Things Musk (and Trump) Did... Day 40 | Blog#42
And Trump flooded the earth by casting lies upon it for 40 days...
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Yesterday’s news worth repeating
Palestinian businessman lobbies DC with long-shot Gaza vision
A Palestinian businessman is making a long-shot bid to lead a new governing body of the Gaza Strip, putting up an estimated $300,000 for lobbying services to influence Washington and the Middle East.
The public relations push from Samir Hlaileh, the former CEO of an investment and development company, comes as President Trump and Arab leaders shop plans for the future of the Gaza Strip as part of an end to the war between Israel and Hamas.
In a short phone call, Hlaileh said he believes he has the integrity, reputation, track record and independence to be a uniting force for Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
“I worked in government twice, I worked of course in the private sector for a long period of time and in NGOs,” he said.
Continue reading at The Hill
Sean Penn: Zelensky-Trump fight shouldn’t eclipse Russia’s crimes
Zelensky was here to negotiate deal over rare minerals
The presidential pair argued at photo op after meeting
'Superpower' codirector Sean Penn urges unity after incident
American actor and film director Sean Penn hopes the “chaos” seen in Friday’s tense Oval Office exchange between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not create further division between the nations.
“Remember where we really stand, and what this is really about,” Penn implored in a Friday night interview on NewsNation’s “CUOMO.”
He pointed to the people dying on the front lines in Ukraine each day, “dying honoring the very thing we honor most, which is freedom,” and urged Americans to see through the politicians’ “personality chaos.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Sean Penn documentary, Superpower
Frustrations mount as Stefanik stuck in limbo — even after House clears hurdle
Frustrations are growing as Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) wait to be confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations could stretch until April due to the House’s ultra-slim majority.
Stefanik is facing a unique problem. Despite numerous international crises facing the U.S. and UN, she is considered more valuable in the House as lawmakers try to cobble together Trump’s agenda. That was especially the case for a dramatic Tuesday vote on the House’s budget resolution, when her presence was crucial.
But even with that out of the way, Stefanik is likely to remain sidelined from her potential UN post as the Senate is showing few signs it will move on her nomination.
Continue reading at The Hill
NOAA firings spark fears about long-term damage
The Trump administration has made drastic cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that threaten to impact weather forecasting and other key services provided by the agency.
In the wake of the wave of dismissals this week, lawmakers and former officials raised concerns about potential damage to services ranging from extreme weather responses to efforts to prevent objects from colliding in space.
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), the sole meteorologist in Congress, said in an interview with The Hill that the firings are “going to put the lives of my constituents in danger, period, full stop.”
Continue reading at The Hill
California waits for Harris decision in governor’s race
Suspense over whether former Vice President Kamala Harris will jump into California’s 2028 gubernatorial race is effectively freezing the field in her home state as Democrats weigh potential successors for term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).
Harris has shrugged off the chatter and has yet to signal her post-White House plans, but she’s nevertheless topping early polls, and her potential to take the frontrunner slot looms over other candidates.
“The race is on hold until she makes her decision,” California Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio said. “It’s been very difficult for the other candidates to raise money, get endorsements … and it’s had an impact on all the other offices in the state, because they’re sort of dominoes.”
Continue reading at The Hill
This Texas County Voted Republican for the First Time in a Century. They Like What They See.
There’s little sign of buyer’s remorse among Donald Trump’s political converts in Texas’s heavily Latino Starr County.
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas — Homero Gonzalez winced at the mention of Elon Musk, and asked if I’d seen the photos of the billionaire wielding a chainsaw at a conservative conference last week.
Musk’s mass firings and budget cuts meant some Republican lawmakers were getting booed at town halls in their districts. Gonzalez worried that the flamboyance of President Donald Trump’s chief henchman might be drawing the wrong kind of attention. But the cutting? He was all for it.
“It’s hard,” Gonzalez said, but “we need it.”
Continue reading at Politico Magazine
Zelenskyy says Trump support ‘crucial’ after bruising Oval Office clash
Ukrainian president lands in the U.K. for summit with European leaders, seeking to reaffirm alliances after tense confrontation with the U.S. president.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London on Saturday, continuing a diplomatic damage-control effort after his tense exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday.
Zelenskyy landed in the U.K. ahead of an emergency summit with European leaders on Sunday, hoping to further shore up support on the continent after Trump and Vice President JD Vance humiliated him in the Oval Office in Friday's meeting, accusing him of ingratitude and scrapping a planned press conference as well as the signing of a critical minerals deal.
In a lengthy social media thread on Saturday following the dismaying Washington meeting, Zelenskyy struck a conciliatory tone, expressing gratitude for American aid while emphasizing that Ukraine still needs “security guarantees” in order to achieve a “just and lasting peace.”
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Le Pen says Trump-Zelenskyy clash exposes Europe’s weakness
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says the confrontation between the American and Ukrainian leaders underscores Europe’s dependence on the U.S.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen slammed the tense exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “slap in the face” for Europe, warning that the continent’s security remains at the mercy of Washington.
Speaking at the Salon de l’Agriculture farming exhibition in Paris Saturday morning, the National Rally politician argued that the confrontation underscored Europe’s lack of strategic autonomy, channeling the Gaullist tradition of skepticism toward U.S. influence. While she described the face-off as “understandably tense” given the “very difficult” situation, she played down its significance beyond optics.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
MAGA world erupts over Andrew Tate release, Epstein stunt
President Trump's online base is splintering over the administration's handling of two major news stories related to sex trafficking, which converged this week in dramatic fashion.
