Stephen Fowler
Stories
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Politics
DOGE's effort to slash government is now coming for buildings and people who run them
The federal government is preparing to shed up to a quarter of its 360 million square feet of real estate, an NPR analysis finds. The agency in charge of federal real estate is also slashing staff.
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Politics
DOGE wants to cut $1 trillion this year. But it's not looking at big spending drivers
Even if you take DOGE's savings claims so far at face value, its moves to cancel contracts, end leases and push federal agencies to reduce head count barely dent the government's balance sheet.
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Politics
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.
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Politics
President Trump to hold his first meeting with Cabinet secretaries Wednesday
As President Trump holds his first meeting with Cabinet secretaries Wednesday and Elon Musk expected to attend, there's conflicting messaging over who's in charge of some government decision-making.
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Politics
Federal agencies still can't agree on 'What did you do last week?' email
"No one knows what we are supposed to do," said one federal employee amid conflicting and shifting guidance on whether to comply with Elon Musk's directive to list five accomplishments.
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Politics
'What did you do last week?' email stokes confusion and anger among federal workers
Elon Musk's claim that federal workers who ignore a mass email will lose their job isn't supported by the email's request — or OPM guidance that says responses to its mass emails are "voluntary."
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Politics
CPAC is an annual meeting of conservative leaders. How's it changed in recent years?
The Conservative Political Action Conference, which meets on Saturday, has shifted toward President Trump and away from traditional conservatism.
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Politics
This year's CPAC is a victory lap for Trump's first month in office
The annual Conservative Political Action Conference is underway outside of Washington, D.C. A major theme has been the array of actions President Trump has taken during his first month in office.
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Politics
Mass layoffs at federal agencies prompt questions about Elon Musk's influence
President Trump has given Elon Musk's DOGE group virtually unfettered access to federal agencies. Meanwhile, mass layoffs at federal agencies this week are prompting questions about Musk's influence.
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Investigations
NPR digs into the data behind DOGE's cost cutting efforts
Musk, DOGE and President Trump have touted billions of dollars of cost reductions by ending contracts deemed wasteful and in violation of Trump's executive orders. But there's little transparency.
