DOGE’s days appear to be numbered.

Elon Musk recently suggested that he will be done with his work in the near future. President Donald Trump told reporters this week that “at some point, he’s going to be going back” to running his companies. As far as the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump said “it will end”.

All of that talk was before Musk faced a setback Tuesday in Wisconsin, where voters rejected his choice for a state Supreme Court candidate despite more than $21 million in personal donations and his campaign appearance over the weekend. There are more problems for the billionaire entrepreneur at Tesla, his electric automaker, which saw a 13 percent drop in sales in the first three months of the year.

Now, Trump has told members of his Cabinet and other close contacts that Musk will soon step back from his government role, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing three people close to Trump.

A White House source told Reuters that Musk's investors want him to return to his companies, that his work with DOGE would be done within 130 days, and that he had communicated that to the president multiple times.

Musk was not leaving before his DOGE work was done "and no one is pushing him out", the source added.

The White House has not disclosed any clear timeline for closing down DOGE, and the government cost-cutting organisation was never supposed to become a permanent fixture in Washington. But it could be reaching a conclusion faster than anticipated. DOGE was originally intended to operate until July 4, 2026.

Now there are signs that it already is winding down. DOGE employees have been shifted to various federal agencies, which are supposed to take the lead on cutting costs. Government-wide layoffs are underway to accomplish some of the goals laid out by Musk and Trump.

“We think probably over the next two or three months, we’ll be pretty much satisfied with the people that are working hard and want to be members of the administration,” Trump said last week.

The potential end of DOGE does not mean Trump will stop shaking up Washington. But it appears the administration’s efforts will be entering a new phase that is less focused on Musk, whose chainsaw-wielding work as a presidential adviser made him a political lightning rod.

DOGE was initially envisioned as an independent advisory panel, with Musk sharing leadership with Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur. Ramaswamy dropped out and is running for Ohio governor, and DOGE became part of the government. It was stocked with Musk's allies, who were dispatched throughout the bureaucracy to cancel contracts, access sensitive data and push for cuts. 

Musk presumably has a ticking clock on his tenure. He was hired as a special government employee, which means he can only work 130 days in a 365-day time period.

“I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk told Bret Baier of Fox News on March 27. So far DOGE is well short of that target, according to its own calculations, which have been criticized as inflated and inaccurate. 

Musk did not commit to leaving the administration by any particular date, and it is unclear how the administration is tracking Musk’s time. On May 30, it will be 130 days since Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Trump told reporters on Monday in the Oval Office that “I’d keep him as long as I could keep him” and “he’s a very talented guy”.

The Republican president was known for explosive breakups with top advisers during his first term, but anyone hoping for such a split with Musk has been disappointed.

“I think he’s amazing, but I also think he’s got a big company to run,” Trump said. “And so, at some point, he’s going to be going back.”

Asked if DOGE would continue without Musk, Trump demurred. He said Cabinet officials have worked closely with Musk and may keep some of the DOGE people at their agencies.

“But at a certain point I think it will end,” Trump said.

Musk's poll numbers lag behind Trump's, which Democrats believe they were able to use to their advantage in Wisconsin. 

Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, who Musk supported, and ensured the state Supreme Court's liberal majority. 

In the closing days of that campaign, Musk described the race as “important for the future of civilisation”. He struck a different tone afterward.

“I expected to lose, but there is value to losing a piece for a positional gain,” Musk wrote on X at 3:13am.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and Reuters)

Lockheed Martin has secured a contract worth up to US$4.94 billion from the U.S. Army to produce Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), which are set to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

The missiles, designed to be compatible with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a truck-mounted rocket artillery system, and the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), are poised to enhance the U.S. military’s long-range precision strike capabilities while offering allies a powerful tool for deterrence and defense.

“Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering this deterrent capability in support of the Army’s vision for a lethal and resilient force,” said Carolyn Orzechowski, vice president of precision fire launchers and missiles at Lockheed Martin.

“Our team remains focused on advancing the production at speed and scale, ensuring the warfighter receives this critical capability to maintain peace through strength.”

