US court allows #Trump to enforce ban on #DEI programs, for now
A US appeals court on Friday temporarily paused a judge's ruling that had blocked the Trump admin from implementing bans on #diversity, #equity & #inclusion programs at #FederalAgencies & #businesses that contract with the federal government.
#law #USpol #whitewashing #WhiteSupremacy #MaleSupremacy #heterosexism
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-court-allows-trump-enforce-ban-dei-programs-now-2025-03-14/
Federal #judges who have ruled against the #Trump admin this year are confronting a wave of threats, compromising their safety & the #independence of the #judiciary.
The sister of #SCOTUS Justice #AmyConeyBarrett received a bomb threat earlier this month, & lower court judges who paused some of Trump's efforts to dismantle #FederalAgencies & programs have been targeted.
#law #StochasticTerrorism #StateSponsoredTerrorism #DomesticTerrorism #PoliticalViolence #MAGA
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/13/nx-s1-5316340/threats-judges-trump
US judge orders #Trump admin to reinstate thousands of fired workers
A California federal judge on Thurs ordered 6 US #FederalAgencies to reinstate thousands of recently-hired employees who were fired as part of Trump's purge of the federal workforce.
The ruling made by US Dist Judge William Alsup in San Francisco during a hearing applies to the Departments of #Defense, #Veterans Affairs,#Agriculture, #Energy, #Interior & the #Treasury.
#law #DOGE #Musk
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-extend-block-trump-administration-ordering-mass-firings-2025-03-13/
The culling of #GSA’s #18F in particular, a specialized #digital services agency tasked w/improving #user experience w/govt services & helping #FederalAgencies build & buy a variety of #tech, has crippled programs that silently but effectively prepared Americans for #weather #disasters or streamlined tasks, like renewing a #passport or filing #taxes. Over the wknd, ~90 technologists at 18F were fired via surprise email that went out shortly before 1AM ET on Sat morning.
As a taste of what we may see in the coming months, the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas clocked 172,017 #layoffs last month, concentrated among #FederalAgencies. That’s the highest number it had seen since July 2020, in the middle of the #pandemic.
#Trump #economy #Trumpcession
https://www.challengergray.com/blog/job-cuts-surge-on-doge-actions-retail-woes-highest-monthly-total-since-july-2020/
#US employers added 151k #jobs in Feb, the first full month under the new #Trump admin, extending a streak of job growth to 50 months [#ThankYouJoe]. The #unemployment rate rose to 4.1%, from 4%.
#DOGE’s role: The survey showed a decline of 10k in federal employment. But the report was based on surveys conducted in the 2nd week of Feb, & economists say the admin’s #MassFirings, buyouts & hiring freezes at #FederalAgencies may not fully surface in the monthly data until this spring.
#Trump announced on social media [of course] the next phase of government-gutting.
So far, Trump & #ElonMusk, have directed #MassFirings, prompting lawsuits & sowing confusion. Agencies fired tens of thousands of probationary employees, ignoring personnel laws & what value they brought to the agency.
Trump said, he met with “most of the Secretaries, Elon, & others” to discuss the next phase of reductions.
The panel of 3 judges from the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said the govt had met the “stringent requirements” for securing a stay while the court considers the #Trump admin’s appeal in the case.
The brief order had no noted dissents from the judges, who were appointed by presidents from both parties. It said a full opinion would be forthcoming.
#Veterans have been speaking out against the cuts already made at the #VA that so far had included a few thousand employees & hundreds of contracts. More than 25% of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans.
The plans underway at the VA showed how the #Trump admin’s #DOGE initiative, led by #billionaire #ElonMusk, is not holding back on an all-out effort to slash #FederalAgencies, even for those that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.
Republican #House Speaker #MikeJohnson urged fellow Republican lawmakers on Tues to avoid #public #TownHall meetings with #voters after some events turned into angry confrontations over #Trump's moves to fire #FederalWorkers & defund government programs.
