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☆ Biden signs bill to increase Social Security benefits for millions of public workers
▼ + stars: | 2025-01-05 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension or disability benefits from employment where Social Security payroll taxes were not withheld. "By signing this bill, we're extending Social Security benefits for millions of teachers, nurses and other public employees and their spouses and survivors," Biden said Sunday. The Social Security Fairness Act will affect Social Security benefits payable after December 2023. More details on how the benefit increase will be implemented are not yet available, according to the Social Security Administration. "We endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act — and are gratified to finally see this legislation enacted and signed by the president."

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, they've, William Shackelford, Sherrod Brown, Susan Collins, Garret Graves, Abigail Spanberger, Max Richtman, Shackelford Organizations: Social Security, University of Tampa, Sunday, Social, Security, Social Security Administration, National Active, Federal Employees Association, Senate, Reps, GPO, National Committee, Preserve Social Security Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S, Sens, Ohio, Maine

☆ Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy call remote work a 'Covid-era privilege.' Economists say it's here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2025-01-02 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But labor economists don't see the pandemic-era uptick in remote work as a passing fad. Amazon, Washington Post curtail remote workMany big-name employers have curtailed remote work. Disney, for example, required four days a week of in-office work starting in 2023.watch nowHowever, data shows remote work hasn't fizzled out. "Remote work isn't going away, but it is likely past its peak," said Allison Shrivastava, an economist at Indeed. Remote work is 'hugely profitable' for companiesRemote work — primarily hybrid work — has staying power because it's "hugely profitable" for companies, Bloom said.

Persons: Elon Musk, Mike Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Al Drago, Donald Trump, Nick Bloom, Andy Jassy, JPMorgan Chase, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo, Bloom, Allison Shrivastava, Ramaswamy Organizations: Capitol, Bloomberg, Getty, Government, Stanford University, Amazon, Washington Post, UPS, Boeing, JPMorgan, Disney, Research, MIT, Stanford, University of Chicago, Instituto Tecnológico, Finance, Workers Locations: Washington

And they want to take a hard look at foreign aid, defense spending and the inaccurate payments the government sends to Social Security recipients and others. But taking that big a chunk out of federal spending would be a tall order, experts say. Nearly half of discretionary spending goes toward defense programs, which are a sacred cow for many lawmakers. We must fix this!”But the federal workforce is about the same as it was 50 years ago, even though the federal government oversees more programs and provides more benefits. While many people may think the federal workforce is concentrated in Washington, DC, and the surrounding metro areas, that’s not the case.

Persons: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, ”, Bobby Kogan, Ramaswamy, Bill Clinton, Elaine Kamarck, Max Stier Organizations: CNN, Government, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Education, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nuclear Regulatory, Social Security, American Progress, Brookings Institution’s Center, Public Management, Department of Defense, Public Service Locations: Soviet Union, Washington ,

☆ Senate Intelligence Committee criticizes CIA’s treatment of ‘Havana syndrome’ patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-27 | by ( Haley Talbot | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One problem facing the medical community is that there is still not a clear definition of Havana syndrome, which the government refers to as “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs). The illness and its cause have remained frustratingly opaque to both the intelligence community and the medical community. The report also denounces the CIA for halting its collection of clinical research on Havana syndrome while the Pentagon’s research efforts continue. The committee also warns about the risks posed by the CIA’s lack of preparedness to respond quickly. The findings are “based largely off testimonial evidence provided by CIA officials, other USG (US government) officials, medical professionals who provided care to AHI reporters as part of a facilitated medical care program, and AHI reporters.”

