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How many US agencies have been affected by Trump's and Musk's job cuts?
Elon Musk is one of Donald Trump's closest advisors. Together, they have launched a massive campaign to reduce the federal workforce of 2.3 million employees. They have fired more than 10,000 workers in a move that has never been done before. Layoffs targeted workers with less than one year of experience, as they have fewer protections for their jobs than those who have worked there longer. About 75,000 workers also accepted buyouts offered by the Trump administration. The Trump administration is yet to provide a number of people that it has terminated. Reporters have gathered some details about the recent layoffs in federal departments and agencies. Department of the Interior Sources said that around 2,300 employees were laid off by the Interior Department. This included about 800 workers from the Bureau of Land Management. The Bureau of Land Management manages millions of acres of federally-owned land for uses such as oil and gas exploration, timber harvesting, recreational activities, and cultural preservation. The department oversees a total of 500 million acres (202,3 million hectares), including dozens national parks. Department of Energy The Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that 700 workers had been laid off. According to sources, up to 2,000 workers were informed that they would be laid off. Managers were instructed to give evidence as why certain employees should be rehired. Sources say that on Friday 325 employees were notified that they would be laid off by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an Energy Department Office that manages and secures dangerous nuclear material around the globe. But after A public uproar, a scramble The Energy Department announced on Sunday that fewer than fifty workers were eventually sacked from the agency. The Energy Department employs approximately 14,000 people and contracts with 95,000 others. Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that several employees who were working for the federal government on its response to the H5N1 bird flu outbreak had been accidentally laid off and that they are now trying to reverse those layoffs. People familiar with the plans say that the U.S. Forest Service is letting go 3,400 probationary staff, which equals 10% of their workforce. Sources said that workers at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (which supports agricultural science and technological research) and the Economic Research Service (which produces reports and statistics on the farm economy) were also fired. It is unclear how many people will be laid off from the Agriculture Department. The department employs almost 100,000 employees. A source said that 45% of newly hired employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were still on probation were laid off. According to the Associated Press, nearly 1,300 CDC employees were fired. This represents one-tenth (10) of their workforce. According to an internal email, the National Institutes of Health laid off 1,165 people, mainly probationary employees. STAT News also reported that FDA workers were laid off. It is not known how many FDA employees lost their jobs. More than 80,000 people work for the Department of Health and Human Services. This department oversees the CDC and NIH as well as Medicare and Medicaid. STAT News reports that around 5,200 have lost their job. BUREAU FOR CONSUMER FINANCIAL HEALTH The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which was responsible for protecting consumers against banks, debt collection agencies, and other financial companies, has largely been shut down after the Trump Administration ordered that it cease all activities. People familiar with the situation said that between 140 and 200 probationary or so-called "term" employees of the agency have been terminated. The Department of Veterans Affairs has laid off more than 1,000 employees, who provide health care and other benefits for millions of veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs employs over 450,000 people, and supervises more that 1,500 healthcare facilities. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT According to sources, all probationary employees of the Office of Personnel Management (which handles the human resources of the U.S. Government) were terminated on Thursday during a group meeting that included about 100 people. A letter obtained by the. The agency employs thousands of people and provides support to small businesses. A letter obtained by has revealed that at least 160 new hires have been informed of their termination from the Department of Education. Trump has asked for the dissolution and termination of the entire Department, including its 4,400 staff. However, Congress must approve. The federal department, while local and state governments are responsible for most education issues in the United States provide billions of dollars for student loans and grants to help pay for higher education. It also provides funding for students who have disabilities or who are economically disadvantaged. The department enforces civil right laws. Sources claim that 100 General Services Administration employees received termination notices. More than 12,000 people work for the independent agency that manages government real estate and oversees government contracts. Internal Revenue Service A person familiar with this matter said that senior executives at the Internal Revenue Service identified approximately 7,500 of the 17,000 probationary employees as being candidates for dismissal. So far, no layoffs have taken place. Persons involved in the matter stated that the 7,500 figure excludes employees deemed necessary for the tax season as well as those who are involved in criminal investigations or security. The tax collection agency employs approximately 100,000 people. FEDERAL AVIATION Administrtion The FAA has fired over 300 of its 45,000 employees, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy told X. Questions are being raised about air traffic safety after a recent spate of plane accidents. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENT The Environmental Protection Agency fired 388 probationary staff. The Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces laws such as the Clean Air Act, and protects the environment, stated that the job cuts came after "a comprehensive review of agency functions, in accordance with the executive orders of President Trump." (Reporting and editing by Ross Colvin, Marguerita Choy and Joseph Ax)
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US withdrew approval of New York City congestion pricing program
