News Brief: Federal Employees Sue Over Email Termination Threat; Judge Blocks Education Department From Sharing Info With DOGE

U.S. government employees respond immediately to a controversial mass email that threatens their careers...

Elon Musk holds up a chainsaw during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Oxon Hill, Md., on Feb. 20, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, and we have some riveting stories to share with you right now. Here’s what’s happening nationally and around the world.

U.S. government employees respond immediately to a controversial mass email that threatens their careers; a federal judge blocks a pair of critical federal agencies from sharing their vital information with DOGE; and in Washington, President Donald Trump meets a key European leader as the Russia-Ukraine war passes a regrettable milestone.

Also, a federal court unveils a critical ruling that impacts a large number of foreign aid workers, and a highly influential talk show host has just been tapped for a crucial top-level position in the FBI.

We have a number of pressing stories to break down for you today and we begin here. Many federal employees were recently told to account for the work they do or risk losing their jobs. Those employees, along with their union, are now suing the federal government over this directive. And more now on this unfolding story.

Federal Employees Sue Over Email Termination Threat

Those workers have just filed a lawsuit against the government after receiving an email which was entitled “What did you do last week?” That message tells employees to reply with five bullet points listing what they have accomplished during the past week.

On the social media platform X, Elon Musk, who has taken a leading role in running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), says that failure to respond by the deadline, which was last night just before midnight, would be considered an act of resignation.

A union that represents nearly 1 million federal workers called The American Federation of Government Employees, along with a number of other groups, has now filed an updated lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco to challenge that demand, saying it is a violation of federal law.

They say that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which sent the message, failed to give federal workers any advance notice regarding a regulation that requires them to report on their recent work or a policy that says that anyone who fails to do so via email has submitted a resignation.

Meanwhile, Musk, along with President Donald Trump, said the email is designed to root out fraud from people who aren’t working. He also says that a large number of workers have submitted good responses and that they should be considered for promotion.

By the way, some federal agencies have told their employees to respond, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). However, the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the State Department all have told their employees to hold off, at least for the time being.

We’ll stay on topic with DOGE and a judge says that, in the interest of privacy, not all federal departments have to comply with directives from the government efficiency commission. And more now on what we’re learning.

Judge Blocks Education Department From Sharing Info With DOGE

A federal judge in Maryland has just temporarily blocked both the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from sharing any of their sensitive information with DOGE. The restraining order will now remain in effect until March 10.

The American Federation of Teachers, which represents nearly 2 million people, was asking the court to make the move, along with a variety of other groups. They all say that allowing DOGE to access those records endangers the privacy rights of U.S. veterans, along with a large number of other people represented by their coalition.

For their part, government lawyers say that the judge should have rejected the motion because none of the plaintiffs had their privacy violated. They argue that as federal employees, DOGE representatives are entitled to access the information.

Meanwhile, an official with the Department of Education previously told the court that prior to gaining access to their critical systems, six employees who were associated with DOGE went through substantial background checks. OPM officials have also told the court that all individuals who have access to their sensitive records are OPM employees alongside any other role they may have in other government bodies.

However, the judge says that even if officials have only been sharing their data with other government employees, it is still a violation of the privacy rights of the plaintiffs regarding their sensitive personal information.

We turn our sights now to international news and as the bloody war between Russia and Ukraine enters a fourth year, President Donald Trump is meeting world leaders this week in an effort to negotiate a peace deal, while other leaders are gathering in Kyiv. More now on this highly impactful story.

Trump and Macron Meet at White House

A number of Western leaders are visiting Kyiv to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Those high-profile visitors include the leaders of Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, along with other prominent European officials.

They’ll be attending several events to mark the impact of the war, as well as meeting with Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They’re expected to reiterate their support for Ukraine, with one European official who’s part of the delegation calling the war a “fight for survival” for the entire destiny of Europe.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump has just met at the White House with France’s President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the ongoing war, as well as trade relations between our two countries, and more.

Trump says that a great deal of progress has already been made between the two leaders, that they’ve had some good talks, and that they’re both hoping to put an end to the war once and for all.

For his part, Macron says the two “share the objective of peace” in Ukraine, and that he believes both France and the United States always stand on the same side—which is the “right side” of history.

In related news, Trump says he’s had serious discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about both ending the war as well as an economic development agreement between our two countries. Additionally, Ukrainian officials are reporting that their government and the United States are in the final stages of negotiating a crucial minerals deal that is seen as a key part of ending the war.

We shift gears now to our nation’s foreign assistance programs, which are being greatly reduced by the Trump administration. And opponents of those reductions have just been dealt a significant legal setback. More now on that story.

USAID Laying Off 1,600 Workers After Court Lifts Restraining Order

A federal judge in Washington has just lifted a temporary restraining order that had been blocking a planned staff removal at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As a result, that agency now says they’re laying off at least 1,600 workers in the United States and placing a number of other employees around the world on administrative leave.

That temporary order was issued earlier this month in response to a lawsuit filed by a pair of labor unions—the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association.

They alleged that the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle USAID could violate a law that requires the president to notify Congress before making any significant changes to USAID’s workforce.

However, the judge ultimately decided that the plaintiffs had not established a likelihood of success, and that the public interest does not strongly favor a permanent injunction.

Meanwhile, the agency says they’ve already notified all of the affected workers about their benefits and rights. They also say that all remaining essential personnel are those who are part of “mission-critical” functions, core leadership positions, or special programs; however, the number of workers who are considered essential is not yet clear.

A recent congressional report shows that USAID has more than 10,000 employees, with approximately two-thirds of them serving overseas. It also says that during the 2023 fiscal year, the agency provided aid to nearly 130 countries, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria.

Finally today, a political talk show host with a substantial background in law enforcement signs off the air and signs on to become the second in command at the FBI. And more now on what we’ve just learned.

Bongino to Serve as FBI Deputy Director

Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator and former Secret Service agent, has just been named the next deputy director of the FBI. Trump says that FBI Director Kash Patel selected Bongino for the position, which does not require Senate confirmation.

In case you’re not aware, Bongino currently hosts one of the biggest political podcasts in the United States, and Trump describes him as “a man of incredible love and passion” for the country.

The president says that Bongino is willing to give up his popular show to join the team. He also calls the appointment “great news” for both law enforcement and the American justice system.

By the way, Bongino is a family man who previously worked as a New York City police officer before joining the Secret Service in 1999. He served in the Presidential Protective Division during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

During the first Trump administration, Bongino was among several conservative media personalities who led the way in questioning the narrative regarding the president’s relationship to Russia. As part of his commentary, he criticized the leadership of both the FBI and the Department of Justice, as well as those who oversaw the investigation into the president and his associates.

He’s also a big supporter of Patel, who was sworn in as FBI director a few days ago and whom Bongino says is there for one reason: “to make the FBI great again.”

And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.

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Finally, as we do each day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote and this one comes to us from Walt Whitman who said:

“To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.”

Whitman was an American poet, journalist, and essayist who is considered a central figure in American literature.

For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.

The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.

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Enjoy the remainder of your day and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.

For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.