International

US agencies resist Musk’s employee accountability mandate

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2025

US agencies resist Musk’s employee accountability mandate

Key US departments within the Trump administration have told staff not to comply with a Saturday email from Elon Musk’s cost-cutting initiative asking what they accomplished in the past week.

The FBI, state department and Pentagon were among agencies that instructed employees not to answer the message. Other department heads advised staff to comply, while some told workers to wait for further guidance before responding.

Musk said failure to respond by Monday at midnight would be interpreted as the employee resigning. President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the email.

The conflicting guidance caused confusion for hundreds of thousands of government bureaucrats as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) task force leads an outside effort to aggressively reduce government spending.

The message sent to millions of federal employees on Saturday evening came after Musk posted on his social media platform X that government staff would “shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week”.

In a copy of the email obtained by the BBC, employees were asked to respond explaining their accomplishments from the past week in five bullet points – without disclosing classified information.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government’s human resources agency, confirmed the email was authentic.

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The message did not mention whether declining to comply could affect employment status, despite Musk’s social media assertion that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation”.

Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel told his staff in a separate email later on Saturday that they should “pause any responses”.

“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel wrote in a message obtained by CBS News.

“The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with the FBI procedures.”

The state department sent a similar message, saying leadership would respond on behalf of the agency.

“No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” an email from Tibor Nagy, acting undersecretary for management, said.

The Pentagon told its staff: “When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM.”

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave their employees similar instructions, according to reports.

In a sign that the OPM email may have come as a surprise to many agencies, a senior figure at the Department of Justice wrote to staff on Saturday evening to say: “Media reports indicate the email was distributed to employees throughout the federal government.”

The message added that “at this point, we have no reason to believe this message is spam or malicious”.

Later on Saturday evening, a follow-up email was sent clarifying that the OPM message was “legitimate” and that “employees should be prepared to follow the instructions as requested”.

The justice department message also came with a warning to staff: “Do not include any sensitive, confidential, or classified information in your response. Should you have any questions about the contents of your response please contact your supervisor.

“If we receive additional guidance or information, I will update all employees, as necessary.”

Agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency also encouraged their staff to comply, reports said.

Other departments, including the National Security Agency, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, requested that employees await further guidance.

OPM did not immediately respond to the BBC’s inquiry about whether some staff might be exempt.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, criticised the message as “cruel and disrespectful” and threatened to sue.

It is unclear how the email affects any of the roughly three million federal workers who may not have had access their emails this weekend.

Other government employees, such as those at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were placed on leave in the last month.

The message came hours after Trump praised Musk’s work on social media, adding: “I would like to see him get more aggressive.”

The Democratic ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hit out at the directive in a letter to the OPM.

Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia wrote that the agency should “immediately clarify that federal employees’ nonresponse to this ill-conceived, weekend email does not constitute resignation”.

“This threat is illegal, reckless, and yet another example of the cruel and arbitrary chaos Mr Musk is inflicting on the people’s government and its dedicated public servants.”

Most Republican members of Congress have been defending Musk and his broader efforts.

Congressman Mike Lawler of New York told ABC on Sunday that Musk’s efforts were a “comprehensive, forensic audit of every department and agency in the federal government”.

But Senator John Curtis, a Republican representing Utah, criticised Musk’s methods, even as said he supported the ultimate goal of Doge.

“If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives. These are mortgages,” Curtis told CBS.

US agencies resist Musk’s employee accountability mandate

BBC

Related Topics:accountability Musk US agencies

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Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside

Published

18 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside

A man who reportedly visited the headquarters of luxury car manufacturer Bugatti in search of employment allegedly drove away in the company chief executive’s £2 million sports car after discovering that its keys had been left inside.

The incident involved Mate Rimac, the Croatian businessman and chief executive of Bugatti, whose personal Bugatti Chiron was stolen from the company’s production and technology campus near Zagreb, Croatia.

The suspect, a Croatian man in his mid-30s, reportedly entered the facility looking for a job before spotting the high-performance vehicle with its keys inside and driving away.

Rimac disclosed the incident in a series of posts on Instagram, explaining that he had routinely left the keys inside his vehicles because he considered Croatia a safe place.

He admitted that the habit had continued for years without any incident until the Chiron disappeared.

The theft was discovered after an employee alerted colleagues that an unfamiliar person had driven away in the expensive vehicle.

Rimac immediately contacted the police and used the car’s built-in tracking and telemetry system to monitor its movements.

The tracking technology provided information about the vehicle’s location, speed and fuel level, allowing the Bugatti team to follow its journey and share updates with law enforcement officers.

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After discovering that the stolen vehicle was heading towards Slovenia, Rimac jumped into a Porsche 911 and pursued it.

The pursuit continued across borders, with the Chiron eventually reaching Austria. Rimac and his team maintained communication with the police through a group chat, providing updates that helped Austrian officers locate and intercept the vehicle.

The suspect was subsequently arrested in Austria, where Rimac later met him at a police station.

According to the Bugatti boss, the man explained that he had initially visited the company’s premises to seek employment but decided to take the car after noticing that its keys were inside.

Rimac said he was not planning to press charges against the suspect. However, he acknowledged that the man could still face prosecution because of the high value of the stolen vehicle.

The CEO also revealed that he had considered giving the suspect a lift home to his family but police officers did not allow him to do so.

The recovered Chiron sustained some damage during the incident, although Rimac said it could be repaired.

The businessman thanked the Austrian police for their intervention, saying he was relieved that nobody was injured during the incident.