The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was rescinding its approval of New York City’s congestion pricing program, which aims to reduce traffic while raising billions for upgrading New York’s aging bus and subway systems. U.S. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy announced that the move would stop the program, which began on 5 January and charged most drivers $9 for entry into Manhattan. The program was designed to support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He criticised the toll system that "leaves motorists without any free alternative highway and instead takes more money from workers to pay for a transport system and not highways." Passenger vehicles in Manhattan South of 60th Street are charged $9 per peak hour. Trucks and busses pay up to $20.60. Nighttime fees are reduced by 75%. According to the city, congestion charges will bring in 500 million dollars in their first year. Kathy Hochul, the New York governor, said that money will be used to finance $15 billion of debt for capital improvements in mass transit. The program was approved during the last months of the former president Joe Biden administration. President Donald Trump, who is a New York developer, has criticised the charge. The MTA announced that it would be going to court in order to defend a program which "has already reduced congestion and brought reduced traffic, faster travel times and increased speeds for emergency vehicles and buses." Transit officials claim that the program has reduced commute times. Inbound trip times at all Hudson River and East River bridges have also been shortened by 10% to 30%. Bus service has improved as well. Subway ridership has also increased since the introduction of the toll. Rep. Jerrold N. Nadler of New York, a Democrat, stated that revoking federal approval for a project of this magnitude was "nearly unprecedented." Nadler stated that "its approval cannot be revoked arbitrarily, especially when the program is clearly delivering tangible advantages." Private cars are charged via electronic license plate reader, regardless of the number of trips they take into the central business district. Several other cities in the world have implemented congestion pricing systems. London, where the system was introduced in 2003, charges now 15 pounds (18.67 dollars). Singapore and Sweden have also implemented congestion pricing. New York reported that before the fee was introduced, more than 700,000. vehicles entered Manhattan's central business district every day, causing traffic to slow down by around 7 miles per hours (11 kph), which is 23% slower compared to 2010. Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Chizu nomiyama Bill Berkrot Deepa Babington
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Sources say that three tankers were damaged in the Mediterranean last month by explosions of unknown causes.
Shipping and security sources confirmed on Wednesday that three oil tankers were damaged in separate incidents in the Mediterranean in the past month, but the cause of the explosions was unknown. These are the first incidents in which non-military ships have been damaged by blasts around the central Mediterranean for decades. One of the shipping sources reported that an explosion caused a 1-metre-deep crack below the waterline in the hull on the Greek-operated crude-oil tanker Seajewel in a port located in northern Italy, on Saturday. The same vessel was hit by a second explosion 20 minutes later without further damage. Savona prosecutor said that Italian prosecutors had opened an investigation into what happened to Seajewel while it was anchored in front of Savona Vado port. The operator of the vessel, Thenamaris based in Athens, didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Two sources confirmed that a crude oil tanker operated by Thenamaris - the Seacharm - was also damaged in a blast near the Turkish Mediterranean Port of Ceyhan at the end of January. Three sources confirmed that in February the chemical and product tanker Grace Ferrum, flying the Liberian flag, was damaged near Libya. One source added that the vessel will require a salvage effort. LSEG's ship tracking data revealed that the vessel did not appear to be under command when it was tracked Wednesday near the coast of Libya. Cymare, the operator based in Cyprus, was not available to comment immediately. According to data and sources on ship tracking, all three vessels recently visited Russian ports. On Wednesday, shipping industry officials expressed growing concern about the incidents. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced last month that the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which was carrying two crew members and a cargo of Russian goods, sank off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea in late December. An explosion had destroyed the engine room. Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Jan Harvey.
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US Army Corps lists 600 projects that can be considered "emergency", bypassing environmental review
According to data published on the Army Corps of Engineers website, over 600 energy projects and other infrastructures have been identified as national emergencies, which allows them to be expedited through the environmental review processes. The Army Corps published a list of projects last week, without sending out a public announcement. These projects were eligible for an emergency permit under the federal Clean Water Act. This means they could speed up the environmental review process and build through wetlands. As part of his "National Energy Emergency", President Donald Trump ordered the Army Corps in a day one executive order to issue permits for the filling of waterways, dredging and building on the waterways. The Army Corps did not respond to a request for comment. Many fossil fuel related projects such as pipelines were among the 688 permits applications that the Army Corps deemed eligible for an "energy emergency". These included Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipeline under Lake Michigan as well as natural gas power plants and transmission lines, mining, and other infrastructure projects. According to the Environmental Integrity Project which tracks the permits, the most applications - 141 in total - were in West Virginia. Environmental groups warn that the fast-tracking these projects will lead to legal battles. They are in violation of federal laws. David Bookbinder is the Director of Law and Policy for The EIP. He said that this end-run is not only damaging to our water, but also illegal under the Corps’ own emergency permitting regulations. (Reporting and editing by Chizu Nomiyama; Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder, Valerie Volcovici).