Why it matters: The online MAGA universe is diverse, powerful, and extremely volatile. With a mix of ultra Trump loyalists and conservative ideologues, infighting is inevitable — and often explosive.
That's become especially true on issues related to sex trafficking, which was at the heart of the #Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracy theories that helped grow Trump's online base.
What's happening: On Fox News Wednesday night, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to declassify and release secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex trafficker whose client list implicated global elites.
On Thursday, Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel hosted pro-Trump influencers at the White House and gave them a sneak peek of the documents in binders titled, "The Epstein Files: Phase 1."
The influencers were then photographed by White House press holding up the binders, the contents of which had not yet been publicly released. Some of them were pictured smiling and laughing.
Later that evening, the Justice Department released 200 pages of documents mostly consisting of recycled Epstein flight logs and contact information that had long been in the public domain.
Continue reading at Axios
Treasury chief urges Canada, Mexico to match US tariffs on China as deadline looms
Summary
Bessent says Mexico has proposed matching US tariffs on China
Mexican economy minister meets with US Commerce chief, USTR
Canadian minister touts border investments to Trump officials
Tuesday deadline for 25% tariffs on Canadian, Mexican imports
China says unilateral tariffs violate WTO rules
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent encouraged Canada on Friday to follow Mexico in matching U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods as the two U.S. neighbors sought to avoid punishing 25% U.S. tariffs due on Tuesday over fentanyl trafficking.
Canadian and Mexican officials have fanned out across Washington seeking to show President Donald Trump's administration that they were making progress in securing their U.S. borders to curb the flow of the dangerous opioid.
Continue reading at Reuters
South Korea's industry minister seeks exemption from Trump's tariffs
SEOUL, March 1 (Reuters) - South Korea's industry minister requested a tariff exemption in talks with the U.S. administration, Seoul's industry ministry said on Saturday, as Washington moves forward with plans to impose new tariffs.
Ahn Duk-geun met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington this week, seeking tariff exemptions from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the ministry said in a statement.
Continue reading at Reuters
FCC chair opens probe into diversity practices at Verizon
WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr on Thursday opened a probe into diversity practices at Verizon (VZ.N), and raised the telecommunications company's ongoing effort to purchase Frontier Communications (FYBR.O).
Carr, a Republican designated by President Donald Trump last month, earlier this month told NBC News-parent Comcast (CMCSA.O), he was opening a similar probe into the company's promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Verizon is awaiting FCC approval for its $9.6 billion purchase of Frontier.
Continue reading at Reuters
Democratic appropriators say Republicans have left US government funding talks, raising risk of shutdown
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Two Democrats in Congress said on Friday that Republicans have raised the risk of a government shutdown by insisting on including cuts made by President Donald Trump's administration in legislation to keep the government operating past a mid-March deadline.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington and Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrats on the committees that oversee spending, said in a statement that the Republican proposal to include cuts made by tech billionaire Elon Musk would give Trump too much power to spend as he pleased, even though Congress oversees federal funding.
Continue reading at Reuters
Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader
ay laid bare the limits of a full-court press by America’s allies aimed at reshaping Trump’s determination to end Russia’s invasion even if the terms are not to Ukraine’s liking.
It also stressed the profound ways Trump feels emboldened to redirect U.S. foreign policy priorities toward his “America First” agenda in ways that extend well beyond those of his tumultuous first term.
The sudden blowup was the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory, as the usual staid work of diplomacy descended into finger-pointing, shouting and eye-rolling.
The encounter left the future of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, and Kyiv’s ability to defend itself in the brutal conflict with Russia, in mortal jeopardy.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
From Cabinet secretary to doomsday president: What being a designated survivor is like
They start the day often as low-profile Cabinet secretaries. They end it that way, too, God willing.
But, when the rest of the government is gathered together for a big event, like President Donald Trump ‘s joint congressional address Tuesday night, a designated survivor is kept away to ensure someone in the line of presidential succession stays alive.
Picking a failsafe in case of a cataclysmic event that wipes out everyone else dates back to the Cold War. It’s been dramatized in novels and an ABC series starring Kiefer Sutherland that aired from 2016 to 2019.
Being the actual designated survivor brings extra adrenaline jolts and humbling thoughts about being unwittingly catapulted into the presidency and unthinkable tragedy — though the minute-to-minute details usually don’t feature the high drama of fictional portrayals, those who have filled the role say.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Security News This Week: The Trump Administration Is Deprioritizing Russia as a Cyber Threat
Plus: The FBI pins that ByBit theft on North Korea, a malicious app download breaches Disney, spyware targets a priest close to the pope, and more.
As scam compounds in Southeast Asia continue to drive massive campaigns targeting victims around the world, WIRED took a deeper look at how Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider Starlink is keeping many of those compounds in Myanmar online. Meanwhile, FTC complaints obtained by WIRED allege that an “OpenAI” job scam used Telegram to recruit workers in Bangladesh for months before the fraudsters suddenly disappeared.
WIRED published the inside story of Russian tech executive Vladislav Klyushin, who—at Vladimir Putin’s behest—was part of a notable US-Russia prisoner swap last summer after he was convicted and incarcerated in the US for insider trading that netted him $93 million. Earlier this week, TVs at the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC, showed an apparently AI-generated video on loop of Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet. The words “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING” were superimposed over the video.
