Things Musk (and Trump) Did... Day 42 | Blog#42
Gentle Dems in the face of Muskian destruction?
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Yesterday’s post
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Treat: musical interlude way at the end of this post.
Yesterday’s news worth repeating
The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that government spending could be separated from gross domestic product reports in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn.
“You know, that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.”
Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the U.S. economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because changes in taxes, spending, deficits and regulations by the government can impact the path of overall growth. GDP reports already include extensive details on government spending, offering a level of transparency for economists.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
1 big thing: Why government spending counts in GDP
Top Trump administration officials are arguing that it is misleading to include government spending in the quarterly tally of GDP.
It sets up a clash between the administration and economists over how to calculate the broadest measure of economic activity.
The big picture: GDP statistics are calculated the way they have been for the last eight decades for good reasons — but administration officials are correct that the accounting for government spending isn't ideal.
[…]
2. Government vs. private GDP
Lutnick suggested the GDP statistics lack transparency about how government spending is incorporated.
In fact, the data releases make crystal clear how much government contributes to overall GDP — and data-watchers can, and regularly do, exclude government for purposes of analyzing economic trends.
By the numbers: In Q4 of last year, overall U.S. output was an annualized $29.7 trillion, of which $1.9 trillion was federal government consumption and investment spending, and another $3.2 trillion state and local governments.
Measures of activity that exclude government spending can give a better sense of the underlying trend in the economy than the headline GDP number.
Continue reading at Axios
RFK Jr. urges people to get vaccinated amid deadly Texas outbreak
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocated for the MMR vaccine on Sunday in response to a growing measles outbreak in Texas.
Why it matters: Kennedy has a long record of sowing skepticism about vaccines and last week appeared to downplay the situation in Texas when he described such outbreaks as "not unusual."
He has previously repeated debunked claims about vaccines and provided elusive answers to senators on his stance on vaccinations ahead of being confirmed.
Driving the news: In a Fox News op-ed that had the subheading "MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease," Kennedy wrote that before the introduction of the MMR vaccine in the 1960s, "virtually every child in the United States contracted measles."
Continue reading at Axios
Macron urges Europe to boost defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP
The EU needs to find ways to massively ramp up defense spending, the French president says.
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europeans to dramatically increase their yearly defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP on Sunday, after attending an emergency summit on Ukraine in London.
While Baltic nations have long called for military spending to rise to at least 3 percent of GDP and U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded 5 percent, this is the first time the French leader has specified a new number.
"For the past three years, the Russians have been spending 10 percent of their GDP on defense. We need to prepare what comes next, with an objective of 3 to 3.5 percent of GDP," Macron said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro.
France currently spends 2.1 percent of GDP on its military annually — barely above NATO's 2 percent target, a level that Paris reached only last year.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
China could blackmail Germany via wind turbines, report warns
A government-backed analysis seen by POLITICO argues Beijing could remotely shut down wind farms unless Germany bans its suppliers.
BRUSSELS — Germany’s political system and social cohesion are at stake unless it restricts Chinese wind turbines in the country, a government-backed analysis seen by POLITICO warns.
The report, which the German defense ministry commissioned, argues Beijing could purposefully delay projects, harvest sensitive data and remotely shut down turbines if given access to wind farms. It also advises the country to stop an existing wind project using Chinese turbines from going ahead.
“When using systems or components from Chinese manufacturers … given the political situation, it can even be assumed that such a slowdown or even disruption would be deliberately used by China as a means of political pressure or even as an instrument of economic warfare,” reads the report, prepared last month by the German Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies think tank.
“A destabilization of both the political system, the business model of German industry and social cohesion cannot therefore be ruled out due to a lack of or insufficient planning security in the energy sector,” it adds.
The analysis comes amid growing concerns related to critical infrastructure risks in Europe. Since 2022, at least six separate incidents of suspected underwater sabotage have taken place in the Baltic Sea.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
EU lawmakers try to counter tech bros’ Washington lobbying
Their meeting didn’t quite go as hoped, with U.S. politicians railing against EU “censorship regimes.”
European Union politicians who helped shape the bloc’s crackdown on Big Tech are trying to sway United States policymakers who've been listening to tech bros like X’s Elon Musk and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
They faced an uphill battle as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration took aim at EU rules on online content moderation and digital competition, saying these amount to government censorship and unfairly target American companies. Trump even threatened tariffs to fight back against foreign fines or restrictions on U.S. tech giants.
Sandro Gozi, one of a group of EU lawmakers who went to Washington last week, said they’re fighting back against views on the EU that are more of “a Mar-a-Lago boys’ issue” and “fueled by Big Tech, starting with Elon Musk.”
Continue reading at Politico Europe
ECB set to cut interest rates again as inflation takes a back seat to Trump
But is it enough for the central bank just to take its foot off the brake?
The European Central Bank is set to cut interest rates again next week, determined to do its bit to support an economy beset by a host of problems largely outside its control.
For four years, the ECB has been trying to slow the economy down, raising its key deposit rate to a record 4 percent to choke off inflation, before gradually lifting its foot off the brake since June. Next week’s expected rate cut will be the sixth in the current sequence, and will bring the deposit rate down to 2.5 percent.
But it’s what comes after the Governing Council’s decision on Thursday that is the interesting bit. ECB President Christine Lagarde will be under pressure to communicate clearly where rates will go for the rest of the year, at a time when the changeable rhetoric and actions of U.S. President Donald Trump make clarity effectively impossible.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Tesla’s plummeting sales risk its lucrative emissions credit earnings
CEO Elon Musk has angered European customers and governments, undercutting his EV brand.
BRUSSELS — Elon Musk's political meddling in Europe is cratering Tesla's sales — and that's putting at risk its revenue from selling credits to other automakers looking to avoid paying penalties for not meeting European Union emissions targets.
European automakers face fines should they fail to meet this year's carbon dioxide reduction goals, but those selling too many CO2-emitting cars can dodge the fee by pooling with a company doing better than the EU demands. That's been a lucrative earner for all-electric Tesla.
Since its founding, the electric vehicle company has brought in billions from such schemes. In 2024, it made $2.76 billion on emissions deals, a 54 percent year-over-year increase, its annual financial earnings report shows.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
States target fired federal workers in recruitment drives
New York is from midnight Monday launching a job recruitment ad campaign targeting fired federal workers.
The big picture: Gov. Kathy Hochul's (D) "you're hired" campaign to fill 7,000 public sector roles follows similar jobs initiatives in other states aimed at people who were laid off in the Trump administration's federal government overhaul, driven by DOGE, which billionaire Elon Musk is the face of.
Driving the news: N.Y. has opened a portal with resources for job-seekers and recruitment ads will be displayed on digital directory displays throughout New York City's Union Station from midnight, per an emailed statement Sunday from Sam Spokony, a spokesperson for the governor.
"There is a wide array of different types of jobs available, spanning all aspects of public service and government operations," Spokony said later in a text message.
Continue reading at Axios
UK prime minister dismisses calls to cancel Trump visit after Zelensky meeting
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed calls to cancel President Trump’s invitation for a state visit to the United Kingdom, following the explosive Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
In an interview on the BBC, Starmer was asked about calls from politicians including Scottish National Party (SNP) first minister John Swinney, who said the state visit invitation should be canceled after Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being insufficiently grateful for U.S. support against Russia’s invasion.
“I’m not going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake here, we’re talking about peace in Europe,” Starmer said in the interview.
Continue reading at The Hill
Democrats plan a different kind of response to Trump’s big speech
Their less pugilistic approach is the latest sign the party is still coming to terms with how to confront the president.
President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday for the first time in five years. Democrats are determined not to make their response all about him.
That might come as a surprise for those who remember what ensued during Trump’s first term. His congressional addresses became a prominent stage for the Democratic resistance, with lawmakers booing, chanting and walking out at times. Many chose outfits and invited guests to make a point. Most famously, in 2020, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of Trump’s speech while seated directly behind him on the dais.
This time, many Democrats are signaling they’ll take a less pugilistic stance — the latest sign that the party is still coming to terms with how to confront the president, even as the party base grows increasingly restless.
“In 2017, a lot of us felt like Donald Trump was an anomaly. In 2025, he won the election. Everybody knows who he is. He said what he was going to do, and the country still voted for him, so I think we have to be very strategic as Democrats,” said Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.).
Continue reading at Politico
Trump is all-in on DOGE. It’s a political gamble.
DOGE is threatening to overshadow the president’s popular, and politically crucial, economic and legislative priorities.
While polling shows bipartisan support for cutting federal spending, some Trump allies are quietly skeptical about whether the Department of Government Efficiency will succeed, and are privately wincing at what they view as a callous and inhumane approach that Musk is taking to slashing government workers’ jobs. They also fear that too much emphasis on DOGE and not enough on the economy, or even immigration, stands to reenergize Democrats ahead of the midterms and sideline more moderate Trump voters. And they worry it is distracting from the president’s plan to pass a tax and immigration bill using Congress’ budget reconciliation process, which they see as a political make-or-break moment and key to Trump’s legacy.
“If you’re Trump, one of the strategic questions is: ‘DOGE is getting all the attention. I’m doing all this important work on other issues, is that OK?’ Or do you want to see the other issues get more attention?” said Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist who has been a vocal Trump defender on CNN and who was at one point considered for Trump’s press secretary post.
In public, Trump has spent far more time defending DOGE — a concept that didn’t even exist until mid-November — than he has weighing in on reconciliation, which he has largely left to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Continue reading at Politico
Why Mike Johnson will struggle to keep his promises
The speaker made competing assurances to different blocs of Republicans to get his budget plan through.
Speaker Mike Johnson scored a big win last week by advancing his budget plan for President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic agenda. To do it, he made a series of competing and sometimes contradictory assurances to different parts of his conference.
Republican senators now have the opportunity to revise that plan over the coming weeks. But soon the two chambers will have to unite behind a common framework, and Johnson, after muscling his budget ahead by a single vote, will likely have little room to maneuver.
