drew (voiceover): before we go, here's some inspo. i love the way these old jeans fit, but they're super long. let's turn them into turn-up jeans. first, make two even cuffs. we're using a micro stitch gun to keep the cuffs in place. using this is super easy. i put three stitches along the front and back of the jeans, and it's secure. now, you have a pair of cuff jeans that you can uncuff whenever you want. drew: thank you so much. as always, we make this show for you, so take it with you. [cheering] [audio logo] [audio logo] ♪ ♪ >> announcer: from cbs news headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news." ♪ ♪ >> john: good evening. i'm john dickerson. >> maurice: i'm maurice dubois. this time he means it, maybe. >> john: elon musk says he is giving federal workers another chance to respond to his email demand for a list of five things

they accomplished last week, or be fired. he did not set a new deadline. >> maurice: the white house says a million responses were received by the original deadline last night. one response we got to see is from karoline leavitt, the president's press secretary. >> john: and musk faced a revolt today in his departure of government efficiency. 21 staffers resigned, saying they would not be part of dismantling critical public services. >> maurice: even with that, even with different agencies giving different employees different instructions about the musk demand, press secretary leavitt said musk, the president, and cabinet are working as one unified team. nancy cordes is at the white house for us tonight trying to keep track of all of this. nancy? >> reporter: maurice, even some republicans are now saying that musk and d.o.g.e. should be handing some of these responsibilities over to the cabinet agencies themselves, that they are in over their heads. because now more than a million

federal employees who aren't sure exactly what to do and the guidance they got from president trump himself this afternoon didn't make things any clearer. >> it's somewhat voluntary, but it's also if you don't answer i guess you get fired. >> reporter: there were new mixed messages from the white house today, with special advisor elon musk now threatening termination for federal employees who don't respond to an email asking what they did last week. the threat comes even after many federal agencies told workers not to respond to the email. >> we are being inundated with calls. >> reporter: randy erwin runs the nffe, a union that represents 110,000 federal workers. >> mainly they're asking technical questions. do i have to respond to this? why? this is not in my chain of command. they also want to know what are they looking for? >> reporter: the confusion a sparking new questions about the power and structure of d.o.g.e., the operation president trump created to spearhead massive job cuts. at a court hearing yesterday, government lawyers were not able to identify who runs d.o.g.e.,

nor would white house practice press secretary karoline leavitt today. who is the d.o.g.e. administrator? >> so the president tasked elon musk to oversee the d.o.g.e. effort. there are career officials and there are political appointees who are helping run d.o.g.e. on a day-to-day basis. >> reporter: so is elon musk the administrator? >> raegan? >> thanks, karoline. >> reporter: she later suggested there is someone in charge. she just wouldn't say who. >> i'm not going to reveal the name of that individual from this podium. >> reporter: cbs news was told late today that the acting and ministry are is amy gleason, a veteran of the first trump administration. when reached earlier by phone, gleason said she was in mexico and declined further comment. >> john: and nancy joins us now from the white house. nancy, i want to ask you about these 21 employees who have left or resigned from d.o.g.e. who are they and why did they say they are leaving? >> reporter: so, john, these are tech experts who were already working to modernize

federal computer systems before their operation was kind of absorbed by d.o.g.e., and they say that what they saw d.o.g.e. doing was making government less efficient, not more. they wrote, "we will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize american sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services." they issued this resignation letter anonymously, but they say they all left senior roles in the tech industry in order to go work for federal government. >> maurice: so nancy, what about these other federal and plays wondering tonight, do i respond? do i quit? what is the best advice for them tonight? >> reporter: so the advice unions are giving their workers and members is that if they've gotten instructions from their agency not to respond, then don't. otherwise, if they can't get guidance from a superior, they should go ahead and answer it because it's possible their job could be on the line.

