A fork (still) in the road: Three members of r/fednews share their stories

A fork (still) in the road: Three members of r/fednews share their stories

You've heard of the "Freshman 15"... how about the "DOGE 15"? This is how some federal employees have referred to the stress associated with the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency back in January and the "restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force" that came with it, as announced in an email sent to nearly all federal employees with the subject line, "Fork in the Road."

Federal workers have found community in the FedNews subreddit: "A vital, independent hub for U.S. federal employees to navigate the bureaucracy, protect our careers, and support one another." r/FedNews is our hub for this episode. Back in April, Amory and Ben spoke with three of its members: one of whom is still a federal employee, another who participated in the Deferred Resignation Program, and another who was laid off along with thousands of other probationary employees, only to be offered his job back.

We hear their stories as the country faces another fork in the road: a government shutdown that the White House has said could result in further reductions in force — specifically of federal jobs that are "not consistent with the president's priorities."

Show notes:

This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

Jaksot(428)

Tales From The Schoolyard

Tales From The Schoolyard

It's May, which means most of the kids in school right now are thinking about the summer. And to celebrate, we've got two stories about some rather unfortunate school mishaps.

10 Touko 201823min

When Is It Real Content And When Is It An Ad?

When Is It Real Content And When Is It An Ad?

A man makes a terrible sculpture of his girlfriend...out of Soylent. (Guess what..."they are now separate.") He then makes a flyer to try to give that sculpture away. The flyer goes viral. Why-oh-why did he do it? We find out.

3 Touko 201824min

The 'Most Ambitious' Species Restoration Project In The World

The 'Most Ambitious' Species Restoration Project In The World

One of the nuttiest stories of near extinction and resurrection ever seen in the United States. It involves genetic engineering, warring factions of tree enthusiasts, and a mysterious, destructive power that started at the Bronx Zoo.

26 Huhti 201831min

Trees, Leaves And Family Pot Busts: It's 420

Trees, Leaves And Family Pot Busts: It's 420

Weed, dope, kush, reefer -- whatever you call it, marijuana is quickly becoming legal across the country. It's also bringing people together, on Reddit.

19 Huhti 201825min

Two True Stories Of Adventure On Reddit

Two True Stories Of Adventure On Reddit

What do you do when you're about to fly home from Japan and you realize you've left your passport in your hotel 300 miles away? Or when you're looking for pals to run with you from England to Italy? Post to Reddit, of course.

12 Huhti 201827min

How Your Dirt Could Help Find Disease-Curing Medicine

How Your Dirt Could Help Find Disease-Curing Medicine

A lab at the University of Oklahoma wants your dirt -- really. A viral post on Reddit brought awareness to this fascinating program, which studies fungi from soil samples from around the country with the hopes of discovering new disease-curing medicines.

5 Huhti 201823min

We're Talkin' Baseball, From Snoop Dogg To Randy Johnson

We're Talkin' Baseball, From Snoop Dogg To Randy Johnson

With spring finally here and the MLB's opening day upon us, we're talkin' baseball -- the funny, the memorable, the peanuts, the hot dogs.

29 Maalis 201819min

Bill Hader Talks 'Barry,' Reddit And Why He's So Popular Online

Bill Hader Talks 'Barry,' Reddit And Why He's So Popular Online

Funnyman Bill Hader has a new show, "Barry," about a depressed hitman who heads to Los Angeles for a job, and ends up taking acting classes. He talks about his career as a comedian and how his stage fright helped inspire the world behind "Barry."

22 Maalis 201820min