Among those he now needs to placate are tax writers who want a costly permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, hard-liners who want even deeper spending cuts if the tax provisions expand, swing-district members who want assurances on safety-net programs and even billionaire Elon Musk, who has raised public concerns about Johnson’s plan.
That’s to say nothing of Trump himself, who has sided at times with all of those competing factions.
Continue reading at Politico
Austria swears in new government, ending five-month political crisis
Conservatives, social democrats and liberals form coalition to prevent far right from coming to power despite its electoral victory.
Austria’s President Alexander van der Bellen swore in the country’s new three-party government Monday, ending five months of political deadlock that followed the far right’s election victory last September.
Conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) leader Christian Stocker will be the prime minister, with the center-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos party also part of the coalition government.
“Good things come to those who wait,” Van der Bellen said at the beginning of his speech, as he thanked the parties for “stepping out of their comfort zones for the good of the whole country” to form the coalition.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Immigrant removals down as fewer try to cross border
The number of immigrants removed from the U.S. was down during President Trump's first days in office compared to the daily average in the final weeks of Joe Biden's term, according to early numbers reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: The data offer a mixed view of how Trump's plans to deport "millions" of unauthorized immigrants and dramatically beef up border security are playing out so far.
Zoom in: On one hand, the large drop in illegal border crossings since Trump took office has significantly reduced the number of people U.S. agents are catching at the border and designating for quick removal.
Trump is celebrating this decline, saying in a Truth Social post Saturday, "The Invasion of our Country is OVER."
On the other hand, the administration's push to quickly remove millions of undocumented immigrants in the nation's interior has run into the reality of existing laws, limited government resources and legal challenges.
Continue reading at Axios
Exclusive: Why crashed cars are increasingly totaled
Crashing a car is like crashing a computer these days — and the result is a higher share of vehicles being totaled.
Why it matters: When cars, pickups and SUVs are deemed a total loss, it leads to higher replacement costs and higher insurance premiums for everyone else.
Between the lines: The share of vehicles deemed totaled in collisions hit an all-time high of 27% in 2023, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions data compiled for Axios.
That's up from 19% in 2018.
The big picture: Vehicles are stuffed with electronics these days — and even if they don't need to be replaced or repaired after a crash, the electronics need to be addressed.
Continue reading at Axios
Exclusive: Mary Meeker's warning for "USA Inc."
America is the world's biggest business, and its shareholders — U.S. taxpayers — should be panicked about the state of their investment, says star Wall Street analyst-turned investor Mary Meeker.
Why it matters: For the first time since 2011, Meeker examined the financials of the U.S. the way she would analyze those of a public company. "USA Inc," however, has more at stake than any single corporation: America's worsening fiscal position could limit its ability to respond to economic or geopolitical threats down the line.
What they're saying: "Beneath the surface, financial 'results' — treating the government as if it were a corporation — conceal a buildup in structural weakness that can jeopardize our country's standing in the world," Meeker, who made her name during the dotcom boom, writes in a new report first seen by Axios.
The intrigue: Meeker, founder of venture capital firm Bond, does not mention in her report DOGE, Elon Musk's attempt to wield his business acumen to cut spending by at least $1 trillion.
Continue reading at Axios
High maternity costs hit Black and Hispanic patients hardest: study
Black and Hispanic people paid more in out-of-pocket costs for maternal care than Asian and white people with the same commercial insurance, a new study published in JAMA Health Forum found.
Why it matters: Black mothers in the U.S. face a pregnancy-related death rate that is more than three times the rate for white mothers. About 80% of these deaths are preventable. The maternal mortality rate for Hispanic women is similar to that of white mothers but has surged in recent years.
The cost burdens of maternity care may exacerbate those significant racial disparities, the researchers say.
What they did: The study looked at pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care claims data from patients insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts from 2018 through 2022.
Continue reading at Axios
RFK Jr. move to kill public comment roils providers
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s move to reduce public comments on certain federal health rules injects new uncertainty into the regulatory landscape and could help him make controversial policy decisions unchecked.
Why it matters: The wonky policy statement he issued on Friday has a direct bearing on the dispute over the National Institutes of Health's research funding cap and could make it easier to impose Medicaid work rules.
State of play: The transparency policy Kennedy is undoing dates to 1971 and requires public comment for HHS rules on public property, loans, grants, public benefits or contracts.
It layered new obligations on HHS beyond those laid out in statute, requiring the department to notify health providers, patient advocates and other stakeholders when it was making policy changes and seek their comment before finalizing plans, with minimal exceptions.
Continue reading at Axios
Why women aren't getting menopause help they need
Menopause is something every woman goes through, but doctors — even OB-GYNs — aren't required to learn much about it.
Why it matters: Millions of women don't get the care they need — and some are getting misinformation at the doctor's office.
Catch up quick: In 2002, research from the Women's Health Initiative found hormone therapy increased a woman's risk of heart disease and breast cancer, upending conventional medical recommendations about the treatment.
But in recent years, the research was put into context: the risks weren't as great as originally thought and the data was weighted toward women 60 and older. The average age of a menopausal woman is 51.
Continue reading at Axios
Shutdown clock ticks with Trump set to address Congress
The shutdown clock is ticking on Capitol Hill as lawmakers look to fund the government by the looming March 14 deadline, an effort that has thus far been unsuccessful as the two parties trade blame over who is responsible for the delay.
“We are working hard to do our responsibility to keep the government open,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
The scramble to keep the lights on in Washington — which is expected to pick up in urgency this week — comes as President Trump is set to deliver his first major speech before Congress, an address that is taking place amid a moment of high polarization sparked by some of the president’s controversial efforts and comments related to domestic and foreign policy issues.
The president’s speech is scheduled to begin on Tuesday at around 9 p.m.
Continue reading at The Hill
Texas workers face mounting dangers in the heart of America’s greatest oil boom
Jose Gonzalez* wore no mask, despite the toxic chemicals he worked with in the oilfield.
“One leak, and no one will hear from you again,” he said.
He shrugged. At 31, with three children at home, he faced constant risks in his job as a truck driver in the Permian Basin, both from the chemicals and the relentless pace of the roads where he and other drivers pull 24-hour shifts driving the ingredients and products of fracking — sand, cement, fracking fluid, produced water, oil — from wellhead to storage depot and back again. It didn’t pay, he said, “to think too deeply about the danger.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Democrats grapple with Trump, democracy and an argument that didn’t work
Democrats say they are wary of the D-word.
On the heels of a grueling loss in the presidential election in November, Democrats find themselves grappling with how and when to warn the public about the threat President Trump poses to democracy.
It is a narrative Democrats sought to push hard during the 2024 election as everyone from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris and Barack Obama warned of the danger Trump posed to the nation’s framework.
But in the months since their election loss, party operatives have largely concluded that those efforts failed. And it did little to convince wide swaths of voters that Trump was the menace Democrats portrayed him to be.
Continue reading at The Hill
SEC turns a new leaf with flurry of crypto probe endings
The turning of the tide comes after a major push from the cryptocurrency industry to put more crypto-friendly leaders back in Washington, following four years of hard-line policies from the Biden administration.
The crypto sector, which poured nearly $250 million into various 2024 races up and down the ballot, is largely not surprised to see the fast action at the SEC under President Trump, who has promised to prioritize U.S. leadership in the digital currencies space.
“We in the crypto space felt it was very deceptive the way they [the Biden administration] went about dealing with crypto firms. They told crypto firms to come in and register, to come in and engage with them,” said Nic Carter, a founding partner at crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures. “There was no meaningful way to do that.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Playbook: Trump’s tariff countdown
DO YOU GET DÉJÀ VU, HUH? President Donald Trump must decide whether to slap America’s closest neighbors with eye-watering 25 percent trade tariffs ahead of a midnight deadline looming tonight. The president insisted last week that tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico “will indeed go into effect” on Tuesday due to the “very high and unacceptable levels” of fentanyl “pouring” into the U.S. across its northern and southern borders. He also vowed to double the existing Trump tariffs on Chinese imports, to 20 percent. The big question now is whether Trump chooses to offer last-minute reprieves to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and postpone — or water down — these proposed tariffs at the 11th hour, exactly as he did last month. And if this all feels a little repetitive, that’s because it is.
Hint hint: The prospect of a partial U.S. climbdown was floated yesterday by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who told Fox News that Trump is considering reducing tariffs down from the proposed 25 percent level. “He’s sort of thinking about right now how exactly he wants to play it with Mexico and Canada,” Lutnick said. “And that is a fluid situation. There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada — exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate.”
The quid pro quo: One theory is that Trump will cite the recent extraordinary collapse in illegal migration numbers as evidence his hard-hitting border policies are working — and claim the ax he left hanging over America’s neighbors has played its part. Tomorrow’s tariffs would therefore be reduced in recognition of that combined effort. But given that with Trump, everything is a “fluid situation.” We’d better just see how the day pans out. Trump’s Truth Social page is the place to wait for any updates, if you’re so inclined.
The true north, strong and free: Empty or otherwise, Trump’s threats are certainly having an effect north of the border, where Canadians resumed their new favorite pastime — booing the “Star-Spangled Banner” — at a WWE event in Toronto on Saturday night. (Vid here of singer Elizabeth Irving getting both barrels from the crowd.)
Continue reading the Politico Playbook newsletter
Johnson’s two major fights
N TODAY’S EDITION:
Johnson’s budget and spending challenges
House Rules meets on repealing energy rules
Senate considers transgender bill
Speaker Mike Johnson has a new challenge as he works on the specifics of President Donald Trump’s agenda: navigating the competing assurances he made to various GOP factions.
Our Meredith Lee Hill has a deep dive into the tough and sometimes contradictory promises Johnson has made to hold together GOP support for Trump’s priorities. Johnson has to placate tax writers who want a costly and permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts; hard-liners who want steeper spending reductions if the tax provisions expand; and swing-district Republicans who don’t want to see cuts to safety-net programs. That’s to say nothing of Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, or Republicans in the Senate.