Persons: “, ” Organizations: CNN, Senate Intelligence, CIA, Senate, Agency, Federal, USG Locations: Havana, Cuban, Bogota, Colombia, Vienna, Austria

☆ Debt ceiling: Republicans still have to deal with the debt limit in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-27 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Although President-elect Donald Trump wanted to start 2025 without having to worry about the debt ceiling, he did not get his wish. Addressing the debt ceiling, which will be reinstated on January 2, is still on the list of congressional Republicans’ New Year’s resolutions. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesThe US last dealt with a debt ceiling crisis in early 2023, when it hit its $31.4 trillion debt limit. Moody’s cited the increasing cost of the nation’s swiftly rising debt load and the political polarization – including “renewed debt limit brinkmanship” – as the main reasons for concern. That will give lawmakers several months of breathing room to determine how to address the debt ceiling.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, ”, JD Vance, Janet Yellen, Chip Somodevilla, it’s, Mandel Ngan, Fitch, Moody’s, “, –, Trump’s, Shai Akabas, Akabas, Annie Grayer Organizations: CNN, Republicans, GOP, Treasury Department, Senate, White House, Treasury, Civil, Disability Fund, Postal Service, Government Securities Investment Fund, Savings Fund, Federal Employees, Security, Getty, Fitch, Democrats Locations: AFP, America

☆ Senate passes Social Security Fairness Act
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-21 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Senate passed a bipartisan bill early Saturday to increase Social Security benefits for close to 3 million federal, state and local public sector workers, which includes firemen, policemen and teachers. The Social Security Fairness Act — which already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support in November — eliminates two policies that have reduced Social Security benefits for public service employees. The workers affected are those who are eligible for government pensions from jobs where they didn’t pay into Social Security but who did pay into the program through other jobs or whose spouses did so. “The GPO reduces the spousal or surviving spousal benefits of people who receive pensions on the basis of noncovered employment,” CBO noted. Americans can receive retirement benefits if they have paid into Social Security for at least 10 years and are also entitled to spousal or survivor benefits if their spouse paid into the program.

Persons: Joe Biden, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown of, Republican Sen, Susan Collins, Collins, —, ” Collins Organizations: CNN, Senate, Social Security, Congressional, Office, CBO, Congressional Research Service, Social, GPO, Democratic, Republican, Security, “ Locations: Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Maine, Bangor , Maine

WASHINGTON — Just days before the height of the holiday season, a government shutdown could throw hundreds of thousands of federal workers into the lurch by putting future paychecks in jeopardy. Federal employees’ paychecks for their work from earlier in December would not be delayed, according to guidance from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal employees who were furloughed or required to work will be paid retroactively, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, federal contractors often do not receive back pay. Contreras said his union represents around 2,400 federally contracted workers, including security officers, cleaners and food service workers.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Everett Kelley, ’ paychecks, Johnny Jones, Jones, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Musk, " Jones, Joe Shuker, you’ve, Jaime Contreras, Contreras, shutdowns, Bonita Williams, Williams, You've, Megan Lebowitz, Daniel Arkin Organizations: American Federation of Government Employees, U.S ., Personnel Management, Transportation Security Administration, Dallas, Fort Worth International, Trump, Elon, TSA, Philadelphia International Airport, Employees, Federal Budget, SEIU, D.C, State Department, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington, Washington ,, New York City

“It’s like crying wolf over and over again,” said Bobbi Scopa, with Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, an advocacy organization. Some 11,200 federal firefighters received a salary boost in 2021 of either $20,000 or 50% of their base pay under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Federal firefighters undergo rigorous training that is a step above what private, state and local crews teach. “Yet, federal wildland firefighters are frequently subjected to inconsistent compensation despite their essential role in protecting lives, communities, and wildlife. “It’s just unacceptable.”Frustrated by ongoing problems, federal firefighters have continued to leave the U.S. Forest Service for higher wages at state and local departments.

Persons: “, ”, Bobbi Scopa, Steve Gutierrez, Donald Trump, Trump, Tim Sheehy, Brian Fennessy, Joe Biden, Mike Simpson, Lori Chavez, Simpson, “ They’re, ” Scopa, “ It’s, exoduses, ” Gutierrez Organizations: Grassroots, Firefighters, Law, U.S . Forest Service, National Federation of Federal Employees, Fox News, Republican, Orange County Fire Authority, ” Firefighters, Union, Idaho Rep, Interior Locations: U.S, California, Montana, Orange County

☆ Government shutdown: House to vote on last-minute funding bill without debt limit hike
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-20 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In order to pass the full House before the midnight shutdown deadline, however, the bill, released late Friday afternoon, will require significant Democratic support. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he was committed to avoiding a shutdown that could jeopardize paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees a few days before Christmas. "We will not have a government shutdown," Johnson told reporters in the Capitol Friday afternoon. It was not clear how Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., would react to the standalone bill. "This is a bill that may find faith among enough Democrats to help the speaker of the House get the bill passed," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a longtime party leader, on MSNBC's "Deadline White House."