WIRED conducted an investigation into Telegram groups devoted to doxing and harassing women who joined “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” groups on Facebook. And, as female entrepreneurs in tech face ever steeper odds of gaining support for a business, a team of female founders got seed funding and completed a series A round in a matter of months for the cloud container security firm Edera.
Continue reading at Wired
DOGE's Misplaced War on Software Licenses
DOGE claims that a government agency has nearly three times as many software licenses as employees. Experts say there are plenty of good reasons for that.
Elon Musk’sDepartment of Government Efficiency announced this week that it discovered large batches of unused software licenses as it continues to hunt for examples of waste in Washington. On Monday, DOGE alleged that the General Services Administration has 37,000 licenses for the file compression and encryption tool WinZip, even though the agency has only about 13,000 employees. “Fixes are actively in work,” the team wrote on Musk’s social media site X. It later alleged similar overspending at the Department of Labor.
But the purported discrepancies between licenses and employees may not be as problematic as Musk’s government wrecking crew has made them out to be.
Liz Lezius, a spokesperson for the Canadian tech company Alludo, which develops WinZip and was once known as Corel, says licensing for the program is based on the number of devices on which it is installed, not the number of employees with access to the software, though she declined to comment on specific customers. “It is typical that there are more devices than employees in an organization,” Lezius tells WIRED.
Continue reading at Wired
The SEC Is Abandoning Its Biggest Crypto Lawsuits
Regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission have called a sudden truce with the cryptocurrency industry, bringing an end to years of legal conflict.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is backing away, one by one, from the volley of lawsuits and investigations it brought against cryptocurrency businesses under the Joe Biden administration, in a reversal described by a former attorney at the regulatory agency as “unprecedented.”
In the weeks since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the SEC has wasted no time in overhauling its crypto division. The day after the inauguration, the agency established a “crypto task force” responsible for developing a “comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets.” Then, the SEC rebranded its crypto investigations branch into a smaller-scale “cyber and emerging technology unit.”
On February 13, a federal judge granted a joint request by the SEC and Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, to pause their ongoing litigation while they await new rules from the crypto task force. The SEC petitioned for a similar pause on Wednesday in a separate case against Justin Sun, the Chinese crypto entrepreneur who recently announced he had invested $75 million in a crypto project with ties to the Trump family.
Continue reading at Wired
SEC Drops Charges Against Chinese Billionaire After He Pumps $30 Million Into Trump’s Crypto Scheme
Justin Sun is celebrating avoiding a fraud investigation by posting handshake emojis on X.
Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun’s legal troubles seem to be fading away. In March 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged him with manipulating the market. After Trump was elected, he dumped $30 million into the President’s World Liberty Financial crypto scheme. Now a federal judge has granted him a stay in the SEC’s investigation.
Sun is a Chinese crypto mogul who is most famous for being the guy who paid $6.2 million for a banana duct-taped to a wall. He ate the banana in front of cameras in Hong Kong after the check cleared. That was in November, when the specter of an SEC-led fraud investigation was still hanging over his head.
Sun owns several companies, including Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd., and Rainberry Inc. (formerly BitTorrent). According to an SEC press release from 2023, Sun was allegedly using his companies to wash trade securities, buying them with one company and immediately buying them with another. He also allegedly paid for celebrity endorsements without disclosing the agreement.
Continue reading at Gizmodo
Sanity break
Severance‘s Shifting Perspectives Make Its Fractured Reality Even More Fascinating
This week's episode of the Apple TV+ series brought fresh nuance to its core storyline.
From the start, Severance has offered a captivating take on how perspectives can change within a single story, and even within the minds of individual characters. As season two began, the show gave us back-to-back episodes that showed the immediate fallout of the season one finale—in which the “innies” briefly awakened and experienced life as their “outies”—from different points of view, with the non-severed characters also getting space to share their reactions.
As season two has progressed, Severance has continued to explore this aspect of its storytelling, giving us more time with the outies to balance out season one’s innie focus, and presenting constant surprises to the audience as a result. Certain things that we believed to be true are in fact completely false, shaped by Lumon Industries’ unique ability to massage reality for its employees who aren’t able to access their full consciousness. And while the innies’ world is almost entirely fabricated, some of that massaging has happened in the outie world, too.
This week’s episode, “Chikai Bardo” was perhaps Severance’s most poignant and wrenching to date. And a lot of that has to do with which character got to be its protagonist.
Continue reading at Gizmodo
Severance‘s First-Time Director Details This Week’s Stunning Visuals
Jessica Lee Gagné helmed the latest episode of Severance, making her directorial debut.
The latest episode of Severance just feels different. Yes, it’s the first time we explore the relationship of Mark (Adam Scott) and his thought-to-be-deceased wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman), but beyond that, it has a more fluid, lyrical, mind-trip quality well beyond the norm for the Apple TV+ show. That’s thanks to Jessica Lee Gagné, the show’s usual director of photography who made her directorial debut with the episode. In a new interview, she detailed some of the super cool aesthetic choices she made directing “Chikhai Bardo.”
We won’t spoil anything here so if you haven’t seen the episode, do that as soon as possible. However, it’s not a big spoiler to reveal the story is split into multiple timeframes, one being the past when Mark and Gemma first meet and fall in love. To make sure those scenes looked different and more welcoming than scenes that take place at Lumon, Gagné chose to shoot them on film. Here’s what she said when speaking to Collider.
