President Trump launched the Artemis program to return U.S. astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo. Now, the plan could be a casualty of the cost-cutting drive overseen by Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is not the legal administrator in charge of the "Department of Government Efficiency," the White House said in a court filing, and has "no actual or formal authority" to make decisions.
The ruling from a federal court in Washington, D.C., is — for now — a reprieve for CFPB staff who had been bracing for mass layoffs as early as Friday.
As federal layoffs mount, sources say the Trump administration plans a 50% staffing cut at the federal housing agency. The moves come amid an affordable housing shortage and record high homelessness.
Federal agencies continued to lay off workers Friday. The cuts come after President Trump signed an executive order this week directing agencies to prepare for "large-scale" reductions in force.
Elon Musk has emerged as a key figure in President Trump's plans to reshape the government. Here's a recap of this week with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team he leads.
Employees across several agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Education and Department of Energy, have all been affected, with many being given notice Thursday.
President Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have touted billions in terminated contracts deemed wasteful, but there's little transparency about how savings are tracked.
Special government employees, or SGEs, are typically hired on a temporary basis as experts or consultants or serve as members of federal advisory committees.
Musk and other Silicon Valley executives have long railed against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for its work overseeing the tech industry. Now, Musk hopes to eliminate the agency.
The remaining employees at the General Services Administration are being warned that their work will be heavily monitored, from their swipes into the office to what they type on their computers.
Trump and Musk spoke as the president signed a new executive order calling on the heads of federal agencies to "promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force."
Staffers at the U.S. cybersecurity agency working on countering foreign disinformation and on election security have been put on leave, according to sources who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal.
