Things Musk (and Trump) Did... Day 26 | Blog#42
Still flooding the zone with malevolence...
Please keep a tab open to this post as it gets continuous updates and only one email goes out when I first publish the post, but not when I update it.
I usually make updates several times an hour. The newest items appear at the bottom.
Yesterday’s post
For new readers
Rep. Jamie Raskin: Eric Adams deal ‘saturated with corruption’
Federal prosecutors resign after refusing to drop Eric Adams charges
Justice Department moves to dismiss case against New York mayor
Jamie Raskin: Deal 'reflects the larger theme' of what Trump is doing
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md) criticized the dropping of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams after prosecutors resigned.
“The whole thing is saturated in corruption,” Raskin said Friday during an appearance on NewsNation’s “CUOMO.”
“To me, it reflects the larger theme of what this administration is about,” he told host Chris Cuomo.
In the Friday filing, Justice Department officials reiterated concerns in a Monday order directing federal prosecutors to dismiss charges against the mayor, a decision that was reached despite officials saying that prosecutors did nothing wrong and without assessing the strength of the case.
Continue reading at The Hill
Democrats see small wins in low-key races, fueling hopes for November
Democrats are already seeing some small victories in under-the-radar races in the beginning of 2025, with the party hoping they can maintain that energy heading into November as they look to flip the Virginia governor’s mansion and hold off GOP opponents in other elections.
The party flipped a state Senate seat in Iowa last month, while a Democrat recently ousted a conservative mayor in Norman, Okla. Meanwhile, in New York, Democrat Ken Jenkins won a county executive seat, improving on the party’s November performance there. And last month, the Democrats retained their control over a Loudoun County, Va.-area state House and Senate seats after the party underperformed in November.
The victories continue a trend the party has seen for multiple cycles in which it has won big in off-year elections where President Trump wasn’t on the ballot.
Continue reading at The Hill
7 most likely GOP successors to Trump in 2028
President Trump raised eyebrows in an interview that aired Monday after he declined to name Vice President Vance as his automatic successor ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
“No, but he is very capable,” Trump told fox News’ Bret Baier when asked if he viewed Vance as his 2028 successor.
“I think you have a lot of very capable people,” the president said. “So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.”
Trump is term-limited in 2028, having already served a non-consecutive term as president. While the next presidential contest is four years away, Trump will likely be expected to make an endorsement shortly after the midterms next year.
Here are seven potential Republican successors to Trump.
Continue reading at The Hill
Last living American hostage released from Hamas as frail ceasefire stands
The last living Israeli American hostage was among the three men released by Hamas Saturday as the frail ceasefire was held up despite threats from the Palestinian militant group earlier in the week that may have upended the deal.
Hamas released Israeli Argentinian Iair Horn, 46, Israeli American Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov on Saturday in Khan Younis, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.
All three men were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, when they killed around 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 people captive.
Continue reading at The Hill
Hamas releases three hostages, including U.S. citizen Sagui Dekel Chen
Hamas released three hostages on Saturday, including American citizen Sagui Dekel Chen, as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Why it matters: Hamas' decision to comply with the deal's original terms ended the standoff that imperiled the fragile ceasefire agreement.
Another 14 hostages are supposed to be released in the next two weeks as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, six of them are alive.
Like previous releases in recent weeks, Hamas organized a public "ceremony" and paraded Sagui Dekel Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn before handing them over to the Red Cross.
36 Palestinian prisoners who were serving life sentences for murdering Israelis and 333 Palestinians who were detained by the IDF in Gaza during the war were released on Saturday.
Continue reading at Axios
France 24 coverage
Palin keeping door open to joining Trump administration
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) signaled Friday that she would be honored to serve in President Trump’s second administration but admitted she hasn’t been reached out to.
“I thought that there would be a position in Energy in that Department because that’s my baby is wanting energy independence for America. You know, that’s all about security and sovereignty of our nation is to be energy independent,” she said Friday in an interview with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert. “But that hasn’t happened.”
Palin, who ran for vice president alongside the late Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, argued there are “gatekeepers” in the administration — pointing to her inability to receive credentials to attend the 2024 Republican National Convention last July.
Continue reading at The Hill
‘Like a tornado hit’: Stunned federal workers take stock of mass layoffs — and brace for repercussions
The Trump administration could face political backlash from voters in Republican and Democratic states who suddenly find a host of services vanish.
Americans could soon start to feel the repercussions of the Trump administration’s decision to fire thousands of government workers — from public safety to health benefits and basic services that they have come to rely on.
Trump’s directive to slash thousands of jobs across agencies is leaving gaping holes in the government, with thousands of workers being laid off from the Education Department, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Veterans Affairs and multiple others.
At the U.S. Forest Service, where some 3,400 workers are slated to be cut, wildfire prevention will be curtailed as the West grapples with a destructive fire season that has destroyed millions of acres in California.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wasn’t spared: Almost half of the agency’s 2,800 probationary employees were cut while about 400 employees appeared to have taken the “buy-out” offer, meaning the agency responsible for protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other health hazards will lose about a tenth of its workforce. That’s on top of more than 2,000 probationary employees fired from the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC’s parent agency.
Continue reading at Politico
Top Republican senator: Ukraine should automatically join NATO if Russia invades again
Republican senator says US should continue to send weapons to Ukraine.
MUNICH — United States Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday proposed a conditional path for Ukraine’s NATO membership, suggesting automatic entry if Russia invades again.
"If you can't get them into NATO right now, my idea with [former U.K. Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is to be really clear: Tell Putin if you ever do this again, if there's another incursion by Russia into Ukraine, that leads to automatic admission into NATO by Ukraine as a tripwire," Graham said.
He also said the U.S. should continue to send weapons to Ukraine. “We need to continue to build up the capability of the Ukrainian military. Arm them to the teeth, give them a bunch of F-16s.”
Graham (R-S.C.) made the comments during an interview with POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at the Munich Security Conference.
Continue reading at Politico
Ukraine balks at signing Trump deal to hand over its mineral wealth
The U.S. and Ukraine are back-and-forthing on a deal to exploit Kyiv’s rare earths in return for Washington’s support.