Continue reading at Gizmodo
Note from Rima: I highly recommend watching this series. The skill level of the script writers, actors, directors, set crew - everything is just eye-popping
The Latest: Zelenskyy moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump
Zelenskyy on Saturday arrived in London ahead of a summit on Sunday organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with other European leaders.
The summit will also include leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, as well as the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.
[…]
‘Our horror is greater today than before,’ says German foreign minister
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “a new era of nefariousness” had begun in the wake of Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy at the White House, but vowed that it would only increase her country’s commitment to Ukraine.
“Many of you will have slept fitfully tonight in the face of the unspeakable videos from the White House. Frankly, so did I. Unfortunately, this was not a bad dream, but a violent reality,” she told reporters on Saturday. “Our horror is greater today than before, but so is our commitment to the people of Ukraine, to our own security and to peace in Europe.”
She described Ukraine as “part of free and democratic Europe” and said there is no question as to who is the aggressor and who is “the brave defender” in the war.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader
All it took was 90 seconds for weeks of tortured diplomacy to unwind in spectacular fashion.
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday laid bare the limits of a full-court press by America’s allies aimed at reshaping Trump’s determination to end Russia’s invasion even if the terms are not to Ukraine’s liking.
It also stressed the profound ways Trump feels emboldened to redirect U.S. foreign policy priorities toward his “America First” agenda in ways that extend well beyond those of his tumultuous first term.
The sudden blowup was the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory, as the usual staid work of diplomacy descended into finger-pointing, shouting and eye-rolling.
The encounter left the future of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, and Kyiv’s ability to defend itself in the brutal conflict with Russia, in mortal jeopardy.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Trump — America's "first crypto president" — to host summit on the currency
President Trump will speak at the first-ever White House Crypto Summit next Friday.
Why it matters: Trump has promised to be America's "first crypto president," and said Feb. 19 that he's "committed to making America the crypto capital."
The Trump family launched the Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania Meme (MELANIA) coins Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, making them tens of billions of dollars in crypto wealth (on paper).
Zoom in: The White House says summit attendees will include prominent crypto founders, CEOs and investors.
The summit will be chaired by White House A.I. & Crypto Czar David Sacks, and run by Bo Hines, executive director of the President's Working Group on Digital Assets.
The intrigue: The announcement comes amid a global sell-off in cryptocurrencies, which has some investors fearing the market's "Trump bump" may be over.
Continue reading at Axios
"Three strikes": Inside the Trump-Vance fury with Zelensky
Strike 2 came just before Friday's meeting, when Zelensky arrived at the White House without a suit or jacket, as requested. It was perceived by White House staffers as disrespectful.
Strike 1, as first reported by Axios, came Feb. 15, when Zelensky publicly trashed a proposed mineral rights deal with Ukraine that he privately had discussed the day before in Munich with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The plan Friday was for Zelensky to sign a new version of the deal as part of a plan to end the war. That didn't happen.
The big picture: At the heart of the discord is Trump's view of the conflict, which continues to challenge the United States' long-held alliances in Europe.
Trump sees geopolitics in terms of negotiations between powerful countries and big personalities. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a coequal in this paradigm. Zelensky — the leader of a smaller country surviving thanks to American largesse — isn't.
Trump also approaches politics like a business deal or, as a former casino owner, as a type of poker. In one telling moment, he told Zelensky he had a bad hand without the U.S.
Continue reading at Axios
Democratic activists fueled anti-Trump protests at GOP town halls but also rage at their own party
Furious Democrats filled Republican town halls across America last week to protest President Donald Trump’s power grab in Washington.
But in recent days, the activists behind those protests have turned their anger toward elected officials in their own party, who they believe are not fighting the Republican president and billionaire adviser Elon Musk with the urgency, aggression or creativity that the moment deserves.
“Are we in a constitutional crisis or not?” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the anti-Trump resistance group Indivisible, which encouraged progressives to attend town halls and protest outside Tesla dealerships.
Of Democratic leaders, he added, “There’s zero tactical or innovative leadership.”
Indeed, as Trump moves to consolidate control in Washington with little regard for precedent or judges ruling against him, the nation’s most powerful Democrats are offering mixed messages while struggling to break from the rules and norms that have long governed U.S. politics.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Sharing France’s nuclear umbrella? No way, says Le Pen
Macron’s main opponent is ready to fight plans to pool European resources to make up for the looming loss of the U.S. military protection.
PARIS ― A pooling of France’s nuclear warheads to help protect Europe won’t happen ― not if Marine Le Pen can help it.
The far-right leader on Saturday vigorously opposed plans to build a stronger, more integrated European defense, including by sharing France’s nuclear umbrella, as proposals to pool and ramp up the continent’s firepower have suddenly gained much more traction with U.S. President Donald Trump’s growing alignment with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“French defense must remain French defense,” Le Pen said, speaking at the Salon de l’Agriculture farming exhibition in Paris.
"The French nuclear deterrent must remain a French nuclear deterrent," she said. "It must not be shared, let alone delegated."
