Travel chaos as Heathrow shuts and rehired federal workers in limbo: Morning Rundown
Federal workers's rehiring confusion.
Federal workers who were fired and rehired are stuck in employment limbo. Global travel is plunged into chaos as London's Heathrow Airport is forced to shut. And a look inside one American farm devastated by bird flu.
Here’s what to know today.
Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, in Washington, DC., on Feb. 14, 2025.Mark Schiefelbein / AP fileThousands of federal workers are experiencing whiplash after firings directed by Elon Musk and the Trump administration, only to be later rehired following court orders. As the administration appeals those rulings, some 24,000 probationary federal workers are still in limbo. In interviews, federal employees said they received notifications about rehiring through different communication channels, causing further confusion on what guidance to follow.
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One probationary employee at the Center for Disease Prevention said her reinstatement notice was sent to a now-defunct work email account that she can no longer access. The administration has acknowledged that the logistical hurdles of restoring employees to “full duty status” would impose “substantial burdens” on various agencies but it has not revealed a blanket solution to the re-onboarding process.
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