The PrSM, with a range exceeding 499 kilometers, features an open systems architecture allowing incremental upgrades, including longer-range variants and diverse explosive payloads.

Structured as an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, this agreement provides the Army with flexibility in ordering units as battlefield needs evolve.

The announcement comes amid a shifting global security landscape, where long-range precision munitions have become pivotal in modern warfare.

To understand the significance of the PrSM, it’s worth examining the legacy of its predecessor, the ATACMS, particularly its role in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, and how the PrSM is set to build on that foundation to reshape battlefield dynamics.

The ATACMS, first introduced in the 1990s, has been a cornerstone of U.S. long-range precision strike capabilities.

With a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and compatibility with both HIMARS and MLRS platforms, it provided the U.S. Army with a reliable means to strike high-value targets deep behind enemy lines. However, it wasn’t until its deployment in Ukraine in 2023 that the ATACMS truly demonstrated its transformative potential in a contemporary conflict.

For months, Ukraine lobbied the United States to supply ATACMS to counter Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022.

The Biden administration initially hesitated, citing concerns over escalation and the strain on U.S. stockpiles. However, by October 2023, the U.S. relented, delivering a limited number of ATACMS to Ukraine. The impact was immediate and profound.

On October 17, 2023, Ukrainian forces used ATACMS to strike two Russian airfields in occupied territory, reportedly destroying multiple helicopters, an air control tower, and ammunition depots. This attack disrupted Russia’s air operations and showcased the missile’s ability to penetrate deep into contested zones.

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The ATACMS’ success in Ukraine stemmed from several key attributes. Its GPS-guided precision allowed Ukrainian forces to target critical infrastructure with minimal collateral damage, while its 300-kilometer range enabled strikes beyond the reach of most Russian counter-battery systems.

The missile’s compatibility with the HIMARS platform—a lightweight, mobile launcher already in Ukraine’s arsenal—further amplified its effectiveness. HIMARS, with its ability to “shoot and scoot,” could fire an ATACMS and relocate before Russian forces could respond, frustrating Moscow’s attempts to neutralize the threat.

The ATACMS created a strategic headache for the Russian military. It forced a reevaluation of defensive postures, removing high-value assets like airfields, command centers, and logistics hubs from the front lines.

However, the ATACMS was not without limitations. Its single-missile pod configuration limited the volume of fire from each launcher, and its 300-kilometer range, while impressive, was insufficient to reach some of Russia’s deepest strategic targets, such as military bases in Crimea or beyond.

Moreover, the aging design—some missiles in the U.S. inventory date back over 30 years—raised questions about reliability and sustainability in prolonged conflicts. These shortcomings highlighted the need for a next-generation system, paving the way for the PrSM.

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The PrSM: Building On The ATACMS Foundation

The Precision Strike Missile represents a leap forward from the ATACMS, addressing its predecessor’s limitations while introducing new capabilities tailored to modern warfare.

With a range exceeding 499 kilometers, the PrSM’s reach is greater than the ATACMS’, allowing it to strike targets deeper in enemy territory. Its thinner, sleeker design enables two missiles to fit in a single HIMARS or MLRS pod, doubling the firepower per launch compared to the ATACMS’ one-missile configuration.

The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program originated from the Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) initiative. In 2016, Raytheon Technologies proposed a new replacement for the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

That same year, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) within the U.S. Department of Defense approved the LRPF missile’s Milestone A test and evaluation master plan. The program advanced to the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase in March 2017.

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Under the TMRR phase, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon were awarded contracts to develop prototypes and conduct flight tests. The program was renamed PrSM to eliminate confusion while forming the Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team (LRPF CFT).

Raytheon introduced its DeepStrike missile as a next-generation solution and carried out a static test of its rocket motor in April 2019, followed by an advanced warhead test in May 2019. However, due to technical difficulties during component testing, Raytheon was unable to conduct flight tests and withdrew from the PrSM competition.

