World丨Musk defends cuts at Trump Cabinet meeting

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US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to undertake more large-scale layoffs of workers, while the president allowed downsizing czar Elon Musk to take a starring role at his first Cabinet meeting and discuss his ambitious budget-cutting targets.    A new memo instructed agencies to submit plans by March 13 for a "significant reduction" in staffing. The federal workforce is already reeling from waves of layoffs and program cuts by Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The memo did not specify the number of new layoffs.    The memo represents a major escalation in Trump and Musk's campaign to slash the size of the US government. ▲ Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, speaks during a Cabinet meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Andrew Harnik/GETTY IMAGES      Thus far, the layoffs have focused on probationary workers, who have less tenure in their ………………………………