The French National Assembly, where Le Pen’s National Rally and its allies hold roughly a third of the seats since July’s snap election, on Monday will debate and vote on European security and the situation in Ukraine. While the vote is non-binding and military affairs are under the president’s remit, the parliament holds sway on defense-related bills, including the budget, which would inevitably be impacted should France seek to step up its military spending in the coming years.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Orbán and Fico look to derail European unity on Ukraine ahead of London summit
Hungary and Slovakia call for direct talks with Russia and energy concessions, pushing a stance that could weaken EU support for Kyiv and legitimize Russian gains.
As European leaders prepare for a high-stakes summit in London on Sunday, populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico are openly challenging the EU’s united front on Ukraine, pushing positions that echo the Kremlin’s stance.
In a letter to European Council President António Costa dated Saturday, Orbán called for the EU to engage in direct cease-fire negotiations with Russia, mirroring U.S. efforts under Donald Trump. He warned that attempting to adopt written conclusions on Ukraine at the London summit would showcase European disunity.
Slovakia, meanwhile, is taking an even harder line. In a statement responding to Friday’s contentious Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Slovak Prime Minister Fico said his country would refuse financial or military support to Kyiv and dismissed the West’s “peace through strength” approach as unrealistic.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Pentagon orders up to 3,000 troops and Stryker combat vehicles to border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved orders on Friday to further militarize the U.S. southern border with Mexico, officials said.
The defense secretary approved the orders Friday, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal Defense Department planning. The soldiers are primarily from the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, and will be joined by soldiers specializing in engineering, intelligence and public affairs, the officials said.
Officials with U.S. Northern Command, which oversees military operations in the United States, and Pentagon spokesmen John Ullyot and Sean Parnell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The deployment had been in planning since January and comes despite a sharp drop in border crossings since the Trump administration took office. Hegseth said during a trip to the border in February that all options are on the table to support President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop illegal migration.
Continue reading at the Washington Post
Zelenskyy’s bleak morning after
Early this morning, Zelenskyy also outlined the rough terms of the deal he’s still seeking to secure, saying he was ready to sign the minerals agreement as “the first step toward security guarantees.
“But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine,” he wrote.
In Washington, the shocking showdown has left Trump’s most ardent backers relishing the confrontation — perhaps the signal moment of MAGA’s America First foreign policy doctrine — and has internationalists apoplectic.
“This guy isn’t just trying to save his country — he’s the finger in the dike for the rest of Europe,” one State Department official said of Zelenskyy to our Nahal Toosi and Amy Mackinnon. “First, we extort him, then we intentionally try to embarrass him.”
There appears to be no immediate redo in the offing: Zelenskyy departed the U.S. and headed back overseas late Friday.
A few takeaways are emerging from the fog of diplomatic war:
STATE OF PLAY: To put it mildly, the immediate outlook for salvaging a deal is … bleak. But this isn’t over, Capitol Bureau Chief and senior Washington correspondent Rachael Bade learned overnight for her latest revelatory and newsy Corridors column.
No meetings are currently on offer. But, but, but: Trump is still the deal-hungry player he always has been.
Continue reading at Politico Playbook
FBI Deputy Director Bongino repeatedly said pipe bombs planted ahead of Jan. 6 were ‘inside job’
A CNN KFile review of Bongino’s social media account on X found that he first began to sour on the FBI in May 2017 after a special counsel was appointed to take over the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation, accusing the “deep state” of trying to undermine Trump. He has since published multiple books alleging an anti-Trump cabal trying to sabotage the president.
CNN also found that Bongino deleted numerous tweets, including one from the day of the Capitol riot that attacked then-Rep. Liz Cheney for saying the states had to uphold the Constitution and certify the results.
“What happens when states violate the Constitution? Does a ‘Constitution’ serve a purpose if it only binds parties that believe it’s a Constitution?” Bongino wrote.
Bongino also deleted tweets that refer to the “deep state,” including one in which he wrote, “The Deep State is determined to have Trump’s scalp.” It is unclear when the tweets were deleted or why.
Continue reading at CNN.com
Missouri bill would offer $1,000 to help turn in undocumented immigrants
A bill before the Missouri State Senate would introduce $1,000 rewards for people identifying undocumented immigrants who are then taken into custody.
The proposal would make it a state felony for anyone in the US illegally to enter and stay in Missouri. It would create an opportunity for licensed bond agents to become bounty hunters. And it would create a fund not just for the bounty hunters, but anyone who provides information on an undocumented individual that results in their arrest.
Senate Bill 72 is still in committee and may never become law. But opponents say it’s already spreading fear and changing the lives of both legally residing and undocumented immigrants.
Continue reading at CNN.com
Trump's deep obsession: Winning a Nobel Peace Prize
For years, Donald Trump has been obsessed with presidential power, revenge against his enemies — and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
Why it matters: Now Trump's administration is aggressively pushing him for a Nobel — the obsession that has eluded him. That was a subtext to Friday's Oval Office blowup with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zoom in: Talk of the prize is increasingly shaping how administration officials talk about the president at a time when he's seeking to end the fighting in Ukraine and Gaza.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News in February that Trump deserves a Nobel for his work in trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "If it were fairly awarded, I think in a year, he should get it from what I've seen," Bessent said.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's nominee to be his United Nations ambassador, used her speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week to call for Trump to win the Nobel. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz did so as well.
"By the end of this all, we're going to have the Nobel Prize sitting next to the name of Donald J. Trump," Waltz said.
