Connecting the dots on DOGE

CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk leaves the stage holding a chainsaw after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 20. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk leaves the stage holding a chainsaw after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 20.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

It's been six months since President Trump first announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which has dramatically shrunk parts of the federal government. And with so many individual stories about federal workers losing their jobs around the country, the big picture can sometimes look blurry.

A team of NPR reporters has been looking at agencies — from food inspectors to nuclear scientists to firefighters and more — and today, we'll connect some of the dots on how DOGE cuts have impacted workers, and hear how Americans far beyond Washington may feel the effects of these cuts.

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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Ashley Brown and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.