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Putin says Western involvement in Ukrainian attack against CPC oil infrastructure
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the drone attack by Ukraine on a pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in southern Russia may have been coordinated with Western allies. Putin stated that he believes Ukraine could not have organized such an attack by itself and likely received Western intelligence. "Attacks like this are impossible without space surveillance." Putin stated that Ukraine only receives precise data about its targets from its Western allies. On Monday, a drone attack hit a pumping facility on an oil pipeline in Russia. This reduced the flow of oil from Kazakhstan into world markets, which was pumped by Western companies including Chevron. Putin stated that the incident will have an impact on the global energy market and that it would be difficult to restore the facility as quickly as possible. "A strike on a facility of this kind...would have an effect on the global energy markets." "First of all, because it's impossible to restore this facility quickly due to the Western equipment that is there and Western equipment that has been damaged," Putin stated, referring to the Western sanctions which prohibit the supply of oil-and-gas equipment. (Reporting and writing by Marina Bobrova, Maxim Rodionov, Editing by Toby Chopra & Hugh Lawson).
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Jordan purchases about 60,000 T of feed barley at tender, traders claim
European traders reported that Jordan's state grain purchaser purchased about 60,000 tons of animal feed barley at an international auction on Wednesday. The trading house Viterra was reported to have purchased the material at a cost and freight included of $240.75 per ton. It is expected to be shipped during the second half June. The reports reflect the opinions of traders, and it is still possible to estimate prices and volume later. Jordan is likely to issue a new tender for feed barley in the coming days, and it is expected to close by February 26. They said that the new tender will likely seek to ship in April or May. The barley purchased on Wednesday may come from a variety of origins. Other trading houses also participated in the tender on Wednesday, according to traders. Their estimated offers per c&f were: Cargill, CHS, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Agro Chirnogi, Ameropa, Olam, and Bunge. Jordan issued another tender Wednesday for the purchase of 120,000 tons milling wheat that will close on February 25, 2019. (Reporting and editing by Emelia Matarise, Emelia Sithole Matarise).
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-Ancora demands U.S. Steel Board records and escalates proxy battle
Ancora Holdings, an activist investor, is requesting access to documents from U.S. Steel. This includes board minutes and financial documents. The letter was seen by, which reveals that the investor has intensified its campaign to replace certain board members of U.S. Steel as well as its chief executive. Ancora launched a boardroom battle against U.S. Steel last month, as the iconic American firm fought in court to save a planned merger between Japan's Nippon Steel. The company wants the U.S. Court of Appeals overturn the order of former U.S. president Joe Biden that blocked the merger citing national-security concerns. U.S. Steel said that it would have to lay off workers and close factories if the deal was canceled. Ancora’s decision to issue a “books and records” request demonstrates how the activist uses one of the available legal tools to win a potentially bitter battle in the boardroom. Ancora sent Megan Bombick Associate General Counsel Securities & Corporate Secretary, U.S. Steel, a letter in which it said that U.S. Steel should investigate "potential wrongdoing" relating to "the futile (lawsuit of) the company and "the unusual (trading plan) of the CEO (David Burritt). Ancora, according to the letter is seeking information to determine if the board violated their fiduciary duty by filing the suit and whether Burritt “tried to trade on material information that was not public.” U.S. Steel described Ancora's letter as a "distraction" that repeated its baseless allegations. A representative of the company said that the board has "been and remains unwavering" in its commitment to act in the best interest of all stakeholders including stockholders. U.S. Steel would review the request and respond "in accordance with applicable law and regulations." Investor currently holds less than 1% of U.S. Steel, which is approximately 500,000 shares. However, it has stated that they plan to significantly increase their position. The market value of the company, once the largest steel producer in the world, is $8.7 billion. Ancora will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the campaign on Wednesday at 10 am. Ancora, a group of activists, nominated nine candidates for the 12-member board of U.S. Steel last month, including a senior executive who might replace the CEO. The activist wants the company also to drop its lawsuit asking a federal appellate court to overturn Biden’s decision to cancel the $14.9 billion transaction. Ancora, in a letter to U.S. Steel, argued that by pursuing this lawsuit, U.S. Steel hurts shareholders. It also stated it wanted management and the board of directors to focus on fixing the company. The letter stated that "By continuing to litigate (the Petition for Review), the Board wastes time and resources in their desperate hope that the Merger will bring them significant personal benefit." According to a letter, Ancora gave the company until the 24th of February to provide typically confidential documents relating to the proposed merger between Nippon and Burritt Trading Plan. It is looking into whether the directors and officers "breached the fiduciary duty to the company and stockholders". They also want to know more about Burritt trading U.S. Steel shares "in relation with merger discussions", and how he made use of his 10b5-1 predetermined plan, which allows insiders the ability to sell their stock. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said earlier this month that Nippon would make a bid in the form of a sale instead of an investment. A Japanese government spokeswoman said earlier this month that Nippon was considering a radical change from its previous plan of trying to buy U.S. Steel. Prime Minister Shigeru ishiba also called the decision to stop the deal as "unjustified political interference." Ancora already identified Alan Kestenbaum as the ideal replacement for Burritt. Kestenbaum was previously the CEO of Canadian steel firm Stelco. Stelco, a Canadian steel company, was acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs in the past year. The date of the company's annual meeting has yet to be set. Last year, it was held on 30 April. Ancora has won board seats at a number big companies. Earlier this year, Norfolk Southern shareholders elected Ancora nominees to three board seats. Norfolk Southern promised to work with Ancora in order to find a new director, to avoid a fight with the company. (Reporting and editing by Aurora Ellis, Chizu Nomiyama, and Svea Herbst Bayliss)
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CFO Vopak says AVTL will be able to announce its IPO by the first half of 2025.