In August 2021, the Australian Defence Forces and the U.S. Army signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on developing precision missile capabilities. Australia contributed US$51.48 million to the US$667.04 million PrSM program.

A New Era Of Deterrence and Dominance

The PrSM’s introduction will have far-reaching implications for U.S. and allied forces, particularly in contested regions like Eastern Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East. In the context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the PrSM can amplify Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian operations.

A 499-kilometer range could bring key Russian bases in Crimea and western Russia within reach, forcing Moscow to disperse its forces further and expend resources on additional air defenses. The doubled loadout would have allowed Ukrainian HIMARS units to deliver more devastating salvos, overwhelming Russian countermeasures and increasing the likelihood of mission success.

Against a peer adversary like Russia, the PrSM’s extended range and precision could shift the balance in a NATO-Russia confrontation.

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By putting Russian assets at greater risk, it strengthens deterrence, discouraging aggression along NATO’s eastern flank. The missile’s compatibility with HIMARS and MLRS systems already fielded by allies like Poland, Romania, and the UK enhances coalition interoperability, enabling unified responses to threats.

The PrSM’s anti-ship variant adds another dimension. In a maritime conflict, such as a potential clash in the South China Sea, it could target enemy vessels from land-based launchers, complicating an adversary’s naval strategy. This capability aligns with the U.S. military’s Joint All-Domain Operations concept, integrating land, sea, and air forces to dominate contested spaces.

Challenges & Considerations

Despite its promise, the PrSM faces challenges. Scaling production to meet demand—reflected in the US$4.94 billion IDIQ contract—will test Lockheed Martin’s supply chain, especially amid global shortages of critical components like semiconductors.

The transition from ATACMS to PrSM also requires training and logistical adjustments for U.S. and allied forces, a process that could take years. Moreover, the missile’s cost—estimated at US$3.5 million per unit—may limit procurement numbers, particularly for smaller allies.

On the battlefield, adversaries like Russia and China are unlikely to stand still. Both nations are developing hypersonic weapons and advanced air defenses, which could challenge the PrSM’s effectiveness. Countering these systems will require ongoing investment in electronic warfare and seeker technology to ensure the missile remains viable.

The PrSM builds on the ATACMS’ legacy as a game changer, offering greater range, firepower, and adaptability. Its deployment will enhance U.S. and allied deterrence, providing a credible counter to peer adversaries while supporting partners in active conflicts.

• Via: ET News Desk
• Mail us at: editor (at) <a href="http://eurasiantimes.com" rel="nofollow">eurasiantimes.com</a>

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been charged with a new federal indictment weeks before his trial is due to start.

The US rapper was hit with five new criminal counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking, according to court records.

Previous accusations include sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He was already charged with three criminal counts, which he denies, and earlier this month pleaded not guilty to new indictments.

Combs’ trial is set for May 5 in Manhattan and is currently behind bars, having been taken into custody in September 2024.

If found guilty, the mandatory minimum sentence he could face for the charges is 15 years, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Since his arrest, Combs has been denied bail multiple times after the US Magistrate Judge Robyn F Tarnofsky said she had ‘very significant concerns’.

When he put in his ‘not guilty’ plea, his legal team are said to have offered a $50million (£37.8million) package to secure his release on bail.

The judge, according to AP, voiced concerns over his alleged substance abuse and ‘what appears to be anger issues.’

Alternatives to denying him bail were considered but she didn’t think they were sufficient because many of the allegations happened behind closed doors.

An estimated 60 civil lawsuits have also been filed against Combs, including a $10million (£7.85million) lawsuit after allegedly dangling a woman from a 17th-floor balcony.

One case, filed in January by an anonymous woman, claimed she was lured into his car after babysitting and assaulted by Combs.

The alleged victim said she went into his car ‘after much cajoling’, where two of his associates were also sat, and was given a drink to ‘calm her down’ — rapidly becoming groggy.

She claims Combs then sexually assaulted her before the two other men dropped her home.

Another case was put forward by an unnamed man who claimed Combs sexually assaulted him at a hotel in New York in 2005, when he was aged just 10, during an ‘audition’.