The House’s fiscal hawks are already pushing Johnson to oppose the Senate GOP’s attempts to pull back some of the spending cuts House Republicans approved. “The House has spoken,” Rep. Chip Roy said. “And I think we need to defend that position.”
But other House Republicans are counting on the Senate to soften the potential blowback of cuts to Medicaid and other safety-net programs. Remember, the House and Senate have to pass the same plan in order for Congress to pass a reconciliation bill to enact Trump’s domestic agenda.
Continue reading at Politico Inside Congress newsletter
UK shoots down ambassador’s call for Ukraine to declare cease-fire before Russia
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard says U.K. “still in discussions” about the shape of any peace deal after comments by U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson.
The British ambassador to the U.S.’ advice came after the disastrous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House Friday. Mandelson told the U.S. news network that Zelenskyy should give "unequivocal backing" to Trump's peace initiative, and backed the need for a "very radical reset" in relations between Kyiv and Washington.
“The reset has to consist of the United States and Ukraine getting back on the same page, President Zelenskyy giving his unequivocal backing to the initiative that President Trump is taking to end the war and to bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine,” Mandelson said. “And the Europeans too, they need to back the calls for a cease-fire, and – by the way – I think that Ukraine should be the first to commit to a cease-fire and defy the Russians to follow.”
But Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard on Monday distanced himself from Mandelson's line. "That's not government policy," he told Sky News. "We're still in discussions, diplomatic engagement, with our European, U.S. and Ukrainian friends as to the shape of that deal."
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Behind CFPB gutting, nearly 200 canceled contracts
Dozens of contracts critical to the functioning of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), have either been canceled or are on their way to termination, according to a detailed affidavit filed in federal court last week.
Why it matters: The CFPB is an agency tasked with protecting people from financial fraud, but it has been gutted by the White House over the past two weeks as part of the broad purge of the federal government.
The filing offers more detail on what may have happened.
Catch up quick: The affidavit was filed by someone calling himself Charlie Doe, who says he is a contracting officer at the agency, which is a person who negotiates, administers and terminates contracts.
Continue reading at Axios
"Becoming Katharine Graham": New film salutes Washington Post pioneer
The role of trailblazing Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham was inexplicably cut from the 1976 Watergate movie, "All the President's Men," which had a splashy D.C. premiere at the Kennedy Center.
Forty-nine years later, Graham got her Kennedy Center honors with Sunday night's Washington premiere of "Becoming Katharine Graham," a documentary now streaming on Prime Video.
Why it matters: The filmmakers — George, Teddy and Peter Kunhardt — say they wanted to tell "the story of a painfully shy woman's accidental rise to power and how it changed history."
After her husband's death in 1963, "Kay evolved from a 'doormat wife' into a legendary newspaper publisher. Nixon's nemesis during Watergate, she fought for truth, broke barriers in a sexist world, and won a Pulitzer Prize, inspiring generations with her courage and resilience."
Graham, who died in 2001 at age 84, in 1972 became the first woman who was CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Continue reading at Axios
France has ‘trouble understanding’ US halt on cyber operations against Russia
French foreign minister said Russia is a clear cyber threat to European countries.
PARIS — French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot voiced his confusion over reports that the United States' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a halt of offensive cyber operations against Russia.
"I have a bit of trouble understanding [Hegseth's decision]," Barrot told public radio France Inter Monday. The French minister said European Union countries "are constantly the targets" of Russian cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity publication The Record on Friday reported that Hegseth had ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from planning offensive cyber operations against Russia. The report was confirmed by other publications shortly after. Cyber Command is the U.S. Department of Defense's section conducting cyberattacks and cyberdefensive operations.
Hegseth's move raised eyebrows in Europe, where Russia is seen as a main threat in cyberspace together with China.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Hegseth suspends offensive cyber operations against Russia: reports
President Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to suspend offensive cyber and information operations against Russia, according to multiple reports.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a series of foreign policy reversals that appear favorable to The Kremlin, setting off alarm bells for U.S. allies, supporters of Ukraine and critics of the Trump administration.
The directive, issued last month and first reported by the Record, is another example of the U.S.'s about-face on Moscow.
Driving the news: The suspension is only intended to last as long as negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war play out, officials told the Washington Post.
Experts told the Post it's not unusual to halt operations during high-level talks but cautioned that the Kremlin could take advantage of the lapse.
Continue reading at Axios
Education Department offers $25K for staffers to quit
The Education Department sent out an email to staffers on Friday saying if they quit by Monday at midnight they will receive a $25,000 cash payout.
A department official confirmed the email, which warned of significant layoffs in the near future, to The Hill.
The email, first reported by Politico, was sent by Jacqueline Clay, a chief human capital officer, giving employees until 11:59 p.m. on Monday to make a decision.
“This is a one time offer in advance of a very significant Reduction in Force for the US Department of Education,” Clay said.
The department did not answer when asked how many staffers have accepted the offer so far.
Continue reading at The Hill
Zelensky: ‘Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves’
“Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a just and reliable peace. We want this war to end,” Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X, in the wake of a heated Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Vice President Vance on Friday.
Zelensky said Russia’s “aerial terror” on Ukraine continues, with 1,050 drone attacks, nearly 1,300 bombs, and more than 20 missiles fire at Ukraine within the past week.
“Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles,” the Ukrainian president added. “To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Kremlin: Trump foreign policy ‘largely aligns’ with our vision
Russia said President Trump’s foreign policy “largely aligns” with its vision.
“The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian state media. “This largely aligns with our vision.”
His remarks come just days after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met to sign a rare earth minerals deal, which would be a step toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Continue reading at The Hill
Americans split over Musk, federal workforce cuts: Survey
In the CBS News/YouGov poll, 27 percent of respondents said they believe “Elon Musk and the DOGE task force” must wield “a lot” of influence “over the spending and operations of U.S. government agencies.”
Another 27 percent in the poll said they believe the tech billionaire and DOGE must wield “some” influence over the spending and operations of U.S. government agencies. Almost one in three — 30 percent — said they believe they must wield “none” and 16 percent said they believe they must wield “not much.”
When it comes to “deciding whether federal workers should be dismissed or fired,” 52 percent of those in the CBS News/YouGov poll said that they believe Musk and DOGE are giving “too much” input while 15 percent said they believe it is “not enough” and 33 percent said it is just “right.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Supreme Court turns away college bias response team challenge as Thomas, Alito dissent
The Supreme Court on Monday turned away another opportunity to weigh the constitutionality of college bias response teams.
Over the dissents of conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, the court declined to take up a lawsuit against Indiana University officials brought by Speech First, a group formed to advocate for students’ First Amendment rights.
The group has filed numerous challenges against colleges across the country that leverage bias response teams, which solicit anonymous reports of bias and sometimes refer students for discipline.
The Supreme Court last year turned away a similar lawsuit filed by the group against Virginia Tech, which eventually discontinued its team.
Continue reading at The Hill
Bondi says she was misled on Epstein documents
Attorney General Pam Bondi was duped into thinking she had all the files related to investigations into disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, she told Fox News host Mark Levin over the weekend while defending Thursday’s widely mocked document dump.
“I kept saying, there has to be more. There has to be more,” Bondi said Saturday. “I was assured that’s it.”
Epstein, who hobnobbed with celebrities, royalty and other powerful people, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Continue reading at The Hill
AP editor: Battle with Trump about ‘something so much bigger than Gulf of America’
“This is about freedom of speech and that is a principle, a right that Americans across the political spectrum believe in deeply,” Julie Pace, who has been the AP’s executive editor since 2021, said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
“This is about whether the government can control the language that we use, that ordinary people can use, and it’s about whether the government can retaliate against you if you don’t use the language that they prefer.”
Before assuming her current role at the 179-year-old global wire service, Pace, 42, spent four years as the wire’s Washington bureau chief — a stint that overlapped with Trump’s previous term in the White House.
Trump Mexico, Canada tariffs a ‘fluid situation’: Commerce secretary
Lutnick joined Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” where he discussed President Trump’s plans to place tariffs on Mexico and Canada in an effort to curb the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States.
The tariff plans were paused for a month, as both countries agreed to shore up their borders with the U.S., but Trump has maintained they will go into effect on Tuesday.
“They have done a lot,” Lutnick said on Sunday about Mexico and Canada’s recent actions.
“So, [Trump] is sort of thinking about right now how exactly he wants to play it with Mexico and Canada, and that is a fluid situation.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump blames town hall drama on paid 'troublemakers'
The president's claims came without evidence.
President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed a spate of contentious town halls that congressional Republicans have faced in recent weeks as being the work of “paid ‘troublemakers.’”
Trump’s Truth Social post came after a new round of Republican-hosted town halls grew heated in recent days, with Rep. Keith Self (Texas) and Sen. Roger Marshall (Kan.) among those who faced angry constituents. Some specifically cited the slash-and-burn operation now being undertaken across the federal government by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Marshall faced questions from one man who said he wasn’t a Democrat but was worried about veterans caught up in the firings.
Continue reading at Politico
Top HHS spokesperson quits abruptly
Thomas Corry left after two weeks in the senior post.
The top spokesperson at the Health and Human Services Department has abruptly quit, just two weeks after he rejoined the federal government.
Thomas Corry announced that he was resigning “effective immediately” in a note posted to his LinkedIn page on Monday.
“I want to announce to my friends and colleagues that last Friday I announced my resignation effective immediately,” he wrote. “To my colleagues at HHS, I wish you the best and great success.”
He did not give a reason for stepping down, and did not immediately respond to questions about his departure.
Continue reading at Politico
US official slams EU’s social media ‘censorship’
Federal Communications Commission chair warns that the EU’s Digital Services Act threatens censorship that is “incompatible” with U.S. free speech.
BARCELONA — Brendan Carr, the new chair of the United States Federal Communications Commission, came out swinging at the European Union's content moderation rules for his first major speech outside the U.S.
"There's a risk that [EU] regulatory regime imposes excessive rules with respect to free speech," he told the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday. "The censorship that is potentially coming down the pipe from the [Digital Services Act] is something that is incompatible with ... our free speech tradition."
