
Rep. Sorensen questions Hegseth about Rock Island layoffs, voiding union contracts
Sorensen questioned Hegseth about the decision to cut up to 150 jobs at Rock Island Arsenal during a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on April 29.

Sorensen questioned Hegseth about the decision to cut up to 150 jobs at Rock Island Arsenal during a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on April 29.

It’s unclear how many of those jobs are in Normal; a Rivian spokesperson said no manufacturing operations employees are impacted.

In a media statement, the Moline-based tractor manufacturer cited decreased demand and lower order volumes for workforce reductions in East Moline, Moline, and Waterloo.

In a statement, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, called the court’s decision “another definitive victory for the President and his administration.”

National Weather Service offices across the country are suspending or reducing weather balloon flights due to low staffing. Meteorologists say the loss of data could lead to forecasting challenges and less accurate long-term outlooks.

According to a company spokesperson, the layoffs will not affect the Belvidere assembly plant. It’s scheduled to re-open in 2027 to build a mid-size pickup truck.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy” in a video announcing the restructuring Thursday.