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, James Clyburn, Jeffries, Jake Sherman, Donald Trump, Elon Musk Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Democratic, Minority, Punchbowl News, Trump Locations: D, Punchbowl

☆ As Congress works to avoid a shutdown, here's what's next for a bill to increase Social Security benefits for public pensioners
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-20 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But the bill, the Social Security Fairness Act, may undergo changes if some Senators' efforts to add amendments are successful. Per the original proposal, the Social Security Fairness Act calls for eliminating Social Security provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, and Government Pension Offset, or GPO, that have been in place for decades. The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension or disability benefits from employment where they did not pay Social Security payroll taxes. The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the House with a 327 majority in November. Social Security advocacy groups have pushed for larger comprehensive Social Security reform that would use tax increases to pay for making benefits more generous.

Persons: Richard Stephen, Istock, scrambles, John Hatton, It's, Sen, Rand Paul, they've, —, Paul, Emerson Sprick, Ted Cruz, Joe Manchin, Sprick, Dan Adcock, We're, Adcock, Chuck Schumer, Schumer Organizations: Getty, Social, Social Security, National Active, Federal Employees Association, Congressional, Office, Finance, Center, Texas Republican, Public, National Committee, Preserve Social Security Locations: Kentucky, Sens, Texas, West Virginia, New York

☆ Elon Musk flexes his political muscle, sending government on path to shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-19 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —During the Army-Navy football game over the weekend, Elon Musk posted a photo of the giant screen perched over the field showing four faces in focus. Musk stands directly behind Trump and Vance, more prominently than the speaker (who is third in line to the presidency). “This bill should not pass,” Musk wrote on X at 4:15 a.m. But Musk’s unprecedented online influence seemed to fully torpedo the spending bill in a way no Republican lawmaker could have done from inside Capitol Hill. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk … think about it .

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Mike Johnson, Vance, Musk, Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy, riling, ” Musk, Musk ”, ”, it’s, Pramila Jayapal, ’ CR, Trump, ” Sen, Bernie Sanders, “, Rand Paul, Elon, ‘ uniparty, ’, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Musk’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Army - Navy, Trump, Department of Government, Republican, ” Democratic, ’, Republicans, ” Locations: New York, Washington, Vermont

☆ Here’s what’s in and out of the government funding agreement
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-18 | by ( Katie Lobosco | Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

A House vote on a Trump-endorsed funding bill failed on Thursday evening. Here’s what’s no longer in the funding package:Debt ceiling extensionThe GOP package that failed Thursday would have suspended the debt ceiling until January 30, 2027, addressing Trump’s key demand from his Wednesday evisceration of the original deal. The funding package no logner includes major changes for pharmacy benefit managers. The spending package also would have transferred DC’s Air National Guard 121st Fighter Squadron into the Maryland Air National Guard. Funding for pediatric cancer researchThe final bill does not reauthorize federal funding for the National Institutes of Health’s Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Hurricane Helen, Chandan Khanna, Hurricanes Helene, Milton, Francis Scott Key, Spencer Platt, Ross Margulies, Phillips, PBMs, Robert F, Hill, —, Elon Musk, Rosa DeLauro, ’ Musk, ”, Health’s Gabriella Miller, Joe Biden, Jennifer Wexton, Sen, Tim Kaine, Miller, Barack Obama, Gabriella Miller, Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: CNN, Trump, House, Federal Emergency Management, Disaster Relief Fund, Getty, FEMA, Hurricanes, US Treasury Department, Port of Baltimore ., Maryland Transportation Authority, GOP, Lawmakers, Treasury Department, White, Congress, Treasury, Medicare, Phelps, Federal Trade Commission, CVS, Control, RFK, Kennedy, Washington Commanders, Washington, Northwest, FedEx Field, Maryland, DC’s Air National Guard 121st Fighter Squadron, Maryland Air National Guard, Republican, Federal, Health, Democrats, ”, National Institutes, Pediatric Research, Center, Budget, US, of Agriculture Locations: Hurricane, Florida, Maryland, Port of Baltimore, Manatt, Washington, DC, Landover , Maryland, China, Virginia