Tensions between the EU and the U.S. have soared since President Donald Trump’s return to power, with his administration slamming EU tech laws as “overseas extortion.”
Washington is now threatening tariffs in response to European taxes and fines on U.S. firms — just as the European Commission ramps up probes into Big Tech over breaches of antitrust and content moderation rules, including Meta's Facebook and Instagram and Elon Musk's X.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Farage says ‘rude’ Zelenskyy should have worn a suit to stop Trump clash
Reform UK leader says the U.S. president is “incredibly old fashioned” about dress codes.
LONDON — Nigel Farage triggered a backlash Monday after he suggested Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump would have gone better if the Ukrainian president had worn a suit to the White House.
The Reform UK leader and Trump ally said the U.S. president was “incredibly old-fashioned” about people’s clothing in the Oval Office — and suggested this may have fueled Trump’s dramatic outburst, alongside his Vice-President JD Vance, over U.S. support for Ukraine Friday.
“If I turned up at the White House, I’d make sure I was wearing a suit, my shoes were cleaned,” Farage told LBC. He said the Ukrainian president had been unwise to “bowl in and show no respect to a man who we all know is incredibly old-fashioned about this stuff.”
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Note from Rima: Farage’s comments are included in the video of today’s Prime Minister’s question time in the House of Commons video below
France’s nuclear deterrent already covers allies, says far right leader Bardella
The National Rally president took a more nuanced stance than his party’s presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen.
PARIS — The leader of France's main far-right party said that his country's nuclear deterrent "by definition" already protects its allies, days before European leaders meet to discuss shoring up the bloc's common defense capabilities.
"The defense of French interests does not stop at [French] borders," National Rally President Jordan Bardella said on radio station RTL. "Since [former French President Charles] de Gaulle, the French nuclear umbrella protects, by definition, certain neighbors and certain European partners."
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday it was necessary to have a "strategic conversation" with European allies about how France's nuclear weapons could contribute to Europe's security, amid concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's friendlier approach to Moscow and potential U.S. military disengagement from the continent.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Trump’s NIH Plan B
FUNDING THROWDOWN — A federal court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s proposed across-the-board cut to the National Institutes of Health funding for universities’ “indirect costs,” such as facilities and administration.
[…]
How so? Universities that sued to block the cuts will likely prevail, partly because Congress passed a law last year to fund the NIH, which stipulated that the agency couldn’t deviate from the rates it had negotiated with them.
But the agreements universities have already reached with the government don’t require the NIH to reimburse for costs that aren’t “allowable.” The Trump administration could find an example of poor documentation or a cost that shouldn’t have been included in a university’s proposal and argue it needs to review all NIH rate agreements to determine the scope of the problem.
What’s next: While Graham doesn’t think the position is legally defensible, he said he fears a “cat-and-mouse game where the government tries to justify the result it has achieved, which is we’re not going to pay more than 15 percent, by saying that it is taking some individualized grant-by-grant approach.”
Continue reading at Politico Pulse newsletter
Too much space for DOGE?
TOO MUCH, WE SAY: Leading Democratic lawmakers say that their fears have been confirmed — that the agreement governing the access Elon Musk’s team has to sensitive taxpayer data is too open-ended.
The Treasury Department gave that memo to lawmakers last week, after Trump administration officials stressed that Gavin Kliger, the Department of Government Efficiency staffer currently detailed to the IRS, would only be able to see anonymized tax data — similar to what researchers can get for academic projects.
But Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — the top Democrats on the Finance and Banking panels, respectively — said taxpayers had every reason to worry about the agreement, dubbing it “essentially a pinky-swear between a few Musk personnel.”
“The fact remains that there is no reason for any of them to come anywhere near taxpayer data,” Wyden and Warren added, in a statement.
“The IRS has a higher bar for data security specifically to prevent the kind of reckless targeting, leaks and abuse we’ve seen ever since Musk and his henchmen began ransacking federal agencies.”
One of the big issues that Democrats have with the five-page memo is with the passage outlining that Kliger won’t be able to see personal data. The agreement says “it is not the intention” for that to happen, which Democrats believe gives way too much leeway to DOGE.
Continue reading at Politico Weekly Tax newsletter
Will Trump keep his tariff pledge?
— Trump administration officials are signaling the president could downgrade or reverse planned 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, expected to come into force tomorrow.
— President Donald Trump ordered an investigation that could lead to new tariffs on lumber imports in another blow to Canada.
— The chair of the Senate Finance Committee blocked a push to pass a bill by unanimous consent that would rein in Trump’s authority over tariffs
O TARIFF, WHERE ART THOU?: The White House is hinting that Trump could still back off 25 percent tariffs set to hit Mexico and Canada tomorrow, fueling uncertainty over a plan that’s straining ties with the U.S.’ closest trading partners.
One step back: Trump reiterated that those tariffs would come into force as scheduled in a Truth Social post last week: “We cannot allow this scourge [of drugs] to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled.”
But in the days leading up to the Tuesday deadline, it’s become increasingly unclear how certain the promised tariffs really are. Trump and other White House officials have said discussions are ongoing, praising concessions by the countries, while also delivering a series of confounding and contradictory statements on the timeline of the tariffs.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday said the tariffs are a “fluid situation.”
“They have done a lot, so [Trump is] sort of thinking about right now how exactly he wants to play with Mexico and Canada,” he said during an interview with Fox News.
Continue reading at Politico Weekly Trade newsletter
Education Department clarifies DEI guidance
HEDGING A BIT — The Education Department late Friday unveiled a new document that appears to soften the agency’s stance on programs it could deem illegal after firing off a letter two weeks ago that threatened to pull federal funding from schools with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
— The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights Dear Colleague letter told Pre-K to higher education leaders it was illegal to consider race in all aspects of student, academic and campus life. The letter also gave them just two weeks to examine their programs that could face scrutiny. The agency also launched an “End DEI” hotline last week to encourage the public to report school programs they believe are discriminatory.
— Friday’s question-and-answer document seems to be a little less sweeping than the initial guidance. The department acknowledged that is cannot control the content of school curricula and the agency said the letter does not direct schools to restrict any First Amendment rights.
— Department officials said schools with programs “focused on interests in particular cultures, heritages, and areas of the world” are not illegal if they are open to all students regardless of race. This includes celebrations like Black History Month, International Holocaust Remembrance Day or similar events, the agency said, “so long as they do not engage in racial exclusion or discrimination.”
— But schools cannot have affinity graduation ceremonies, administer or advertise scholarships and other opportunities offered by third parties based on race, or craft admissions essay prompts to require applicants to disclose their race.
Continue reading at Politico Weekly Education newsletter
Elon Musk Calls Social Security a Ponzi Scheme as He Destroys the U.S. Government
The billionaire oligarch has set his sights on America's social safety net.
Elon Musk called Social Security a “Ponzi Scheme” in a discussion with podcaster Joe Rogan that was released online Friday. And it’s just the latest rhetorical assault by a member of the Trump regime on America’s social safety net as Musk continues to lay off thousands of federal workers and illegally stop payments at several government agencies.
“Social Security is the biggest Ponzi Scheme of all time,” Musk told Rogan, who asked the billionaire to explain.
“Right, so people pay in through Social Security and the money goes out of Social Security immediately but the obligation for Social Security is your entire retirement career,” Musk said, as though he was explaining something scandalous.
“So, you’re paying.. the kind…” Musk said, stammering. “You’re paying. Like, like if you look at the future obligations of Social Security it far exceeds the tax revenue. Far.”
Continue reading at Gizmodo
OPM guidance strips language saying response to emails is ‘explicitly voluntary’
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) quietly updated a privacy impact assessment on its efforts to email all federal workers, stripping language indicating that responses from the staffers were “explicitly voluntary.”
The Friday update came ahead of a second email spearheaded by Elon Musk demanding federal workers provide a list of five bullet points recapping what they accomplished the week prior.
OPM prepared a privacy impact assessment after it was sued for its creation of a database of federal employees using the hr@opm.gov email.
Now gone is language indicating employees have no obligation to respond, while leaving unclear whether failure to do so will be taken as a “resignation” like Musk previously said.
Continue reading at The Hill
Democrats bringing fired federal workers to Trump speech’
Congressional Democrats are lining up to bring fired federal workers to President Trump’s high-profile speech before Congress on Tuesday night.
The Democrats have hammered Trump for the blitz of firings that have accompanied his return to the White House — a campaign being led by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — accusing the president of dismantling the very institutions that make the country run.
To broadcast that opposition, many lawmakers have invited former federal employees who were laid off in recent weeks to be in the House chamber for Trump’s first major speech since his return to power. The idea is to showcase the human effects of Trump’s firing spree all across the country. With that in mind, the list of attendees extends far beyond the Washington-metro region.
Continue reading at The Hill
Senate Republican: Putin ‘killing anyone who disagrees with him’
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s track record of killing his perceived enemies on Monday, coming as President Trump and his Cabinet studiously avoid criticizing the Russian leader as they pursue peace talks.
“Putin routinely throws people who disagree with him out of windows or blows up the planes they are in. He has not just invaded Ukraine. He is killing anyone who disagrees with him,” Cassidy wrote on the social platform X.
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump doubles down on criticizing Zelensky over comment that end of war is far away
President Trump on Monday doubled down on his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, just days after their Oval Office meeting went off the rails, bashing his latest comments that an end to the Ukraine-Russia war is far away.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” the president said on Truth Social.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” Trump said.
Continue reading at The Hill
Senior USAID official put on leave after memo contradicting Rubio on aid
Nick Enrich, the USAID official, said in a memo to his colleagues that the agency has been unable to implement “lifesaving humanitarian assistance” after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a pause on aid, NBC News reported.
“This will no doubt results in preventable death, destabilization, and threats to national security on a massive scale,” Enrich said in the memo.
Rubio issued a waiver in late January exempting “life-saving humanitarian assistance” from the foreign aid freeze, but those working on the ground say crucial operations are still ground to a halt.
Enrich sent the memo to staff Friday in his capacity as USAID Global Health acting assistant administrator.