KYIV — Despite U.S. insistence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to sign a draft agreement to hand over half of his country’s rare earth minerals to American companies in exchange for military support, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
“The deal was not signed yet. Sides are discussing the details,” said a Ukrainian official familiar with the negotiations who was granted anonymity to discuss ongoing talks. “Lawyers are working on it. In their draft, the U.S. has described a very complicated way how they want to get 50 percent [of Ukraine’s rare earths].”
The official added that the U.S. scheme “might not work” as it could fall afoul of Ukrainian law.
Kyiv has been actively trying to entice the transactional U.S. president to see Ukraine’s mineral wealth as a solid reason to continue backing it against the Russian invasion.
Donald Trump’s officials have suggested a mineral deal could be an “economic shield that would show the Russians U.S. has interests in Ukraine.”
Continue reading at Politico Europe
BR 24 (German News service) interview with Volodymyr Zelensky
Trump officials defend HHS cuts as more methodical than the slashing at other agencies
The administration’s Friday night message comes as a sharp departure from the approach that Trump and DOGE have taken to cuts in other federal departments and agencies.
The Trump administration has taken a sledgehammer to the federal government as it tries to cut costs and workforce. But administration officials on Friday defended the cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services as far more surgical.
HHS, in coordination with the Department of Government Efficiency, on Friday began the process of dismissing 3,600 probationary employees, according to administration officials, who were granted anonymity to share details that have not yet been made public.
But as criticism grew on Friday over the Trump administration’s dismissal of thousands of workers across the federal government, the officials stressed that employees in key areas — namely politically sensitive staffers such as CDC and FDA scientists, frontline health care workers and Medicare employees — had been exempted. At HHS, administration officials excluded roughly 4,000 employees who were determined to work in critical areas, the officials said.
Continue reading at Politico
Note from Rima: There is also the matter of the employees in charge of the US nuclear arsenal having been fired without anyone realizing what their job is. See yesterday’s post.
Kindergarteners could learn gun safety in school under a bill gaining momentum in Utah
The measure places an undue burden on children instead of parents, some gun violence prevention advocates say.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah students in as early as kindergarten would be required to learn about firearm safety in the classroom under a bill that passed the state House with overwhelming support Friday.
The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure in a 59-10 vote and sent it to the Senate, despite concerns from some gun violence prevention advocates that it places an undue burden on children.
Under the proposal, public school students would receive mandatory instruction throughout their K-12 years on how to respond if they encounter a gun. The lessons, which could be presented in a video or by an instructor displaying an actual firearm, would demonstrate best practices for safely handling and storing a gun to prevent accidents.
Continue reading at Politico
Rutte: NATO spending target will be ‘considerably more than 3 percent’
“The U.S. is rightly asking for a rebalancing of that,” said Rutte. “It’s totally logical.”
MUNICH — NATO members will have to boost their defense spending by “considerably more than 3 percent” of GDP, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Saturday during an interview at the POLITICO Pub on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that allies commit 5 percent of their GDP to defense, a dramatic ramp-up on the 2 percent the defense alliance agreed on over a decade ago but that is now seen as too low to deal with the threat posed by Russia and the need to rearm while also sending weapons to Ukraine.
The future target should be agreed at NATO leaders' summit in June in The Hague.
“Over the next couple of months we will get convergence" on the budget goal, Rutte said, adding that to increase spending "we will have to prioritize defense over other stuff.” That's a reference to governments having to make difficult decisions on military spending over popular social welfare programs.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump strangles Europe
President Trump stunned, strangled and humiliated Europe — leaving America's closest continental ally dazed and dumbfounded.
That was over the course of three short days this week.
The big picture: No amount of "Trump-proofing" could have prepared Europe for the MAGA-shaped hurricane that swept across the continent this week, wreaking torrential havoc on America's closest allies.
Driving the news: Trump left NATO and Ukraine still reeling with his initiation of direct peace talks with Russia, without Ukraine fully in the loop or other European leaders even in the conversation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth perplexed and perturbed allies on his first visit to NATO by seemingly taking some of Ukraine's bargaining chips off the table before those talks began. He also demanded that Europe take ownership of its own defense so the U.S. could focus on the more urgent threat from China.
Back at home, Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffs on every country that imposes import duties on the U.S., likely affecting $600 billion worth of goods from the EU.
Continue reading at Axios
German officials hit back at Vance over censorship lecture: ‘Unacceptable’
Germany’s top government officials hit back at Vice President Vance over his Friday speech in Munich where he lambasted European leaders, accusing them of quashing speech they disagreed with and warned that mass migration is one the biggest problems facing the European continent.
“And what I worry about is the threat from within,” Vance said during his first international speech at the Munich Security Conference. “The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”
Vance’s remarks were not well received by Germany’s top officials who hammered the vice president over his free-speech critique and embrace of the country’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump defends Vance’s stance on censorship overseas: ‘Europe has to be careful’
“I heard his speech and he talked about freedom of speech. And I think it’s true in Europe, it’s losing,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday during his latest signing of executive orders. “They’re losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech. I see it. I mean, I thought he made a very good speech, actually, a very brilliant speech.”
“Europe has to be careful. And he talked about immigration. And Europe has a big immigration problem,” the president added, defending his second in command. “Just take a look at what’s happened with crime. Take a look at what’s happening in various parts of Europe.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Americans’ views of the war in Ukraine continue to differ by party
Americans remain largely divided along partisan lines over U.S. aid to Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia’s military invasion.
Republicans and Democrats also differ widely over whether the United States benefits from NATO membership and whether European countries are spending enough on their own defense, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. 3-9, 2025.
Note: This survey was fielded prior to President Donald Trump’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s comments on Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
Views of U.S. support for Ukraine
Overall, 30% of American adults say the U.S. is providing too much support to Ukraine in its war with Russia. That’s up slightly from 27% in November 2024, just after the U.S. presidential election. At the same time, the share of adults who believe the U.S. is not providing enough support to Ukraine has increased slightly: 22% say this, up from 18% in November. These shifts mean that U.S. opinion about support for Ukraine is now closer to preelection levels.
