After DOGE Cuts, The Government Is Hiring Again. Will Anyone Bite? - CNN One Thing - Podcast on CNN Podcasts

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One Thing: After DOGE Cuts, The Government Is Hiring Again. Will Anyone Bite?
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CNN One Thing

You’ve been overwhelmed with headlines all week – what's worth a closer look? One Thing takes you beyond the headlines and helps make sense of what everyone is talking about. Host David Rind talks to experts, reporters on the front lines and the real people impacted by the news about what they've learned – and why it matters. New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday.

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After DOGE Cuts, The Government Is Hiring Again. Will Anyone Bite?
CNN One Thing
Mar 15, 2026

Last year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took a chainsaw to the federal government, slashing jobs and cutting programs in the name of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. While it did not reduce spending, current and former government officials tell CNN that some of the cuts are hampering government readiness amid the Iran war. Now, the government is looking to ramp up hiring again – but only with workers who align with the Trump administration’s priorities. We hear from a former federal worker about how last year’s cuts impacted her, and from an expert who says he's concerned about adding more political appointees to the mix. 

For more: ‘A shell of our former self’: How Trump and Musk’s spending cuts are hampering US government readiness amid the Iran war 

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Guests: Melissa Patsalides & Max Stier, Partnership for Public Service President and CEO 

Host: David Rind 

Producer: Paola Ortiz 

Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin 

Editorial Support: Tami Luhby

Photo: Allison Robbert/AFP/Getty Images