#cowards #PublicDisservice #Republicans #GOP #RepresentationMatters #USpol #Musk #DOGE #FederalAgencies #SocialSecurity #Medicaid #Veterans #children #seniors #disability #PublicHealth #weather #DisasterPreparedness
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-urges-lawmakers-avoid-town-hall-meetings-2025-03-04/
The advisory cmtes’ — typically from universities, think tanks & interest groups, as well as from private companies — provided advice & feedback to #FederalAgencies but had no decision-making authority. But their sudden termination could add to concerns that the #Trump admin is planning on interfering w/govt statistics, especially because the terminations came after #HowardLutnick, the secy of #Commerce, suggested he might change the way the govt reports certain economic data.
Some #DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries [what’s that about government waste again?]
Engineers & executives at #ElonMusk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing *healthy* #taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very #FederalAgencies they are cutting.
#Trump #purge #coup #USpol #FederalWorkers
https://archive.is/2025.03.04-220326/https://www.wired.com/story/doge-government-salaries-elon-musk/
#SEC offers staff $50,000 to resign or retire
The #US #Securities & Exchange Commission is offering some employees $50k if they choose to resign or to retire under an early retirement program, acc/to an agency memo.
#ElonMusk’s #DOGE has been looking at ways to cut staff & costs from the SEC & other #FederalAgencies to meet demands from Trump. SEC employees have until March 21 to decide, acc/to a Feb 28 all-staff memo from the SEC's COO, Ken Johnson.
#USpol #TrumpCoup
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sec-offers-staff-50000-resign-or-retire-memo-says-2025-03-03/
The #Trump admin is terminating the jobs of dozens of #technology specialists whose broad portfolio of projects across the govt included the #IRS’s free tax filing software & passport services.
The specialists, who belonged to a unit at the #GSA known as #18F, developed software & technology products for various #FederalAgencies, w/the goal of improving efficiency & better serving the public.
#Trump #Musk #DOGE #USpol #law #InfoSec
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/us/politics/18f-technology-specialists-fired.html?smid=url-share
The president has broad power under Article II of the Constitution to choose the leaders of #FederalAgencies or fire them at will. But #Congress carved out exceptions intended to preserve the #independence & #impartiality of certain #independent agency leaders.
#SCOTUS has upheld for-cause removal rules for agencies w/multiple leaders but recently ruled that such restrictions don’t apply to certain agencies w/a single director.
Across the country, Musk’s #DOGE is sabotaging everything that’s required for the govt to function, & to protect Americans’ livelihoods, health, safety, & lives. The #TrumpMusk regime is rapidly ending the apparatus that holds America together.
If not stopped soon…
Just one example:
“Trump & Elon Musk-led DOGE have fired a key safety biologist at Lake Mead in Nevada, making America's largest reservoir less safe.
#USPol #Science #FederalAgencies #PublicSafety #Resist
https://trib.al/6GfYapR
US Dist Judge William Alsup ordered #OPM to rescind its prior directives to #FederalAgencies including the Dept of #Defense, the #Park Service, Bureau of #Land Management, National #Science Foundation, & others. The ruling is one of the biggest roadblocks so far to #Trump’s effort to slash the federal workforce.
Judge blocks #Trump admin’s #MassFirings of #FederalWorkers
A federal judge ruled that the terminations at several #FederalAgencies, including the Dept of #Defense, were likely #illegal.
A federal judge on Thurs ordered #OPM to rescind directives that initiated the mass firing of probationary govt workers in several agencies across the government, ruling that the terminations were probably illegal, as a group of labor #unions argued in court.
#law #Musk #DOGE
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/27/judge-probationary-federal-employee-firings-lawsuit/
Neither Bates nor the plaintiffs specified which particular #DOGE members will testify. The #Trump admin will select by them 
, but they must be knowledgeable about the data #security & #access at issue.
The only insight about DOGE’s ops inside US #FederalAgencies have come from carefully crafted statements filed in court by DOGE allies across the govt, & a few ofcls who work w/them. Bates pointed to those statements as a reason for the depositions.