About one-in-five Americans (23%) say the level of U.S. support for Ukraine is about right, down slightly from 25% in November. Another 24% say they are not sure, down from 29% over the same period.
Continue reading at Pew Research Foundation
MLK's family fears records set for release will contain FBI "smears"
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family is concerned that President Trump's order to release records about his assassination could revive the FBI's attempts to discredit him — efforts that sought to exploit his indiscretions and undermine his legacy, sources close to his relatives tell Axios.
The family requested a sneak preview of the records prior to their release. Trump declined, a White House official said, but not out of animus toward the family.
Why it matters: The brewing controversy pits Trump's determination to release documents the government has kept secret for more than a half-century against the family's lingering pain over how J. Edgar Hoover's FBI spied on King and tried to intimidate and humiliate him.
Continue reading at Axios
Tracking Trump: Workforce cuts, Putin talks, DOJ drama
President Trump and his administration have initiated a flurry of policy changes and executive actions since assuming office.
For those finding it hard to keep up with the rapid pace, here's a summary of key developments this past week.
Trump staffing cuts begin
Trump began promised federal staff cuts with an executive order and an email to fired employees on Tuesday.
With his sights set on "eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity," the president detailed in the order a goal of optimizing the federal workforce through the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Continue reading at Axios
HillmanTok University: How Black educators created a TikTok HBCU
TikTok University, a place where users share educational content is becoming a hub for Black educators, with the help of HillmanTok University.
Why it matters: As the Trump administration cuts DEI staff and corporations follow suit, TikTok users are increasingly engaging with DEI and Black history content.
HillmanTok is a way for students of all ages and backgrounds to learn along with an HBCU-like community.
Catch up quick: Leah Barlow, an African American Studies professor at North Carolina A&T State University, created @afamstudies as a resource for her students. Her first video unexpectedly went viral (4.4 million views). Other creators were then inspired to share their knowledge in their own "courses."
Continue reading at Axios
HOA fees are becoming more common — and costly
More houses for sale in 2024 came with homeowners association fees, and those dues rose from 2023, according to a recent report.
Why it matters: For many homebuyers, HOA fees are another financial hurdle in an already tough market.
The big picture: HOA dues typically cover maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms, plus other costs that keep a community running.
They're common in areas full of condos, townhouses and newly built single-family homes, per the report by Realtor.com.
Friction point: HOAs often enforce strict rules on everything from holiday decor to lawn care, with fines for residents who fail to comply.
Continue reading at Axios
People flock to backyard chickens as egg prices spike
One way to deal with an egg shortage: Hatch your own.
Why it matters: When egg prices skyrocket, more people in the U.S. consider getting — and even renting — backyard chickens.
By the numbers: 11 million U.S. households have backyard chickens, making chickens the third most popular pet in the country, according to the latest data from the American Pet Products Association.
That's way more than had backyard chickens in 2018 (5.8 million), per APPA data.
The fine print: The Department of Agriculture has data on poultry kept on farms, but doesn't track numbers of backyard chickens.
Continue reading at Axios
Trump moves with dizzying speed on his to-do list. But there are warning signs in his first month
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump approaches the first-month mark in his second term, he has moved with dizzying speed and blunt force to reorder American social and political norms and the economy while redefining the U.S. role in the world.
At the same time, he has empowered Elon Musk, an unelected, South African-born billionaire, to help engineer the firing of thousands of federal employees and potentially shutter entire agencies created by Congress.
Those efforts have largely overshadowed Trump’s crackdowns on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, and his efforts to remake social policy by wiping out diversity, equity and inclusion programs and rolling back transgender rights.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
From yesterday on CNN
Hungary’s transformation into an ‘electoral autocracy’ has parallels to Trump’s second term
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hours before President Donald Trump was sworn in to begin his second term, promising a “golden age” for America, the leader of a Central European country was describing the years ahead in strikingly similar terms.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Trump’s return would usher in Hungary’s own “golden age” and mark the “collapse” of liberal democracy.
The messaging overlap was no surprise.
Orbán’s strongman style has long served as an inspiration for U.S. conservatives, who have looked at Hungary as a possible model for a right-wing America with less immigration, fewer regulations and the removal of democratic constraints they see as unwieldy or inconvenient.
Orbán has formed a close bond with Trump and has made multiple visits to the president’s Florida resort. This week, the prime minister praised Trump’s unilateral outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. During one of last year’s U.S. presidential debates, Trump praised Orbán as “a strong man. He’s a tough person.”
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Consumer watchdog agency called ‘vicious’ by Trump seen as a ‘hero’ to many it aided
NEW YORK (AP) — To President Donald Trump, it’s a hotbed of “waste, fraud and abuse” whose only purpose is to “destroy people” and whose staff amounts to a “vicious group.”
To Jonathon Booth, it’s simply the agency that helped him get $17 back.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in the crosshairs of a White House that has halted its work, closed its headquarters and fired scores of its workers. But to many who have turned to the agency, it has been an effective problem-solver that fought abusive businesses when no one else would.
“This is the core of consumer protection – someone willing to help with stuff that’s small enough that no one would sue over,” says Booth, a 34-year-old professor from Boulder, Colorado, who filed a complaint with CFPB in October when his credit card company wouldn’t remove an errant late fee. “If there’s no one watching, if the risk of getting caught goes down, more companies will bend the law to make money.”
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Missouri judge moves to temporarily block ‘discriminatory’ abortion restrictions
A Missouri Circuit Court judge moved to temporarily block the state’s “discriminatory” abortion restriction, striking down a licensing requirement for clinics providing the procedure.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang blocked the licensing requirement Friday evening, which abortion advocates and providers argued was a crucial step in permitting procedures in the state.
Zhang, in a three-page ruling, wrote that the “facility licensing requirement is facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Abortion access to restart in Missouri, clinics say, following state court ruling
The court blocked a restriction that had prevented clinics from operating. But the fight over abortion is far from over.