>> maurice: okay, nancy cordes at the white house, thanks so much. >> john: the white house won't say how many federal workers have been or will be fired. >> maurice: but ian lee tracked down three of them in wyoming, and they told ian what their firing could mean for the rest of us. >> reporter: even in the winter, the shoshone national forest buzzes with activity. with so many people snowmobiling, riding their bikes, hiking, and rock climbing. maintaining the country's forests takes an army of forest service workers, including dayln grindell. what did you love the most about your job? >> i loved going into work every day and being able to work with my colleagues. >> reporter: grindell, along with jack corney and tim leady, recently received a letter saying they were being fired for poor job performance. what was your reaction when you saw that the reason you were

being fired was because of poor performance? >> i put my heart and soul into that job, and it's just not true. >> reporter: every summer, tens of millions of americans visit the national forests, but this summer, they might look a little different. >> there is a lot of unforeseen consequences for the general public aren't always aware of. >> reporter: what do you fear that could happen? >> we're clearing the trails for people to access the wilderness, and that's just -- that's not going to happen this year. >> reporter: let's say you just arrived in town, and you want some information about the forest, maybe a good place to camp or a trail to hike on, or maybe you are scared about bears. you come to a place like this. your local ranger station. but because of the recent firings, this one won't be open anytime soon. terminations at the forest service also come as wildfires nationwide grow fiercer and more frequent. show of hands, how many of you were qualified to fight fires? so you guys could have all been on the front lines this summer fighting fires if needed? >> yes. >> reporter: i spoke with several senior forest service officials across the country, and they told me the future leadership of the agency has been wiped out, and it could

take decades to recover. another warned that some of these workers monitored bear populations, and without them, there could be more encounters. >> maurice: okay, many thanks, ian lee in lander, wyoming, tonight. >> john: now some of the top stories from around the world in tonight's "evening news" roundup. president trump says ukrainian president zelenskyy will go to the white house this friday. they are expected to sign a deal for ukraine to share its mineral wealth with the united states. >> maurice: video from chicago's midway airport shows a southwest airlines jet narrowly missing and avoiding a collision with a business jet that officials say crossed the runway without authorization. senior transportation correspondent kris van cleave says there were seven runway incursions in the u.s. last year. >> john: a new report finds consumer confidence in february had its largest one-month drop in nearly four years. it was driven by concerns about inflation and the impact of tariffs, and home prices hit an all-time high in december for

the 19th month in a row. case-shiller says prices year over year were up. nearly 4%. one thing driving home prices higher is a shortage of inventory. >> maurice: there is a shortage of skilled workers, as well. the construction industry says it needs to hire more than 400,000 this year to meet demand. here is skyler henry. >> reporter: at construction sites such as this one in clearwater, florida, finding skilled workers is a constant struggle for contractors, including greg nichols. his nearly 30-year-old company specializes in excavation and utilities. what is the ideal amount of folks that you would like to have on board? >> oh, boy. at one point, i had about 120. employees in the field. but the problem with that was about 80 of 'em were no good. >> reporter: he can't find enough experienced construction workers, so he had to cut his business in half.

in his best years, he was making $14 million a year. >> i just made the decision to shrink my company down. i decided i would take the number of men that i thought were competent and capable, and from that, i would decide how much work we could do. every day, we turn down offers for work. >> reporter: is that a good thing in your business? >> not really. >> reporter: while the industry has seen an influx of younger workers, it is not keeping up with older workers who are retiring. at 56, foreman chris wells knows he can't do this forever. what happens when you decide to hang your boots up? >> i'm afraid for construction, honestly. everybody down here, i mean, is looking for help. that's why i encourage younger guys to come in and get their feet on the ground. once you get some kind of skill, you'll find that it's very rewarding. >> reporter: nichols has tried to retain his workers by doubling their salaries to $40 an hour. >> i tell my guys, if you just do what you say you are going to do and show up when you are supposed to show up, then you

are a superstar in this business. >> reporter: now in addition to offering that pay bump, nichols has also gone as far as offering bonuses to some of his workers, offering housing to those who have struggled to find a place to lay their head, even bail some of his workers out of jail to ensure that they can show up at a project the next day. >> maurice: okay, skyler henry for us tonight in atlanta, thank you. >> john: still ahead on the "cbs evening news," lonnie quinn with warmer temperatures and melting snow. >> maurice: and we'll have these stories. >> i'm mark strassmann in kenosha, wisconsin, where talk is growing about government shrinking. how fast is too fast or not fast enough? that's tonight's "eye on america." >> i'm debora patta. president trump's aid cuts could not have come at a worse time for sudan as it battles the world's most severe humanitarian crisis ever. that's next on the "cbs evening news." ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ greg takes prevagen for his brain and this is his story. hi, i'm greg. i live in bloomington, illinois. i'm not an actor. i'm just a regular person. eight years ago, i just didn't feel like i was on my game. i started taking prevagen and i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. i've been taking prevagen for eight years now and it is still helping me tremendously. prevagen. for your brain. ahh, yellow! didn't pass the tissue test? buckle up! whoa! there's toothpaste white, and there's crest 3dwhitestrips white. whitens like a 400 dollar professional treatment. pilot: prepare for non-stop smiles. crest.

