Information on the "IKE DIKE" Coastal Barrier March 30: The New York Post: Trump not happy with Putin's dragging his feet on ceasefire with Ukraine NBC News has reported that President Trump said he is "very angry" with Russian President Vladimir Putin — the first time he's directly criticized the Kremlin as he tries to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. He appeared to be fed up with Putin over the lull in the cease-fire talks after Moscow announced additional conditions before it would comply with the US-backed deal to limit attacks in the Black Sea and on energy facilities. March 30: The Gateway Pundit: To Trump; Pull Judge Boasberg's security clearance On Sunday President Trump hinted he might pull Judge James Boasberg's security clearance. "People are shocked by what is going on with the Court System. I was elected for many reasons, but a principal one was law and order, a big part of which is quickly removing a vast Criminal Network of individuals, who came into our Country through the … Joe Biden Open Borders Policy! These are dangerous and violent people, who kill, maim and, in many other ways, harm the people of our Country. The Voters want them out, and said so in record numbers. If it was up to District Judge Boasberg and other radical left[-wing] Judges, nobody would be removed, the President wouldn't be allowed to do his job, and people's lives would be devastated all throughout our Country." Shorty after this post on Truth Social Mike Davis, a former clerk for Justice Gorsuch posted: "Dear President Trump: Please revoke Judge Boasberg's security clearance. He has demonstrated he cannot be trusted with keeping secrets." Judge Boasberg's TRO was set to expire March 29th. He has extended it until April 12th. March 30: Fox News: Protests against Musk and Tesla are "astroturf" not "grassroots!" As protests unfolded outside of Tesla showrooms against owner Elon Musk's role in helping lead Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, questions are flying as to who is funding the well coordinate but purportedly "grassroots" demonstrations. "Who is funding and organizing all these paid protests?" Musk posted to X early Sunday morning, accompanied by a video clip of podcast host Joe Rogan discussing left-wing protests in recent days. The protests in the U.S., slated for Saturday, were promoted by actors, filmmakers, congressional legislators, academics and activists who led a "mass mobilizing call" last week to rally support, and described in the media as a "grassroots" effort to buck Musk and Trump, while working to tank Tesla's stock. While local #TeslaTakedown protests may appear spontaneous and community-driven, they are the product of well-funded, tightly coordinated campaigns led by national political organizations like "The Indivisible Project," "MoveOn.Org," and professional protest firms." A local news outlet, media personalities and critics have speculated that the recent anti-Tesla protests are embroiled in "astroturfing," which is defined by Merriam-Webster as a campaign "falsely made to appear to be grassroots." March 29: The Epoch Times: Judge issues TRO over the firing of VOA employees but stopped short of ordering a restart of programming A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America (VOA), the government-funded international news service whose 1,200 reporters and employees were placed on paid leave earlier this month. On Friday Judge, J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York, issued a temporary restraining order in favor of VOA employees and their unions. The order prevents the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, from shutting down the broadcasting network and its associated radio programs. The judge did not require VOA to resume broadcasts, but made it clear that employees must not be terminated while the court determines whether the shutdown violates the Constitution or other federal administrative laws. March 29: The Gateway Pundit: Approximately 5,000 voter registrations challenged in Milwaukee as an important race approaches Nearly 5,000 voter registrations in the city of Milwaukee have been legally challenged for irregularities, potential fraud, and blatant violations of both state and federal law. The comprehensive legal filing, submitted by concerned citizens exposes what many have warned about for years: a broken election system ripe for abuse. The challenge, backed by the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and a long list of Wisconsin statutes, calls on the Milwaukee Election Commission (MEC) to investigate and take immediate action on 4,878 questionable voter records. Reportedly all of these individuals cast ballots in the November 5th, 2025 national election. The complaint is based upon various databases and tools that objectively verify the accuracy of mailing addresses. The findings are nothing short of alarming: • 2,926 registrations listed incorrect or missing apartment numbers, a violation of legal address requirements and a break in chain of custody. • 540 voters were flagged as "N" or Blank, indicating they no longer reside at the address on record. • 501 voters listed P.O. Boxes as physical addresses, a direct violation of Wisconsin voter law. • 377 had filed permanent change-of-address requests out of state, yet still managed to vote in Wisconsin. • 281 moved to a different county within Wisconsin before the legal voting cutoff date and still voted in their former county. And, • 217 left no forwarding address before October 24, 2024. March 29: The Gateway Pundit: Dem Arizona Secretary of State declares he will not cooperate with Federal efforts to secure elections and to prevent illegal aliens from voting Democrat Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has brazenly declared that he will not cooperate with federal government efforts to secure elections and prevent illegal aliens from voting. "I would tell them to go to hell," he said when asked whether he would hand over publicly available voter registration data to the Department of Government Efficiency and the Department of Homeland Security to verify the citizenship of voters. Earlier this week Trump signed an executive order mandating voter ID and documentary proof of citizenship be provided in order to vote in federal elections, auditing and improving the security of voting machines, and ordering the DOJ to enforce the law against states that count mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The order also prioritizes the enforcement of laws preventing foreign money from influencing elections and federally funded organizations from lobbying or supporting candidates. March 28: The Daily Caller: Kelly; Justice Roberts could be on thin ice over deportation case SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly predicted Friday that U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts could be on the "thinnest of possible ice" depending on his ruling in the Trump administration's deportation case. Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday asked SCOTUS to block a lower court's order halting the deportation of migrant gang members residing within the U.S. Kelly called out Roberts as the possible conservative-leaning judge to vote against the Trump administration's request. "Roberts above all knows if he hands down a ruling telling the commander-in-chief that the nine men and women in black robes have the final say over what is perceived as a military threat unleashed on us by a foreign government, he's on the thinnest of possible ice," Kelly said. "He's so obsessed with the court. I just can't see him wanting to do it." On Wednesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg's temporary halt on deportations after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on March 15. Prior to the panel hearing, Boasberg and the DOJ went back and forth, with the judge requesting information on the migrants being deported. March 28: The Gateway Pundit: Appeals court sides with Trump; clears the way for the firing of members of the Labot and Workforce Protection Boards A federal appeals court has cleared the way for President Trump to fire members of the labor and workforce protection boards. Trump previously fired Cathy Harris, the Democrat chairwoman of the Merit Board, a Biden holdover – she was then rehired by an Obama judge. Trump also fired Gwynne Wilcox of the National Labor Relations Board – she was subsequently then rehired by another Obama judge. The Trump DOJ fought back and a federal appeals court agreed that Trump indeed has the authority to fire them without cause. The three judge panel on the DC Circuit Court: [a G.W. Bush, an Obama, and a Trump appointee] sided with the President Trump in a 2-1 vote and ordered the DOJ motions be granted. In his opinion, Judge Justin Walker said "Executive branch agencies do not disrupt that design when they are accountable to the President. "But consent of the governed is a sham if an administrative agency, by design, does not meaningfully answer for its policies to either of the elected branches." That's why the Supreme Court has said that Congress cannot restrict the President's removal authority over agencies that "wield substantial executive power," Judge Walker opined. "The people elected the president, not Harris or Wilcox, to execute the nation's laws," Walker said. "The forcible reinstatement of a presidentially removed principal officer disenfranchises voters by hampering the president's ability to govern during the four short years the people have assigned him the solemn duty of leading the executive branch," he contended. March 28: The NY Post: Columbia University interim president resigning after agreeing to implement a ban on mask wearing Columbia University's interim president is resigning from her position at the embattled Ivy League school, just days she told the Trump administration she would implement a mask ban to in order not to lose $400 million in federal funding — while privately promising faculty she would not put one in place. Katrina Armstrong's decision to step down came on the heels of her high-profile battle with the Trump administration over the prestigious New York school's $400 million in federal funding, sources said. March 28: The Daily Caller: Judges ruling against Trump appear to have numerous conflicts of interest A judge who blocked Donald Trump's attempt to expedite deportations of gang members once participated in a mock trial with former Vice-President Kamala Harris' husband — and he is not the only judge stonewalling Trump's orders that has a conflict of interest. Chief Judge of the D.C. District Court James Boasberg temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act, to arrest and deport members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. In 2022, Boasberg participated in a mock trial with Harris' husband. Trump posted a photo of Emhoff with Boasberg at the Shakespeare Theater Company's (STC) 2022 Mock Trial on Truth Social, suggesting it was a conflict of interest. Boasberg was appointed by former President Obama, and he has an extensive history of ruling against the Trump administration. He was the sentencing judge for FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who altered an email about former Trump campaign aide Carter Page in order to support a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) application to spy on Page during the 2016 presidential campaign. Clinesmith was one of the key players in the FBI's Operation Crossfire Hurricane, which investigated potential now debunked ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Prosecutors sought between three and six months in prison for Clinesmith, but Boasberg sentenced him to mere probation. Boasberg also approved the FBI's use of a warrantless surveillance tool when he presided over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) in 2021. March 27: Fox News: (Video) Johnathan Turley; Reach of District Court Judges to halt Executive Branch national security actions needs to be decided by SCOTUS There are "good faith" arguments on both sides and the Supreme Court needs to address whether district court judges have this authority and, if so, how far they can go, well known attorney and Constitutional scholar Johnathan Turley said. Allowing 654 district court judges to implement nationwide injunctions in an expanse of about two months is kind of like having six people in a car and each one of them applying the emergency brake, he contended. He believes that in the end the court will overturn the injunctions allowing Trump to proceed with the deportations. In the meantime, Trump's attempts to keep his campaign promises will be delayed. March 27: The Epoch Times: Security for Greenland comes into focus as VP Vance's visit nears Donald Trump has continued to speak of Greenland joining the United States, emphasizing the territory's vital security importance in competition with Russia and China, as well as its potential as a source of rare earths and other valuable minerals—resources that have largely not been exploited in a nation economically reliant on fishing and subsidies from Denmark. Trump has stressed his respect for Greenlandic self-determination in a recent joint address to Congress. News of Vance's trip met with anger from some Greenlandic politicians, who are still in the process of forming a parliament. The March 11 elections saw a center-to-center-right party that favors gradual independence, Demokraatit, come in first with about 30% of the vote. Naleraq, the party whose leader advocates rapid independence and has broached the idea of U.S. territorial status, finished in second with just below 25% of the vote. Other parties favoring independence, often along more gradual timelines, claimed most of the remainder. March 27: The Daily Caller: DCA crash victim families slam FAA after report of 1,500 near misses reported at Reagan National Family members of the victims of the January plane and helicopter crash at Reagan National Airport (DCA) voiced frustrations with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a preliminary report found that the airport had 1,500 near misses in the past three years. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s preliminary report was presented at Thursday's Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation hearing. Victims' families and their lawyers argued that the NTSB's findings suggested the deadly crash was preventable. Members of the aviation subcommittee pressed NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy about her agency's preliminary report on the incident. The report found more than 1,500 near misses at Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport (DCA), where the January crash took place, between 2021 and 2024, Homendy testified. March 27: The New York Post: Stefanik withdraws nomination for UN Ambassador to help maintain GOP majority in the House Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) framed President Trump's surprising move to withdraw her nomination for United Nations ambassador as a strategic decision necessary for the greater Republican good that she is "proud" to be a part of. "I am doing that as a leader to ensure that we can take hold of this mandate and deliver these historic results," Stefanik said. New York's 21st Congressional District rep said she's had "multiple conversations" with Trump about his decision and that she is "committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people." March 27: News Max: Trump calls upon Congress to stop funding NPR and Public Broadcasting Service President Trump called on Congress to stop giving taxpayer money to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, claiming these platforms (networks) are biased. He aloe quested Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr to open an investigation to determine if NPR or PBS violated federal law by airing commercials. The heads of the two media outlets on Wednesday faced intense questioning from Congress over the alleged liberal bias in their reporting and content. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said in the committee hearing "We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime." Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced legislation this month to end federal funding for NPR and PBS. About 1% of NPR is federally funded the outlet contends while about 16% of PBS comes from tax dollars, equating to about $500 million annually. A Pew Research survey shows that nearly twice as many Americans support the continued federal funding of public media outlets as oppose it. March 26: Fox News: Youngkin (R-VA) vetoes nearly 160 bills Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed nearly 160 bills from the Democrat-controlled legislature on Wednesday, 159 bills to be exact. Some of the bills would have prevented prayer in front of abortion clinics, required the commonwealth to implement a comprehensive "environmental justice" strategy and adjusted criminal bond policies. Because the state legislature's Democrat majority is far from being "veto proof" – each chamber having a two-seat difference – the bills are dead in the water. According to critics, ten of the bills were considered "soft on crime" legislation by critics, and about a dozen would have raised costs on Virginians. Youngkin also nixed a proposal to raise the state minimum wage to $13.50 per hour, and later to $15. In a statement, Youngkin highlighted legislation supported by some in the Trump administration — such as a bill to keep school lunches free of artificial dyes, which he signed and which mirrors an initiative from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. March 26: The Gateway Pundit: Trump to place 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles and parts President Trump on Wednesday adjusted tariffs on foreign-made cars to impose 25% tariffs on "imported passenger vehicles (sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans) and light trucks, as well as key automobile parts (engines, transmissions, powertrain parts, and electrical components), with processes to expand tariffs on additional parts if necessary." This comes as the President's executive order, which will impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on every country that charges the United States taxes or tariffs on imported goods, is scheduled to take effect on April 2. As a result of his actings Trump has already brought trillions of dollars in American manufacturing investments back to the United States from overseas as companies seek to avoid tariffs. South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai announced a $20 billion investment in American manufacturing to build its first-ever steel mill in the U.S., which Trump said will produce "more than 2.7 million metric tons of steel per year" and create more than 1,400 steel jobs. The $5.8 billion will be invested in Louisiana alone to build the steel manufacturing. March 26: The Daily Signal: SCOTUS hears case testing the limits of federal agencies to make regulations and decisions The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case testing the limits of the nondelegation doctrine, an issue that is of the utmost importance in ensuring separation among the federal branches and the principle that one branch of government may not give away its power to another. Thus, Congress, vested by the Constitution with the "legislative powers," cannot give those powers to the executive branch. And yet it appears to do so routinely with broadly-written laws that invite bureaucrats to make the decisions and set the rules that will bind the public. This practice has enabled growth of the federal administrative state, which has become in many respects an autonomous non-elected policymaking body. In the case before the court Congress had granted the FCC the authority to raise an unspecified amount of money (taxes?) in order to use the funds to help provide phone service to rural areas of the country. The plaintiff argued that by empowering the FCC to raise unspecified sums, Congress unlawfully delegated its taxing power to an independent agency. March 25: The White House: President Trump signs E.O. requiring proof of citizenship in order to vote a federal ballot President Trump signed an Executive Order that strengthens voter citizenship verification and bans foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections. Federal election-related funds will be conditioned on states complying with the integrity measures set forth by Federal law, including the requirement that states use the national mail voter registration form that will now require proof of citizenship. Federal agencies are directed to share databases with state secretaries of state in order to assist them in determining the citizenship of individuals registering to vote. March 25: The Washington Times: Senate eyes $2 Trillion in spending cuts as it works on budget reconciliation Senate Republicans are "starting to coalesce" around a $2 trillion floor for spending cuts in a party-line budget reconciliation package, exceeding the instructions in House Republicans' budget blueprint for enacting President Trump's agenda, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) said. "I think we're going to be more aggressive than the House," Daines said. "They were at $1.5 trillion. It looks like we're coming in closer to $2 trillion, probably where we want to have this land." Daines' comments came during an interview where he discussed his top goal for the package: permanently extending Trump's first-term tax cuts that provided relief to small business and individuals and will expire at year's end absent congressional action. March 25: Fox News: Former US AG blasts Federal Judges for usurping executive branch authority over national security Legal battles continue over President Trump's migrant deportation flights, particularly those involving Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador. Former Attorney General Bill Barr says the judges blocking these flights are overstepping their authority. "There's a pattern whereby these district court judges are trying to usurp the responsibility of the president in the national security area," Barr said. The president is absolutely right to be frustrated and concerned about the way the courts are handling this." Barr's comments follow U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's decision to halt the deportation of individuals alleged to be gang members, citing due process concerns. Boasberg also ordered the government to return planes carrying migrants who had already been deported. According to Barr, the ruling goes beyond the judge's authority and interferes with the president's constitutional powers. [See Related Discussion] March 25: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Ukraine and Russia agree to Black Sea ceasefire According to the White House, both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea. Negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have been under way in Saudi Arabia. Following the ceasefire agreement, the White House issued a statement saying, "The United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea." According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, all parties have agreed to "eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea." March 24: The Epoch Times: Post Master General steps down Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that his nearly five-year tenure as the 75th leader of the United States Postal Service would end March 24. The announcement comes 10 days after he agreed to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the General Services Administration (GSA) on ways to make his department more efficient and six days before the first phase of service enhancements is expected to be implemented. The Postal Service reported a $9.5 billion net loss for fiscal year 2024, up from the $6.5 billion loss reported in 2023. "It has long been known that the Postal Service has a broken business model that was not financially sustainable without critically necessary and fundamental core change," DeJoy said March 13. "Fixing a broken organization that had experienced close to $100 billion in losses and was projected to lose another $200 billion, without a bankruptcy proceeding, is a daunting task." March 24: The Daily Caller: Administration asks SCOTUS to block an order to reinstate fired federal bureaucrats The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to block a lower court order forcing it to reinstate thousands of fired federal workers. The order to reinstate over 16,000 probationary employees, issued by Clinton-appointed U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup allows one judge to control "the Executive Branch's powers of personnel management on the flimsiest of grounds and the hastiest of timelines," the administration said. "That is no way to run a government," acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote in the application to SCOTUS. "This Court should stop the ongoing assault on the constitutional structure before further damage is wrought." [See Related Discussion on the lack of Constitutional authority for courts to mandate executive branch personnel decisions] The government's petition says, "Emboldened by the lack of prompt appellate review (often occasioned by the use of the TRO mechanism), district courts have now issued dozens of orders without sufficient regard for limits on their own jurisdiction or to defects in plaintiffs' representations about the law and the underlying facts," the petition filed Monday continues. "Those orders have sown chaos as the Executive Branch scrambles to meet immediate compliance deadlines by sending huge sums of government money out the door, reinstating thousands of lawfully terminated workers, undoing steps to restructure Executive Branch agencies, and more. "Only this Court [SCOTUS] can end the interbranch power grab," the petition concludes. March 24: The Gateway Pundit: Administration invokes State Secrets Privilege The Trump DOJ said it is exercising the State Secrets Privilege and informed Judge James Boasberg it will no longer provide him with any information related to deportation flights. Boasberg, an Obama appointee, has been grilling DOJ lawyers about the Trump Administration's move to deport dangerous Venezuelan aliens under the Alien Enemies Act. Judge Boasberg said Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport criminal aliens is "incredibly troublesome and problematic" and threatened the Trump Admin with consequences if they violate his order in the future. By Monday evening, the DOJ had enough of Judge Boasberg's intrusive orders and invoked the State Secrets Privilege. [See Related Discussion on the lack of Constitutional authority by the judicial branch to interfere with executive branch's foreign policy and national security policies.] March 24: Fox News: AG Bondi gives fair warning; if you're committing fraudulent acts, we're coming for you U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stern warning to those engaged in government fraud at the most recent Cabinet meeting. "A lot of waste and abuse, but there is a tremendous amount of fraud," Bondi began. "And, Elon, thank you for your partnership. Thank you for your team. You have uncovered so much fraud in our government." Bondi then revealed that an internal task force is involved with bringing those accused of fraud to justice. March 23: The Post Newspaper: Activists rush to court to stop Trump from keeping his promises to the voters; shows weakness in their positions Trump's opponents display their political weakness by rushing to the courts to resolve fights over federal spending and the firing of personnel. However, the Constitution establishes that the Congress as the branch best suited to respond to a president who has allegedly over-used his powers. The Congress can cut off funds, refuse to confirm officers, decline to pass legislation and ultimately impeach a president. Because Democrats have lost the national elections, they're having difficulty coping with the fact the Congress won't do their bidding any longer. Earlier this month the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled 5-4 not to overturn a lower court ruling that forced the Trump Administration to release approximately $2 billion of USAID funding. But this apparent win for those opposing what Trump is doing should see this for what it really is -- just a first procedural skirmish in what promises to be a larger constitutional battle; one which the SCOTUS will ultimately decide. The Supreme Court has little authority under the Constitution to interfere with Trump's control of the executive branch and foreign and national security policies and is likely to side with the administration in the long run. March 23: News Max: Trump aims to gain on Chinese shipbuilding lead Donald Trump vowed earlier this month to ramp up American shipbuilding, not only for our own military readiness and naval superiority, but also to combat the growing threat of China in shipping worldwide. Threat might be an understatement, because China has become dominant in global shipbuilding, experts say. "Revitalizing domestic shipbuilding is not only possible, but also a priority," Michael Wessel, a consultant with ties to the United Steelworkers union said. "We have existing yards that can do more today, and we have facilities that can be brought online," he contended. China's market share in global shipbuilding was less than 5% in 1999 and rose to 50% by 2023, a Congressional Research Service report found. American "deindustrializing" due to globalism pushed by former President Barack Obama's policies "poses risks both to our national security and our workforce," J.D. Vance has said. After churning out "three ships every two days" during World War II, Vance lamented, the U.S. is now producing only five ships a year. The White House has created a new office to support U.S. shipbuilding, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has proposed tariffs and fees on Chinese-made ships. Trump's critics doubt the success of this initiative like so many others, noting the taxing of the global supply chain. Despite the criticism by skeptics, Trump's push to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding is finding rare bipartisan support from Americans, with 72% saying the U.S. cannot remain dependent on China and other foreign producers to build ships, recent polls disclose. "This is one of those rare moments where there's a strong bipartisan thread here of wanting to move forward," AAM President Scott Paul said. "And there's pretty good support on Capitol Hill for being aggressive on shipbuilding as well." March 22: The Gateway Pundit: Congo's President offers Trump access to $24 Trillion in earth minerals in exchange for bring peace in his nation The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, has reached out directly to President Trump with a historic proposal: help defeat a brutal rebel force terrorizing his nation, and in return, America will gain direct access to one of the world's richest untapped troves of critical minerals—worth an estimated $24 trillion. The Wall Street Journal reports Tshisekedi offered Trump exclusive mining opportunities through the newly launched U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, a Trump-led initiative aimed at reshaping global investment through pro-American partnerships. "Our partnership would provide the U.S. with a strategic advantage by securing critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, copper and tantalum from the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said. The proposal comes just days after Trump launched a U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, a key piece of his "America First 2.0" economic policy to reclaim supply chains from foreign adversaries like China. Tshisekedi's plan offers the U.S. Fund exclusive mining opportunities, effectively locking China out of yet another crucial global resource hub. According to the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration the DRC has substantial untapped gold, cobalt, and high-grade copper reserves. The DRC was the fourth largest producer of industrial diamonds in 2022 and has globally significant lithium deposits. In exchange for this mineral windfall, Tshisekedi is asking peace through strength. Specifically, the Congolese president is requesting a formal U.S. security pact to help repel the violent M23 rebel group — backed by Rwandan President Kagame who is accused of routing both Congolese troops and U.N. peacekeepers in eastern Congo. Meanwhile, China remains deeply embedded in Congo's infrastructure and mineral operations, with little regard for labor conditions or Congolese sovereignty. Tshisekedi is signaling his preference for a transparent, fair, and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States as opposed to that of China. March 22: The Daily Caller: Trump may be able to put a stop to Iran-backed rebels terrorizing Red Sea shipping lanes President Trump has a prime opportunity to finally end the threat the Houthi rebels in Yemen pose to one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The U.S. conducted precision strikes on Iran-backed Houthi positions in Yemen Saturday, aiming to decapitate the group by targeting leadership and other key technical figures, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said Monday. Trump made a name for himself in dealing with terror groups in his routing of ISIS during his first term, and while the Houthis present a unique challenge compared to ISIS, experts say that Trump has the opportunity to re-establish order against another Middle Eastern insurgency. "During the Biden administration, they took defensive actions against the Houthis, but allowed them to continue operating. Trump has made it clear that will not continue. Reportedly it already looks to be a more holistic operation that's not just focused on defense, but on offense, and removing the threat in order to enable free unhindered access to the Red Sea, which is what the world's maritime industry needs. For nearly a decade, Houthi rebels have wreaked havoc on the Red Sea shipping route and its associated access to the Suez Canal. Many shipping companies have chosen to go around the tip of Africa in order to ensure the safety of their vessels and their cargo, reducing traffic through the canal by up to 90%. The longer trip is costing an additional $1 million in fuel costs and increases travel time by up to two weeks. The Houthis have reportedly attacked U.S. naval vessels 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. March 22: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Federal Judge rages over Trump Administration deportations and rejections of his authority A federal judge questioned Trump administration lawyers Friday over the deportation of Venezuelan nationals despite a court order that blocked the move while aircraft -- with at least 261 violent migrants and gang members aboard -- were already in the air, outside U.S. airspace, and not within U.S. jurisdiction. During a motion hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg asked Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign why the Trump administration did not comply with an emergency court order that temporarily blocked its use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt any planned removals of Venezuelan migrants. Trump administration officials have been ordered by Judge Boasberg to explain why they did not comply with his order that said deportation flights had to return and whether or not they knowingly defied his ruling. A deadline has been set for Tuesday. President Trump said the dispute could reach the Supreme Court. [See discussion: Authority of the President on Foreign Policy matters] March 22: The Gateway Punit: Three-ship Communist Chinese task group sails around Australia conducting live-fire drills A Communist Chinese naval task group recently completed a first-of-its-kind journey around Australia — sending a clear message regarding the strategic presence of the Chinese navy. Designated Task Group 107 or "Operation Tasmanian Dragon" by the Australians, is appropriate given that China has begun to copy U.S. naming conventions for military operations. The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task group consisted of a destroyer, a frigate, and a large replenishment ship. Experts say that the task group's conducting no-notice live fire exercises – which was discovered and reported by an airline pilot -- is bringing deliberate and dangerous behavior into a peaceful part of the world. Meanwhile China is saying their actions didn't violate any laws. China's foray is a wake-up call to the region. According to Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and former foreign service officer, the Chinese message to Australia and New Zealand is clear: "It is a demonstration of contempt and intimidation toward both countries. And a sign of what's in store for both of them." It appears that the arrival of the Chinese flotilla was a surprise to both nations. The atrophy in defense spending by New Zealand and Australia was starkly demonstrated by this event. March 21: Breitbart News: Trump administration revoking the legal status of over 500K Biden-era migrants According to CBS News the Trump administration is revoking the legal status of 532,000 migrants from countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who entered the country through a program called CHNV, and will have their "work permits and deportation protections" terminated in April. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be "terminating the categorical parole programs for inadmissible aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members." A report House Judiciary Committee report in March showed that Joe Biden expanded the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, as well as the CHNV Parole Program. Through his expansion of the programs, millions of illegal aliens were allowed to enter the U.S. "with little to no vetting." March 21: The Washington Free Beacon: Administration yanks visa from anti-Israel protestor/activist The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Momodou Taal, a Cornell University graduate student who has called for the destruction of the United States, celebrated Hamas's October 7 attacks, claimed to take his "cue from the armed resistance in Palestine," and said "every single Zionist is a sick individual." Momodou Taal, a British and Gambian dual national, began studying at Cornell in 2022 on an F-1 student visa, which according to a State Department official he no longer holds. Taal's lawyers confirmed the administration asked him to surrender to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for deportation proceedings. Taal's lawyers asked a federal judge to block the deportation actions on an emergency basis, arguing that Taal was being targeted for deportation because of a lawsuit filed against President Trump's executive order calling for the revocation of visas given to foreign students who support terrorism. The lawsuit, which claims the threat of deportation had a "chilling" effect on his free speech was filed several days after the Trump administration started publicly revoking visas of foreign nationals linked to pro-Hamas activism. An underlying question is whether noncitizens have the same free speech rights as U.S. citizens. Reportedly a pro-Israeli group flagged Taal to the Trump administration long before he filed his lawsuit. Taal has repeatedly advocated for the destruction of the United States and for terrorism against Israel. While leading an anti-Israel campus demonstration last year, Taal called on his fellow student protesters to take their "cue from the armed resistance in Palestine." March 21: The New York Post: 6th generation fighter contract announced by Trump Administration President Trump and SECDEF Pete Hegseth announced Friday the US will begin producing the world's first sixth-generation fighter jet — whose name includes an homage to the commander in chief. It will be called the F-47 and will succeed the F-35, long heralded for its superior stealth capabilities. In its Navy variant, the F-35 was the first US fighter jet to be able to land vertically like a helicopter, allowing it to touch down on ships with limited runway room. Trump joked that he liked the name of the new jet, which shares the same number as Trump's second administration but denied having anything to do with its designation. "The generals picked a title," he said. Details about the new asset were limited to protect against foreign adversaries gleaning intelligence about it but Trump disclosed it will be able to fly with drones (plural). Trump didn't disclose how many would be ordered from Boeing or the cost per unit. March 21: One America News Network: After meeting with Trump UAE announces it will invest 1.4 Trillion in the U.S. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that they have decided to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States' economy over the next decade — following a meeting between a UAE official and President Trump. Reuters reported the announcement happened after UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed met with Trump in the Oval Office and after a dinner with JD Vance, several Cabinet members the heads of major UAE sovereign wealth funds and corporations. Some political analysts have claimed that following years of strengthened relations between the United Arab Emirates and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, the UAE has significantly heightened its confidence in the second Trump administration. The UAE's most recent investment in the U.S. will "substantially increase the UAE's existing investments in the U.S. economy" in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, and American manufacturing — according to a U.S. official who spoke about the meeting. March 21: The Epoch Times: Columbia University blinks; amends policies on antisemitism Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong has announced that she has implemented the Department of Education's requirements for combatting campus anti-Semitism in order to receive federal funding. All nine conditions required by President Trump, the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice have been addressed, Armstrong said, including a student mask ban — unless for health or religious reasons — a revised admissions and recruitment process, and strict administrative oversight from a new senior vice provost who will monitor certain academic majors that, in the past, had provided anti-Semitic instruction. Additionally, the campus public safety staff is being increased to better handle disruptive situations. "We have worked hard to address the legitimate concerns raised both from within and without our Columbia community, including by our regulators, with respect to the discrimination, harassment and antisemitic acts our Jewish community has faced in the wake of October 7, 2023," her statement said. The Trump administration recently canceled $400 million in grants to Columbia, which was on track to get $5 billion in federal aid for the 2024-2025 academic year, following an investigation into alleged anti-Semitic disruptions and campus vandalism amid pro-Palestinian protests leading up to the resignation of the former university president. March 21: News Max: Judge and White House at odds, can a judge run U.S. foreign & national security? A federal judge examining the Trump administration's use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador vowed Friday to "get to the bottom" of whether the government defied his order to turn the planes around. Chief Judge James Boasberg is trying to determine if the administration ignored his turnaround order last weekend when at least two planeloads of immigrants were still in flight. "I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order, who ordered this and what the consequences will be," Boasberg said during a hearing for a lawsuit challenging the deportations. Outstanding is the question whether a federal judge has the authority to overrule the foreign policy of the United States, who constitution places such authority within the preview of the President. [See Related Discussion] Meanwhile, the Justice Department and top White House leaders are debating whether to invoke a "state secrets privilege" in response to the district judge's questions about the deportation flights. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a court filing that there are "ongoing Cabinet-level discussions" about Boasberg's demand for more information and whether disclosing the information would harm "state secrets." The Justice Department has said that the judge's oral directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldn't apply to flights that had already left U.S. airspace. March 20: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Trump signs an Executive Order; You're Fired! Promises made, promises kept continues, as Donald Trump kept his promise by signing an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. Trump stressed that the goal is to have education authority returned to the individual states. "We're going to be returning education back to the states where it belongs" he said, "And this is a very popular thing to do, but much more importantly it's a common-sense thing to do and it's going to work." The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start working with Congress to officially eliminate the department. March 20: News Max: Border Czar; about 40,000 deportations since Trump took office Border czar Tom Homan said on Thursday that the Trump administration has arrested about 40,000 people who were illegally residing within the United States, claiming that many of them were threats to public or national security. Homan, speaking at a roundtable in Florida hosted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, accused the previous administration of "rewriting statute" on immigration. "We're gonna enforce immigration law. Unlike the last administration … they told ICE agents, immigration officers, you cannot arrest an illegal alien for simply being here illegally. Here's the executive branch rewriting statute," Homan said. "They told ICE officers you can't enforce the law; unless they're convicted of a serious crime, you can't arrest them. Well, that garbage is over with!" he concluded. "If you're in a country illegally, you got a problem. Now we're going to prioritize public safety threats first, and that's what we're doing. But it's not OK to be in this country illegally. It's against the law. It's not OK to cross the border illegally," he went on. March 20: The Daily Caller: NY judges join hands in rejecting law that allows noncitizen voting Liberal judges on New York's highest court sided with conservatives Thursday to reject a law that would have given noncitizens the right to vote. The law, passed by the New York City Council in December 2021, would have enabled nearly 800,000 "lawful permanent residents" to vote in local elections. The New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 to strike it down. "[I]t is plain from the language and restrictions contained in Article II that 'citizen' is not meant as a floor, but as a condition of voter eligibility: the franchise extends only to citizens whose right to vote is established by proper proofs and who vote by ballot," Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote. March 19: The Galveston County Daily News: Lady Justice is Blindfolded for a Reason Activist judges are making a mockery of our justice system. In our view, the actions Justice Reyes should be enough to have her disbarred or at least removed from the bench. Lady justice has a blindfold for a reason. Justices like former Texas Judge John Ellisor, his character, and his fair treatment of all parties in the cases that came into his courtroom should be the norm. Those who show favoritism, disregard decorum in the courtroom, or that act like Reyes has should be weeded out of our justice system March 19: The Daily Caller: USIP bureaucrats barricade building access in failed attempt to block access by Trump-appointed leadership team Reportedly the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) launched a chaotic, short-lived rebellion against Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Monday, sabotaging their own building and communications infrastructure in a failed attempt to resist the administration's takeover. The standoff stemmed from Trump's Feb. 19 executive order demanding the downsizing of numerous federally-funded organizations, explicitly requiring USIP to reduce its operations and personnel to the minimum levels required by law. The administration determined the institute's leadership wasn't complying with this directive, leading Trump to replace its leader George Moose with senior USAID official Kenneth Jackson on Friday. USIP leadership orchestrated extensive internal sabotage before personnel arrived to implement Trump's mandated changes. The Washington Post and New York Times falsely reported the institute merely locked its doors while the truth is personnel effectively destroyed entry mechanisms and, according to Metro Police, barricaded themselves on the building's fifth floor. They also reportedly disabled telephone lines, internet connections and other IT infrastructure, forcing communication among staff through walkie-talkies. Evidence revealed an organized, premeditated resistance strategy as much as ten days before the President signed the executive order. Established by Congress in 1984, USIP requested $55,459,000 for its fiscal year 2025 budget to "promote global peace and security," its website says. The clash between the Administration and USIP uniquely exposed an example of bureaucratic defiance against presidential mandates. Meanwhile Fox News reports a federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration over the USIP's filed a lawsuit protecting itself from "ongoing destruction" by the new leadership team appointed by Trump. The USIP bureaucrats request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) claimed DOGE had committed "literal trespass and takeover by force…of the Institute's headquarters building on Constitution Avenue." The organization also accused the anti-waste initiative of "ongoing destruction of the Institute's physical and electronic property" – something police officials report was done by USIP employees not the newly installed leadership. Judge Beryl Howell denied the request for a TRO. "I think there is confusion in the complaint that make me uncomfortable," Howell said. She said further she was "particularly concerned about plaintiffs' likelihood of success." Two of the most important tests in granting a TRO are the likelihood of success and the merits of a lawsuit to show irreparable harm; both of which Howell suggested are "just a stretch here." USIP had brazenly refused to comply with Donald Trump's February executive order to pull back the "scope of federal bureaucracy," refusing to reduce its size to the statutory minimum listed in the EO. The administration subsequently fired 11 of its 14 board members last week, leaving only Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Defense Hegseth and National Defense University President Garvin as directors. March 19: The Daily Caller: Department of Education granted over $100 million for DEI programs for children's social workers A report released Wednesday found the Department of Education under the Biden administration spent over $100 million on grants to universities meant to train K-12 social workers in critical race theory, social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The grants were issued under the guise of providing mental health to students through the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, a report by Parents Defending Education (PDE) found. The funds were distributed to 26 universities that institute required courses teaching about oppression and white supremacy, radicalizing social workers who go on to work in K-12 schools. "School social workers did not use to spend years marinating in highly ideological courses about privilege, oppression, racial capitalism, and white supremacy, but today, this is common practice in public and private universities," Erika Sanzi, director of outreach for PDE, said. "While this is obviously disturbing, the fact that the U.S. Department of Education has been funding it since 2021 is a major red flag. How can a social worker help students become the best version of themselves if they see them as oppressors with unearned privilege?" The program at Georgia State University received an $8 million grant in 2023 requiring classes on "Diversity and Social Justice." According to the university's website, the class "focuses on understanding and applying multicultural concepts to practice, developing awareness of one's cultural identity, and exploring how diversity and justice issues impact generalist practice in the context of field education." The University of Alaska received $1.2 million for similar purposes. March 18: The Epoch Times: Putin agrees to ceasefire on energy targets in Ukraine Following a phone call with President Trump on March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited cease-fire, in which Russia and Ukraine would stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days. Trump and Putin started the conversation at around 10 a.m. ET, with the discussion lasting nearly 90 minutes. "My phone conversation today with President Putin of Russia was a very good and productive one," Trump said. "We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine." According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Trump proposed a deal whereby Russian and Ukrainian forces would mutually refrain from attacks on "energy infrastructure facilities." "Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order," the Kremlin