Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists he is streamlining a bloated department, but critics warn the cost to America’s standing and influence could be high.

US State Department laid off more than 1,300 workers as part of government efforts to cut federal workforce. According to CNN, the State Department began firing more than 1,300 people on Friday as part of a dramatic overhaul of the agency.

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The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was aware of the reported death of a U.S. citizen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after reports emerged of Israeli settlers fatally beating a Palestinian American.

Dismissals are part of major reorganization of department, which proponents have touted as a streamlining measure and critics say will damage America's global leadership

No State Department official publicly said when the first notices for the planned layoffs would be sent, but the widespread expectation is for the terminations to start as soon as Friday.

The State Department is firing more than 1,300 people on Friday as part of a dramatic overhaul of the agency, according to an internal notice seen by CNN.

The competition’s American Single Malt category was swept by Colorado, helping establish the state as a hotspot for U.S. whiskey production.