Continue reading at The Hill
Vance mocks Senate Democrat’s Russia criticism with ‘Always Sunny’ meme
Vice President Vance turned to cult favorite “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” to mock his former colleague, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), on Monday.
Responding to a post from Murphy on X in which the Democrat linked President Trump’s handling of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to an affinity for dictators, Vance posted a meme that is popularly used online to tease people about conspiracy theories and other questionable tales. Vance included no text or comment beyond the still image of a scene from a 2008 episode in which character Charlie rants in front of a detailed pinboard. The FX sitcom has aired since 2005.
Vance, who at 40 years old is the nation’s third-youngest vice president in history, is no stranger to pithy rebuttals online, having similarly derided foes in the past.
Continue reading at The Hill
Ways and Means committee to start drafting plans for enacting Trump tax agenda next week
Committee members will begin to hash out how they will attempt to extend Trump's expiring tax cuts from his first term and enact his campaign promises such as eliminating tax on tips and overtime work.
House Ways and Means Republicans are tentatively scheduled on March 10 and 12 to start drafting the GOP’s party-line bill enacting President Donald Trump's tax agenda, according to a Republican lawmaker and another person granted anonymity to share the private plans.
In the sessions, which are anticipated to last all day, committee members will begin to hash out how they will attempt to extend Trump's expiring tax cuts from his first term and enact his campaign promises such as eliminating tax on tips and overtime work. But tax writers will have a narrow window to enact those priorities because the House budget set an upper limit of $4.5 trillion on the costs of the legislation.
Continue reading at Politico
Democrats plan a different kind of response to Trump’s big speech
Their less pugilistic approach is the latest sign the party is still coming to terms with how to confront the president.
President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday for the first time in five years. Democrats are determined not to make their response all about him.
That might come as a surprise for those who remember what ensued during Trump’s first term. His congressional addresses became a prominent stage for the Democratic resistance, with lawmakers booing, chanting and walking out at times. Many chose outfits and invited guests to make a point. Most famously, in 2020, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of Trump’s speech while seated directly behind him on the dais.
This time, many Democrats are signaling they’ll take a less pugilistic stance — the latest sign that the party is still coming to terms with how to confront the president, even as the party base grows increasingly restless.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump to hold Ukraine meeting on next steps including possible aid freeze
President Trump will hold a meeting Monday afternoon on the next steps regarding the crisis with Ukraine, including a possible suspension of U.S. military aid, a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of the meeting told Axios.
Why it matters: Trump and his allies have been piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their disastrous Oval Office meeting last week. Suspending military aid would damage Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's invasion and further weaken Ukraine's leverage as Trump pushes for peace talks.
The latest: Trump responded on Truth Social to an AP report that Zelensky had said the end of the war was "still very, very far away," writing: "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!"
"It is what I was saying, this guy doesn't want there to be Peace as long as he has America's backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S.," Trump continued.
Continue reading at Axios
Trump’s ‘indecency’ endangers transatlantic alliance: French PM
François Bayrou calls U.S. president’s treatment of Zelenskyy “a staggering scene marked by brutality.”
PARIS ― French Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday declared the alliance with the U.S. is seriously wounded and called President Donald Trump’s attitude toward Ukraine “an indecency.”
“On Friday evening, a staggering scene unfolded, marked by brutality and a desire to humiliate, the aim of which was to threaten Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into surrendering to the demands of his aggressor,” Bayrou said in a speech to the National Assembly, referring to Trump’s verbal assault on Zelenskyy at the White House after weeks of growing alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Bayrou has limited weight on foreign affairs, which are under the president's remit, his words contrast with carefully calibrated comments from Emmanuel Macron and other leaders, who are trying to salvage what’s left of the transatlantic alliance.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Wall Street Journal on Trump foreign policy: Less ‘brave new world’ than ‘dangerous old one’
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board went after President Trump on foreign policy on Sunday, saying it is “less brave new world than a reversion to a dangerous old one.”
The board highlighted recent actions such as Trump trying to “wash his hands” of Ukraine and threatening allies in Europe and North America with even higher tariffs than adversaries like China.
“All of this would amount to an epochal return to the world of great power competition and balance of power that prevailed before World War II. It’s less a brave new world than a reversion to a dangerous old one,” the board wrote.
The board said that the president “says he is making America great again, not retreating from the defense of freedom.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Flights to Reagan National Airport in D.C. receive false collision alerts while landing
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after several airliners on approach to land at Washington Reagan National Airport Saturday morning received what appear to be false alarms from their onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance System.
"It's been happening all morning. Let me know if you see anything. No one else has seen anything except for on the TCAS," one air traffic controller can be heard telling an inbound flight, according to ATC audio reviewed by CBS News. At least five flight crews reported receiving apparent false TCAS alerts.
The pilots of American Eagle flight 4469, operated by Republic Airways, were coming into land from Pittsburgh when they received an alert. The flight was descending between 1200 and 1000 feet when TCAS instructed the pilots to take evasive maneuvers to avoid another object.
"We had to dive a little bit," one of the pilots told air traffic controllers.
Continue reading at CBS News
Farage under fire in UK for echoing Trump’s Zelensky criticism
British politician Nigel Farage is drawing criticism in the United Kingdom after echoing President Trump’s rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Reform U.K. leader said on radio station Leading Britain’s Conversation he thought Zelensky handled the tense Oval Office meeting with Trump “very badly,” arguing the Ukrainian leader showed no respect for the president.
Farage called Zelensky’s handling of the back-and-forth with Trump and Vice President Vance “very unwise.”
He also criticized the Ukrainian leader for not wearing a suit to the White House, saying Trump is “old-fashioned about this stuff.”
Continue reading at The Hill
LA Times to give op-eds AI-generated political rating, list of alternate views
The Los Angeles Times has launched a feature driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that will appear with some opinion content to help readers identify potential bias, owner and Executive Chair Patrick Soon-Shiong announced Monday.
“The purpose of Insights is to offer readers an instantly accessible way to see a wide range of different AI-enabled perspectives alongside the positions presented in the article,” Soon-Shiong wrote in a letter to readers, touting the move and other initiatives as “the next evolution of the L.A. Times to better engage with our audience.”
“I believe providing more varied viewpoints supports our journalistic mission and will help readers navigate the issues facing this nation,” he added.
The new tech tool, which has been referred to as a “bias meter,” faced backlash when the plan was first discussed in December, but Soon-Shiong defended the plan.
Continue reading at The Hill
GOP rep introduces measure putting Trump’s face on $100 bill
The lawmaker shared a photo of Trump’s official photograph overlaid on a $100 bill and said, “Let’s make history.”
If passed, the legislation would have the Treasury secretary release a preliminary design to the public for the bill no later than Dec. 31, 2026, and all bills produced after Dec. 31, 2028, to have Trump’s photo.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) is the co-sponsor.
Continue reading at The Hill
Tuberville: Zelensky ‘not even in the game’ on Ukraine war talks
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a staunch supporter of President Trump’s, said Russia and the United States will ultimately determine the fate of the war in Ukraine, saying the war-torn democracy’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is “not even in the game.”
“Zelensky is going to play hardball, but you know what? He’s not even in the game,” Tuberville said in an interview on Newsmax.
Continue reading at The Hill
Jeffries pushes back on Trump ‘troublemakers’ post: ‘We don’t need paid protesters, bro’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday pushed back on President Trump’s claim that the outcry congressional Republicans have faced at recent town halls has come from paid protesters.
“Another day, another lie from these people who are out of control. I’m told that Donald Trump, Mike Johnson and the extreme MAGA Republicans are claiming that Democrats are sending paid protesters into their town hall meetings. What’s wrong with y’all? What’s wrong with y’all?” Jeffries said in a video posted to X.
“We don’t need to send paid protesters into your town hall meetings. The American people are with us,” he added. “All across the country, people are rising up to push back against the assault on the economy, the assault on hard-working families, the assault on our democracy and the assault on Medicaid. We don’t need paid protesters, bro, the American people are with us.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Hegseth orders Fort Moore be changed back to Fort Benning
The Pentagon will change the name of the Georgia military base Fort Moore back to Fort Benning, formerly named after a Confederate general, though this time it will honor a different man.
Continue reading at The Hill
Senate Democrats urge Trump administration to end Colorado River funding freeze
Senate Democrats from the U.S. West on Monday urged the Department of the Interior to end a funding freeze that could endanger the flow of the Colorado River.
The lawmakers, from California, Nevada and Arizona, slammed the Trump administration’s day-one executive order that halted disbursements from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act — including $4 billion that Congress had earmarked for water management and conservation in the West.
Among the projects that were supposed to benefit from those funds was the Lower Colorado River System Conservation and Efficiency Program, which had aimed to raise the elevation of Lake Mead — the basin’s largest reservoir — by 9 feet this year, the senators wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Continue reading at The Hill
Musk accuses Zelenskyy of pushing ‘forever war’ with Russia
“This is evil,” the tech billionaire said, mounting a fresh attack on the Ukrainian leader.
Elon Musk took a fresh shot at Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, accusing the embattled Ukrainian president of wanting a “forever war” with Russia.
Musk, a close adviser of President Donald Trump who leads his efforts to pare down the federal government, often weighs in on U.S. foreign policy and European politics via his social media platform, X.
The tech mogul wrote on X that Zelenskyy “wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder.”
“This is evil,” he added.
In a separate post, he said Zelenskyy had a choice to “seek peace” with Moscow but was opting for bloodshed.
Continue reading at Politico
Trump and Zelenskyy’s White House clash a ‘deliberate escalation’ by US, says Germany’s Merz
U.S. president’s rage was pre-planned, likely next chancellor says.
Germany’s likely next chancellor said Monday that the bitter clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and United States President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last week was a “deliberate escalation” by the latter.
In stunning scenes on Friday that sent political shockwaves across Europe, Zelenskyy was mocked and belittled by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who accused him of not doing enough to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion and being ungrateful for American aid.
