between President Donald Trump's administration and 19 Democratic-leaning states affects the entire federal budget and could have massive implications for the U.S. and global economy.
On February 8, New York Federal Judge Paul A. Engelmayer imposed a temporary restraining order on the Treasury Department, preventing it from sharing financial information about millions of Americans with Trump's cost-cutting DOGE.
He did so at the request of New York Attorney General Letitia James and attorneys general for 18 other states who say that the DOGE has no right to access the information.
Engelmayer ordered the DOGE to immediately destroy any copies of records it had already obtained.
The Treasury Department opposes the restraining order.
Read in full from Sean O'Driscoll on Newsweek.
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