Postal Service. Trump nodded toward a possible move to privatize the Postal Service at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Asked about the agency, Trump said privatization was “not the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” adding that “we’re looking” at it. The Postal Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's remarks. The Postal Service ranks second only to the National Park Service in popularity among government entities, according to a survey this year by the Pew Research Center.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, I’ve, ”, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Biden, Anton Hajjar, Governors —, Hajjar, “, DeJoy, Gerry Connolly, Biden’s Organizations: U.S . Postal Service, Trump, Postal Service, Governors, Postmaster, Senate, Monday, American Postal Workers Union, National Park Service, Pew Research Center, Republicans, Washington Post, of Governors, FedEx, UPS, “ Locations: Florida, U.S, Hajjar, D

The union representing thousands of federal workers said it would fight any effort by President-elect Donald Trump to block a Biden administration agreement allowing thousands of federal workers to continue with remote work. Trump, who spoke to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort, called the deal "very terrible," and said it's interfering with his plans for how to handle the federal workforce, which includes ending remote work. "Telework and remote work are tools that have helped the federal government increase productivity and efficiency, maintain continuity of operations, and increase disaster preparedness," he added. Ramaswamy told Tucker Carlson after Trump's election victory that he believed ending remote work would lead to mass resignations. She told reporters last month that more federal workers going back to work in the city would bring “vibrancy back to our town.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Martin O'Malley, Biden, ” Trump, ”, Everett Kelley, ” Kelley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk, Ramaswamy, Tucker Carlson, “, ” Ramaswamy, Carlson, Kelley, Muriel Bowser Organizations: Biden, Social Security, American Federation of Government Employees, Mar, AFGE, SSA, Democratic Locations: Lago, “, Democratic Washington

☆ How many people work for the federal government?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-14 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Cut federal workers? The current effort, run by Ramaswamy and Musk, has made a show of eyeing the size of the federal workforce. Hold on a secIn those 40 years of explosive population, spending and debt growth, the size of the federal workforce – this is actually kind of shocking – has stayed pretty much the same, confounding the popular presumption that the number of federal workers must have skyrocketed with federal spending. In fact, the number of full-time federal workers has been relatively static, within a few hundred thousand civilians, since the 1960s. Bush administration and of the federal workforce by hundreds of thousands during the Clinton administration did not markedly change the size of the federal workforce, which has hovered within a few hundred thousand of 3 million workers for decades.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Ramaswamy, –, James Comer, CNN’s Pamela Brown, George H.W, Clinton, Peter Morrissey, ”, Jenny Mattingley, Elaine Kamarck, ” “, Musk, Biden, Comer, it’s, ” Comer, Brown, don’t, John DiIulio, Barack Obama, George W, Bush, DiIulio, ’, Volcker, Paul Light, ” Morrissey, Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: CNN, Government, Elon, Department of Government, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Management, Pentagon, Volcker Alliance, gov, Social Security, Republicans, Department of Education, Veterans Affairs, Partnership for Public Service, Center, Public Management, Brookings Institution, stoke, SpaceX Locations: Bush, Washington, DC, California , Texas , Colorado , Alabama, Vermont

Ernst's allies are not worried about a potential primary challenge, noting that she remains popular among Republicans in the state and that she boasts strong conservative credentials. Still, Vander Plaats said, the future Senate vote on Hegseth’s becoming defense secretary could be fuel for a primary challenge against Ernst. Let’s attack a U.S. senator for not doing what we demand her to do right now at this exact second,” former Polk County GOP Chair Will Rogers said. Retzlaff, the Jones County GOP chair, said the Ernst primary rumor mill is already spinning, with "two or three names" circulating. “Does it rise to the level of a primary challenge that would cost tens of millions of dollars, Republicans fighting Republicans?