Zelenskyy, who had travelled to Washington to sign a minerals agreement with the U.S. and shore up Trump’s support for Kyiv, was booted from the White House and forced to return home empty-handed.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Top Republicans say they want Ukraine deal 'back on track'
Johnson and Thune both express optimism a mineral-rights deal could be salvaged after Friday's testy White House meeting.
Congressional Republicans are signaling they want President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to patch things up after a testy Oval Office meeting cast significant doubt about the future of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.
“I just hope that they can get things back on track and that everybody will redouble their efforts,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters, asked about the Friday White House meeting where Zelenskyy sparred verbally with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“This is a historic opportunity, a potentially historic agreement, and obviously last week was a missed opportunity. But I think if people are operating in good faith, I think we could get things back on the rails,” he added.
Continue reading at Politico
Another AI kerfuffle for Musk and Newsom?
Our daily newsletter will explain how the Golden State is defining technology policy and politics within its borders and beyond.
Hello and welcome to the first edition of California Decoded, the flagship daily newsletter from POLITICO’s brand-new California tech team. I’m Chase DiFeliciantonio, your anchor for today, bringing you the latest from the AI and automation beat, which will be my main focus. My partner Tyler Katzenberger will be bringing you all things tech policy, from social media to privacy debates. We’ll announce the final member of our team, who will cover Silicon Valley politics, tomorrow. Glad you’re with us.
Driving the Day
ANALYSIS: AI SAFETY IS BACK — A marquee AI safety bill loathed by Big Tech, lauded by Elon Musk and slammed by leading congressional Democrats including Rep. Nancy Pelosi is back in Sacramento. The measure from state Sen. Scott Wiener is one to watch not just because of the controversy it generated last time around, but also for what its slimmed-down look says about who gets to regulate AI in the Golden State, and beyond.
Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat widely believed to have his eye on Pelosi’s seat when she retires, relaunched the bill Friday after the failure of the notorious, at least in tech circles, measure known as SB 1047 last year. But the battle lines have been redrawn with the retooled proposal, which for now is a far cry from the sweeping effort that generated headlines and a Big Tech backlash.
If Wiener wants to succeed this time, he will have to avoid a veto from Gov. Gavin Newsom, which felled his previous measure, and placate a governor who has shown little appetite for regulatory broadsides against one of California’s most-profitable industries. He will also have to convince and cajole Big Tech players like Meta to OpenAI to hold their fire, something he tried mightily — and ultimately failed to do — before.
Continue reading Politico Decoded newsletter
‘No room left’ for a deal: Trump says Canada, Mexico tariffs take effect Tuesday
Trump also reaffirmed that he intends to raise his most recent tariff on all Chinese goods to 20 percent.
President Donald Trump reaffirmed plans to impose new 25 percent tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian goods beginning Tuesday, likely triggering a trade war with the United States’ biggest trading partners.
There is “no room left for Mexico or for Canada” to make a deal to avoid the tariffs, Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”
Trump also reaffirmed that he intends to raise his most recent tariff on all Chinese goods to 20 percent, from 10 percent currently.
The tariff action culminates months of pressure that Trump has put on all three countries to do more to stop undocumented migrants and fentanyl from entering the United States. The 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico were originally scheduled to take effect in early February, but Trump paused the tariffs for 30 days after speaking with their leaders by phone. That pause expires after midnight Tuesday.
Continue reading at Politico
Exclusive: How Congress' "Crazy Cubans" pushed Trump to kill oil deal
President Trump's decision to cancel a major oil deal with Venezuela came amid pressure from Miami's three GOP House members who oppose enriching Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship, four sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: To get their way, the three House members suggested — but never explicitly threatened — that they would withhold votes Trump needed for the GOP budget deal that the House narrowly passed last week.
"They're going crazy and I need their votes," Trump explained to confidants when he privately signaled he would cancel the license allowing Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S.
Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar then voted for the budget deal, which passed 217-215.
Eight hours later, Trump announced on Truth Social that he was canceling the oil deal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) related some of the behind-the-scenes story to a group of Republican donors during a fundraiser Friday at the Miami-area waterfront mansion of local health insurance magnate Ivan Herrera.
Continue reading at Axios
Markets slide as Trump confirms tariffs for Canada, Mexico and China on Tuesday
Long-threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect Tuesday, as will increased levies on China, President Trump confirmed.
Why it matters: The tariffs are expected to trigger a trade war with the three largest U.S. trading partners, one that could raise prices for American consumers on a broad range of products.
Catch up quick: Canada and Mexico will each face 25% tariffs on their exports to the U.S., while Chinese exports will receive an additional 10% tariff on top of the 10% Trump already imposed earlier this year.
Continue reading at Axios
DOGE moves to cancel NOAA leases on key weather buildings
The Trump administration has informed NOAA that two pivotal centers for weather forecasting will soon have their leases canceled, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: One of the buildings is the nerve center for generating national weather forecasts.
It was designed to integrate multiple forecasting centers in one building to improve operating efficiency. It houses telecommunications equipment to send weather data and forecasts across the U.S. and abroad.
Driving the news: The NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction is on the lease cancellation list, according to a NOAA employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
Two ex-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials also confirmed the list.
Continue reading at Axios
What military aid the U.S. is still providing Ukraine under Trump
The big picture: Following a contentious televised meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump is debating his next steps in the crisis with Ukraine, including a possible suspension of U.S. military aid.
The move, which comes as Trump pushes for peace talks, would be detrimental to Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia.
While Trump has not authorized a new assistance package for Ukraine, billions of dollars of equipment committed under Biden remains in different stages along the delivery pipeline, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Zoom in: The CSIS report found that it typically takes about eight months from the announcement of an arms package to the completion of the delivery.
Continue reading at Axios
Walz says he’d consider running for president if asked
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the Democratic vice presidential candidate for the 2024 cycle, said he would consider running for president in 2028.
In an interview with The New Yorker published Sunday, Walz said a friend told him, “Never turn down a job you haven’t been offered” when asked about a possible presidential run.
“I’m also, though, not arrogant enough to believe there’s a lot of people that can do this,” Walz said.
When pressed further, he said, “I’ll do whatever it takes. I certainly wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think that it needs to be me.”
Walz said he does not have ambition for higher elected office, but added, “you should have a desire to do it if you’re asked to serve.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Democrats want Trump to confront the human toll of layoffs at address to Congress
When Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, he’ll be staring into a packed House chamber featuring not only Republican allies and Democratic adversaries, but also a host of former federal employees who were recently laid off by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The fired workers will be there at the invitation of Democrats in both chambers — a strategy that represents just the latest piece of a broader campaign to highlight the real-world effects that Trump’s early policy moves are having on Americans who live far outside the Beltway.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is part of the effort. He’s invited Kyle Rahn, a disabled Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq before his move to the Department of Homeland Security, where he served as a national security specialist. Rahn was fired last month by email.
Continue reading at The Hill
Top FBI official in New York retires under pressure
The top FBI official in New York City has been forced out of his job, according to multiple sources and an email he sent his colleagues Monday.
James Dennehy, the assistant director in charge of FBI's largest field office, was told Friday to turn in his retirement papers by Monday, he said in the email.
"I was not given a reason for this decision," he wrote.
Dennehy came under scrutiny last month amid the controversial decision by the Trump administration to order the FBI to produce a list of more than 5,000 agents and employees who were part of the investigations into the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Continue reading at CBS News
Canadian premier says he will cut off electricity exports to US ‘with a smile on my face’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he is prepared to cut off electricity exports to the U.S. if President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods go through.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford told reporters at a mining convention in downtown Toronto, the Toronto Sun reported.
Ford doubled down on his pledge to retaliate by matching tariffs, noting the U.S. is a major customer of Canada’s electricity.
“They rely on our energy. They need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard,” he said.
Continue reading at The Hill
OPEC+ will start long-delayed oil production hike
A group of oil-producing countries known as OPEC+ will proceed with a long-delayed hike in oil production.
Eight countries that have repeatedly delayed production increases will now move forward with them. Those countries are: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.
They cited “healthy market fundamentals and the positive market outlook,” which could mean they expect oil prices to rise in the near future.
The production increases will begin in April, though the countries noted they could change their minds in response to “evolving conditions.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Fired climate scientist: NOAA workforce reductions won’t make anyone safer
“A ton of people got fired. That’s basically going to lead to a short-staffed agency, that was already short-staffed, now trying to do more with less,” Di Liberto said in a CNN interview. “And that is just asking for a disaster to happen.”
“We know extreme weather is going to happen — hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms — and now we’re asking an agency to basically try and forecast these, make the public aware of the impacts, but do it with less people,” he added. “You’re just asking for a mistake to happen. You’re asking for burnout to occur.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Linda McMahon confirmed as Trump’s Education secretary
SEC turns a new leaf with flurry of crypto probe endings
The ending of multiple Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations into cryptocurrency firms is sending a strong signal that the agency’s approach to enforcement is quickly changing under the Trump administration.
The turning of the tide comes after a major push from the cryptocurrency industry to put more crypto-friendly leaders back in Washington, following four years of hard-line policies from the Biden administration.
The crypto sector, which poured nearly $250 million into various 2024 races up and down the ballot, is largely not surprised to see the fast action at the SEC under President Trump, who has promised to prioritize U.S. leadership in the digital currencies space.
Continue reading at The Hill
EPA calls for watchdog to probe $20 billion climate fund
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is at the center of a fight between the Trump administration and environmental groups seeking access to the funds that Congress approved under its massive climate legislation.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday requested an inspector general probe of the management of a $20 billion climate fund held by Citibank that has become embroiled in the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back Biden-era spending.
The fund is at the center of a fight between the Trump administration and environmental groups seeking access to the funds that Congress approved under its massive climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act — and which Republicans are seeking to gut to help pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts.
Continue reading at Politico
Newsom brings the back-to-office push to California
California’s Democratic governor joins other leaders, including President Donald Trump, in calling for government workers to return to their desks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is ordering thousands of California state workers to return to their offices four days a week, augmenting a broader post-pandemic push.