Abortion access is restored in Missouri, providers said, after a state court on Friday blocked restrictions that had prevented them from operating, a major win for abortion rights activists in a Republican-controlled state.
Missouri was one of several states that had a constitutional amendment establishing the right to abortion on the ballot last November. It passed with a narrow majority following the state’s near-total ban that went into effect following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Planned Parenthood then sued to overturn regulations that they said made access to the procedure in the state impossible in practice.
Continue reading at Politico
Two earthquakes near Malibu rattle L.A. region
The first was reported around 11:44 p.m. Friday and was registered as a magnitude 3.7.
It was felt across the Westside, San Fernando Valley and Ventura County as well as in the Los Angeles basin and South Bay.
A second quake, which was measured as a magnitude 3.5, struck in the same area at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. Residents in Ventura County reported feeling a sharp jolt and triggered some car alarms.
Continue reading at the Los Angeles Times
Playbook: GOP confronts a continental divide
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Far-right activist Jack Posobiec traveled to Ukraine with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and was in the room when the secretary greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of their private meeting, POLITICO’s Dasha Burns reports.
The background: Earlier this week, WaPo reported that Posobiec was invited to travel with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sparking alarm from some in the defense world. But the MAGA influencer says he instead opted to travel to Ukraine with Bessent, whose team reached out to Posobiec before the trip was made public. He was invited as media in his role as an influencer. (Mainstream journalists were also among the attendees, including Ed Lawrence from Fox Business.)
A new era: Posobiec — whose record of far-right activism includes promoting conspiracy theories and associating with white nationalists — has long been a controversial figure, and would have been considered fringe during prior administrations. But now, he’s in position to bear witness to key moments on one of the world’s most consequential issues.
The meeting: Posobiec tells POLITICO that Bessent and team went to Ukraine with the goal of getting Zelenskyy to sign an economic agreement. “It’s been referred to as the mineral deal, although there were other aspects to it besides just minerals,” Posobiec says, noting it also targeted resources like oil and gas. “The economic relationship was meant to be a strong signal both to the Ukrainian people and to Russian leadership that the U.S. would not be abandoning Ukraine.”
The timing: The meeting happened right after Hegseth’s speech and right before President Donald Trump posted online that he’d spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More details: “It was Bessent’s first trip since he was confirmed,” Posobiec says. “He repeated over and over that it was a big signal to Ukrainian leadership that [the] United States intends to continue a relationship with Ukraine even after any peace deal that’s done.”
Ukraine’s reaction: “The big piece of it was there was no security guarantee, which became a big sticking point for the Ukrainians,” Posobiec says. “Zelenskyy repeated over and over the need for a security guarantee,” and indicated he’s looking for another arms deal as well as a security agreement. “It seemed Zelenskyy was not happy with what had been presented, and he also stated that he wanted to speak to the president.”
How Trump world sees it: “The president wants to support the Ukrainian people, but billions of dollars have been spent, so the question is what do we do going forward?” a person familiar with the situation tells Playbook. “And that is Secretary Bessent’s expertise — understanding global economics and financial agreements. A big part of this is fairness for Americans and making sure the U.S. gets some reciprocal benefits.”
A representative for Zelenskyy did not respond to POLITICO’s request for comment by publishing time.
Continue reading at Politico Playbook newsletter
Bill Would Allow AI to Prescribe Drugs
— Physicians respond to proposed legislation, saying the technology isn't there yet
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to prescribe medications to patients -- if a new bill makes its way through Congress.
The proposed legislationopens in a new tab or window, sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify that AI and machine learning technologies can qualify as a practitioner eligible to prescribe drugs if authorized by the state involved and approved by the FDA.
The bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in January.
But Adam Rodman, MD, MPH, a hospitalist and director of AI programs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, told MedPage Today that the technology is not nearly where it needs to be for this kind of prescribing.
Continue reading at MedPageToday
5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19
Most Americans say the pandemic drove the country apart
The most significant pandemic of our lifetime arrived as the United States was experiencing three major societal trends: a growing divide between partisans of the left and right, decreasing trust in many institutions, and a massive splintering of the information environment.
COVID-19 did not cause any of this, but these forces fueled the country’s divided response. Looking back, nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72%) say the pandemic did more to drive the country apart than to bring it together.
Fundamental differences arose between Americans over what we expect from our government, how much tolerance we have for health risks, and which groups and sectors to prioritize in a pandemic. Many of these divides continue to play out in the nation’s politics today.
Continue reading at Pew Research Foundation
Most Americans say it would be ‘too risky’ to give presidents, including Trump, more power
In his first few weeks in office, President Donald Trump has moved quickly to assert – and attempt to expand – the power of the presidency. He has issued a record number of early-term executive orders and taken accompanying actions, many of which face legal challenges.
But a new Pew Research Center survey finds that Americans are skeptical about expanding the scope of presidential powers – both for Trump specifically and for presidents in general:
65% of U.S. adults say it would be “too risky” to give Trump more power to deal directly with many of the nation’s problems. Just 33% take the view that “many of the country’s problems could be dealt with more effectively if Trump didn’t have to worry so much about Congress or the courts.”
Even more Americans – 78% – express concerns about expanding presidential power when asked about U.S. presidents in general.
Continue reading at Pew Research Foundation
‘No Buy 2025’: Inflation-inspired challenge trends on TikTok
(NEXSTAR) – Frustrated by rising prices and overconsumption, a growing league of people are swearing off unnecessary purchases altogether. The “No Buy 2025” challenge has garnered thousands of posts on TikTok with many people sharing their personal rules for a year of buying less.
Despite its “No Buy” name, the trend is more about putting entire categories of spending off limits, or cutting far back on nonessentials. It’s obviously not feasible to swear off buying groceries, gas and other necessities.
Common “no buy” items include new clothing, makeup or impulse purchases you might make while out shopping, but everyone’s personal no-buy list is different. A big part of the trend is making a list and sticking with it.
