US-FEDERAL-WORKERS-CUTS-POLITICS

Claire Bergstresser, a US federal worker terminated from her job at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), reads over an email asking if she wants to come back to work and be put on administrative leave, and answers yes, in her apartment in Everett, Massachusetts on March 18, 2025. Bergstresser was initially terminated from her government job in February 2025. She was reinstated to her job at HUD in March after a court decision and then re-terminated in late May. According to US media reports, upwards of 200,000 federal workers have been laid off from their jobs, accepted buyouts, or retired early, with more cuts expected. Elon Musk, who departed the Trump administration at the end of May 2025, led the effort through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE eliminated thousands of jobs, closed entire agencies, and slashed foreign aid programs. The White House vowed on May 26, 2025, that its massive federal government cutting initiative will continue, even after the departure of Musk. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)