Newsom’s directive, announced on Monday afternoon, adds to an accelerating movement toward in-person government work that has stretched across levels of government and party lines five years after the pandemic pushed many workers out of the office. President Donald Trump has sought to compel more federal workers back to their desks, as San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has done for his city’s employees.
“In-person work makes us all stronger — period,” Newsom said in a statement. “When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases.”
Continue reading at Politico
Top GOP appropriators waffle on ‘full-year’ funding patch Trump endorsed
Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other for who and what have stymied government funding talks.
Top Republican appropriators both said Monday they are pursuing a “two-track strategy” for avoiding a shutdown in less than two weeks — a sign that the lead negotiators in government funding talks aren’t ready to give up on getting a yearlong deal even as President Donald Trump has called for a stopgap measure.
The announcements from Rep. Tom Cole and Sen. Susan Collins — the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, respectively — come as GOP leaders have already said they plan to move a short-term funding bill in the coming days after rejecting Democrats’ demands for new language to stop Trump and Elon Musk from withholding congressionally approved spending.
Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, insisted in a statement Monday that he is still “at the negotiating table” to reach a cross-party compromise, describing his pursuit of a “two-track strategy” as one that would involve drafting a stopgap spending measure to avoid a shutdown on March 14 alongside continued talks to reach a full-year funding deal.
Continue reading at Politico
Democratic boycott builds against Trump speech to Congress
A Democratic boycott is developing ahead of President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democratic leaders have asked lawmakers to show up to the speech with people affected by DOGE and Trump's federal funding freeze.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), one of the most senior Democrats in the Senate, will not attend Trump's speech on Tuesday, Axios has learned
Neither will Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who will instead host an online town hall.
The big picture: Democrats on Capitol Hill are split on how to best handle Trump's first big address to Congress of his second term.
Continue reading at Axios
What to know about Trump-endorsed Treasury's BOI reporting suspension
The Treasury Department announced on Sunday that it will suspend fines and penalties linked to "beneficial ownership information" (BOI) required of millions of businesses.
Why it matters: In addition to eliminating guardrails around "illicit finance," anti-corruption advocates say the move may also have national security consequences for the U.S.
What they're saying: The Treasury will cease enforcement of BOI penalties and fines, the department said in a statement, and it will issue "proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only."
"Today's action is part of President Trump's bold agenda to unleash American prosperity by reining in burdensome regulations, in particular for small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
Continue reading at Axios
Dow drops nearly 650 as worries build about the economy following Trump’s latest tariff announcement
By STAN CHOE
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A sell-off hit Wall Street after Trump said tariffs he had announced earlier on Canada and Mexico would take effect within hours.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.8% Monday after Trump said there was no room left for negotiations that could lower tariffs set to begin Tuesday on Canadian and Mexican imports. That dashed Wall Street’s hopes that Trump would choose a less painful path for global trade, and it followed the latest warning signal on the U.S. economy’s strength.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Trump pausing all U.S. military aid to Ukraine
President Trump decided to pause and review all military aid to Ukraine days after the public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, two White House officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The decision that was taken after a meeting on Monday between Trump and his senior adviser would increase pressure on Zelensky and create more difficulties for Ukraine's military.
What they're saying: "President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace," one White House official said.
"We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution."
Continue reading at Axios
WATCH: Trump suggests Zelenskyy ‘won’t be around very long’ if he doesn’t make a deal with Russia
Sanity break
Killer whales amaze Seattle onlookers with a rarely seen bird hunt
Trump administration dramatically cuts staff at water agency in California
The Trump administration has begun firing staff at the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages dams and water-delivery infrastructure in California.
One employee says: “It’s going to significantly impact our operations.”
Water agencies that rely on supplies from the federally managed Central Valley Project have warned that major job cuts could harm the water delivery system and threaten public safety.
The Trump administration has ordered firings and buyouts at the federal agency that operates water infrastructure in California, potentially jeopardizing the agency’s ability to manage dams and deliver water, according to Central Valley water officials.
The job cuts at the Bureau of Reclamation were ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, according to two bureau employees with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The bureau, which employs about 1,000 people, is set to lose about 100 employees in California through terminations and buyouts, eliminating about 10% of its regional staff, one of the employees said. But larger workforce reductions are slated, and the bureau has been ordered to prepare plans to cut its staff by 40%, this person said.
Those targeted first for dismissal have been employees in their first year, and others who have been at the agency the shortest.
Continue reading at the Los Angeles Times
Newsom orders state workers to return to the office 4 days a week in California
The majority of California’s 224,000 full-time state workers already report to work in-person daily.
The remaining workers are currently required to work in the office at least two days per week, which Newsom’s order increases to four days.
The shift comes after President Trump called many federal workers back to the office and corporations continue to end remote work policies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday directing state workers to return to the office four days per week, shifting California government away from a post-pandemic model that allows roughly 95,000 government employees to clock in remotely for most of the week.
The change, which is expected to take effect July 1, comes after President Trump called many federal government workers back to the office last month and as corporations continue to retract remote work options.
“In-person work makes us all stronger — period,” Newsom said in a statement. “When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility.”
Continue reading at the Los Angeles Times
Pentagon orders thousands more troops to southern border
The Pentagon is sending up to 5,050 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border even as unlawful border crossings have sharply fallen in recent weeks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) and a general support aviation battalion to “bolster military support in securing the U.S. – Mexico border,” Pentagon press secretary Sean Parnell said in a statement Saturday.
Each SBCT consists of approximately 4,400 soldiers, while the aviation battalion has roughly 650 troops.
The forces will arrive along the nearly 2,000-mile border in the coming weeks, the official added. They did not say where the troops would be sent specifically.
Continue reading at The Hill
Senate negotiators look at dueling options to avert government shutdown
Top appropriators are still in search of a deal to fund the government with 10 days until a shutdown deadline, as talk in the Senate turn to two possibilities for stopgap spending bills.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday told reporters that negotiators are working on dual tracks: either a full-year continuing resolution (CR) lasting through the end of September or a monthlong measure to give appropriators more time to hammer out a yearlong overall deal.
The remarks come after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said over the weekend that he was planning on the first option, which has also won the support of President Trump.
Continue reading at The Hill
Germany’s Merz says Trump-Zelensky fight a ‘deliberate escalation’ by US
Germany’s Friedrich Merz, poised to be his country’s next chancellor, said he thinks the explosive exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump on Friday resulted from a “deliberate escalation” by the U.S.
At a press conference on Monday, Merz said he watched the interaction several times to reach that conclusion, according to multiple international news agencies’ translations of his remarks.
“In my opinion, it was not a spontaneous reaction to what Zelensky was saying, but obviously a deliberate escalation in this meeting in the Oval Office,” Merz said, according to a translation.
Continue reading at The Hill
GOP bill to ban trans athletes from women’s sports blocked in Senate
Legislation to prevent transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports failed to advance in the Senate on Monday after all Democrats voted against it.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act failed to clear an initial procedural hurdle on a 51-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance, which would have required at least seven Democrats to vote with all Republicans to move it. The bill cleared the House in January on an almost entirely party-line vote.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), sought to amend Title IX, the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination, to prohibit schools from allowing transgender students to compete in athletic events “designated for women or girls.” It defines sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Not much progress on Senate-House budget talks
Senate GOP leadership staffers told other Republican offices that they should be ready to shift gears if Donald Trump wants to pass border and defense policies first.
Senate GOP leadership staffers indicated to rank-and-file GOP offices Monday that they aren’t even close to resolving Senate demands on the House budget plan, according to two people who were part of the closed-door meeting.
Both chambers need to adopt identical budget plans to move forward on President Donald Trump’s massive agenda on the border, energy and taxes. House Republicans narrowly advanced their budget plan last week. But progress has slowed as lawmakers shift their attention to averting a federal shutdown that would kick in on March 15.
Continue reading at Politico
Senate GOP won’t take up House budget resolution until at least late March
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that he doesn’t plan to have lawmakers vote on a budget before a mid-March break.
Senate Republicans’ work to resolve differences with the House on a budget blueprint will slip until late March at least, with the chamber not expected to bring up the resolution before lawmakers leave for a recess at the end of next week.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune made clear in a brief interview on Monday night that he did not intend to put the House budget resolution on the floor before the Senate’s expected mid-March break that will start after March 14 — the same day as the deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
He also declined to commit to scheduling a vote on the House-adopted resolution when senators return a week later, as the clock ticks down on congressional Republicans’ ability to adhere to an ambitious timeline to enact President Donald Trump’s vast domestic policy agenda.
Continue reading at Politico
Senate tees up major tax fight after House squeaks through on budget
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee began hashing out what to do on taxes in a closed-door meeting Monday evening.
Why it matters: Don't expect the budget resolution that barely passed the House last week to stay as is. The two chambers passed very different budget resolutions.
They will need to get on the same page to kick off the reconciliation process, which allows the Senate to get around its 60-vote filibuster.
"We're working to put it all together in a way that makes the tax cuts permanent, prevents an increase in taxes, and deals with the key components and promises of the administration," Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told Axios.
What to watch: Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) huddled separately right after the Senate meeting.
Continue reading at Axios
Democrats prepare Ukraine ambush against Trump nominees
Democratic senators are preparing to pummel three of President Trump's top State Department nominees on Tuesday, turning their confirmation hearings into a proxy war on the U.S. commitment to NATO and support for Ukraine.
Why it matters: It's the Democrats' first chance to punch back on what they saw as Trump's assault on Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday.
Democrats — and many European leaders — were deeply dismayed by Trump's and Vice President Vance's exchange with Zelensky.
They were dumbfounded by Trump's conciliatory words for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It will also give senators an opportunity to ask officials for details on Trump' pause on military funding for Ukraine.
Driving the news: Matthew Whitaker, Trump's pick to be ambassador to NATO, and Michael Rigas and Christopher Landau, his nominees for the two deputy secretary of state slots, are scheduled to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday morning.
Continue reading at Axios
Polish democracy hero Wałęsa says Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy filled him with ‘horror’
Poland’s democracy hero Lech Wałęsa and dozens of other former political prisoners in Poland have written a letter to President Donald Trump, telling him that his treatment of Ukraine’s president at the Oval Office last week filled them “with horror and distaste.”