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump foreign aid freeze deals heavy blow to family planning efforts abroad
In the first week after President Trump signed the executive order directing the pause on his first day in office, it caused more than 912,000 women and girls to be denied family planning care throughout the dozens of countries that receive U.S. aid, according to one analysis from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights research group.
That analysis also projected that at least 8,340 pregnant people would die as a result of the pause by the end of the 90-day period in April.
In many countries, the pause has caused clinics to reduce staff, according to reproductive rights advocacy group Population Action International, and has frozen a number of remaining aid workers in place amid the chaos and uncertainty that have surrounded the order.
Continue reading at The Hill
Politico: Education
DOGE, Education Department threaten states’ funding if they don’t cut DEI programs
A letter penned by the Education Department and posted to X by DOGE gives state education departments 14 days to comply.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and the Department of Education put state education departments on notice Friday, threatening to revoke federal funding for public schools and universities unless they remove all “diversity, equity and inclusion” programming within 14 days.
It’s the latest move in DOGE’s sweeping changes of the federal government, which have slashed budgets, bulldozed federal agencies and caused panic with federal workers at risk of layoffs. The Department of Education — whose nominee to lead the agency, Linda McMahon, has yet to be confirmed — is also a target for drastic reductions or complete elimination, as President Donald Trump seeks to punt education regulation back to the state-level.
The letter, penned by the Department of Education’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, emphasizes the legal nondiscrimination requirements for schools that receive federal assistance, and bases much of its legal argument on a Supreme Court case where Harvard University was sued over its affirmative action policies. The Court ruled that using racial preferences in college admissions is illegal, and the letter argues it “sets forth a framework” and applies more broadly.
Continue reading at Politico
Senator Warner: Democrats’ ‘brand is really bad’
Ideological purity and cultural disconnect cost the party the last election.
“I think the Democrats’ brand is really bad, and I think this was an election based on culture,” the Virginia Democrat said at a POLITICO Pub event on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “And the Democrats’ kind of failure to connect on a cultural basis with a wide swath of Americans is hugely problematic.”
He criticized rigidity within his party, blaming it for the Republican sweep of the House, Senate and White House.
“I think the majority of the party realizes that the ideological purity of some of the groups is a recipe for disaster and that candidly the attack on over-the-top wokeism was a valid attack,” Warner said.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump team to start Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia
Negotiators from Kyiv will be joining the talks that launch in the coming days.
Senior Trump administration officials are heading to Saudi Arabia to start peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, according to a Republican lawmaker and two U.S. officials familiar with the plan.
National security adviser Mike Waltz will join Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, the president’s Middle East envoy, in the coming days to start talks on ending the war.
However, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine-Russia talks, retired General Keith Kellogg, will not be in attendance, the officials said.
Continue reading at Politico
reading at The Hill
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday proposed that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine — which is nearing three years — shows the need for the European Union to create a unified army.
“I really believe that time has come,” Zelensky said early Saturday, per The Associated Press. “The armed forces of Europe must be created.”
“Three years of full-scale war have proven that we already have the foundation for a united European military force,” he added, according to the AP. “And now, as we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Sheryl Crow sells Tesla to donate funds to embattled NPR
Country music star Sheryl Crow said she will donate funds from selling her Tesla to NPR amid President Trump’s intensified calls to slash federal funding for public broadcasters — calling out tech billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the administration.
“My parents always said… you are who you hang out with,” Crow wrote Friday in a post on Instagram, sharing a video of the vehicle being towed. “There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Murkowski: Trump’s mass firings ‘do more harm than good’
Murkowski said that “dozens” of Alaskans, possibly over 100 “are being fired as part of the Trump administration’s reduction-in-force order for the federal government,” a development that, in her view, will hinder the country’s preparedness for natural disasters and limit energy production.
“Many of these abrupt terminations will do more harm than good, stunting opportunities in Alaska and leaving holes in our communities. We can’t realize our potential for responsible energy and mineral development if we can’t permit projects,” the senator wrote in a Friday night post on the social platform X.
Continue reading at The Hill
Macron calls emergency European summit on Trump, Polish minister says
It was not immediately clear which European leaders would be invited to the emergency meeting.
MUNICH — French President Emmanuel Macron is convening European leaders for an emergency summit in Paris on Monday, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
"I'm very glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris," Sikorski said, adding that he expects the European leaders to discuss "in a very serious fashion" the challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"President Trump has a method of operating which the Russians call razvedka boyem —reconnaissance through battle: You push and you see what happens, and then you change your position. ... And we need to respond," the Polish minister said.
The meeting will take place on Monday, according to two EU officials.
Continue reading at Politico
What's behind Brett Guthrie's targeting of Medicaid
New House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) has pushed for changes to Medicaid since his days as a state legislator. Now he's one of the main drivers behind what could become a sweeping overhaul of the safety net program.
Why it matters: Guthrie is pushing for spending limits that will be controversial as the House crafts a budget package. However, they could provide almost $900 billion to help extend the Trump 2017 tax cuts.
Catch up quick: He's pushing for "per capita caps," which would give states a fixed maximum amount of money for each person on Medicaid.
The federal government now covers a percentage of states' Medicaid costs, so the amount reimbursed goes up or down depending on how much a state spends on the program.
Per capita caps would likely result in less money for states, forcing them to make up the difference by raising taxes or cutting spending elsewhere.
What he's saying: Guthrie told Axios he saw how the Medicaid program affected state budgets firsthand while serving in the Kentucky Statehouse.
Continue reading at Axios
Senate Democrats privately regroup ahead of GOP budget barrage
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) summoned his caucus for a rare Saturday conference call ahead of a potential "vote-a-rama" next week.
Why it matters: Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) budget package includes some $175 billion in border security spending, presenting a potential political minefield for Democratic senators.
Schumer's meeting lasted less than an hour.
The New York Democrat told his members to prepare a blitz of amendments to the GOP's budget resolution, according to multiple sources familiar with the call.
Schumer wants Democrats to remain focused on messaging that Republicans want to cut taxes for the wealthy at the expense of American families, he told members.
