Latest news with #DOGE-backed
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Now with reduced staff': Billboard calls out DOGE cuts to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A national pro-labor organization has placed at least one billboard in the Columbus area targeting the Department of Government Efficiency. The satirical billboard advertising that Cuyahoga Valley National Park will now have fewer rangers because of DOGE-backed cuts to the federal workforce has been spotted near the Scioto Downs Resort and Casino off of Highway 23. More Perfect Union paid for hundreds of billboards in several states, including Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania. The executive director of the organization Faiz Shakir recently told GoErie, part of the USA TODAY Network, that staffing cuts to national parks could mean visitors have a less than ideal experience that can include longer wait times. 'My understanding is that some national parks are going to have some reduced staffing. Some people are looking forward to going there with their families and my impression is that this year, sadly, you will have a worse experience because of what Trump and Musk are doing with unnecessary cuts,' Shakir said. Thousands of federal workers have lost their jobs after DOGE-led cuts. The recently formed department was until very recently led by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. In Cuyahoga Valley National Park, three probationary employees lost their jobs, in addition to a freeze on seasonal hires, according to previous Akron Beacon Journal reporting. The park in northeastern Ohio is the only national park in the Buckeye State. Anna Lynn Winfrey covers the western suburbs for the Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio billboard calls out DOGE cuts to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
DOGE Announces Deadline for Major Retirement Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced it is overhauling the federal government's retirement application system. Why It Matters The change is the latest of numerous DOGE-backed reforms to hit federal agencies. The unofficial department has been working at the request of President Donald Trump to modernize technology and slim down government. Outgoing DOGE de facto leader Elon Musk has previously called out the use of paper records for processing the retirement of federal workers. What To Know Starting June 2, DOGE and the Office for Personnel Management (OPM) will be rolling out its new Online Retirement Application (ORA) system for federal departments served by the National Finance Center and Interior Business Center, which are two federal shared services providers administering HR support. Retirement applications submitted after this date via paper will not be processed. If agencies don't use either of the two shared services providers, the OPM will provide a "complementary method for electronic submissions." In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DOGE said the new system "will reduce the average time people wait to receive their retirement check from 3-5 months to less than 1 month." Following the DOGE announcement, Musk said the process of retiring from the federal government will now be "so much faster and accurate." File photo: Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. File photo: Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/GETTY Paper Processing In February, Musk and DOGE brought attention to "Iron Mountain," a vast underground mine located near Boyers, Pennsylvania. It is run by the OPM and processes the retirement paperwork for the entire federal workforce. A report by NBC News said it stores more than 400 million individual records spread across 26,000 file cabinets. Some 450 OPM employees help run the facility. "Federal employee retirements are processed using paper, by hand, in an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania," DOGE said on X on February 11. "700+ mine workers operate 230 feet underground to process ~10,000 applications per month, which are stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes. The retirement process takes multiple months." Responding to the post, Musk wrote: "Maybe it's just me, but I think there is room for improvement here." Federal employee retirements are processed using paper, by hand, in an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania. 700+ mine workers operate 230 feet underground to process ~10,000 applications per month, which are stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes. The retirement process... — Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 11, 2025 What People Are Saying OPM's Acting Director Charles Ezell said in a May 7 memo sent to agency heads: "The federal workforce deserves a retirement process that matches the demands of the 21st century. Legacy systems, with outdated technology and cumbersome procedures, have delayed retirements and frustrated employees who have dedicated their careers to public service. By harnessing modern technology and interagency collaboration, OPM has been working to deliver a retirement process that is fast, user-friendly, and responsive to the needs of our employees." Elon Musk posted on X on May 8: "Retirement is now digital, so much faster and more accurate! Nice work by many." What Happens Next The memo said training and onboarding will be available to all agencies participating and must be completed by June 2.