A different lawsuit from October 2024, via CNN, alleges that ‘Combs asked Plaintiff hypothetical questions about handling situations involving sexual pressure’, during a one-on-one interview on the first day of reality show Making the Band.

Another report stated that five civil lawsuits were filed at once, including a claim that he raped and drugged one female plaintiff when she was 13 years old.

One woman has come forward alleging that he violently raped her in 2001, alongside his head of security, Joseph Sherman.

She said after being invited to meet Combs, while dating one of his employees, she was given a drink ‘likely laced with a drug’ and lost consciousness.

Waving her anonymity, Thalia Graves claimed that she later woke up restrained, when they sexually abused and violated her, ‘mercilessly raping her anally and vaginally’.

Other accusations stem from his so-called ‘Freak-Off’ parties, with documents and videos reportedly seen by the New York Post said to show Combs held at least three of these raucous sex parties.

The federal indictment was unsealed and includes allegations that Combs coerced multiple alleged victims into sex acts, known as ‘freak offs’.

He allegedly organised and directed the ‘freak offs’, and is accused of ‘directing, masturbating during, and often electronically recording’ them.

Over 100 people are said to be planning to sue Combs in allegations from unnamed accusers who were as young as 9 at the time.

The timeline of accusations against the rapper is extensive, with previous allegations and court cases stretching back to the 90s.

Combs has denied all allegations against him.

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday declassified a host of materials from the FBI’s 2016 investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia, the latest instance of Trump using the power of his office to relitigate his past political grievances.

In signing the executive action, Trump completed a process he started during the final days of his first term, when he ordered a full declassification of the FBI’s Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane.

That effort led to a behind the scenes scramble as Republican aides and Trump officials worked to collect and redact a binder filled with highly classified material. Trump officially declassified the material on January 19, 2021, during his last full day in office, but the documents were never made public. An unredacted copy of the binder ended up mysteriously disappearing, as CNN first reported in 2023.

Among the binder’s contents were reams of information about the Russia investigation, including highly sensitive raw intelligence the US and its NATO allies collected on Russians and Russian agents that informed the US government’s assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Trump win the 2016 election. That material is likely to be redacted in the documents that are being released publicly.

It also included classified information about the FBI’s problematic foreign intelligence surveillance warrants on a Trump campaign adviser from 2017; interview notes with infamous dossier author Christopher Steele, and internal FBI and DOJ text messages and emails, among other documents.

Trump noted in his memorandum that material the FBI proposed for redactions in January 2021 should remain classified, as well as “materials that must be protected from disclosure pursuant to orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.”

“At my direction, the Department of Justice has already started the process in order to release materials related to the FBI’s infamous Crossfire Hurricane investigation, an example of weaponized government against President Trump at its worst that must never be allowed to happen again,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Tuesday’s order is one of several ways Trump went after the Russia investigation since returning to office, as part of his broader crackdown on his perceived political enemies and those who have investigated him over the past eight years. Trump also signed an executive order Tuesday today directing agencies to suspend the security clearances and access to federal buildings of lawyers from the firm Jenner & Block.

The law firm previously employed former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who led the successful prosecution of Trump’s 2016 campaign leader Paul Manafort as one of the top prosecutors in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Trump’s allies have pushed for the release of the binder since his election, including his FBI Director, Kash Patel.

“Put out the documents. Put out the evidence. We only have gotten halfway down the Russiagate hole,” Patel said on Fox News in November, before he was tapped to lead the FBI. “The people need to know that their FBI is restored by knowing full well what they did to unlawfully surveil them.”

The FBI in 2023 released some redacted documents from the Crossfire Hurricane investigation in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. But John Solomon – a conservative journalist Trump tapped as his representative to the Archives to try to obtain the documents in 2022 – said the disclosures were insufficient, according to a lawsuit Solomon had previously filed to try to obtain the binder documents from the Biden administration.

CNN’s Evan Perez contributed to this report.