The two decisions underscore the confusing — and at times contradictory — nature of the new administration’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce.

A 23-year-old park guide at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Helen Dhue, found out she'd been fired during a layover in Dallas on Friday, on her way home from a National Park Service business trip.

The U.S. Forest Service is laying off 3,400 recent hires, and the National Park Service is terminating 1,000 employees under President Donald Trumps federal spending cuts, according to sources. These cuts impact