Continue reading at Axios
Note from Rima: After yesterday, this is risible…
Trump economic approval ratings sag as inflation fears grow
Concerns about affordability, jobs, and inflation are weighing on Trump’s economic approval rating against a backdrop of faltering consumer sentiment and flashing economic warning signs, including a negative forecast for first-quarter GDP growth from the Atlanta Fed.
According to February Gallup polling, 42 percent of Americans are giving a thumbs up to Trump’s economic stewardship while 54 percent are giving him a thumbs down.
Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy also fell to 39 percent from 43 percent in polling released last week by Reuters/Ipsos.
Continue reading at The Hill
General Services Administration cuts tech unit
18F employed researchers, website designers and product managers.
The agency announced the cut to the 18F office — which employs researchers, website designers and product managers — on Saturday at around 1 a.m., according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO.
The cuts affected about 70 product and account managers; procurement specialists; user interface engineers; researchers; and front-end, content and service designers, said a GSA manager who, like other government workers in this story, spoke anonymously to avoid retribution. About two dozen more 18F employees were slashed in February when the agency cut probationary staffers.
The 18F department was responsible for building key government services like Login.gov, the central login system for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. This work touches many agencies, which means cuts here could have a ripple effect across the government.
Continue reading at Politico
Andrew Cuomo launches comeback bid for New York City mayor
The moderate Democrat announced his candidacy in a video Saturday morning,
NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is joining the crowded race to unseat New York City Mayor Eric Adams — catapulting himself into a high-stakes return to public life following a scandal-plagued downfall.
The moderate Democrat, a household name in New York politics for decades, made the announcement in a video Saturday morning, with just over 16 weeks until the primary, describing a city in deep crisis.
“The first step toward solving a problem is having the strength, having the courage, to recognize it and we know that today our New York City is in trouble,” Cuomo said during his 17-minute video. “The city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis. These conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders — or more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders.”
Continue reading at Politico
Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth
Medicaid programs in some states cover gender-affirming care, and Trump’s “Protecting Children” order suggests that practice could end.
President Donald Trump’s plan to pull federal funding from institutions that provide gender-affirming care for transgender youth will remain blocked on a long-term basis under a federal judge’s ruling in Seattle late Friday.
U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King previously granted a two-week restraining order after the Democratic attorneys general of Washington, Oregon and Minnesota sued the Trump administration — Colorado has since joined the case.
King’s temporary order expired Friday, and she held arguments that day before issuing a preliminary injunction blocking most of Trump’s plan pending a final decision on the merits of the case. She rejected a portion of the states’ challenge regarding the order’s protections against female genital mutilation, on grounds that “no credible threat of prosecution exists” in such cases.
Two of Trump’s executive orders are at issue in the case.
One, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism,” calls for stripping federal money from programs that “promote gender ideology.”
The other, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” calls for the federal government to cut off research and educational grants for institutions, including medical schools and hospitals, that provide gender-affirming care to people under age 19. Several hospitals around the country ceased providing care, including puberty blockers and hormone treatments, following the order.
Continue reading at Politico
Zelenskyy Forgot the First Rule of Dealing With Trump
Flattery will get you everywhere. Insults will get you kicked to the curb.
When President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was first elected in 2019, he proved to be a quick study on how to try to win over his American counterpart.
In one of his first conversations with President Donald Trump — yes, the “perfect phone call” that would later trigger impeachment proceedings — Zelenskyy claimed he wanted to “drain the swamp” in Ukraine and praised Trump for showing him how.
“You are a great teacher for us in that,” he said.
Fast forward almost six years — to a pivotal moment for his war-torn country’s future — Zelenskyy seems to have forgotten the first rule in dealing with Trump: Flattery is the coin of the realm — and perceived insults, especially in public, will quickly get you kicked to the curb.
So it went with Friday’s shocking Oval Office meeting, where Zelenskyy blundered into an on-camera debate with Vice President JD Vance before igniting Trump’s ire by disagreeing with him (or, as Trump allies saw it, lecturing him).
Continue reading at Politico
Where college-educated Americans are moving
New York City; Washington, D.C., and Dallas are the hottest destinations for college-educated Americans leaving their home county, per the latest census data.
Why it matters: White-collar workers tend to go where they think the jobs are, and cities are constantly competing with one another to attract well-paid professionals — and the tax revenue they often bring.
By the numbers: Among Americans age 25 and up with a bachelor's degree or better who moved to a new county in 2023, 6.1% went to NYC, 3.5% to D.C. and 3.2% to Dallas.
They're followed up by Atlanta (2.9%), Los Angeles (2.4%) and Chicago (2.4%).
Continue reading at Axios
In photos: Ramadan kicks off in Gaza amid ceasefire deal
Palestinians continue traditional Ramadan celebrations in the southern Gaza Strip to a backdrop of devastation from Israeli attacks in the Israel-Hamas war.
The big picture: While observed last year in the thick of the humanitarian crisis, the monthlong Islamic holiday is celebrated this year amid a Gaza ceasefire deal and 42-day truce, which ends on Saturday.
Yes, but: The deal maintains that the ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue on the deal's next phase, Axios reported.
Starmer embraces Zelensky after Trump spat: ‘We stand with you’
“You have full backing from the United Kingdom and we stand with you with Ukraine for as long as it may take,” Starmer, who visited the White House on Thursday, said during a presser with Zelensky.
“And I hope you’ve heard some of that cheering in the street, that is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with unwavering determination,” the British leader added.
