Elon Musk
Why is Elon Musk so obsessed with ‘ghost employees’?
When Musk took over Twitter, he launched a payroll audit to root out dead workers getting paid. Now, Musk is launching the same campaign across the federal government.
State Supreme Court races can be costly, competitive and combative. Why?
Wisconsin is on track to break spending records once again in a high court contest that's at times turned heated. But these races weren't always like this.
DOGE’s savings page fixed old mistakes — and added new ones
An NPR review of new data added to DOGE's "wall of receipts" finds the group quietly changed previous errors, added new ones and still has little verified savings to show for its work.
Federal workers get a new email demanding their accomplishments
Federal employees have received a second email from the Office of Personnel Management asking them what they did last week.
1 thing that upended years of U.S. foreign policy — and other big Trump developments
Three years after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S., in a split with its European allies over the war, sided with Russia at the U.N.
Data show Tesla sales declined sharply in Europe
New data out this week shows a sharp decline in Tesla sales in Europe. The company is facing multiple headwinds — including consumer pushback to CEO Elon Musk's political pivot to the right.
Musk says work to stop Ebola was accidentally cut but restored. Experts raise doubts
Elon Musk said USAID's "Ebola prevention" was "accidentally canceled" but "immediately" restored. Health specialists following the current outbreak in Uganda raise doubts about the restoration.
Musk says federal workers should expect another round of ‘pulse check’ emails
President Trump warned federal workers who did not reply to recent emails asking them to describe "five things" they accomplished are "on the bubble" suggesting they are at risk of losing their jobs.
A pattern emerges in Elon Musk’s federal shakeup: ‘Break first, ask questions later’
Five weeks in, there's an emerging pattern in how the Trump administration moves to target federal employees. And it begins with Elon Musk bringing in tactics he's employed at his various businesses.
Trump administration backs off requiring response to ‘What did you do last week?’ email
"No one knows what we are supposed to do," said one federal employee amid conflicting and shifting directives on whether to comply with Elon Musk's directive to list five accomplishments.
A new document undercuts Trump admin’s denials about $400 million Tesla deal
The State Department claimed a plan to buy thousands of armored Teslas was left over from the Biden administration. A document obtained by NPR shows the Biden plan was far smaller.
Elon Musk blurs the line between his government and business roles
The tech titan and President Trump say they will avoid any conflicts of interest, but it's difficult for the public to verify that.
In case you missed it: Here’s what happened with Trump this week, from Ukraine to DOGE
NPR rounds up what happened this week, the fourth week of President Trump's administration, and takes a look at some developments that have been overlooked.
DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn’t add up
A new government tracker claims DOGE has saved billions from ending federal contracts. But an NPR analysis of the data finds the claimed savings don't add up.
Is Trump preparing to cancel America’s ride back to the moon?
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.
Trump says Elon Musk’s $10 million settlement over Twitter suit was ‘a big discount’
It's the second tech company to agree to a payout after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol prompted Trump to be kicked off numerous social media platforms.
White House says Elon Musk is not in charge of DOGE — legally, anyway
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.
Thousands of people protest in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Presidents Day
The protestors participated in the 50501 Movement, which originated in response to the Trump administration and its efforts to cut government spending. Many chanted "Where is Congress?'"
HUD employees are bracing for what they hear will be ‘drastic’ staff cuts
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.
Which dog breed got robbed — AGAIN — at Westminster? Find out in the quiz!
This week, we've got little kids, loser dogs, the Super Bowl, '90s power ballads and too much government.
This week in DOGE: Elon Musk’s role in overhauling ‘America, Inc.’
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.
Trump hired Musk as a ‘special government employee.’ Here’s what that means
Special government employees, or SGEs, are typically hired on a temporary basis as experts or consultants or serve as members of federal advisory committees.
Elon Musk’s DOGE takes aim at agency that had plans of regulating X
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.
Trump and Musk appear together in the Oval Office to defend the work of DOGE
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."
Congress now has a DOGE Caucus. Here’s how its co-chair says it will work
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Rep. Pete Sessions, co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus, on how he plans to work with the Department of Government Efficiency.
How conspiracy theories about Politico led Trump to cancel subscriptions
Less than 24 hours after misleading claims started circulating that tied Politico to USAID, the White House vowed to end subscriptions for the insider news outlet's services and others.
What’s Trump’s beef with South Africa?
Trump has accused South Africa of "human rights violations" and a land grab. The South African government has hit back.
Who is part of Elon Musk’s DOGE and what are they doing?
The scope of DOGE's work and the identities of the people carrying it out isn't fully clear — leaving agencies and government workers in chaos.
Member of Elon Musk’s DOGE team resigns after racist posts resurface
Marko Elez had recently been given special access by a federal judge to highly sensitive payment systems in the Department of Treasury.
Bill Gates is optimistic about the global future
In a wide-ranging interview with NPR, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates expressed concern about the new administration's recent steps to pull back from approach to public health but says he's optimistic about the future and wants to find common ground with the White House.
CISA staffers offered deferred resignations, extending broader cybersecurity fears
Staff at the key cybersecurity agency were initially excluded from government efforts to leave their jobs, but then on Wednesday they were given deferred resignation offers with just hours to decide.
Protesters rally against Trump’s stop-work order for USAID
USAID and nonprofit workers gathered near the Capitol in D.C. to protest Elon Musk's efforts to shut down the aid agency with his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