Zoom in: Schumer wasn't certain the GOP's budget resolution would come to the senate floor next week, as has been expected.
Continue reading at Axios
Trump officials defend HHS cuts as more methodical than the slashing at other agencies
The administration’s Friday night message comes as a sharp departure from the approach that Trump and DOGE have taken to cuts in other federal departments and agencies.
The Trump administration has taken a sledgehammer to the federal government as it tries to cut costs and workforce. But administration officials on Friday defended the cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services as far more surgical.
HHS, in coordination with the Department of Government Efficiency, on Friday began the process of dismissing 3,600 probationary employees, according to administration officials, who were granted anonymity to share details that have not yet been made public.
But as criticism grew on Friday over the Trump administration’s dismissal of thousands of workers across the federal government, the officials stressed that employees in key areas — namely politically sensitive staffers such as CDC and FDA scientists, frontline health care workers and Medicare employees — had been exempted. At HHS, administration officials excluded roughly 4,000 employees who were determined to work in critical areas, the officials said.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump promises to treat VAT systems like Europe's like a tariff
President Trump said Saturday the U.S. will treat value added tax (VAT) systems the same as tariffs, for purposes of helping to calculate the reciprocal levies on other countries he ordered earlier this week.
Why it matters: At least 175 countries globally have a VAT, per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), meaning it could impact the math on any reciprocal tariff for most nations around the world.
The impact could be most immediate in the European Union, which has standardized value added taxes with an average rate of almost 22%.
What they're saying: "For purposes of this United States Policy, we will consider Countries that use the VAT System, which is far more punitive than a Tariff, to be similar to that of a Tariff," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
That follows a memo he issued Thursday, ordering trade officials to study assessing reciprocal tariffs on any country that levies the import of U.S. goods at a higher rate than the U.S. charges that country's goods.
Continue reading at Axios
Many in new survey suggest news consumption, spending influenced by 2024 election
A new YouGov poll has found that almost half of Americans, 44 percent, are now consuming news differently than they did before the 2024 election while 38 percent have reported a change in their buying decisions since November.
This is an increase from a previous survey YouGov conducted in late November, when only 36 percent said they were consuming news differently, while 28 percent reported changes in their purchasing decisions.
The latest poll reveals a shift in attitudes and behaviors since the election. The impact is also being felt in the financial realm, with 32 percent reporting changes in investments and savings.
According to the survey, the election is spurring Americans to re-evaluate key life areas: 30 percent have reported an increase in level of political activism while nearly a third are rethinking their healthcare decisions (29 percent).
Continue reading at The Hill
YouGov Poll: Many Americans say the election results have changed their news consumption and purchases
Americans trust Trump on immigration, economy over environment, health care: Poll
A recent YouGov survey found that a majority of Americans, 52 percent, have high levels of trust in President Trump’s ability to manage immigration. But they are less likely to trust him with issues related to the environment and health care.
Forty-seven percent trust Trump with the economy, 45 percent with foreign policy and 43 percent with foreign trade.
The survey indicates a lack of trust in Trump on specific social issues. A significant portion of Americans express little to no trust in Trump on LGBTQ issues (51 percent), transgender issues (50 percent), the environment (49 percent), and race relations (49 percent).
The poll reveals stark partisan divides in trust regarding the president’s handling of various issues.
Continue reading at The Hill
YouGov Survey: Which issues are Americans most likely to trust Donald Trump to handle as president?
A Top Democrat Speaks Out on How the Party Will Fight Trump
Rep. Jamie Raskin is still optimistic about defeating Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s agenda.
Many Democrats appear to have been caught-off guard by how swiftly President Donald Trump has moved to upend Washington — dismantling agencies, firing federal workers and trying to impound congressionally appropriated funds.
Now the party is mobilizing in opposition, and one of the key strategists is a familiar face: Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a floor manager for Trump’s second impeachment after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and a former constitutional law professor, Raskin has been tasked by Democratic leaders with serving on their “rapid response and litigation working group,” where he’ll help lead the party’s effort to slow down Trump’s agenda in the courts.
In an interview for the Playbook Deep Dive podcast, the progressive Maryland Democrat acknowledged that the party’s strategy was “evolving” and likened Democrats to a boxer who’s been punched in the face.
But he expressed optimism Democrats would ultimately beat back efforts by Trump and Elon Musk to rapidly reshape the federal government.
Continue reading at Politico
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JFK Wanted You to Watch This Movie Before He Was Assassinated
The president had a hand in the making of a Cold War blockbuster.
On Feb. 12, 1964, a little more than 10 weeks following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a film called Seven Days in May detonated on American movie screens.
Based on the best-selling 1962 novel of the same name by Washington-based investigative journalists Fletcher Knebel and Charles Bailey, the film — coming on the heels of kindred Cold War movies like The Manchurian Candidate and Dr. Strangelove — was unnervingly apropos. Debuting just a year after the U.S. and Soviet Union nearly came to nuclear blows during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the movie revolved around an attempt by four members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to overthrow a liberal president in response to his signing of a nuclear disarmament treaty with Moscow. The plot bore more than a passing resemblance to Kennedy and the nuclear test ban treaty he had signed with the Soviets in 1963.
Continue reading at Politico Magazine
Politico commentary
Is this the end of NATO?
“We’ve now got an alliance between a Russian president who wants to destroy Europe and an American president who also wants to destroy Europe,” one diplomat said.
MUNICH — U.S. President Donald Trump is a longtime fan of Winston Churchill. But what would Britain’s iconic wartime leader make of the Munich Security Conference in 2025?
“You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.” Those are the words Churchill thundered when then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain left this Bavarian city 87 years ago, clutching a piece of paper that turned out to be meaningless.
Would that be Churchill’s reaction to Trump’s drive to end the war in Ukraine, with terms that Kyiv and its European allies fear will be favorable to Moscow and only mean another bigger war down the road?
The word “appeasement” is on European lips here, and for the more historically sensitive — like Britain’s former Defense Minister Ben Wallace — the echo of Munich circa 1938 seems an obvious reference point.