Continue reading at The Hill
UK’s Starmer embraces Zelenskyy after Ukraine leader’s Oval Office showdown
“I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street,” the British prime minister said after hugging the Ukrainian president in view of the cameras.
As Zelenskyy arrived in Downing Street, a group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the famous political street, cheering Zelenskyy’s convoy as he arrived.
Referring to that praise once inside, Starmer told Zelenskyy in front of the television cameras: “I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street.
“That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you and how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you, unwavering determination, to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace, a lasting peace for Ukraine, based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine,” Starmer said.
Zelenskyy said he was “very happy” to be meeting King Charles III on Sunday, was pleased that Ukraine had “strategic partners” like the U.K., and he referred to a 100-year partnership signed between the two countries earlier this year aimed at signaling London's commitment to Kyiv.
Continue reading at Politico
Leader of prominent health care union pushes for a Cuomo endorsement
1199SEIU President George Gresham told union officers last week he wanted the organization to back Cuomo for mayor.
NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo already has the apparent support of 1199SEIU President George Gresham for his New York City mayoral bid, but the health care union’s other officers are pushing him to delay.
Gresham told some of the union’s top officers last week that he wanted the large labor organization to endorse Cuomo, according to three people briefed on the discussion, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal deliberations. At the time, Cuomo had yet to enter the race to oust Mayor Eric Adams.
He jumped into that contest Saturday afternoon with a 17-minute video — which includes a still shot of Gresham — and a visit to building service workers union 32BJ SEIU for one-on-one candidate screenings.
Continue reading at Politico
DOGE structure, authority emerge as biggest DC mystery under Trump
But how exactly is Musk involved? And is DOGE an agency?
Those open questions became front and center at a series of court hearings this week in some of the roughly two dozen lawsuits challenging DOGE’s operations.
Hanging in the balance is whether the group can enact its ambitious plans without congressional action, access confidential government systems and avoid open records requests.
Elon Musk’s involvement
Questions had been mounting about Musk’s role ever since the administration submitted court filings indicating the Tesla CEO is not a DOGE employee.
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump lumber tariff threat is latest headache for homebuilders
The Trump administration will investigate whether to slap tariffs on lumber imports on the grounds of national security, raising the risk of higher costs for the construction industry and homebuyers.
Why it matters: It is the latest economically critical input — including steel, aluminum and copper — to get swept up into President Trump's trade war in an effort to boost domestic industry.
A senior White House official said it is not certain whether the Commerce Department, which will carry out the investigation under Section 232, will ultimately impose tariffs.
The official told reporters that these tariffs would be additive to others threatened by Trump.
For instance, the White House plans to impose across-the-board 25% tariffs on imports from Canada — the largest supplier of lumber to the U.S.
Threat level: The administration says the investigation would determine whether foreign governments were dumping cheap lumber onto U.S. shores.
Continue reading at Axios
Social Security was already dealing with backlogs. Employees warn job cuts could worsen services.
The SSA's restructuring comes after President Trump vowed on the campaign trail not to touch the old-age and disability insurance program, which provides monthly financial payments to almost 70 million people, or about 1 in 5 Americans. At the same time, Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla who is serving as a close adviser to the president, are vowing to cut what they say is fraud and abuse across federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency.
But current Social Security employees caution that cutting the already strained Social Security workforce could impact beneficiaries in numerous ways, such as longer waits to qualify for disability benefits and for assistance on customer service issues.
Continue reading at CBS News
Map shows measles cases across U.S.
States with measles cases in 2025
Click or hover over a state for details. The largest outbreak so far this year has been in West Texas, but cases have been reported in a number of other states as well.
So far this year, the U.S. has reported 164 cases. Click or hover over a state for more details.
Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a pair of actions to increase domestic lumber production, including a directive for the Commerce Department to investigate the possible harms that lumber imports pose to national security.
The U.S. president signed an executive order to increase the possible supplies of timber and lumber and possibly lower housing and construction costs. The goal is to streamline the permitting process by salvaging more wood from forests and expand how much wood product can be offered for sale, according to a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the actions on a call with reporters.
The official said the order would also help prevent wildfires and improve the habitat for animals. The order would streamline the permitting process for obtaining wood products.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Anti-DOGE protests at Tesla stores target Elon Musk’s bottom line
BOSTON (AP) — Demonstrators gathered outside Tesla stores across the U.S. Saturday to protest the automaker’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, and his push to slash government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump.
The demonstrations are part of a growing backlash in North America and Europe to Musk’s disruptive role in Washington.
Critics of Trump and Musk hope to discourage and stigmatize purchases of Tesla, the electric car company that is the world’s most valuable automaker. Liberal groups for weeks have organized anti-Tesla protests in hopes of galvanizing opposition to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and energizing Democrats still demoralized by Trump’s November victory.
“We can get back at Elon,” said Nathan Phillips, a 58-year-old ecologist from Newton, Massachusetts, who was protesting in Boston on Saturday. “We can impose direct economic damage on Tesla by showing up at showrooms everywhere and boycotting Tesla and telling everyone else to get out, sell your stocks, sell your Teslas.”
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Macron reopens debate on European nuclear umbrella after Trump-Zelensky showdown
French President Emmanuel Macron said he is ready to start discussions on a nuclear deterrence for Europe, in an interview published Saturday. It came as more than a dozen European leaders are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Sunday following Zelensky's extraordinary clash with US President Donald Trump in the White House.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to "open the discussion" on a possible future European nuclear deterrent if Europe wanted to move towards "greater autonomy" in its defence capabilities.
