The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, announced on Tuesday a reorganization of the State Department to reduce bureaucracy by eliminating about 700 jobs and more than 130 offices from its headquarters in Washington.
The cut is in line with the plans of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tycoon Elon Musk, whom President Donald Trump instructed to drastically reduce the federal Administration’s public spending.
“In the last 15 years, the Department has experienced unprecedented growth and costs have skyrocketed. But far from seeing a return on investment, taxpayers have seen a less effective and efficient diplomacy,” Rubio said in a statement.
The head of US diplomacy said that his plan will “modernize” and “strengthen” the Department, in addition to eliminating “redundant offices and programs that do not fit the national interests of the United States.”
According to CNN, which quoted an anonymous senior official, it is expected to cut about 700 jobs and reduce the Department’s internal offices from the current 734 to 602.
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Offices focused on the study of war crimes and global conflicts are some of those affected by the closure.
Rubio already announced last week the closure of the Center for Global Participation, which was in charge of combating misinformation promoted by countries such as Russia, China or Iran.
The Government also dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest cooperation agency in the world, and its functions were absorbed by the State Department.
At a press conference, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce clarified that this reorganization only affects the headquarters in Washington and does not address, for now, the situation in embassies and consulates.
According to The New York Times newspaper published last week, senior officials are considering closing at least ten embassies, such as those in the Central African Republic, Lesotho, South Sudan, Luxembourg and Malta; and 17 consulates, most of them in European cities.
The broad plan of cuts promoted by Musk within the Government has generated some suspicions and resistance from some federal agencies.
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Bruce made it clear at the press conference that Marco Rubio is the one who leads the reorganization of the State Department, although he also said that he has “learned” from the work of the DOGE led by Musk.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
