The U.S. government began firing thousands of people at multiple agencies as President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk accelerate their purge of America’s federal workforce.
On Thursday the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides health care for veterans, said it was forced to fire more than a thousand employees who were in their probationary period.
This week termination emails were received by workers across the government, mostly recently hired employees still on probation, at agencies such as the Department of Education, the Small Business Administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the General Services Administration. And the Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. embassies were told to prepare for staff cuts.
But federal workers and others are pushing back and rising up across the country with planned protests. Thousands of federal workers took to the street this week in protest outside the Capitol. And more, larger, nation-wide protests are being planned for President’s Day February 17.
“Not My President Day,” organized by the 50501 group, will hold its second protest this month to “take back President’s Day,” according to the group’s Instagram page.
MT Snyder is a federal worker and a national organizer of the 50501 movement.
Migrant Shelters
Since Donald Trump took office on January 20, he has taken multiple actions against migration including launching a mass deportation effort, sending about one hundred migrants to detention at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and ordering a near total shutdown of the asylum application process. The number of active-duty troops and National Guard (state and federal) deployed to the border may now exceed ten thousand. We are now seeing the impact of the administration’s near-complete ban on asylum access in South Texas where migrant shelters are nearly empty.
Berenice Garcia is a reporter for the Texas Tribune based in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Texas Arts Economy
Arts and culture are often celebrated for their profound impact on society, shaping identities, fostering creativity, and preserving history. However, their significance extends beyond social enrichment—they are also vital economic drivers.
A new study shows that in Texas the creative industries generate jobs, fuel tourism, and contribute billions to the state economy.
According to a new report from the Texas Cultural Trust, arts and culture is a major contributor to the state’s economy, as well as other key areas.
Jenny Parry is the director of programs for The Texas Cultural Trust.