He also admitted that the experience had taught him an expensive lesson, promising never again to leave the keys inside his vehicles.

The Bugatti Chiron, unveiled in 2016, is one of the world’s most powerful luxury hypercars. The model has a starting price of about €2.4 million, equivalent to approximately £2 million, and a manufacturer-limited top speed of 420 kilometres per hour.

Bugatti operates under Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture in which Rimac Group holds a majority stake.

The unusual theft has attracted international attention because of the vehicle’s value, the suspect’s reported reason for visiting the facility and the extraordinary cross-border pursuit involving the Bugatti chief executive.

Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside

International

Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government

Published

18 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form the country’s next government, dealing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a major political setback after a closely contested general election.

Herzog announced his decision on Saturday, November 7, 2026, following consultations with political parties elected to the 26th Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, emerged with the highest number of recommendations from lawmakers, receiving the backing of representatives from factions controlling 67 seats, compared with 46 seats for Netanyahu. Representatives of another faction controlling seven seats did not recommend either candidate.

The decision followed the October 27 general election, which left neither Netanyahu’s governing bloc nor the opposition grouping with the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition secured 53 seats, while the four-party opposition alliance led by Eisenkot won 48. The two Arab-led parties made significant gains, securing a combined 19 seats, placing them in a potentially decisive position in negotiations over the next government.

Eisenkot is expected to receive the formal mandate from Herzog at a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Sunday, November 8.

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Under the Israeli government-formation process, he will have 28 days to negotiate a coalition, with the possibility of a further 14-day extension.

The former military chief will face difficult negotiations because his opposition alliance does not have enough seats to govern independently. Although the Arab-led parties have endorsed him, Eisenkot has previously expressed reservations about forming a coalition with them.

One possible route is to establish a minority government with support from Arab-led lawmakers on confidence votes and key legislation. Another option would involve reaching an agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties that have traditionally aligned with Netanyahu.

However, both options could create tensions within Eisenkot’s own political alliance, particularly among members who oppose relying on Arab parties or making concessions to religious parties.

A broader national unity government involving Netanyahu’s Likud party is another possibility, although the two leaders have significant disagreements over key political and security issues.

Eisenkot has previously ruled out serving in a government alongside Netanyahu, while criticising the prime minister’s handling of the war in Gaza and his reliance on far-right political partners.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, had sought to prevent an opposition-led government from emerging with the support of Arab-led parties.

Shortly before Herzog announced his decision, Netanyahu called for a national unity government and warned against the formation of an administration dependent on what he described as supporters of terrorism, referring to the Arab-led parties.

His comments drew criticism from Eisenkot’s political camp, which accused the prime minister of using divisive language to undermine the opposition’s efforts to form a government.

The Arab-led parties, which represent a significant section of Israel’s Palestinian citizens, have indicated their willingness to support efforts to end Netanyahu’s long tenure in office.

Their combined 19 seats could provide Eisenkot with the parliamentary backing needed to overcome the deadlock, although securing a workable arrangement remains uncertain.

Eisenkot, 66, served as chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2015 to 2019 before entering politics in 2022. He later served as an observer in Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

He subsequently became one of Netanyahu’s most prominent critics, particularly over the conduct of the war in Gaza, the government’s security decisions and the influence of far-right politicians.

If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the stipulated period, Herzog may give another candidate the opportunity to try. If the process remains unsuccessful, Israel could be forced into another general election.

Netanyahu will remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new government is sworn in.

Herzog’s decision therefore represents an important development in Israel’s political transition, but the final outcome will depend on whether Eisenkot can overcome divisions among opposition parties and secure sufficient parliamentary support.

Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government

International

White House Reaffirms US Policy Recognising Only Two Genders

Published

19 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Trends Admin

U.S. President Donald Trump

White House Reaffirms US Policy Recognising Only Two Genders

The White House has reaffirmed the United States government’s policy recognising only two sexes, male and female, under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The administration restated its position in a message published on its official X account on Friday, November 6, 2026, declaring that the United States government officially recognises only two genders.

“It is the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male & female,” the White House stated.

The latest declaration reinforces Trump’s position on gender identity and his administration’s efforts to make biological sex the basis for federal government policies, official documents and administrative procedures.

Trump formally established the policy on January 20, 2025, through an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.

Under Section Two of the executive order, the President declared that it was the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female.

The directive defined sex as an individual’s unchangeable biological classification as either male or female, distinguishing it from gender identity.

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It also instructed federal agencies to adopt the definitions when interpreting and implementing federal laws, regulations and government policies.

Among other measures, the executive order directed government agencies to review and remove official statements, policies, regulations and communications considered inconsistent with the administration’s position.

It further required federal agencies to ensure that official forms requesting information about an individual’s sex provided only male and female options.

The policy marked a significant departure from measures introduced under former President Joe Biden, whose administration expanded federal recognition of gender identity in several areas of government operations.

In 2022, the Biden administration introduced an X gender marker option on US passports, allowing applicants who did not identify as male or female to select the alternative designation.

Trump’s executive order sought to reverse such measures and restore biological sex as the basis for federal government recognition.

The administration has maintained that the policy is intended to protect sex-based rights and ensure consistency in the interpretation of federal laws.

However, the policy has generated considerable debate over transgender rights, gender identity, discrimination and the legal recognition of transgender and non-binary people in the United States.

The White House’s latest declaration did not announce a new executive order or additional regulatory measures but reaffirmed the administration’s existing position on an issue that continues to attract political, legal and social debate.