Persons: Sen, Joni Ernst, Donald Trump's, Pete Hegseth, Ernst, She’s, President Trump, ”, Bob Vander Plaats, Trump, Vander Plaats, Ron DeSantis, Brett Barker, “, Barker, Nikki Haley, Steve Deace, “ Donald Trump, ” Deace, won’t, Charlie Kirk, Will Rogers, “ Charlie Kirk didn’t, ” Rogers, Joni, —, Hegseth, Pete, Deace, Gerald Retzlaff, ” Retzlaff, Bryan Whipp, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, David Kochel, she’s, Lindsay Graham, ” Kirk, Elon Musk, Trump’s, Matt Whitaker, Whitaker, Retzlaff, Vivek Ramaswamy, David Oman, ” Kochel, Gary Leffler, " Leffler Organizations: Republicans, Iowa Republican, Trump, GOP, Florida Gov, Iowa GOP, Twitter, Republican, Republican Party, NBC News, Senate, Iowa Republicans, Army National Guard, Fox News, Defense Department, NATO, Safer Communities, Washington, Department of Government, “ Republican, Iowa, Polk, Polk County GOP Locations: Iowa, But Nevada , Iowa, U.S, Polk County, Washington squeal, Jones, Iowa’s, ” Oman

☆ DOGE tracker: A running list of what Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy say they will change
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget by June 4, 2026. There are more than 440 government agencies; Musk has said he wants to trim that down to no more than 99. In a post on X, Ramaswamy endorsed the idea, and did so again while speaking to Fox News in November. For the fiscal year 2024, it had a $90 billion budget, which is less than 11% of the defense budget of $842 billion. Target expired federal spending commitmentsOn X, Ramaswamy has floated a range of places that could see cuts.

Persons: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, They've, Donald Trump, Ramaswamy, SCOTUS, Raimondo, — Ramaswamy, Musk, Trump, Chip Somodevilla, haven't, Brandon Bell, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Trump's, ANGELA WEISS, DOGE, X Organizations: Department of Government, Security, Musk, Trump, Street, Environmental Protection Agency, Loper Bright Enterprises, Political, Department, Education, of Education, Fox News, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial, Financial, Bureau, Republicans, Internal Revenue, IRS, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Government, Office, Getty, Congressional, NASA, Partnership for Public Service, Washington Post, Pentagon, Management, Daylight Savings Locations: West Virginia, Washington, American, Afghanistan

☆ Trump’s DOJ secretly obtained records of his FBI pick Kash Patel, lawmakers, staffers and media in leak investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Justice Department secretly obtained phone records from two members of Congress and 43 staffers – including Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI – during sweeping leak investigations during Trump’s first term, according to a watchdog report released Tuesday. Patel and the two members of Congress are not named in the report, but two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that Patel was targeted along with Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell. Patel was a staffer for the GOP-led House Intelligence Committee at the time, and Schiff has since been elected to the Senate and took office Monday. Prosecutors also sought records including emails from journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times, according to the report. The inspector general did not recommend charges against anyone in their review and did not find any indication that the career prosecutors assigned to the leak investigation were motivated by politics.

Persons: Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s, Trump’s, Patel, Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, Schiff, Prosecutors, Kash Patel’s Organizations: CNN, The Justice Department, FBI, Democratic, GOP, Intelligence, Senate, Washington Post, The New York Times, DOJ, Department

I mean, all I do is — I — I don’t openly look at the — the company," Trump said. “President Trump removed himself from his multi-billion-dollar real estate empire to run for office and forewent his government salary, becoming the first President to actually lose net worth while serving in the White House. Yet ethics experts, government watchdogs and Democrats warn that Trump’s wide web of business dealings pose alarming conflicts of interest for his presidency. While Eric Trump had said the Trump properties would give the taxpayers an essentially free rate on Secret Service accommodations, the Secret Service paid as much as $1,185 a night — five times the recommended rate for Secret Service on the job — to protect the then-president. While Trump pledged not to engage in any foreign business deals during his first administration, his transition team declined to say if that rule will apply to his second term.