♪ empower ♪ so handsome. oh, i can't buy this. hang on there. actually, you can. your empower investment account has performed well. and this whole off-white-ish cantaloupe thingy is really working for you. so... so...? so... (♪♪) hot to trot! nobody says that, what? get good at money. so you can be a little bad. empower. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> john: when president trump ordered a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, no one on earth felt the impact more than the people of sudan.

two years of civil war has left more than 25 million sudanese starving. that is half the population. >> maurice: it is the largest humanitarian crisis the world has ever seen, and debora patta saw it firsthand. >> reporter: this is the city of omdurman, home to over 2 million sudanese with a soup kitchen on almost every street corner. professionals like mohammed hamd lineup for food. he used to be an engineer, but has had no work since the war began and the economy collapsed nearly two years ago. >> [speaking in a global language] >> reporter: "we rely on god and aid," he told us. and for now, it's been left to god. funded largely by the u.s., nearly 80% of soup kitchens have already shut down following president trump's aid suspension. the kitchens also serve the few

hospitals still standing like al noa, which has no funds to provide any meals. what you see here is the only food these patients will eat each day, most of it paid for by america. the hospital is overwhelmed and under resourced. we saw patients being treated on the ground. >> we don't have enough beds. >> reporter: medical staff under the leadership of dr. jamal mohammad are struggling to save the lives of the starving and war-wounded. >> you can see how crowded it is. >> reporter: it's very, very full. prior to president trump's aid freeze, they were already running out of painkillers, bandages, and life-saving equipment. >> i don't know what's behind that decision of president trump. but i think it's going to increase and deepen the suffering of our people.

>> reporter: here he was concerning 10-year-old after he was hit by shrapnel. the little boy was terrified he would lose his leg and a long-held dream. >> [speaking in a global language] >> reporter: you want to be a soccer player? but he was in good hands. dr. mohammad was a leading orthopedic surgeon before the warrior. now he runs this hospital without any pay. akram was prepped for surgery with him later that day. mohammad operated for over four hours and successfully removed this piece of shrapnel that had shatered the boy's leg. akram will now have a chance to play soccer again. >> john: and debora patta joins us now. deb, if the u.s. retreats, who steps in to help the sudanese people? >> reporter: john, other countries are contributing, but the sudden withdrawal of funds

has left a huge void that just can't be filled overnight. the u.n. estimates that it needs $6 billion to prevent people from starving to death. >> maurice: and deb, supporters of usaid say their work is not just charity but in the u.s.'s national interests. what do they mean by that? >> reporter: well, u.s. humanitarian aid is the ground game of america's foreign policy. i spoke to a former u.s. investor, mauric, to the african union, who told me the debate around usaid has been framed as if it was a charity america cannot afford. she said that's not true. it's a strategic investment in u.s. relationships globally. >> maurice: okay, debora patta, thank you so much tonight. >> john: here in the united states, warmer temperatures this week mean melting snow. >> maurice: lonnie quinn is here now with that for us. lonnie? >> well, tell you guys, guys, a picture is worth a thousand

words, in fact that he was even better and what you are looking at right here is the u.p. of michigan. hogan, michigan. time lapse video showing you the show just -- that warmth will continue tomorrow. every city you see listed here is running 10-20 degrees above average, even fargo, one of the coldest spots in our country, 40 degrees tomorrow, they should not be getting above freezing. and for those of you looking for spring, 23 days away, boy it feels good out there, but some folks love the snow. skiers, snowboarders. and you always think the best skiers and the best snow out west, and yet this year the green mountains of vermont, jay peak with more snow on the ground than any other mountain in the country. they are an inch more than alta, utah. that warmth in the east does not last, back below, in the teens by the time sunday morning, so winter will be back, guys. it's all yours. >> maurice: that it will. lonnie quinn, thank you so much. >> john: how do some trump supporters feel about the mass firings of federal workers? >> maurice: we visited to find out. "eye on america" is next. find o.