As they gathered for the summit today, European officials were still reeling from the readout of Trump’s 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth’s mid-week remarks in Brussels. For former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, the most overlooked and chilling line that came from Hegseth was his warning that “realities” will prevent the U.S. from being Europe’s security guarantor.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Jamie Dettmer is Opinion Editor at POLITICO.
The downfall of the World Trade Organization
What we see before us now is a dysfunctional and paralyzed colossus. And it’s time to reevaluate this institution, which is no longer fit for purpose.
Mathias Döpfner is chairman and CEO of Axel Springer, POLITICO’s parent company. The following excerpt is taken from his new book “Dealings with Dictators.” It was originally published in German by Handelsblatt in 2024.
We are standing on the precipice of a trade war that has Europe in its crosshairs.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) had barely made it through U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term unscathed. Now, amid a looming wave of “reciprocal” tariffs and threats of retaliation, the world is once again confronted with grave geopolitical uncertainty and a faltering multilateral trading system. So, as we head into this year’s Munich Security Conference, it’s time to reevaluate an institution that is no longer fit for purpose.
Freedom and economic success are closely intertwined. One is usually a precondition of the other. As a general rule, the less free an economic system, the less successful it will be. The one big exception here is China because what we’re dealing with is state-controlled turbo-capitalism — which has, for years, taken advantage of the WTO.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Note from Rima: I don’t normally include opinion pieces. In this case, it’s by the CEO of Politico. That should give the reader a good sense of the publication’s leanings in general
Trump administration fires new immigration judges
The country’s immigration courts have a seven-figure case backlog.
The Trump administration has fired a slew of immigration judges as part of the sweeping moves to cut thousands of government workers.
The Friday terminations affected five assistant chief immigration judges, as well as the entire December class of new judges who have yet to be sworn in, said a person familiar with the firings, granted anonymity to discuss private discussions. The Associated Press reported Saturday that it affected 20 judges in total across the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees 700 judges.
The firings come as the immigration courts have a 3.7 million case backlog, and President Donald Trump looks to fulfill his promise of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. It’s unclear if the judges will be replaced, but the president’s team is looking to cut through the pileup — a major hurdle in the administration’s immigration agenda.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump administration ousts over 400 DHS employees in ongoing workforce purge
The Trump administration ousted 405 employees at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an ongoing workforce purge that has affected other federal agencies and departments.
The majority of the cuts occurred at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the country’s disaster relief agency, where 200 workers lost their jobs on Friday while over 130 employees were terminated at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), according to a source familiar with the matter.
A minimum of 50 employees were cut at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services while the DHS Science and Technology Directorate saw a 10-person reduction, the source added.
[…]
Another 12 members of the Coast Guard who worked on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, all based in Washington, were placed on administrative leave. They were impacted by the reduction in force with an offer to back the border security efforts at the southwestern U.S. border.
Continue reading at The Hill
‘Canada First’ Conservatives primed for Trump fight
Pierre Poilievre used a Flag Day rally to recalibrate a campaign sidetracked by tariff threats.
OTTAWA — Canada’s Conservative leader used a rally in Ottawa on Saturday to deliver a message to Donald Trump. “Let me be clear: We will never be the 51st state,” said Pierre Poilievre, warning that he is prepared to defend Canadians against the president at all costs.
“We will bear any burden and pay any price to protect the sovereignty and independence of our country,” he said.
The populist leader had been long favored to win Canada’s next federal election, which could come as soon as spring. But the race has been complicated by the arrival of Trump and by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down as soon as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader next month.
Poilievre, who has appealed to Canadians by tackling complex issues with pithy slogans, used a Flag Day rally to reset his campaign in response to tariff threats that have scrambled the political landscape.
Continue reading at Politico
Germany’s Olaf Scholz Rebukes JD Vance on hate-speech
Scholz calls for reform of German debt brake right after election
The chancellor, who is trailing in the polls ahead of the Feb. 23 snap election, expressed confidence that Germany will have a parliamentary majority to loosen the debt brake.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his call for the country to relax its strict spending rules, pushing for Germany's constitutional debt brake to be reformed immediately after national elections later this month.
“We need a reform of the debt brake in our constitution directly after the upcoming election,” Scholz told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Bloomberg reported.
The chancellor, who is currently trailing in the polls and at risk of being ousted from power following the snap election on Feb. 23, expressed confidence that Germany will have a parliamentary majority to loosen the debt brake. The debt brake is a constitutional requirement that limits the German federal government's structural net borrowing to 0.35 percent of gross domestic product.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Ramaswamy files campaign paperwork for anticipated Ohio governor bid
Ramaswamy’s campaign filed the Designation of Treasurer form, which must be filed before a candidate’s campaign or political party makes any expenditures or receives any contributions.
A formal registration has been submitted for Ramaswamy’s political committee, using the name “Vivek Ramaswamy For Ohio.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Šefčovič to visit Washington as trade war looms
The European Commission is trying to head off a transatlantic trade conflict.
MUNICH — EU trade boss Maroš Šefčovič will travel to Washington next week for high-level meetings as Europe braces for a potential trade war with the United States, three officials confirmed to POLITICO.
The European Commission executive vice president is poised to hold meetings with senior members of Donald Trump's administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer — who have not yet been confirmed — as well as Kevin Hassett, Trump’s top economic adviser.
A European Commission spokesperson later confirmed Šefčovič's trip.
The U.S. president unveiled a proposal on Friday to impose reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners which he said would come into effect as early as April.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Dr. Jonathan Reiner with CNN’s Paula Reid on the Influenza epidemic
Republicans move to impeach judges who blocked Trump
House Republicans are planning to introduce long-shot articles of impeachment against at least two of the federal judges who have blocked President Trump's efforts to upend the federal government.
Why it matters: The measures are part of a growing public conflict between Republicans and the federal judiciary as Trump bristles at obstacles to his "government efficiency" agenda.
Trump further raised the temperature this week by saying at an Oval Office news briefing with DOGE head Elon Musk: "Maybe we have to look at the judges because I think that's a very serious violation."