added. March 18: Gateway Pundit: Judicial Coup? Judge moves to block Trump anti-trans policy for the military A far-left activist judge appointed by Joe Biden has blocked President Trump's effort to restore common sense and military readiness by prohibiting transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Judge Ana Reyes's ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, many contend flies in the face of executive authority and national security priorities. Reyes granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's Executive Order 14183 and the policy established by Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth. The order, which stated that military service by transgender individuals is "inconsistent" with military readiness and unit cohesion, was challenged by a group of transgender service members. [See Related article on the judiciary verses the executive branches of government] March 18: The Washington Times: Trump calls for impeachment of judge who is trying to block deportations President Trump and fellow Republicans began discussing an impeachment effort Tuesday against a federal judge who is trying to thwart the executive branch's foreign policy and national security efforts to deport members of Venezuelan gangs. The flared tempers were the latest escalation in a case that has quickly become the centerpiece of the legal resistance to the President. His opponents accuse him of defying a judge's orders, and the White House says U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is threatening national security which falls under the constitutional mandate of the executive branch of government. Trump said, "We don't want vicious, violent and demented criminals, many of them deranged murderers, in our country." March 18: Fox Business: Musk brings Astronauts home after months in outer space NASA said it aimed for Crew-9 to make its return to Earth on Tuesday evening. The crew was "grinning ear to ear" upon their return. "It was clear we had a request from the current administration, and the results you saw are what we saw today with the landing of Crew-9." According to the U.S. space agency, the planned arrival gave "the space station crew members time to complete handover duties, while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week." March 17: The Daily Caller: Dershowitz; We may never know if Biden's auto-penned pardons are valid A bill becomes law when a president signs it but the Constitution doesn't say that about pardons. It simply says a president has the "power" to grant pardons. So. the question that remains is this; Did Joe Biden say he was pardoning the January 6th committee members or even his son Hunter – or did someone else in the White House autopen his signature on a piece of paper granting same? If the latter, did that person do so at Joe Biden's direction or on his/her own accord? "The Constitution is very clear that if the president approves the bill "He shall sign it," Dershowitz said. "That seems to strongly suggest he has to pick up a pen." And there needs to be a document to sign Dershowitz contended. "He has to put pen on paper and sign" not autopen it. March 17: The Daily Wire: Trump contends Biden's last minute and auto-penned pardons are null and void Donald Trump announced during the early morning hours on Monday that he considers "void" pardons that President Joe Biden issued during his final days in office. "In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!" Trump said. "The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime," he contended. "…Those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted all evidence obtained during their two-year witch hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level," he continued. The president's post comes after the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project blew the whistle on Biden using the "exact same autopen signature" on multiple pardons issued during his presidency. Some prominent documents, including Hunter Biden's pardon and Biden's announcement that he was dropping out of the presidential race, appear to be hand-signed, the watchdog found. However, several other controversial pardons, including those for Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, the January 6 Committee, and other Biden family members, were all signed with the same autopen signature, chief counsel for the Oversight Project Kyle Brosnan said. The concern is that perhaps Biden, in his state of mental decline, may not have actually known about the pardons or at least authorize them. March 17: Fox News: Enough fooling around; ceasefire is over because hostages are not being released The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is over as Israeli fighter jets began striking the Gaza Strip after Hamas refused repeated hostage deal offers, officials said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began striking Hamas terrorist targets across Gaza "in order to achieve the war objectives set by the political leadership, including the release of all our hostages—both the living and the fallen," the office of Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a letter. "This decision comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all proposals presented by U.S. President's envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as the mediators," the letter states. March 17: The Gateway Pundit: Judge orders Trump to turn planes around; DOJ judge hasn't authority in international airspace An Obama-appointed judge who ordered the Trump Administration to turn around planes deporting Venezuelan gang members argued with DOJ lawyers about his "equitable powers" on Monday during a dramatic hearing. People don't understand what "equitable powers," that the judge is claiming, are and what, if they even exist, is the legal basis thereto. Judge James Boasberg, granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Trump administration from deporting thousands of Venezuelan nationals (gang members) under the Alien Enemies Act. Two flights were airborne when the judge rendered his decision and both landed in El Salvador early Sunday morning with about 300 Venezuelan aliens/gang members. DOJ argued the judge has zero jurisdiction over international airspace. They also argued that the aliens were already removed when the judge's order came down. Later Monday, the Trump DOJ asked the appeals court to intervene. March 17: The Washington Times: Trump cloaks self in national security powers; courts told to butt out President Trump cloaked himself in his national security powers Monday as his attorneys told federal courts to butt out while he deports suspected gang members. Earlier Trump had declared Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization and was acting under his powers as commander in chief and the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 when he ousted the suspected gang members. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign asked a federal appeals court to step in and derail the judicial inquiry and take Judge James Boasberg off the case. He said Judge Boasberg was allowing terrorists to mount a class-action lawsuit without heeding national security. The fight goes to the heart of Trump's biggest claims of his second term, including that his national security powers are virtually unfettered, that the country has seen an "invasion" of illegal immigrants, and the result has been a border emergency and an influx of terrorists in the form of cartel and transnational gang activity. March 16: News Max: Trump orders strikes against Houthi-held areas of Yemen Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use "overwhelming lethal force" until the Iran-backed rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said at least 31 people were killed, and Trump's national security adviser said Sunday that the strikes had successfully targeted "multiple" Houthi leaders. "Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists' bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom," Trump said. "No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World." He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country "fully accountable" for the actions of its proxy. March 16: The New York Post: 250+ illegal gang members arrive in El Salvadore where they will placed in notorious prison The US has flown more than 250 accused migrant gang members to El Salvador, where they were sent to a notorious mega-prison — in opposition to a federal judge's ruling against the Trump administration. The flights included 238 members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, as well as least 21 members of MS-13, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, revealed Sunday morning. Upon landing in El Salvador, the accused men were met on the tarmac by dozens of armed commandos and immediately transferred to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), according to a video posted by Bukele. US District Court Judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointee, temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from invoking the 18th century Alien Enemies Act after the deportees were already airborne and in international airspace. The Trump administration decided the ruling did not apply because the planes were "outside US airspace," Axios reported. [See Related Discussion] March 16: One America News Network: CNN poll; Dems approval rating falls to its lowest point in over twenty years According to a recent CNN poll, the Democrat Party's favorability ratings have fallen to a historic low. The party's overall favorability rating sits at a meager 29%, which is a record low within CNN polling that dates back to 1992. The new poll marks a 20-point plunge from its ratings at the start of Joe Biden's presidency in 2021. Among Democrats and "Democrat-leaning independents" just 63% view the party favorably, compared to 81% at the start of Biden's administration. The historic low favorability ratings is in contrast to the GOP's favorability ratings, which hovers at around a 79% favorability rating among Republicans, CNN reports March 16: News Max: White House considering possible purchase of Tik-Tok by Oracle Faced with an April 5 deadline, the White House is reportedly weighing a "high-level agreement" for Oracle to be the winner of the TikTok sweepstakes under a forced deal to decouple the application from its Chinese roots. Vice President JD Vance alluded to the potential sale agreement Friday as required by Congress amid national security concerns with China-based ownership of the popular social media app that requires forced technology transfer, giving the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' data. Sources are reporting that Oracle founder and Executive Chair Larry Ellison is the leading bidder of the agreement the White House is weighing, but the sources express concern that national security might remain compromised. Some believe the sale to Oracle might only provide a cursory fix to address Congressional concerns. Reportedly lawmakers are bringing in Oracle to talk about the security details this week. "If the Oracle deal moves forward, you still have this [algorithm] controlled by the Chinese," one source told Politico. "That means all you are doing is saying 'trust Oracle' to disseminate the data and guarantee there is no 'back door' to the data." March 15: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Trump signs executive order to rid US of Venezuelan gangs Looking for a way to speed up the process of deporting criminal immigrants and illegal alien gang members, President Trump on Saturday afternoon signed an Executive Order to utilize a US law that reaches back to the era of the American Revolution. The President signed an executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which aims for swift detention and deportation of those in America who are migrants from hostile nations. Venezuela has been a hostile nation to the US, and Venezuelan gangs such as Tren de Aragua have been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization with thousands of members, so President Trump says he intends to use the Presidential Order, apply it to Venezuelan gangs, and get them out of the country as soon as possible. March 14: The Gateway Pundit: Pardons not signed by Biden but by staff using his autopen; are they legal? The New York Post reports that the Oversight Project has revealed nearly every document Joe Biden signed used the same autopen. "Project" has gathered every document they could find with Biden's signature – all are exactly alike, having used the same autopen signature with one exception; his announcement that he was dropping out of the race to seek another term of office. Six criminals were pardoned by the Biden Administration using the autopen while he was on vacation in St. Croix, begging the question whether they are legal. The pardons for Dr. Fuci, General Milley, January 6th committee members and the flurry of pardons to the Biden family were also signed with the same autopen. March 14: YouTube: Musk's Falcon 9 rocket blasts off in preparation to retrieve two US astronauts from the space station Four astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station after lifting off from Florida on Friday – clearing the way for two other astronauts to return home after a longer-than-expected mission. At 7:03 p.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers launched to the station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Also on board is Takuya Onishi, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Nearly eight minutes after the launch, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully touched down upright at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. [Really cool – Watch the landing!] March 14: Fox News: Senate passes bill (54-46) to avoid government shutdown A government shutdown was averted just hours before the Friday 11:59 p.m. deadline after enough Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) helped Republicans defeat a filibuster. Senators voted 54-46 to pass the stopgap spending bill, which only needed 51 votes to be approved. Nearly all Republicans backed the measure, with only Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) opposing the measure. All the Democrats opposed it with the exception of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and I. Angus King (I-ME) who caucuses with the Democrats, also voting for passage. March 13: The Washington Times: Senate Dems blink, will allow CR funding bill to go through Thursday evening Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) backed off his shutdown threat and said he will vote to end a filibuster of the Republicans' spending bill, giving other Senate Democrats the green light to do the same. Schumer effectively caved to Republicans' wishes after failing to convince them that a one-month stopgap spending bill was preferable to their plan to extend current funding levels — with a handful of exceptions — through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year. In an attempt to place blame on President Trump and his allies in Congress Schumer said "It's a Hobson's choice, either proceed with the bill before us or risk … throwing America into the chaos of a shutdown," he contended. Schumer's decision came after days of private discussions with his caucus wrestling over whether to back the GOP bill, which passed the House on Tuesday with all but one Democrat voting in opposition. The Senate's initial procedural test vote on the bill will occur Friday morning, unless all 100 senators agree to speed things up. March 13: News Max: Trump petitions SCOTUS regarding Birthright citizenship The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow restrictions on birthright citizenship to partly take effect while legal fights play out. On Thursday, in emergency applications filed at the high court, the administration asked the justices to narrow court orders entered by district judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington that blocked the executive order Trump signed shortly after beginning his second term. The order currently is blocked nationwide. Three federal appeals courts have rejected the administration's pleas, including one in Massachusetts. The order would deny citizenship to those born after Feb. 19 whose parents are in the country illegally. It also forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document or accepting any state document recognizing citizenship for such children. Several states and individuals have sued over the executive order, which they say violates the Constitution's 14th Amendment promise of citizenship to anyone born inside the United States. The Justice Department argues that individual judges lack the power to give nationwide effect to their rulings. Instead, the administration wants the justices to allow the Trump's plan to go into effect for everyone except the handful of people and group that sued, arguing that the states lack the legal right, or standing, to challenge the executive order. Five conservative justices, a majority of the court, have raised concerns in the past about nationwide, or universal, injunctions. But the court has never ruled on the matter. March 13: Fox News: MN state rep. introduces measure that would prohibit local jurisdictions from withholding information from, or working with, ICE Minnesota lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would prevent state and local government agencies from prohibiting their employees from sharing immigration data requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The bill also requires county attorneys to report any illegal immigrant arrested for a violent crime, even if they are not charged, and prohibits law enforcement from not cooperating with ICE. President Trump, who campaigned for an immigration crackdown, loosened restrictions on ICE, allowing broader enforcement. March 12: News Max: Senate Dems may kill bill to fund the U.S. government forcing a shutdown Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Wednesday the Republicans do not have enough votes to pass their continuing resolution to fund the federal government putting the threat of a partial government shutdown that much closer to a reality. Senate Republicans need a total of 60 votes in order to shutoff debate and consider the measure. They only have 53 seats and one GOP member says he won't support the CR. That means at least eight Democrats must support cutting off debate. On Tuesday, the House passed legislation favored by President Donald Trump to keep the government funded through September by a vote of 217-213. One Democrat voted with the Republicans, and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-TN) voted against the measure. The government will shut down by the end of day Friday if lawmakers do not pass legislation for Trump to sign. In the end, it's a game of chicken. Will the Democrats, who will certainly be blamed for a shutdown this time around blink or will they allow the shutdown to happen? Time will tell! March 12: The New York Post: Russia says no to ceasefire with Ukraine as Trump renews his threat to unload devastating financial sanctions if Russia refuses to come to the bargaining table The Russian government issued its strongest statement yet Wednesday against a provisional cease-fire agreed to by the U.S. and Ukraine a day earlier following marathon talks in Saudi Arabia. "Nobody is talking to us," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with pro-Kremlin US bloggers. "They keep saying, 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,' but they do everything about Russia without Russia." Lavrov also reiterated that Russia would not accept peacekeeping troops from any NATO country on Ukrainian territory "under any conditions," a direct rebuke to a proposal floated by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In Washington, President Trump reiterated his threat to sanction Moscow if it did not agree to parley about Ukraine, saying he could unload "devastating" financial sanctions in response to Russian noncompliance. March 12: The Gateway Pundit: Biden Judge Rules Trump Firing Member of Labor Board Unlawful, SCOTUS here we come The US Supreme Court must intervene. A radical Biden-appointed federal judge on Wednesday ruled President Trump does not have the authority to fire a member of the Federal Labor Relations Board. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan said Trump's firing of Tsui Grundmann, a federal employee that handles labor disputes, was unlawful. President Trump fired Susan Tsui Grundmann from the federal labor relations board last month. Grundmann sued the Trump Administration and claimed her firing was a violation of federal law that says members of her agency can only be removed "for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." But earlier this year the SCOTUS ruled in another case that the President as head of the executive branch has the authority to remove employees. March 11: Federal News Network: Department of Education announces a reduction in force for approximately 50% of its workforce The Education Department is going through a mass layoff of its employees, as part of Reduction-in-Force (RIF) efforts happening across the federal government. The department announced this evening that it laid off nearly 50% of its workforce through a RIF. Impacted employees will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21. According to the department, all impacted employees will receive full pay and benefits until June 9, "as well as substantial severance pay or retirement benefits based upon their length of service." The department says its workforce now stands at about 2,183 employees — down from 4,133 when President Donald Trump took office in January, just fifty days ago. The Education Department is closing its offices in the Washington, D.C. metro area at 6 p.m. tonight, and broadening those closures beyond the region on Wednesday. Many of the employees being let go have already had access to their government email accounts shutdown. March 11: News Max: Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire; US agrees to continue aid and intel support The Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled that it would accept a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow's agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said Tuesday after talks in Saudi Arabia. The administration imposed the measures a week ago to push Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces. SOS Marco Rubio said the U.S. would present the ceasefire offer to the Kremlin. "We're going to tell them this is what's on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio said. "If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here." National security adviser Mike Waltz said the negotiators "got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end," including long-term security guarantees. March 11: The Daily Signal: ICE apprehends 646 illegals in massive sweep of Houston, TX Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 646 illegal migrants, 543 of which were foreign nationals charged or convicted of a criminal offense and living unlawfully in the United States the agency announced. The extensive operation — which was conducted in the Houston, Texas, — was the latest in the Trump administration's mission to arrest and deport criminal illegal migrants from the USA. "In recent years, some of the world's most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members, and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation's southern border to illegally enter the U.S.," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a prepared statement. "After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and reign terror on law-abiding residents." March 11: News Max: Trump doubles tariffs on Canada in retaliation for their raising tariffs on US products Earlier today President Donald Trump says that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States' northern neighbor. Trump says the increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States. March 11: Fox News: Vance talking to GOP holdouts about Continuing Resolution Vice President JD Vance told House Republicans that putting a government funding bill up for a vote today was critical to President Trump keeping the lights on for his border security goals and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Two lawmakers present at the closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning said DOGE and the border were part of Vance's pitch to Republicans who were still undecided about the bill. One lawmaker said Vance also signaled that future federal spending cuts could be on the table at a later date, a similar pitch House Freedom Caucus leaders have been making to fellow fiscal conservatives. "Vance basically said this is what we need to keep DOGE and border operations going," the lawmaker said. "And we will have much more flexibility for DOGE cuts once we've had more time to identify and quantify them." Subsequently, the U.S. House passed bill along party lines by a vote of 217 to 213. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate where seven Democrat votes will be needed in order to avoid a filibuster. This leaves Senate Democrats divided on the "stark" decision ahead. There are really only two options: One is vote for the CR or to vote to stop its consideration and result in a government shutdown. If they choose the later, they stand to be known as being responsible for a shutdown. March 10: The Epoch Times: Federal Judge blocks immediate deportation of a Palestinian student; Columbia University U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman of the Southern District of New York, an Obama-appointed justice, has temporarily blocked any effort by the Trump administration to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student and permanent resident who led pro-Palestinian encampment protests at Columbia University after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group. Furman ordered that Khalil — who was arrested over the weekend — must not be deported until further legal proceedings have played out and the court potentially authorizes his removal from the United States. "To preserve the Court's jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise," Furman wrote. March 10: The Washington Free Beacon: Harvard fires librarian for taking down fliers showing children murdered by Hamas Harvard University has fired an employee who was caught ripping down posters of the Bibas children, who were taken hostage by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and who were later murdered by the terrorist group. Jonathan Tuttle, formerly a cataloger of published materials at the university's Radcliffe Institute, was filmed removing the posters during a Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine rally on March 3. The posters featured the faces of nine-month-old Kfir Bibas and four-year-old Ariel Bibas, the youngest hostages Hamas took during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The Bibas children and their mother, Shiri Bibas, were later killed in Hamas captivity. March 10: Breitbart News: Musk reveals the IP address of the denial of service attack on X were based in Ukraine Elon Musk claimed that IP addresses connected to a "massive cyberattack" on X, which caused significant outages throughout Monday, originated in Ukraine. In an interview with Fox Business' host Larry Kudlow, Musk admitted that they were still "not sure exactly what happened." "There was a cyberattack on X today, which shut it down and may have been foreign-sourced," Kudlow said. "It's a big story — you want to give us a moment on that?" We're not sure exactly what happened," Musk responded. "But there was a massive cyberattack to try to bring down the X system, with IP addresses originating in the area of Ukraine. March 10: One America News Network: Gabbard rescinds security clearances of numerous former Biden officials U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard stripped security clearances and access to classified information briefings from officials affiliated with the Biden administration, including Antony Blinken, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, and Jake Sullivan — among others. U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard stripped security clearances and access to classified information briefings from officials affiliated with the Biden administration, including Antony Blinken, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, and Jake Sullivan — among others. The revocations will also affect individuals like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They have both been accused of engaging in a politically-motivated legal measures against Trump in order to stop him from winning the most recent presidential election, among other goals — ultimately intending to bring him down. March 9: News Max: US Shipbuilders welcome Trump support as they are a shadow of what they used to be Shipbuilding has been in steady decline in the US since the end of the Cold War but some in the industry now hope for a revival of the sector, as was promised last week by President Donald Trump. The United States was once a world leader in both commercial and naval construction, but has fallen far behind its main rival China. Trump has now promised to reverse this, declaring in an address to Congress on Tuesday that he would "resurrect" the sector and create an Office of Shipbuilding in the White House. American shipbuilders say they are ready to seize the moment, but experts warn that even a concerted effort to respond to China's overwhelming dominance of the sector will take years -- and cost many billions of dollars. Cynthia Cook, who heads the defense-industrial group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said she is waiting to hear more definitive information but that "it is clear shipbuilding is an industrial weakness of the United States. You cannot immediately get more ships by throwing money at the problem." US ship production is down 85% from the 1950s, and the number of naval shipyards capable of building the largest vessels has fallen by 80%. [See Related story] March 9: The Gateway Pundit: Gunman outside the White House reportedly wanted to commit suicide by cop The suspect who was shot during an armed confrontation outside the White House has officially been identified. Fox News reported police sources have revealed the suspect is 27-year-old Andrew Dawson of Indiana. Secret Service agents also stated that he had a firearm and a knife when he was confronted by agents who were looking into an earlier incident. Indiana police noted that they informed D.C. authorities that Dawson was driving to the Washington, D.C. area and was "suicidal." Moreover, intelligence bulletins suggested that Dawson wanted to commit "suicide by cop." He allegedly did everything possible to ensure he got his wish. Dawson was transported to the hospital with injuries. There is still no word yet on his current condition. No Secret Service agents were harmed in the incident. March 9: Fox News: DOGE uncovers $312 million in loans to children during COVID-19 pandemic The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced a further wave of contract terminations late Saturday, noting that they also identified thousands of cases where more than $300 million in loans were granted to children. As DOGE continues its quest to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse it said it has identified Small Business Administration (SBA) granted nearly 5,600 loans for $312 million to borrowers whose only listed owner was 11 years old or younger at the time of the loan. The loans were issued in 2020 and 2021 under the Biden Administration – while the world struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic – and it is unclear what they were for or their purpose. "While it is possible to have business arrangements where this is legal, that is highly unlikely for these 5,593 loans, as they all also used an SSN with the incorrect name," the agency wrote. March 9: The Epoch Times: Chinese merchant vessels suspected of purposely cutting/damaging underseas cables Cargo vessels accused of sabotaging undersea fiber-optic cables are sheltering in China or else have disappeared from tracking services in recent weeks. Bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, a Chinese-owned and operated cargo ship, is alleged to have cut two vital communications cables in the Baltic Sea last November by dragging its anchor in a zigzag pattern for more than 100 miles. The Danish navy guarded the vessel for a time while an international team negotiated with China's communist leadership to board it as part of an investigation into potential sabotage. The investigation stopped when international jurisdiction questions were raised and the ship left the area, returning to China. March 8: The Epoch Times: Missouri judge finds CCP liable for $24 billion for hording COVID-19 protective equipment A Missouri judge has found China's communist leadership liable in a multi-billion dollar case over the regime's hoarding of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The judgement found that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was liable for $24 billion in damages to Missouri for exacerbating the pandemic by obstructing American access to medical supplies. "This is a landmark victory for Missouri and the United States in the fight to hold China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on the world," said Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in a statement. The State of Missouri brought the case against China, its communist leadership, and several subordinate departments and institutions including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where some intelligence leaders believe that the COVID-19 virus originated. March 8: The Gateway Pundit: Ag Department cancels $600,000 grant to study "menstrual cycles of transgender men" On Friday, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cancelling a $600,000 grant to study "menstrual cycles in transgender men." The reported grant recipient was the Southern University Agricultural & Mechanical College in Louisiana. March 8: The Washington Examiner: House unveils funding bill to keep the federal government operating for the rest of the fiscal year House Republicans unveiled their long-awaited, full-year spending deal on Saturday just days before government funding is set to expire on Friday, with the support of President Trump and, surprisingly, also support from hard-line conservatives. The 99-page CR provides for $892.5 billion in defense spending and around $708 billion in non-defense spending, both of which sit below the caps in fiscal year 2025. Defense spending is moderately increasing from 2024 levels by around $8 billion, while non-defense spending is decreasing by around $13 billion. The "clean" continuing resolution, which allows the government to mostly freeze current spending levels, will extend funding until Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2025. House GOP leaders see the CR as a temporary fix to keep government operations open after bipartisan congressional appropriators were unable to come to an agreement on a topline number for a bigger funding package. The bill also includes some anomalies requested by the White House, including one involving an additional $9.9 billion in funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a $20.2 billion rescission for the Internal Revenue Service. March 7: The Epoch Times: DHS to cancel collective bargaining for TSA The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday that it will end a union collective bargaining agreement for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents to "enhance productivity and resiliency" at U.S. airports. DHS says the collective bargaining agreement is "being exploited by a select few poor