Persons: Donald Trump, White, Trump, He’s, —, I’m, wouldn't, he’d, President Trump didn’t, ” Karoline Leavitt, watchdogs, ”, Jordan Libowitz, Critics, Eric Trump, “, Richard Painter, George W, Joe Biden, it’s, “ Crypto, ” Trump, Biden, Hilary Allen, Paul Atkins, BITCOINERS, Kedric Payne, Justin Sun, Marks, Allen, Crypto, Donald J, Libowitz, he’s, Painter, Bush, ” Painter, Obama Organizations: NBC, Trump, NBC News, Trump Organization —, —, Service, Hotels, Republican, D.C, Secret Service, Liberty Financial, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, American University, Truth, Liberty, ” Media, Trump Media, Technology Group, Federal Communications Commission, Penn Biden Center, University of Pennsylvania, Biden Locations: Scotland, Oman, Washington, Aberdeen, Lago, Florida, cologne, Texas

☆ The jobs most vulnerable under the next Trump administration
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on the promise to create more American jobs and protect existing ones. For example, higher tariffs could help boost American manufacturing jobs if more businesses decide they want their goods made domestically to avoid the added cost of importing. That’s because, in response to being subjected to higher tariffs, impacted nations would likely impose comparable tariffs on American goods, he said. That could significantly raise American businesses’ costs while also reducing demand for their goods. Many American companies experienced this during Trump’s first term as China responded with tit-for-tat tariffs on American imports.

Persons: Donald Trump, Vance, Trump, Harry Holzer, Holzer, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Musk, Ramaswamy, Biden, ”, Tesla, Giacomo Santangelo, it’s, ” Santangelo Organizations: New, New York CNN, Trump, CNN, White House, Georgetown University, Brookings Institution, Department of Labor, Federal, Government, Justice Department, Education Department, Biden, Department of Energy, DOE, Federal Reserve Locations: New York, China

☆ DOGE's Musk, Ramaswamy want Congress to pass huge spending cuts. That's a tough sell
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

watch nowWASHINGTON, D.C. — Entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have an ambitious agenda to cut federal spending with the help of their outside advisory council, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Crisscrossing Capitol Hill together on a marathon day of meetings with lawmakers, Musk and Ramaswamy got warm welcomes from Republicans. Anna Moneymaker | Getty ImagesBut there was also an elephant in the rooms they visited: An unspoken understanding that Musk's stated goal of slashing federal spending by $2 trillion is already D.O.A. "Those are the kinds of things that we're also going to be looking at," Scalise told reporters after his meeting with Musk and Ramaswamy. Benoit Tessier | ReutersOnly when Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, and Senate Republicans take control of their chamber, can plans really begin to move ahead.

Persons: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Kat Cammack, Anna Moneymaker, Musk's, Steve Womack, Womack, M1A2 Abrams, Sean Gallup, Steve Scalise, we're, Scalise, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump's, Benoit Tessier, Donald Trump, Sen, John Cornyn, Susan Collins, we've, Collins, Joni Ernst, telework, Tom Williams Organizations: D.C, —, Department of Government Efficiency, Republicans, Government Efficiency, U.S, Capitol, Government, Congress, Social, FEMA, NASA, Customs, Border Patrol, CNBC, M1A2, U.S . Army, British Amphibious Engineer Battalion, NATO, Getty, Social Security, Ramaswamy, Department of Government, Reuters, Republican, Caucus, CQ, Inc Locations: WASHINGTON, Washington , DC, Gniew, Poland, La, U.S, Washington , U.S, Texas, Maine, Iowa

☆ Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant. Little is being done to curb the risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Sharon Lerner | Al Shaw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The result is that even the EPA’s alarming estimates of cancer risk vastly underestimate — by as much as fourfold — the chances of formaldehyde causing cancer. But four former government scientists with experience doing statistical analyses of health harms told ProPublica that the myeloid leukemia risk calculation was sound. The agency’s sprawling assessment shows that, among scores of individual air pollutants, formaldehyde poses the greatest cancer risk — by far. As the EPA admits, its cancer risk calculation fails to reflect the chances of developing myeloid leukemia. Nationwide, that’s the average lifetime cancer risk from air pollution; formaldehyde accounts for most of it.