"I am available to open this discussion...if it allows [us] to build a European force," Macron told Portuguese TV RTP in an interview he posted on X on Saturday. "There has always been a European dimension to France's vital interests within its nuclear doctrine."
Macron's comments came as Europe grapples with US President Donald Trump's willingness to embrace Russian diplomacy and the implications of an extraordinary clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump at the White House on Friday.
Continue reading at France24
Judge says Trump cannot fire head of independent watchdog agency
The federal judge’s decision blocks Trump from removing Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel and sets up a likely Supreme Court battle over the president’s powers.
A federal judge on Saturday said President Donald Trump cannot summarily fire the head of an independent watchdog agency, setting up a likely Supreme Court battle over Trump’s sweeping attempt to reshape the federal workforce and expand presidential power.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s ruling blocks the removal of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates whistleblower reports filed by government workers and protects federal employees from retaliation, political coercion and other practices that are barred in the federal workplace.
The Trump administration has indicated in court filings that it would swiftly appeal any such ruling to the Supreme Court, which on Feb. 21 declined to intervene until the litigation proceeded further.
Though its name is similar, the Office of Special Counsel is unrelated to the special counsels appointed by the Justice Department to handle cases in which the department faces a potential conflict of interest.
Continue reading at the Washington Post
UK, Ukraine sign loan agreement after ‘meaningful and warm’ visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the fellow European country for its assistance amid the conflict.
“This loan will enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities and will be repaid using revenues from frozen Russian assets. The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.
“This is true justice – the one who started the war must be the one to pay.”
Current funds will be pooled from the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) which is valued at $50 billion. Under the G7 ERA mechanism, Ukraine has already received $1 billion from the U.S. and Europe in addition to $3 billion from the European Union, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance.
“The United Kingdom continues to stand in defense of Ukraine. Today’s agreement, which contributes to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, confirms this. I am grateful to the UK Government for this support and personally to Rachel Reeves for her significant efforts that made this agreement possible,” Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko said.
Continue reading at The Hill
With eye on Trump, Newsom declares California emergency for forest fires
The order comes after President Donald Trump threatened to withhold Los Angeles recovery funding if California didn’t “rake” the forests.
SACRAMENTO, California — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday will announce a state of emergency to clear forests of flammable brush — a dramatic move as temperatures rise and the threat of more wildfires grows that also appears aimed at mollifying President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Newsom’s action, first reported by POLITICO, would suspend the state’s environmental and coastal-area regulations, both of which Trump and his GOP allies vigorously pilloried as major roadblocks to clearing burn-prone areas of the Golden State.
The Democratic governor and his aides have long contended that they’ve rapidly surged the state’s brush-clearing efforts since he took office in 2019 — a point Newsom said he reiterated in his recent Oval Office sitdown with Trump. But his emergency declaration is an implicit acknowledgement that the state’s actions so far have not been enough to prevent partisan finger-pointing and blame laid at the feet of Democrats who run the state.
Continue reading at Politico
Fuel giant in Norway bans sales to US forces after Trump-Zelensky clash
A Norwegian petrol company has taken a stand against the US military presence in Norway, following President Donald Trump's controversial encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Haltbakk Bunkers has reportedly declared an immediate halt to fuel supplies for all American forces in Norway, making its position clear with a resounding "No fuel to Americans!".
The firm took to social media to express its backing for Zelensky and to deliver a significant blow to President Trump after what was described as a fiery exchange broadcast from the Oval Office. Their statement read: "We have today been witnesses to the biggest s***show ever presented 'live on tv' by the current American president and his vice president.
"Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing tv show. It made us sick. Short and sweet. As a result, we have decided to immediate STOP as fuel provider to American forces in Norway and their ships calling Norwegian ports.
Continue reading at MSN
Zelensky posts slew of thanks after Vance accuses him of being ungrateful for support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spent the last 24 hours making a public showing of gratitude by thanking leaders across the globe for their outpouring of support after Vice President Vance accused him of being ungrateful for U.S. support amid the country’s war against Russia.
Zelensky shared his appreciation with the presidents of Switzerland, Finland, Estonia, Romania, Latvia and the Netherlands, in addition to prime ministers from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, and many more, in separate posts that have overtaken his feed on X.
“Thank you for your support,” he wrote in response to several world leaders.
Zelensky also made a point to thank the United States.
Continue reading at The Hill
White House to host first Crypto summit
The White House is set to welcome professionals in the cryptocurrency industry on March 7 for a first-of-its-kind summit.
“Attendees will include prominent founders, CEOs, and investors from the crypto industry, as well as members of the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets,” the Office of Communications said in a Friday announcement.
“The Summit will be chaired by the White House A.I. & Crypto Czar David Sacks, and administered by the Working Group’s Executive Director Bo Hines.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Senator Roger Marshall walks out of a townhall
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Free Speech and... a Muzzle | Blog#42
An email for the circular file, Part II?
Musical break
From my old stomping grounds back home. Legend Bruce Hornsby and newcomer Goose.
The iconic mashup with Tupac Shakur
With the BBC orchestra
So many ways this song has been performed!
Goose is broadcasting their concert in Grand Rapids, MI live