performers, placing greater burden on TSOs at the expense of American travelers and taxpayers." The airport screening agency now "has more people doing full-time union work than we have performing screening functions at 86% of our airports," DHS said. "Of the 432 federalized airports, 374 airports have fewer than 200 TSA Officers to [perform] screening functions." "Thanks to Secretary [Kristi] Noem's action, TSO will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them," a DHS spokesperson said. Friday's decision will enable American travelers to "have a more effective and modernized workforce across the nation's transportation networks," the statement said. "TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans." March 7: The Gateway Pundit: Bill to be introduced that would mandate federal ballots only be printed in English Freshman Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) announced on Thursday that next week, he will be introducing a bill to ban ballots that are not printed in the national language, English, for use in federal elections. "Any state that provides multiple languages on ballots will not receive any federal funding if there's federal candidates on it," Hamadeh said. "I also think it's an 80/20 issue," he added, suggesting that 80% of Americans likely agree that ballots need to be printed in one language and that we should have one national language. "One of the basic requirements of becoming a United States citizen that's been long-standing law is that you have to have proficiency and basic understanding of English." Earlier this week President Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. March 7: The Washington Examiner: Dems kneel for criminals but won't stand for a child cancer survivor Much has been made of the classless displays by congressional Democrats during President Trump's joint address. From Rep. Al Green's (D-TX) outburst to the performative political theatrics and hyperbolic hysteria, Democrats were widely criticized for their actions on Tuesday night. However, the most egregious display of their vitriolic hatred was when the majority of Democrats in attendance refused to stand, applaud, and cheer Devarjaye "D.J." Daniel, a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor. The party of Black Lives Matter showed that the life of a 13-year-old pediatric cancer survivor didn't matter. This is a political party that will kneel for criminals but refuse to stand for a child with brain cancer. D.J. is a black teenager who survived a deadly disease. Six years ago, he was told he had five months to live. His life should matter, but the actions of Democrats showed that it didn't. It is truly indicative of the character, or lack thereof, of the modern Democratic Party. The group of elected officials who constantly espouse the importance of racial diversity and the plights of "black and brown people" and promoted Black Lives Matter couldn't even take time to show a child cancer survivor that his black life mattered. March 7: Fox News: Fired Inspector General comes to Trump's defense; says Presiding had the Authority A government watchdog fired by President Trump in January has filed a legal brief arguing that Trump is well within his executive powers to fire him and the 16 other U.S. inspectors general ousted just four days into his second term. Eric Soskin, the former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, was appointed by Trump during his first presidential term. He was then fired just four days after Trump returned to the Oval Office, Jeff Beelaert, an attorney for Givens Pursley and a former Department of Justice official said in an interview. "Eric was one of the fired inspectors general, and disagreed with his former IG colleagues. He wanted to make that clear in filing a brief," Beelaert said. Trump moved shortly after his inauguration to purge the government watchdogs from across 17 government agencies, prompting intense backlash, criticism and questions over the legality of the personnel decisions. March 6: News Max: Zelenskyy; Ukraine and the US to hold peace talks next week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday his country will hold talks with the U.S. next week about ending the war against Russia. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay there to hold talks with U.S. officials. Meanwhile European Union leaders are holding emergency talks about ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own security and that the US was suspending assistance to Ukraine. March 6: The Daily Caller: House Freedom Caucus Chair helps Trump avoid government shutdown Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), is whipping support for a government funding plan backed by President Trump that would avert a partial government shutdown set to occur after midnight on March 14. Trump and House GOP leadership have endorsed a six-month extension of government funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would fund government operations at current levels through the remainder of the fiscal year. HFC members including Harris are getting behind the funding measure, citing Trump's argument that passage of the CR allows congressional Republicans to freeze government spending levels and prioritize passing his first-year legislative agenda. In the past, HFC have opposed CR efforts to fund the federal government. March 6: The Washington Examiner: Trump convenes cabinet; gives direcion on cost-cuttin measures President Trump convened his Cabinet on Thursday to lay out how his administration will be handling cost-cutting measures and staffing moving forward after mounting criticism over Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. "As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go," Trump said. "We say the 'scalpel' rather than the 'hatchet.' The combination of them, Elon, DOGE, and other great people will be able to do things at a historic level." Two administration officials said Trump told his agency leaders that Musk would be allowed to make recommendations about their departments but would not be issuing orders on staffing. March 6: The Gateway Pundit: Judge denies USAID contractors emergency TRO to block Trum's termination of their contracts On Thursday US District Judge Carl Nichols denied a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have reinstated fired USAID contractors. Nichols said the contractors failed to prove they would face irreparable harm that would warrant immediate relief. He also said it is a contract dispute. His action allows a core part of the Trump administration's effort to dismantle the agency to move forward. March 6: The Epoch Times: Social Security announces over $7 billion in retroactive payments The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the payment of billions of dollars to more than a million Americans after two provisions that reduced or eliminated benefits for certain individuals were recently repealed. Last week, the agency said it will start paying retroactive payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Through March 4, "SSA has already paid 1,127,723 people more than $7.5 billion in retroactive payments," the agency indicated. "The average retroactive payment so far is $6,710." The provisions "reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a non-covered pension)." March 5: The Washington Examiner: Trump's first State of the Union style address in second term On Tuesday President Trump gave the first State of the Union-style address of his second presidential term and the objective was clear: Remind the people why they voted for him on Nov. 5. Overall, he succeeded. Trump's speech gave an insight into the strategy of the president and his team: Leverage every issue that won him the election in order to run cover for the one issue that the vast majority of people care about the most: the economy. Trump even made D.J. Daniel, a 13-year-old boy who has been battling terminal brain cancer since 2018 and who dreams of a life in law enforcement, an agent in the United States Secret Service. As his father held D.J. aloft, there wasn't a dry eye in the house, at least among the Republicans in attendance. Meanwhile, the One Americia News Network, reported MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow have been called "sick and twisted" Trump's honoring the courage of Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, making him an honorary member of the US Secret Service. Trump said he admired DJ's courage throughout his battle with brain cancer in one of the most touching moments of his speech Tuesday evening. DJ wore a Houston PD uniform in attendance and he showed off his new badge to the audience. According to a CNN instant poll, nearly seven in 10 respondents viewed Trump's speech as positive (44% said very positive and 25% said somewhat positive), while 31% offered that they had a negative reaction (15% somewhat negative and 16% very negative). There was a similar response in a snap survey conducted for CBS News on the speech, which lasted more than 90 minutes and was the longest address to a joint session of Congress or a State of the Union address in 60 years. March 5: The Washington Times: Dems antics at joint session of Congress highlights their dilemma   Democrats' dilemma has been on full display this week as they struggle with how to respond to Trump 2.0. As Trump addressed Congress and the nation from the House chamber Tuesday, some Democrats waved angry signs, others sat on their hands, some walked out and still others boycotted altogether. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) stood and waved his cane angrily until the sergeant-at-arms escorted him out of the chamber. Democrats refused to applaud even a cancer-stricken child Trump deputized as an honorary Secret Service agent or a teen who the president announced would be accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The next day, Democrats said they had no misgivings about their chilly reception to the everyday Americans Trump showcased, regardless of their tragic or uplifting stories. "There wasn't no bipartisan moments yesterday. We're looking at a fascist takeover," said Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA). There was so much anger from the Democrat side of the chamber that when Lee was asked about the 13-year-old brain cancer survivor he responded "What about the fascists?" (meaning Trump). Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) said an ovation for anyone during the speech would be like "standing with Donald Trump, and we just could not stand to do that." His guests snubbed by Democratic lawmakers included: • Jason Hartley, a teenager who dreamed of carrying on the family legacy of military service after his father, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, was killed. Mr. Trump made his dream come true by announcing his acceptance to West Point. • Marc Fogel, who was taken prisoner by Russia in 2021 and released in a deal Mr. Trump made shortly after taking office. He was seated in the House chamber with his 95-year-old mother, Malphine Fogel, who last year personally pleaded with Mr. Trump to fight for her son's release. • Allyson and Lauren Philips, the mother and sister of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed by an illegal immigrant gang member from Venezuela. The Laken Riley Act was the first bill Mr. Trump signed into law this year. It mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury. • Alexis Nungaray, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the victim in a brutal killing near Houston. Two illegal immigrants from Venezuela are charged with capital murder in his death. Mr. Trump announced that a national wildlife refuge would be named after Jocelyn, who loved animals and was passionate about ensuring they had homes. Republican lawmakers were taken aback that the depths of Democrats' disdain for Mr. Trump when he extended to the young cancer survivor and heartbroken parents of slain children. "I think it's an embarrassment," said Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY). "Frankly, the Democratic leadership should be really embarrassed by what they allowed to occur by their members." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the Democrats' behavior — including the booing of the president, Mr. Green's ranting and the snubbing of everyday Americans — "completely disgraceful." March 5: The Gateway Pundit: House member calls for immediate defunding of USAID after SCOTUS ruling Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) is calling on Congress to take immediate action to defund the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) following an outrageous Supreme Court ruling. In a jaw-dropping betrayal of American taxpayers and constitutional integrity, the Supreme Court said Trump must go forward with the radical wasteful, fraudulent, and abusive programs granted by the Biden Administration. This means the US must fork over $1.9 billion in borrowed funding to make these foreign aid payments. Massie's call could be taken as part of the budget reconciliation process. March 4: The Washington Examiner: Operations of Panama's key ports sold to US companies A Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its stake in a subsidiary that operates Pacific and Atlantic ports at each end of the Panama Canal to a United States-based firm as the Trump Administration ramps up pressure to rid the canal of Chinese influence. CK Hutchison Holdings, which holds 90% control of the Panama Ports Company, said it will sell its shares in the two ports to a consortium led by BlackRock, the world's largest and US-based asset management company. The $23 billion deal came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio's February visit to Panama, during which he told Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino that the Panama Canal must be rid of Chinese influence or Panama could face retaliation from the Trump administration. Rubio contended the Chinese influence violated the 1979 treaty agreement that stipulated the canal would remain neutral. In January, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) raised concerns that the ports "give China ready observation posts," thus giving China the opportunity to exploit or block passage through the canal. March 4: The Daily Caller: Trump Admin. may use FACE Act against protestors blocking worshipers from entering synagogues The Trump administration signaled that a law used to jail pro-life protesters may, instead, be used against those accused of harassing Jews at a California synagogue. DOJ filed a "statement of interest" on Friday supporting a lawsuit that alleges "a violent mob of anti-Israel activists" unlawfully blocked access to a synagogue in June 2024. The Justice Department said the behavior the lawsuit described "violates the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act," a law that protects places of worship. March 4: The Epoch Times: Zelenskyy calls his meeting with Trump/Vance " regrettable," appreciates all the US has done for Ukraine Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has said that last week's clash with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House was "regrettable" and pledged to sign a minerals deal and hold peace talks. In his first statement since the Trump administration said it would pause military aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, he said that Ukraine does not want "an endless war" and that "nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians." "We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence," the Ukrainian leader wrote in a statement, released on social media platform X. "And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this." March 3: News Max: Congress nowhere near deal to avert government shutdown this month With less than two weeks to go before a March 14 deadline, Republicans and Democrats in Congress appear to be nowhere close to a deal to avert a government shutdown that would throw Washington into deeper turmoil. The talks have been complicated by Trump, who has suspended foreign aid and fired tens of thousands of federal workers. Both sides say his actions are the biggest sticking point as they seek to reach a deal that would provide government funding beyond March 14, when it is due to expire. Democrats say they are trying to secure guarantees that would prevent Trump and his budget-slashing point person, billionaire Elon Musk, from firing more workers or canceling more government programs. In other words, Democrats want to force the Administration to spend money it has to borrow and to avoid Musk's cost cutting efforts and moves to end waste, fraud, and abuse. Republicans say Democrats efforts in this regard are a nonstarter. March 2: Fox News: DOD civilians told to complete the Musk/DOGE survey Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed DOD's civilian workforce to comply with Elon Musk's DOGE productivity email, listing five things they accomplished after initially telling them not to reply. Hegseth said in a video message explaining the shift, "Our civilian patriots who dedicate themselves to defending this nation working for the Department of Defense are critical to our national security," he said. "As we work to restore focus on DOD's core warfighting mission under President Trump's leadership, we recognize that we cannot accomplish that mission without the strong and important contributions of our civilian workforce." Musk responded on social media, "Much appreciated @SecDef Hegseth!" March 2: The Washington Examiner: Examiner says Dems have been mischaracterizing Trump's exchange with Zelenskyy On Sunday, Washington Examiner Editor-in-Chief Hugo Gurdon argued that Democrats have been mischaracterizing Friday's testy exchange in the Oval Office between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and President Trump in order to malign the U.S. president. Gurdon listed Democrats' reactions --- which have included Susan Rice, a former ambassador to the United Nations -- calling