Vice President J.D. Vance has also suggested that federal judges have been overstepping their authority and "aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."
Continue reading at Axios
IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season
This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected.
Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.
However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Justice Department fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts amid major government cuts
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Trump administration fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government.
On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.
It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
NAACP lists companies that dump DEI in its tactical spending guide for Black Americans
WASHINGTON (AP) — The NAACP wants Black Americans to steer their buying power toward companies that haven’t pulled back from diversity, equity and inclusion programs under conservative pressure, and the nation’s oldest civil rights organization is listing which brands have stood by — or reversed — past commitments to DEI.
The NAACP says the spending guide it published Saturday is needed because DEI initiatives promote the social and economic advancement of Black Americans, who are projected to consume nearly $2 trillion in goods and services in nominal dollars by 2030, according to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility.
“Diversity is better for the bottom line,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in an exclusive announcement to The Associated Press. “In a global economy, those who reject the multicultural nature of consumerism and business will be left in the past they are living in.”
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Trump Official Destroying USAID Secretly Met With Christian Nationalists Abroad in Defiance of U.S. Policy
Now one of the most powerful people in the U.S. government, Peter Marocco’s turbulent tenure during the first Trump administration sheds light on his current efforts to dismantle the American foreign aid system from the inside out.
Before Peter Marocco was selected to dismantle America’s entire foreign aid sector on behalf of President Donald Trump, he was an official with the State Department on a diplomatic mission.
In 2018, during Trump’s first term, Marocco was a senior political appointee tasked with promoting stability in areas with armed conflict. That summer, he made a two-week trip to the Balkans, visiting several Eastern European countries in what was advertised as an effort to “counter violent extremism” and “strengthen inter-religious dialogue.”
At the time, the U.S. was trying to maintain a fragile peace agreement it had helped broker two decades earlier in the region. The Balkans are still living in the shadows of the Bosnian war, a 1990s conflict between the region’s disparate ethno-religious groups that led to the deaths of an estimated 100,000 people, including thousands of Muslim civilians who were massacred by Serb forces.
Continue reading at ProPublica
Border patrol to stop usage of body cameras in the field: Report
U.S. Border Patrol agents will stop using body cameras immediately in all field operations following social media posts that revealed how to identify Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, NewsNation reported on Saturday.
“All U.S. Border Patrol Agents will cease the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) in all operational environments,” reads a statement to Border Patrol received by NewsNation.
The directive follows notification “regarding a potential security risk,” the statement said. “Pending completion of investigation and risk mitigation, all Agents will stand down the use of their BWCs [body worn cameras] until further notice. Additional guidance and information will be disseminated as it is received,” the statement added.
Continue reading at The Hill
Justice Department fires 20 immigration judges: Report
The Trump administration dismissed 20 immigration judges over the weekend without explanation, as it continues its efforts to reduce the size of the federal government, the Associated Press reports.
Matthew Biggs, the president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, a union representing immigration judges, said that 13 judges who hadn’t been sworn in yet and five assistant chief immigration judges were fired on Friday without warning.
He added that two additional judges had been let go in the same manner last week.
Continue reading at The Hill
Axios to use ‘Gulf of America’ in compliance with Trump administration
Axios has announced it will comply with the Trump administration’s decision to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” the “Gulf of America” in its reporting, saying its audience is mostly U.S.-based compared to other media outlets.
“Our standard is to use ‘Gulf of America (renamed by U.S. from Gulf of Mexico)’ in our reporting because our audience is mostly U.S.-based compared to other publishers with international audiences,” said a statement from Axios released on the social platform X.
“At the same time, the government should never dictate how any news organization makes editorial decisions. The AP and all news organizations should be free to report as they see fit,” the statement added.
Continue reading on The Hill
Russian court orders US citizen suspected of drug smuggling held in custody
MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow court has ordered a U.S. citizen suspected of drug smuggling held in pre-trial detention for 30 days, the Moscow courts press service said Saturday, days after a Moscow-Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.
The U.S. citizen, whom Saturday’s statement named as Kalob Wayne Byers, was detained after airport customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage.
Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs into the country, the Interfax agency reported, citing Russia’s Federal Customs Service. The agency said the American was detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after flying in from Istanbul on Feb. 7.
Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with links to the security services, said the U.S. citizen faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
DOGE gets mixed reviews from conservatives who have long wanted major budget cuts
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Conservatives who have spent decades promoting deep cuts to government are giving mixed reviews to the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led project to slash the federal workforce and reduce or end disfavored programs.
The Associated Press interviewed four veteran budget hawks, including some who have worked on Republican presidential campaigns predating Musk or President Donald Trump becoming dominant in GOP politics.
Some say Musk’s early targets demonstrate success and show more potential than previous efforts to downsize government due to his unique access and influence. Others say it’s too early to tell and argue that DOGE has stoked conservative outrage about specific agencies without going after much bigger pieces of the federal budget, like defense spending or programs with bipartisan support like Medicare and Social Security.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Note from Rima: Over the past 2-3 days media outlets have reported on dissatisfaction, for various reasons, within the GOP.
US presented Ukraine with a document to access its minerals but offered almost nothing in return
MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Ukrainian officials were told not to sign an agreement with the U.S. on rare earth minerals because the document focused on U.S. interests, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and did not offer any specific security guarantees in return, said one current and one former senior official familiar with the talks.
The proposal focused on how the U.S. could use Kyiv’s rare earth minerals “as compensation” for support already given to Ukraine by the Biden administration and as payment for future aid, current and former senior Ukrainian officials said speaking anonymously so they could speak freely. A senior White House official said that Zelenskyy’s rejection was “short-sighted.”
Ukraine has vast reserves of critical minerals which are used in aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. The Trump administration has indicated it is interested in accessing them to reduce dependence on China but Zelenskyy said any exploitation would need to be tied to security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian aggression.
“I didn’t let the ministers sign a relevant agreement because in my view it is not ready to protect us, our interest,” Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
From economist, Brad DeLong
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Musical Interlude
Ivan Lins, Joao Bosco and Gonzalo Rubalcaba in concert