Persons: ProPublica, Biden, Jennifer Jinot, “, ”, Jinot, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, They’ve, Trump, what’s, William Boyd, Boyd, Mary Faltas, “ It’s, Faltas, Ronald Reagan, John Todhunter, Todhunter, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Sen, James Inhofe, Obama, David Vitter, ” Jinot, David Dunlap, Dunlap, recusing, didn’t, Rocky Rissler, Rissler, Rick, she’s, I’ve, Tracey Woodruff, ” Trump, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Robert Sussman, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Lee Zeldin, Zeldin, Woodruff Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Trump, UCLA School of Law, National Cancer Institute, National Cancer, Department of Health, Human Services, Foundation for Chemistry Research, Koch Industries, Biden EPA, White, Fontana, ProPublica, West Virginia —, Biden, Fertilizer Institute, of America, Toy Association, National Chicken Council, Independent, Manufacturers, RV Industry Association, Industry Alliance, American Chemistry Council, Reproductive Health, University of California, Republican Congress, CNN, CNN Health, Heritage Foundation, U.S . Rep Locations: United States, U.S, Los Angeles, San Bernardino , California, Apopka , Florida, George H.W ., Hurricane, Georgia, Pacific, Fontana , California, ProPublica ., Fontana, Weld County , Colorado, Colorado , New Mexico, North Dakota, West Virginia, San Francisco, New York

☆ Social Security union secures telework deal as Trump’s DOGE plans crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-04 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Tens of thousands of Social Security Administration staffers can continue teleworking into 2029 under a recent deal signed between their union and the agency. Depending on their job at the Social Security Administration, AFGE members have to report to the office between two and five days a week. “The Social Security Administration memorialized its preexisting telework policy into its existing contract with AFGE that was already effective through 2029,” a spokeswoman said. The telework privileges for many unionized federal workers are part of their collective bargaining agreements, making it more difficult to change the terms without negotiations. Overall, federal employees who are eligible to telecommute spend just over 61% of their regular working hours in person, the OMB found.

Persons: Rich Couture, AFGE, Martin O’Malley, ” Couture, ”, Donald Trump’s, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Musk, Ramaswamy, Biden Organizations: CNN, Social Security, Trump, Government, American Federation of Government Employees, union’s, SSA, Democratic National Committee, Agency, Social Security Administration, Bloomberg News, Donald Trump’s Department, Republican, Republican House, Capitol, Management, OMB

☆ Why your employer might love for you to quit
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-03 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It’s also true, however, that sometimes they would like at least some employees to quit, and not just the underperformers whom they’d otherwise like to fire. When employers might welcome your leavingThere are a myriad reasons why an employer might push people to quit. It’s worth checking, too, if the employment laws in your state impose any other restrictions on the employer. … Poor management is not illegal,” said Brian Heller, an employee-side attorney and partner at Schwartz Perry & Heller in New York. The only leverage you have in this kind of situation is not to quit, since quitting is what your employer wants, Heller noted.

Persons: can’t, It’s, Jesse Meschuk, Donald Trump, ”, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, ” Meschuk, Meschuk, Joy Webb, Merritt Webb, you’ve, doesn’t, Chris Williams, You’re, Williams, I’m, Brian Heller, Schwartz Perry, Heller, “, Webb Organizations: CNN, Fortune, White, of Government, Wall Street, Microsoft Locations: overhiring, North Carolina, New York

☆ As many as one in 10 coders are 'ghost engineers,' Stanford researcher says, lurking online and doing no work
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

His research, which hasn't been peer-reviewed, found that about 9.5% of coders were "ghost engineers.' AdvertisementMeasuring output is difficultDenisov-Blanch calls these workers "ghost engineers," defined as software engineers who are only 10% as productive or less than their median colleague. More remote workers were superstar codersMusk now aims to apply that same ruthless efficiency to the federal government. On one hand, he found that the prevalence of "ghost engineers" among remote workers was more than double that among in-person workers. But he also found that many more of the most effective engineers — employees whose performance was at least five times better than their median colleague — were working remotely.

Persons: hasn't, Yegor, Blanch, Paul Graham, Graham, Elon Musk, nobody's, coders Musk, Musk, — Organizations: Stanford, Business, Software, Twitter, CNN, of Government Locations: Silicon Valley

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