the meeting a "setup" and others referring to it as an "ambush." He called these a "mischaracterization" of what actually happened in the meeting and how it spiraled out of control. "It was, in fact, Vice President Vance was answering a reporter's question and backing up the U.S. diplomatic approach, and President Zelensky took the opportunity to interject and almost mock America's approach," he said. "And, you know, it went downhill from there. In fact, President Trump tried to, kind of, calm things down until he finally lost his temper when it seemed that Zelensky was saying, 'Look, you know, we just want another $100 billion no questions asked.'" While Trump and Vance "should take some blame" along with Zelensky for how the meeting transpired, it is still being mischaracterized by Democrats who are engaging in "cheap point-scoring" to simply attack Trump as being "on Russia's side, he contended. March 2: The Gateway Pundit: Carlson comments on Trump-Zelensky meeting On Friday, Tucker Carlson has issued a withering response to the disastrous Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The commentator, who is known for his skepticism towards America's support for Ukraine in their war with Russia, pointed to the fact that the notorious war hawk Lindsey Graham criticized Zelensky's conduct in the wake of the meeting. "Most Americans witnessing what they saw today would not want Zelensky to be their business partner, including me, and I've been to Ukraine nine times since the war started," Graham said following the meeting. March 2: Fox News: Norway will continue to supply US Navy ships Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating US-Ukrainian relations. "We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday. The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to the Trump-Zelenskyy exchange in the Oval Office. March 2: The Epoch Times: Canda is open to talks about matching US tariffs on Communist China Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters in Vancouver on Feb. 28 that Canada is "open" to talks about matching U.S. tariffs on China. She noted Canada already has tariffs on some components coming from China, as well as on electric vehicles. "When it comes to the U.S. and their own concerns, we're able to have conversations," she said. "We are very open to have trade-related conversations, including when it comes to China." Trump recently announced a 10% levy on Communist Chinese goods going into the United States. That is on top of the 10% tariff on China imposed on Feb. 4, which was also in addition to previously imposed tariffs. The latest tariff will go into effect on March 4, the same day that 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico are scheduled to go into effect, according to Trump. March 2: The Washington Examiner: Zelenskyy says he's still ready to sign key minerals agreement with the US On Sunday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy suggested he's still ready to sign the key minerals deal between his country and the United States after the deal fell through last week. Speaking with British media Zelensky pointed to his previous commitment of signing the deal, which was left unsigned after he was asked to leave the White House following a fiery exchange with President Trump and Vice President Vance. "It is our policy to continue what happened in the past, we're constructive. If we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we're ready to sign it," the Ukrainian president said. Shortly after the tumultuous meeting on Friday in the Oval Office, Trump made clear that Zelensky should only come back to the negotiating table "when he is ready for Peace." March 2: News Max: National Security Advisor; Criticism of Trump for standing firm on Ukraine deal is "ridiculous" Criticism for President Donald Trump over standing firm against a defiant Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "ridiculous" and "hypocritical pearl-clutching," according to national security adviser Mike Waltz. "The No. 1 goal of the failed Ukraine mineral deal Zelenskyy balked at in the name of security guarantees was to get to Russian President Putin to end his war on Ukraine, and it was no "ambush," he contended. "The president is trying to end this war: He campaigned on it; he was elected on it; and that's going to take tough diplomacy," Waltz continued. He claims the Democrats who are critical had no problem dealing with "the murderous Iranian regime in an Iran deal that was horrific and used the Russians as intermediaries," he said. It takes two sides and the mediator in Trump to bring Putin's war in Ukraine to an end, but Zelenskyy's defiant posture in the Oval Office risked Putin never coming to the table, according to Waltz. "Well, you know, it wasn't clear to us that President Zelenskyy was ready to negotiate in good faith toward an end to this war," he concluded. March 1: One America News Network: NATO Secretary General tells Zelenskyy to make amends with Trump after continuous meeting NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a blunt warning to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his tense Oval Office exchange with President Trump, saying that the Ukrainian leader must make amends. During remarks the BBC Saturday he related a call he had with Zelensky the day before, telling Zelenskyy that he should give Trump is due credit for the support he gave Ukraine during his first administration. "I said: I think you have to find a way, dear Volodymyr, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration. That is important going forward," he said to the Ukrainian president. On the call, Rutte went on to remind Zelensky that "we really have to respect what President Trump has done so far for Ukraine. Without the Javelins in 2022, when the full-scale attack started, Ukraine would have been nowhere," Rutte said during the BBC interview. "I told him we really have to give Trump credit for what he did then, what America did since then and also what America is still doing." March 1: Yahoo News: Trump signs Executive Order unleashing Forest Service to conduct better forest service management in an effort to reduce the number of fires like those in Southern California Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that looks to unleash forest management efforts following this year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires. USA Today reports the order takes steps for quicker federal permitting approvals of forestry projects under the Endangered Species Act so that clearing brush, timber removals and other projects aren't delayed by environmental and other regulatory reviews. In addition to expanding forest management, the White House said the goal is to lower costs of housing construction and lumber by increasing the domestic supply of timber to reduce U.S. reliance of timber imports from Canada, Brazil and Germany. March 1: The Washington Times: Judge; Government unions fail to demonstrate injury, denied standing in court case When the Trump administration announced its plan to offer a buyout to federal workers, major labor unions rushed to a judge to try to stop it. But U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. blocked the unions near the start of the case, ruling that the unions perhaps had a keen interest in the fate of their members but weren't actually injured on their own. In other words, they lacked legal "standing" to sue. To have standing, a party must show they are sufficiently injured to bring a lawsuit. President Trump already faces some 90 lawsuits challenging his aggressive agenda, and the first question each of those plaintiffs has to answer to the judge is why they should even be let in the courthouse door. Without standing the case is over. Standing requires plaintiffs to show that they face an actual "injury," that the person being sued is responsible for that injury and that the court has a viable remedy available. He said the reason the unions were found to lack standing in the buyout case is because the injury is too tenuous. The unions had argued they had to spend money to educate their members about the buyouts. But courts generally find that a party can't spend itself into having standing. February 28: The Epoch Times: Ukraine President asked to leave the White House after contentious meeting with Trump and Vance Ukrainian President Zelenskyy left the White House on Friday after his meeting with President Trump and Vice President Vance devolved into a heated argument. Trump has sought to negotiate a quick end to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. He has also positioned the deal for access to Ukraine's natural resources as a way to recoup some of the funds the United States has already contributed to Ukraine's war effort. The United States has been Kyiv's leading backer since Russian forces marched on Ukraine in 2022, and has allocated more than $174 billion in Ukraine-related expenses. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has been adamant that a deal for Ukraine's natural resources should include new U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump and Zelenskyy's conflicting visions became evident as they hashed them out in front of reporters while in the Oval Office. Zelenskyy refused to compromise and refused a cease-fire on the terms proposed by Trump. He contended Putin began the war, and a peace settlement should follow the principle that he who began the war should pay for the damages. Trump pointed out that Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia, especially if the US stops its support; calling for a middle ground. "You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards," Trump said, saying further what he wants is "peace" and the stopping of the killing. February 28: News Max: Morris: Trump can stop a Chinese takeover of the organization of American State President Donald Trump can stop China from taking control of the influential Organization of American States (OAS) just by announcing he supports the pro-U.S. candidate, top political strategist Dick Morris said. "This organization was set up to embody the Monroe Doctrine that keeps foreign powers from colonizing Latin American countries, and there's a vacancy in the office of secretary general," he continued. On March 10th the OAS will meet to select its new secretary general. Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, the candidate close to the U.S. and foreign minister of Paraguay, is just a few votes away from winning, all he needs is the strong support of the US, Morris contends. There are currently eight undecided votes that will determine the final outcome. February 28: The Gateway Pundit: Georgia Senate launches investigation into Stacey Abrams'(D) reported illegal fundraising The Georgia Senate launched an investigation into Stacey Abrams and her nonprofit The New Georgia Project for illegal fundraising activity. "Abrams and the New Georgia Project, from which she is no longer affiliated, are being investigated by the same Senate panel that has been examining Fulton County DA Fani Willis' historic indictment of Donald Trump during the time he was out of the Oval Office," Atlanta News First reports. "The Senate committee will focus on alleged campaign finance violations and possibly the recent New Georgia Project firings allegedly tied to efforts to unionize the voting rights organization," the outlet said. Francys Johnson, the former head of Stacey Abrams' nonprofit, announced his resignation after the Abram's NGO was hit with a massive fine for committing campaign fundraising crimes. Twice-failed Democrat Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams created the nonprofit in 2013 to help get out the black vote. Abrams has repeatedly claimed, without providing any evidence that Georgia Republicans engage in black voter suppression. In January, Abrams' NGO was slapped with a $300,000 ethics fine for illegal campaign fundraising. February 27: The Washinton Free Beacon: Israel to resume the war in Gaza within the next six weeks Israeli decision-makers plan to resume the Gaza war in four to six weeks with overwhelming force, sending in tens of thousands of troops to conquer the entire strip in a single coordinated offensive against Hamas. Incoming military chief of staff Eyal Zamir has, at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Israel Katz, started developing the plan, according to several current and former Israeli officials with knowledge of high-level discussions. Under the plan, Israel will deploy more troops to Gaza than it has to this point in the war—over 50,000—before relocating Gaza's civilian population to humanitarian zones and waging a ruthless ground campaign against Palestinian terrorists across the rest of the strip. "It's going to be decisive," said Amir Avivi, a former Israeli brigadier general who has advised the Israeli government and military during the war. "Israel will use every tool it has to conquer Gaza and eradicate Hamas." February 27: One America News Network: Bondi accuses the FBI of withholding Epstein documents, demands to see them all The release of the full set of documents that was promised to be revealed to the public on Thursday by Attorney General Pam Bondi has been "delayed" due to the last-minute discovery that the FBI is allegedly hiding thousands of documents relating to the infamous Epstein files. Bondi claims that she was only given 200 pages relating to the Epstein files, when she had asked for all of the investigation files. The U.S. AG had expected to receive every single document pertaining to the late pedophile sex trafficker, especially his client list. Bondi first became suspicious after looking over the handed-over documents, noting that, after examining them, there was "nothing juicy" or of substance included in the papers — paraphrasing her comments. "By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained," Bondi said. February 27: The Gateway Pundit: Federal Judge: Trump can fire CIA DEI hires On Thursday a federal judge ruled against CIA employees who sued the Trump Administration to keep their jobs. Earlier this month, Judge Trenga, an appointee of George W. Bush, had temporarily blocked Trump's move to clean house in the intelligence community — specifically targeting agents involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that have compromised national security in favor of leftist ideology. This ruling comes after a group of anonymous intelligence officers filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the CIA. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, names ODNI, the CIA, and leadership — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe—as defendants. In the end, Judge Trenga ruled that Trump can fire the CIA DEI employees. February 26: The Washington Free Beacon: State Department discloses 15,000 in grants worth $60 Billion headed for elimination Donald Trump's State Department completed its review of U.S. foreign aid, identifying nearly 15,000 grants worth $60 billion for elimination, an internal memo indicates. The review pertained to foreign aid that flowed from both the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The lion's share of the grants identified for elimination came from USAID, where Trump administration officials have moved to slash 5,800 grants valued at $54 billion. That's about a 92% reduction in USAID's multi-year grant spending. The "exhaustive review" reflects the monumental changes underway at USAID under Trump. In late January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a 90-day freeze on foreign aid aimed at allowing the administration to review programs for their consistency with "U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda." Under former Joe Biden, USAID funneled scores of grants to foreign nations aimed at advancing "environmental justice" and "LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development," and other left-wing priorities. February 26: The Epoch Times: Social Security to give retroactive payments to qualifying recipients Millions of Americans who receive Social Security benefits will get a lump-sum amount and see a spike in their monthly payments as part of a new law signed last month, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). The agency "is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)," SSA said. These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security. As these individuals' earnings were never covered under Social Security, they never paid Social Security taxes from their salaries during employment. Most of them worked for various levels of government. Since the law changes, those impacted are due to receive payments. February 26: The Washington Times: Zelenskyy coming to the US on Friday to discuss "Trump-Deal" Donald Trump said Wednesday that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will travel to Washington, DC on Friday to sign a bilateral economic development and mineral-sharing pact. Considerable uncertainty remains over the details and how the deal will affect Kyiv's 3-year-old war to stave off a Russian invasion. Trump has pressed for an economic pact to give U.S. interests a claim on Ukraine's critical mineral sector while he describes it in part as "payback" for the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. miliary and development aid provided to Ukraine since Rusia invaded in February 2022. Ukraine is seeking ironclad security guarantees from the U.S. in exchange for any economic deal. There are some reports that Kyiv was balking at some provisions of the accord, which would give U.S. mining interests access to hundreds of billions of dollars-worth of Ukraine's rare earth and strategic minerals, including some of Europe's largest deposits of lithium, uranium and other elements key to high-tech applications. Meanwhile Trump has opened direct talks with Russia on ways to end the war. February 26: The New York Post: SCOTUS stunned by change of arguments in discrimination case The nine Supreme Court justices were left stunned