U.S. Social Security Administration head Leland Dudek reversed his earlier assertion of "shutting down the agency" following a federal judge's clarification of a recent court ruling that limited billionaire Elon Musk's group's access to agency information.
The judge, U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander, had ruled on Thursday that while Musk's aides would have restricted access—requiring the redaction of personal identifiers such as names and Social Security numbers—agency employees could still view unredacted records. "Any suggestion that the order may require the delay or suspension of benefit payments is incorrect," she stated in a letter to government counsel.
Dudek, appointed by President Donald Trump as acting commissioner, had previously expressed concerns that the ruling might force him to restrict access to crucial agency data for his own staff—a move that would effectively shut down operations. However, in a statement on Friday, he acknowledged that the court's order does not necessitate such extreme measures. "Therefore, I am not shutting down the agency," he said, emphasizing that the Social Security Administration would continue to function normally while complying with the court's directives.
The controversy arose from efforts initiated by the Trump administration to reduce government waste. As part of this initiative, the administration enlisted a Musk-led group, known as DOGE, to help identify cases of Social Security fraud. Critics argue that providing broad access to sensitive personal information could compromise the privacy of tens of millions of beneficiaries, a concern that prompted Judge Hollander's ruling.
The ruling has stirred considerable public debate. Protesters gathered in White Plains, New York, over fears that aggressive measures to curtail government spending might lead to the closure of local Social Security offices, disrupting essential services for retirees and disabled Americans. Among the demonstrators was Congressman George Latimer, who joined union leaders and constituents in voicing concerns about the potential impact on benefit recipients.
While the Trump administration has long championed efforts to cut what it deems excessive government expenditure, the latest judicial decision underscores the legal and practical limits of such an approach. With the agency continuing its operations without interruption, the focus now shifts to ensuring that any measures to curb fraud do not jeopardize the privacy or the continuity of critical Social Security services.
The EU's top court has ruled Malta's controversial golden passport scheme, which allowed foreigners to purchase citizenship for €690,000, unlawful, citing concerns over security and the commercialization of EU nationality.
President Donald Trump is pressuring Apple to move iPhone manufacturing from China to the United States. But supply chain experts say the plan faces massive barriers built over decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump wants a lasting ceasefire to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
India has finalized a $7.41 billion agreement with France to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy, a defence ministry official confirmed to Reuters on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump says his meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskiyy went well, while expressing disappointment in Russia’s continued strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed Tuesday to enhance economic and defense cooperation, affirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas through force or coercion.
At the Three Seas Initiative summit, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković briefed reporters after talks with leaders from 11 Central- and Eastern-European states, underscoring regional cooperation on energy.
Meta is launching its first-ever AI developer conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday, aiming to re-engage the developer community and spotlight the company’s Llama family of open AI models.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 23rd, covering the latest developments you need to know.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
Amazon says it never planned to display Trump-era tariffs on product pages, disputing a report that drew a sharp response from the White House.
Nearly 39,000 people have been deported to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and 33,000 of them are Mexican nationals, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 14th wedding anniversary Tuesday with a rare joint appearance on Mull and Iona, their first major public trip since the princess’s cancer treatment.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed Tuesday to enhance economic and defense cooperation, affirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas through force or coercion.
At the Three Seas Initiative summit, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković briefed reporters after talks with leaders from 11 Central- and Eastern-European states, underscoring regional cooperation on energy.
Meta is launching its first-ever AI developer conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday, aiming to re-engage the developer community and spotlight the company’s Llama family of open AI models.
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