"eye on america" is next. divorce, a new grandson, and as my next chapter began... metastatic breast cancer. then i learned about kisqali - a pill that stops cancer from growing and can help me live longer. since then, i drove cross-country, finished a degree, and finally saw my favorite band. kisqali with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali may cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts, that may result in serious infections. life-threatening lung problems and abnormal heartbeats can occur. your doctor should test your heart and blood before and during treatment. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening cough, chest pain, or dizziness. before taking kisqali, tell your doctor all your medical conditions, medicines you take, and if you're breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to be... as it can harm an unborn baby. common side effects include nausea, headache, and tiredness. i'm more than just breast cancer, and i have a lot more to go. tap into etsy i'm more than just breast cancer, for home and style staples to help you set any vibe.

from custom lighting under 150 dollars to vintage jackets under 100. for affordable pieces to help you make a fresh start, etsy has it. hon', take airborne! it has 7 key nutrients to help fill those holes your immune system may have. what holes? [screams] new airborne. 7 immune supporting nutrients. our most complete support yet. the thompsons' new front door looks sharp, right? our most did we need to wave her down to tell her that? no. no. for a young homeowner turning into their parents, the neighborhood is their life. wonder who's visiting the burkes. that's not their car. hey, guys. who's winning? [ giggles ] now most of the neighborhood uses progressive -for their cars and house. -okay. she didn't ask. ohhhh! [ sighs ] progressive can't save you from becoming your parents. but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. here he comes...like clockwork. [ giggles ] asthma. does it have you missing out on what you love

with who you love? it's time to get back out there with fasenra. fasenra is an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks and can also be taken conveniently at home. fasenra helps prevent asthma attacks. most patients did not have an attack in the first year. fasenra is proven to help you breathe better so you can get back to doing day-to-day activities. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems. serious allergic reactions may occur. get help for swelling of your face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. don't stop asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens or you have a parasitic infection. headache and sore throat may occur. get back to better breathing. get back to what you've missed. ask your doctor about fasenra, the only asthma treatment taken once every 8 weeks. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. (♪♪)

>> maurice: we are now in to week 6 of president trump shaking up and paring down the federal workforce, something that surprised even his closest supporters. we went back to a battleground% straight mr. trump narrowly won to find out how people who voted for him feel about these mass firings. mark strassmann has tonight's "eye on america" from wisconsin. >> abc needs corned beef hash! >> reporter: at frank steiner in kenosha... >> here is a table two. >> reporter: the t-shirts say it all. order what you want. eat what you get. >> i got table ten. >> reporter: we wanted a conversation with supporters of president trump. do you support the downsizing? >> absolutely. >> reporter: about the white house drive to shrink american government. we got what we ordered. >> they are spending all of our

money, and there is too many people in there. >> reporter: and when they talk about waste and fraud and abuse, you believe that is going on? >> oh, hell yes. >> reporter: why kenosha, wisconsin? it's a purple city in a purple state. donald trump won battleground wisconsin last november, but just barely, by a single point. he won kenosha county by six points. >> the war is costing us billions of dollars. >> reporter: in the back of frank's, we found this reunion of former factory workers. show of hands, how many of you guys voted for trump? all but one. among them, eric davidson, who believes many government agencies and workers accomplish little. >> are you doing your job, or are you just making paper airplanes? >> reporter: and you think there are a number of government employees who are flying paper airplanes? >> yeah. i'm just going to come in, put my time in, get my pension, and go out. >> reporter: bruce wilson is the only one at the table who didn't vote for trump. when you hear this conversation, do you agree with these guys? >> in some respects i do.

>> reporter: so the idea of tricking government, do you support that? >> clearly if there is waste, there should be some shrinking. >> reporter: what his home for the people kenosha, trump's repeated message. >> fraud. waste. abuse. fraud. waste. abuse. >> reporter: fraud, waste, abuse. fraud, waste, abuse. just hearing that over and over again seems to have resonated. >> yes, and that repetition is very persuasive. >> reporter: at northwestern university, professor eric nisbet's studies public opinion and strategic messaging. >> you know, a lot of people judge veracity of information by how often they hear it. it is not proof, its allegations, but that's enough for people. >> reporter: in a recent reuters-ipsos national poll, 42% of americans support trump's push to downsize government. still, 53% oppose it, including democrat steve farrell. are you worried that services could be cut back? >> i'm really worried about that, more than anything else. >> reporter: and which services are you most worried about been cut back? >> mail, for one. social security services, medicare, medicaid, all of them.