The finance chief of Dutch tank storage company Vopak said that the final decision regarding the initial public offering (IPO) of its Indian joint-venture Aegis Vopak is expected to be made in the first half 2025. Michiel Gilsing, CFO of Vopak, said that the company sold a small amount as a private placing in 2024. This was to prepare for the IPO. The deal resulted in a net gain of 13.6 million dollars ($13 million). He said that the final valuation of AVTL would determine whether or not further gains could be made. Gilsing stated that Vopak operates terminals in seven Indian port cities and is expecting to profit from the rapid growth of India's economy. There are many other investment opportunities in the LPG market. Vopak reported in November that AVTL filed an IPO for 35 billion rupees (403 millions dollars) at the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Vopak stated at the time that the proceeds of the IPO would be used primarily to pay off debts and purchase an LPG terminal for the Indian city Mangalore.
United States military deportation flight most likely cost more than first class
U.S. President Donald Trump's military deportation flight to Guatemala on Monday likely cost at least $4,675 per migrant, according to data supplied by U.S. and Guatemalan officials. That is more than five times the $853 cost of a oneway first class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, the departure point for the flight, according to an evaluation of publicly available air travels.
It is likewise significantly higher than the cost of a. commercial charter flight by U.S. Migration and Customs. Enforcement (ICE). Trump launched the military deportation flights recently as. part of his nationwide emergency declaration on immigration, so. far sending six planeloads of migrants on flights to Latin. America. Only 4 have actually landed, all of them in Guatemala, after Colombia. declined to let 2 U.S. C-17 freight aircraft land and rather. sent its own planes to gather migrants following a standoff. with Trump. A U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of privacy,. estimated the cost to operate a C-17 military transport airplane. is $28,500 per hour. The flight backward and forward to Guatemala, not. consisting of time on the ground or any operations to prepare the. flight for launch, took about 10-1/2 hours in the air to. complete, the authorities stated.
A Guatemalan authorities told Reuters the military transportation. aircraft landed on Monday with 64 people on board.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an ask for. comment. Trump, speaking at his Doral golf club to Republican lawmakers. on Monday, pledged his extraordinary use of military aircraft for. deportations would continue and any countries that decline will. pay a high financial cost.
For the very first time in history, we are finding and loading. illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to. the places from which they came, Trump stated to applause.
We're respected once again, after years of making fun of us like. we're silly individuals.. White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted images last. week of migrants boarding up the back ramp of a hulking C-17,. revealing, President Trump is sending out a strong and clear. message to the whole world: if you unlawfully enter the United. States of America, you will deal with extreme effects.
HIGH PRICE TAG
The C-17 cost is considerably higher than the. option: industrial aircraft chartered by ICE.
Expenses for the charter ICE flights vary. According to. details posted on ICE's site in 2021, the expense for Ice. Air flights is $8,577 per flight hour. However acting ICE Director. Tae Johnson told lawmakers throughout an April 2023 spending plan hearing. that deportation flights cost $17,000 per flight hour for 135. deportees and normally lasted 5 hours. The higher figure given by Johnson would equate to a cost of. $ 630 per individual, presuming the charter company, and not ICE, pays. the cost of the return flight. A previous ICE official said the. expense had actually risen a little considering that 2023.
ICE says it transports detainees on chartered Boeing 737 or. McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft.
The Pentagon said last week the U.S. military would supply. flights for the deportations of more than 5,000 immigrants held. by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego,. California.
(source: Reuters)