
Mass firings sweep federal agencies amid court challenges
Clip: 2/14/2025 | 2m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Mass firings sweep across federal agencies as Trump administration defends itself in court
Courtrooms across the country are hearing challenges to President Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest as the administration defends itself in five separate cases.
Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...

Mass firings sweep federal agencies amid court challenges
Clip: 2/14/2025 | 2m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Courtrooms across the country are hearing challenges to President Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest as the administration defends itself in five separate cases.
How to Watch PBS News Hour
PBS News Hour is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGEOFF BENNETT: Courtrooms across the country are hearing challenges to President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to shrink the federal government.
White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez is here with the latest as the administration defends itself in five separate cases.
So, Laura, bring us up to speed.
How did the courts rule in some of these hearings today?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: There were nonstop court actions today, Geoff.
So, to start off, one federal judge extended a restraining order against DOGE -- that's that Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk -- barring them from accessing Treasury payment systems.
So that restraining order is extended.
There was another lawsuit where the Consumer Financial Bureau essentially was told that they don't have to delete.
It was trying to prevent their full-on dismantling, which is being done by Elon Musk and other Trump administration officials.
And the judge said that no CFPB employees could be fired.
And another case brought by eight fired inspectors general, the judge said that they would not issue any emergency action to reinstate those inspectors general, and that that case is going to be ongoing.
Then, in a case challenging Elon Musk and DOGE's entire operation, another federal judge asked for more specifics and said that they would rule at a later date.
All of that is happening, Geoff, as DOGE is growing its numbers.
I was told by a source familiar with the situation that billionaire Joseph Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder, is joining the efforts at DOGE with Elon Musk.
And he was at the Office of Personnel Management today being onboarded.
GEOFF BENNETT: And the administration is still moving forward with these firings across different government agencies.
How expansive is this?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: They're incredibly expansive.
Last night into today, we saw an increase in the number of firings that are coming and targeting primarily probationary employees, people working in government for less than one to two years.
We're estimating that more than 200,000 employees could be impacted.
So, when you look at it by the numbers, that's more than 5,000 at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1,000 at the Veterans Affairs, more than 100 and -- 1,200 at the Energy Department and more than 3,000 at the U.S. Forest Service.
And when it comes to those being terminated at the CDC, one of our sources told "News Hour"s Murrey Jacobson that at least a hundred members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service are expected to be terminated very shortly.
Those are disease detectives.
If you watched "Contagion," Geoff, Kate Winslet's character was a member of that EIS service.
And then, when it comes to the Energy Department cuts, some of those cuts are within the nuclear Security Administration.
So a number of people consider this very risky and wide across the board.
GEOFF BENNETT: Laura Barron-Lopez, thanks so much for that update.
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.
Brooks and Capehart on Trump’s challenge to the judiciary
Video has Closed Captions
Brooks and Capehart on the Trump administration’s challenge to the judiciary branch (9m 33s)
Constitutional scholar discusses Trump’s executive authority
Video has Closed Captions
Constitutional scholar on whether Trump’s actions are executive overreach (7m 22s)
DOJ in upheaval over order to dismiss Adams corruption case
Video has Closed Captions
Justice Department in upheaval over order to dismiss NYC Mayor Adams’ corruption case (7m 49s)
EU official on future of Ukraine amid shifting U.S. support
Video has Closed Captions
EU’s foreign policy chief discusses the future of Ukraine amid shifting U.S. support (6m 12s)
Jane Austen fans honor novelist 250 years after her birth
Video has Closed Captions
Jane Austen fans honor British novelist’s legacy 250 years after her birth (7m 42s)
News Wrap: Key instruction missed before DC crash, NTSB says
Video has Closed Captions
News Wrap: Black Hawk crew may have missed key instruction before DC collision, NTSB says (5m 11s)
Vance lectures European allies on democracy at Munich summit
Video has Closed Captions
Vance lectures European allies on democracy at security summit in Munich (5m 2s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipMajor corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...