>> reporter: but in this converted railroad car, many of the customers we met simply feel the president is on the right track. >> he is getting rid of a lot of corruption. >> reporter: have you seen any proof of corruption? >> well, not me myself, but i can see it throughout -- throughout the news. >> reporter: they are generally eating up what is happening in washington, even if proof is not on the menu. for "eye on america," mark strassmann, in kenosha, wisconsin. >> maurice: a slice of our electorate tonight. john and i will be right back with the man who challenged fdr from the grave. man who challenr from the grave. ♪ ♪ so am i. because i'm at risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. i'm getting prevnar 20 because pneumococcal pneumonia could put me in the hospital and my risk is 6 times greater because i'm over 50. the cdc just expanded its recommendation for those 50 or older to get vaccinated. you're also at risk if you're 19 or older

with certain chronic conditions. prevnar 20 is proven to help protect against both pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease in just one dose. don't get prevnar 20 if you have a severe allergy to its ingredients. a weakened immune system may lower your response. common side effects include injection site pain and swelling... ...fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain. millions have chosen prevnar vaccines, which have helped protect adults for over a decade and have an established safety profile. that's why i chose prevnar 20. i want to be able to keep my plans. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 20. (♪♪) (woman) it's your phone. (vo) with verizon, trade in any phone in any condition. (woman) pull flight info from notes. send to mom. (vo) and get the new samsung galaxy s25+, with ai. and a watch and tab. all on us.

that's up to $1,900 in value. only on verizon. do i smell okay? [sniff] mhm. why are you shimmying? oh! unstopables has odor blocker so i'll feel fresh all day, even after a red eye. we all use unstopables. looks like he does too! smell unstopable. gold bond believes touch says everything. it says... i got you. and i'm never letting go. ever. gold bond. get in touch with irresistibly touchable skin. here at once upon a farm, we chose the capital one venture x business card. with no preset spending limit, our purchasing power adapts to meet our business needs. and unlimited double miles means we earn more too. what's in your wallet? (vo) beneful knows a full life doesn't just happen. and unlimited double miles means we earn more too. it's a choice to take a swing. to taste all life has to offer. beneful. the same great taste your dog loves.

now with a fresh new look. mike had a heart attack a year ago. but he's still.. living in the red. with a very high risk of another attack. with his risk factors his recommended ldl-c level should be below 55. are you at risk? learn how to get a free ldl-c test at attackheartdisease.com. ♪ ("born to be wild" by steppenwolf) ♪ ♪ get your motor runnin'! ♪ (car horns blare) come on! ♪ head out on the highway! ♪ crowd: hey! hey! hey! b-12. bingo! (buttons snap) (inhaling furiously) (explosion) (car revs) (cheering and laughter) (♪♪) don't worry, girls! i've got weathertech. all together: ♪ born to be wild! ♪

for whatever comes your way, there's weathertech. >> maurice: now an unfamiliar name and why you may be hearing it soon. william ewart humphrey. >> john: 100 years ago today, humphrey, a republican, took a seat on the federal trade commission. >> maurice: then, in 1933, democratic president franklin roosevelt fired him, believing he would be an obstacle to the new deal. after humphrey died the next year, the executor of his estate sued for wrongful termination and backpay. >> john: in the case, known as humphrey's executor, the supreme court ruled that the act that created the ftc barred fdr from firing humphrey. a commissioner could be removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, not policy differences. >> maurice: which brings us to president trump's firing spree. he's been targeting agencies whose members he appoints. >> john: last month, he removed

gwynne wilcox from the national labor relations board. she is challenging that, which could lead the supreme court to re-examine humphrey's executor. the independence of federal agencies and the power of the president who controls them. >> maurice: and resurrect william ewart humphrey, 91 years after his death. and we will be watching. that is the "cbs evening news." i'm maurice dubois. >> john: i'm john dickerson. i'll see you on "evening news plus." >> maurice and back

>> john: welcome to cbs evening news plus. i'm john dickerson. consumers are not confident about the economy. the largest 1-month drop in three and a half years was driven by concerns about inflation and the potential impact of tariffs. money watch correspondent kelly o'grady will help u