Wałęsa, who served as president soon after Poland embraced democracy, and the others tell Trump that they found it offensive that he expected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance the United States has given Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion.
“Gratitude is due to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed blood in defense of the values of the free world. They are the ones who have been dying on the front lines,” they say.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Jeffries: It’s important to have ‘strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence’ at Trump address
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called for Democrats to have a “strong, determined and dignified” presence at President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
“The decision to attend the Joint Session is a personal one and we understand that members will come to different conclusions,” Jeffries wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter sent Monday.
“However, it is important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber,” the Democratic leader continued. “The House as an institution belongs to the American people, and as their representatives we will not be run off the block or bullied.”
Continue reading at The Hill
Canada counter-tariffs to hit U.S. unless Trump reverses threat, Trudeau says
If President Trump's tariffs against Canada take effect, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the U.S. would immediately face a raft of countermeasures on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Trump's comments Monday that he would impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico sent markets sliding amid fears it could start a trade war, see inflation soar and hugely impact all three nations' economies — and Trudeau in a statement noted the measures would hurt the U.S.
"Because of the tariffs imposed by the U.S., Americans will pay more for groceries, gas, and cars, and potentially lose thousands of jobs. Tariffs will disrupt an incredibly successful trading relationship," Trudeau said.
What to expect: Trudeau said Canadian officials would move to impose 25% tariffs against "$155 billion of American goods" at 12:01am Tuesday, when he noted Trump's "unjustified" tariffs are due to take effect on exports from Canada and Mexico.
Continue reading at Axios
Pentagon: $80M in savings found in initial DOGE scrutiny
In a video posted to X Monday evening, Press Secretary Sean Parnell read from an unreleased list detailing funding devoted largely to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and climate change research.
“This stuff is not a core function of our military. . . . This is a distraction,” he said. “We believe that these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending.”
Among the targeted initiatives was $1.9 million for DEI training in the Air Force, $6 million to the University of Montana to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides,” $3.5 million at the Defense Human Resources Activity for support to DEI groups, and $1.6 million to the University of Florida “to study social and institutional detriments of vulnerability and resilience to climate hazards” in the African Sahel, Parnell said.
Continue reading at The Hill
Trump tariffs will cause price hikes on these everyday goods
President Trump confirmed Monday that his long-promised tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will go into effect on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The announcement sent financial markets tumbling in anticipation of a potential trade war between the U.S. and its top trading partners.
State of play: Canada and Mexico will see 25% tariffs on goods exported into the U.S., while a 10% tariff will be levied on Chinese exports.
The latter comes on top of the 10% tariff Trump already imposed on Chinese exports earlier this year.
Trump's decision to pull the trigger on tariffs on Canada and Mexico came after he agreed early last month to delay the planned tariffs for a month.
The big picture: The tariffs will see Trump make good on his campaign pledge to institute sweeping tariffs on America's trade partners.
Continue reading at Axios
Columbia University faces Trump administration review of federal contracts
Federal agencies say the Ivy League school failed to address complaints of antisemitism.
The Trump administration said Monday that it had launched a review of federal grants and contracts with Columbia University over allegations the school failed to address antisemitism amid a wave of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Federal grant commitments totaling $5 billion will be reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the General Services Administration, the three agencies said in a joint statement. They said they would also consider a stop-work order on about $51 million in federal contracts.
President Donald Trump said in an executive order in January that he would marshal federal resources to address antisemitism on college campuses.
“Institutions that receive federal funds have a responsibility to protect all students from discrimination,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the statement announcing the review. “Columbia’s apparent failure to uphold their end of this basic agreement raises very serious questions about the institution’s fitness to continue doing business with the United States government.”
Continue reading at Politico
Keir Starmer, unlikely leader of the free world
The British prime minister has had a shaky start at home — but is winning grudging praise for his response to Trump’s Ukraine pivot.
LONDON — Keir Starmer is hardly the most obvious wartime envoy — and yet in the weeks since Donald Trump first shocked allies with his stance on Ukraine, the British prime minister has emerged as a leading player in the international response.
Starmer’s first seven months in Downing Street have been unsteady to say the least, as he has struggled to set a clear domestic agenda and has taken a hammering in the polls.
Since taking office, the unassuming, bespectacled lawyer has fumbled the handling of a scandal over freebies, lost his chief of staff, and introduced an unpopular hit on pensioners’ benefits.
His bureaucratic, plodding style has left even his own supporters exasperated at times, and a quest for economic growth has proven fruitless.
Yet since Trump threatened to turn his back on Ukraine, kicking off talks with Russia last month while sidelining Kyiv, Starmer has played an increasingly visible and assured role in transatlantic diplomacy.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
EU to propose keeping mandatory gas-filling goals despite pushback from countries
Countries like Germany have pushed for a more flexible approach, complaining the targets could raise gas prices.
BRUSSELS — The European Union will propose next week to keep mandatory targets for refilling winter gas storage facilities, according to two European Commission officials, overriding pleas by countries like Germany to make the goals more flexible.
The bloc first agreed to emergency rules on gas storage at the height of the 2022 energy crisis to allay fears of supply shortages following Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine. Currently, that means EU countries must ensure their facilities are 90 percent full by November each year.
The measure was designed to ensure the bloc has enough gas each winter and to reduce the risk of price spikes. But several countries argue that it is now contributing to higher prices, and are pushing for more flexibility on the annual goal and related interim monthly targets.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Turkey’s Erdoğan tries to sink popular rival in flood of court battles
Popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is seen by many as a likely next president — as long as Erdoğan’s authorities don’t jail him.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu can be forgiven for losing count of the dozens of often bewildering court cases and investigations that the authorities have leveled against him.
That’s the price you pay when you emerge as the main rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
İmamoğlu, a charismatic 53-year-old secularist and one of Turkey’s most popular politicians, is expected to become the opposition’s presidential challenger this month at a meeting of his Republican People’s Party (CHP) on March 23.
İmamoğlu has won three fiercely fought contests for Turkey’s biggest city — and, significantly, the CHP last year managed to flip several traditional districts of Istanbul that Erdoğan viewed as reliable bastions for his Islamist AK Party.
Continue reading at Politico Europe
Here are some goods in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
President Donald Trump was poised to impose 25% taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico Tuesday and to double to 20% his levies on Chinese products. All three countries — America’s top trading partners — are threatening retaliation.
The United States last year did nearly $2.2 trillion in the trade of goods — exports plus imports — with the countries the president is targeting: $840 billion with Mexico, $762 billion with Canada and $582 billion with China.
Trump has declared an economic emergency in order to justify the duties, marking the most aggressive use of tariffs by the United States since the 1930s. He claims that the sanctions are designed to reduce the flow of undocumented and illicit drugs across the U.S. border.
Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, will be taxed at a lower 10% rate — a concession to households in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest that depend on Canadian energy.
The following are just a few imported goods whose prices may be hit first:
Continue reading at the Associated Press
Beijing’s deflation dilemma: Falling prices signal bigger troubles ahead for China’s economy
BEIJING (AP) — When he bought an apartment near a good high school in northeast Beijing in 2020, Zhou Fujin expected that renting it out would cover most of his mortgage. But the apartment’s value and the rent he is getting have plummeted in the past couple years, straining his family’s finances.
China is experiencing a spell of deflation, or falling prices, that contrasts with inflationary pressures prevailing elsewhere in the world. Cheaper prices can be a blessing for some, but deflation is a symptom of relatively weak demand and stalling economic growth.
Such challenges are the backdrop to the annual session of China’s parliament, which begins Wednesday. It’s unclear what the ruling Communist Party might do to tackle the problem, though some economists expect Beijing to announce more government spending. Observers also will be watching for changes to the annual economic growth target, which has hovered near 5% for the past two years.
Continue reading at the Associated Press
'We should have woken up earlier': Europe races to rearm as old alliances falter
European countries are ramping up defence spending, spurred by the war in Ukraine and uncertainty over continued US backing. After a decisive weekend meeting in London, several nations committed to significant increases in their military budgets.
European leaders met in London on Sunday to advance plans for stronger defence cooperation, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warning that Europe urgently needs to "rearm".
"We need a massive surge in defence, without any question. We want lasting peace, but lasting peace can only be built on strength," von der Leyen said on Monday. She added that she would inform EU member states on Tuesday about plans to strengthen European defence industry and military capabilities.
The talks, which brought together 18 allies, came just days after Trump publicly berated Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, accusing him of being “disrespectful” and ungrateful for US aid.
Continue reading at France 24
Warren Buffett calls tariffs ‘an act of war’
Legendary investor Warren Buffett likened tariffs to “an act of war” in a new interview as President Trump doubles down on his embrace of the economic strategy.
In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS News, anchor Norah O’Donnell asked Buffett about the effects tariffs will have on the economy.
“Tariffs are actually, we’ve had a lot of experience with them,” Buffett said in response. “They’re an act of war, to some degree.”
On tariffs’ impact on inflation, Buffett said, “Over time, they are a tax on goods.”
“I mean, the Tooth Fairy doesn’t pay ’em,” he added with a laugh.
Continue reading at The Hill
House Republican says he ‘can’t guarantee’ staff cuts won’t impact veterans
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) on Monday defended the budgets and workforce cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs, as he said he “can’t guarantee” veterans’ benefits and care would be immune from cuts.
In an interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Murphy said the cuts are essential to reining in government spending and restructuring to ensure the agencies work efficiently for the American people.
“No, I can’t guarantee anything,” Murphy said when asked if he could guarantee that veterans’ benefits and care would not be affected by the cuts.
Continue reading at The Hill
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I publish a daily news post, updated all throughout the day (and night), every day. I publish it free to all because it is more important to me to keep us all informed, but it does take all day and evening to curate all the news.
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My Opinion posts
Free Speech and... a Muzzle | Blog#42
Musical break
Dan Belcher’s specialty is remastering live Steely Dan performances.