AI companies are developing plans to prevent catastrophic hacking campaigns, but cybersecurity experts say they have been excluded from these safety planning efforts.
The Trump administration spent an estimated $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers in 2025, driven largely by a DOGE-era deferred resignation program that cost $6.7 billion and allowed nearly 140,000 employees to be paid through September after agreeing to quit. The GAO report found administrative leave costs rose sixfold and usage jumped 435% from 2023 to 2025 as part of efforts to shrink government, though the Office of Personnel Management acknowledged it cannot accurately track the true costs of these workforce reduction efforts.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% to 3.75–4.00% on Wednesday, the first increase since 2023, citing elevated inflation driven partly by the Iran war and rising oil prices. The decision defies President Trump's calls for lower rates, with Fed Chair Kevin Warsh emphasizing that inflation remains too high and underlying price pressures must move toward the Fed's 2% target at sufficient speed.