Wednesday when Ohio's solicitor general switched arguments in a reverse discrimination case — siding on a key point with the plaintiff, a woman who claims she was passed over at work in favor of gay and lesbian colleagues. The high court had convened to hear arguments about whether a straight person must show more evidence of discrimination than a gay person to bring forward a civil rights case. But T. Elliot Gaiser, arguing on behalf of the Buckeye State's Department of Youth Services, distanced himself from the lower court rulings he had been tasked with defending and agreed with plaintiff Marlean Ames' attorneys that heterosexual people should not face a higher burden — bewildering the justices. February 26: News Max: Trump Administration prepares for a massive Reduction in Force eliminating civil service positions Federal agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed by President Trump 's administration that sets in motion what could become a sweeping realignment of American government. The memo expands the effort to downsize the federal workforce, which Trump has described as bloated and impediment to his agenda. His administration is turning its attention toward career officials with civil service protection. By March 13 agencies are to submit their plans for what is known as a reduction in force, which would lay off employees and eliminate the positions altogether. Some departments have already begun this process. The General Services Administration (GSA), which handles federal real estate, told employees on Monday that a reduction in force was underway and they would do "everything in our power to make your departure fair and dignified." February 26: The Daily Signal: Trump shakes up legacy media's hold on the White House briefing room On Tuesday White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday that more reporters would have more access to the President, who is already one of the most accessible world leaders in recent history. But some of he elitist in the White House press corps are reacting with scorn, calling the move a threat to free speech. Of course it isn't such a threat, just the opposite, but it is breaking legacy media's once-mighty monopoly at the President's house and there's nothing they can do to salvage their role as gatekeepers of news and information. Instead, newly credentialed journalists from other media outlets will now have a chance compete with the old guard for access to the president as part of the press pool shake-up. Rather than outsource the rotation to the unaccountable White House Correspondents' Association, Trump's press team will handle the assignments. February 25: The Epoch Times: Social Security Admin. eliminates unnecessary and wasteful department The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it is eliminating its Office of Transformation. The acting Social Security Commissioner Lee Dudek said, "This redundant office was created under the previous administration and we are righting that wrong." According to the SSA website the Office of Transformation was responsible for providing "strategic guidance and oversight of enterprise-wide initiatives, addressing policies, business processes, and systems." Any idea what that means? February 25: The Galveston County Daily News: Musk is delivering on Trump's promises Several Presidential Administrations early in their terms talked about the necessity of more efficient government. In their rhetoric, taxpayers deserved value for their financial sacrifice. President Trump also promised efficiency, but unlike many of his predecessors, he is delivering.  Elon Musk, Trump's legally-selected agent who's not being paid for his services, has started to open the doors and shed light on how reckless and dangerous former federal spending has become. Musk and his team of auditors, labeled DOGE, are employing powerful AI driven software to uncover wasteful, fraudulent, and abusive spending and the results are not pretty. February 24: Fox News: Trump wants the XL Pipeling finished Donald Trump said on Monday he wants the Keystone XL pipeline, which was opposed for years by activists fighting against climate change, to be built. The pipeline was proposed in 2008 to bring oil from Canada's Western tar sands to U.S. refiners and was halted in 2021 by owner TC Energy Corp after Democrat Joe Biden revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the project. "Our Country's doing really well, and today, I was just thinking, that the company building the Keystone XL Pipeline that was viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden Administration should come back to America, and get it built." February 24: The Daily Signal: Trump and Macron plan to "share the burden" of securing peace in Ukraine French President Emmanuel Macron agrees that Europe must join the United States in bearing the "cost and burden of securing the peace" between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said Monday. Macron and Trump met on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Europe must take that central role in assuring the long-term security of Ukraine, which they want to do," Trump said. Trump said the U.S. has contributed more aid to Ukraine than any other nation, adding that he hopes at some point to equalize that. "And while we give advanced amounts of military aid and money in the form of grants, much of Europe's contribution has been economic relief structured as loans for which they'll be repaid," Trump said. "Like the Europeans, I believe that taxpayers of the United States also presume to reboot the colossal amounts of money that we sent." Macron said he is "aware Europeans need to do more" to bear "the security burden your country has been carrying for so many years." February 24: Fox News: Trump and Musk endorse Ramaswamy in Ohio gubernatorial race Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday separately endorsed entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio's gubernatorial race. Ramaswamy, who ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, announced his candidacy earlier on Monday to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in the 2026 election. Trump said noted he competed against Ramaswamy, that he knows him well, and that he is something special in his endorsement. February 24: News Max: Apple to establish facility in Texas, $500 Billion investment with 20,000 jobs across the US Apple said on Monday it plans to help bring online a quarter-million-square-foot factory in Texas by 2026 to build artificial intelligence servers and will add about 20,000 research and development jobs across the U.S. Apple said that it plans to spend $500 billion in the United States over the next four years. That figure includes everything from purchases from U.S. suppliers to U.S. filming of television shows and movies for its Apple TV+ service. The company declined to say how much of the figure it was already planning to spend with its existing U.S. supply base, which includes firms such as Corning, which makes glass for iPhones in Kentucky. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook announced the plan. The move comes after media reports that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump last week. Many of Apple's products that are assembled in China could face 10% tariffs imposed by Trump earlier this month, though the iPhone maker previously secured some waivers from China tariffs during the first Trump administration. February 23: News Max: Musk; All federal workers should justify their work product Musk gives federal workers 48 hours to justify their jobs Elon Musk, the advisor to Trump, said Saturday that all US federal employees must justify their work or lose their jobs, hours after the president pushed him to be "more aggressive" in slashing government spending. Musk -- the world's richest person and Trump's biggest donor -- has led the effort to fire swaths of the government workforce. "All federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation," Musk wrote. According to a copy of the email federal workers were asked to submit "approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week." Meanwhile, according to Newsweek, the newly sworn in FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly told the agency's staff to ignore the Musk request. "For now, please pause any responses," reads the Patel message sent Saturday to all FBI personnel, calling for employees to wait for a coordinated response from the bureau. February 23: The Gateway Pundit: American Bar Association votes to suspend DEI requirements for the Bar The ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted during a meeting in San Antonio on Friday to end the requirement until August 31 while it reviews the policy. The change comes as President Trump has vowed to gut all government programs with DEI policies. Daniel Thies, chair-elect of the council and co-chair of its Strategic Review Committee, told the ABA Journal that the changes were due to Trump's executive orders. "The committee's view is that with the executive orders and the law being in flux, it would be an extreme hardship for law schools if our standards were to require them to do certain things that may cause them to take more litigation risks and potentially violate the law," Thies said. February 22: Fox News: Bondi We will "find illegal aliens" and deport them from IL, NY and other states Attorney General Pam Bondi said President Donald Trump's administration will "find illegal aliens" and "deport them in Illinois, New York and other states," in her latest warning to Democratic governors. "You better comply with federal law, or you will be next," Bondi said. Bondi explained that taking the Department of Justice back to its "prime major function" of "fighting violent crime" was initially her top priority. But she also mentioned that government waste and drug cartels were at the top of her list as well. February 21: The Daily Caller: Trump clashes with Maine Governor; Americans not likely to side with the Governor During a White House event on Friday, President Trump clashed with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills of Maine regarding the participation of biological men in women's sports. Fox News commentator Hugh Hewitt said the majority of Maine's residents are likely to oppose the governor's stance, predicting an 80-20 split against her position. "… and they're going to be upset if the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights concludes that Maine is in violation of Title IX, which I believe they will, and they're gonna lose a lot of money," Hewitt contended. This issue is not one that Democrats might want to define their party by," he said. "So, it's not an issue which Democrats want to define their party on, but [in] that exchange today, Donald Trump seized high ground, he's gonna stand on it, and it was a big win for the president," Hewitt concluded. February 21: Fox News: WH Deputy Chief of Staff schools reporters; gives them a civics lesson As posted on Twitter [X], Deputy White House Chief of staff, Stephen Miller, Thursday gave reporters in the White House briefing room a lesson in civics and democracy. He did so in response to questions about the appropriateness of Elon Musk's heading up efforts to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse of funding in the federal government. "A president is elected by the whole American people," he said. "He's the only official in the entire government that is elected by the entire nation, right? Judges are appointed. Members of Congress are elected at the district or state level. The Constitution, Article II has a clause known as the Vesting Clause. And it says the executive power shall be vested in a president, singular. The whole will of democracy is imbued into the elected president. That president then appoints staff to then impose that democratic will onto the government. The threat to democracy, indeed the existential threat to democracy, is the unelected bureaucracy of lifetime-tenured civil servants who believe they answer to no one, who believes [sic] they can do whatever they want without consequence, who believes they can set their own agenda no matter what Americans vote for," Miller contended. He then went on to single out bureaucrats in the FBI, Department of Justice, and the Environmental Protection Agency as examples. February 21: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Senate moves forward passing Budget Reconciliation bill After working all night, the US Senate passed a budget bill early Friday morning by a vote of 52-48 with only Senator Paul (R-KY) not voting with his party. After hours of back-to-back voting on Democratic amendments, the bill to fund border security, energy and defense finally got its vote on the chamber floor. The move came despite House Republicans being expected to take the lead on passing a budget bill first. Fox news reported that the decision to move forward with the Senate's alternative budget plan, which is two-pronged as opposed to the House's effort to pass one large bill, was blessed by Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday. The Senate version will tackle some of President Trump's priorities, such as securing the southern border. February 21: Fox News: Trump announces he will stop all federal funding for Maine until they comply with EO prohibiting men from competing in women's sports President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will cut off federal funding to the state of Maine if it continues to defy his executive order preventing trans athletes (men claiming to be women) from competing in girls' and women's sports. "I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump said to a gathering of Republican governors in Washington on Thursday. "I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money, they are still saying 'we want men to play in women's sports' and I cannot believe that they're doing that… So, we're not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up." The states of Maine, California, Minnesota and others run primarily by Democrats, have said they will not comply with Trump's executive order. February 21: The Gateway Pundit: DOJ files formal complaint against judge for egregious misconduct The Justice Department on Friday filed a formal complaint against a federal judge assigned to Trump's executive order on transgender troops for engaging in "egregious misconduct" toward its counsel. On Tuesday, Biden appointed Judge Ana Reyes signaled she would side with a group of transgender soldiers who sued to block President Trump's executive order on transgender troops. But it was her treatment of the DOJ attorneys in the case that caused the complaint to be filed. The Justice Department detailed Judge Reyes' shocking statements toward its attorneys in Tuesday's hearing. "During these hearings, Judge Reyes engaged in hostile and egregious misconduct that violates Canons 2A and 3A(3) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which requires judges to "act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary" and "be patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous to litigants," the DOJ complaint states. The Justice Department said during her lecture on the "30 different intersex examples," Reyes grilled one of its lawyers about his religious beliefs and then used him unwillingly as a "physical prop in her courtroom theatrics." The Justice Department also admonished the judge for the use of the inappropriate abbreviation "WTF" – "what the f*ck" – during the questioning of a DOJ lawyer on his religious beliefs. February 20: The Daily Caller: SECDEF Hegseth poised to can top general for pushing "wokeness" Secretary of Defense Hegseth is reportedly set to can a top general in the Air Force and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for his liberal policies, two U.S. officials have indicated. According to CNN, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown is reportedly on a list of suggested dismissals provided to congress. The move comes as Trump seeks to make good on his campaign promise to root out "wokeness" in the military. "…any general that was involved – general, admiral, whatever – that was involved in any of the DEI woke shit has got to go. Either you're in for warfighting, and that's it. That's the only litmus test we care about," Hegseth said in November 2024. February 20: The New York Post: US Attorney investigating Garcia (D-CA) and Schumer (D-NY) for reportedly using threatening language toward Musk, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh The US attorney's office in Washington DC has launched an investigation into alleged "threats against public officials" made by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA.) against Supreme Court justices and Elon Musk. Garcia, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2023, was accused by interim DC US Attorney Ed Martin of threatening DOGE chief Elon Musk during a CNN interview earlier this month. "When asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk, you spoke clearly," Martin wrote to Garcia. What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy," Garcia had said. Schumer received a similar letter from Martin related to language he directed at Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on March 4, 2020. "I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions," the New York Democrat said during an abortion rights rally outside the Supreme Court. Martin argued that Schumer's remark was made "in a way that many found threatening." February 20: The Gateway Pundit: China's ticket toward global dominance (BRI) seems to be hitting some speed bumps Once seen as Beijing's ticket to global dominance, is now faltering under mounting debt, unfinished projects, and growing international skepticism. As countries like Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka have withdrawn or renegotiate their involvement, the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) failures expose its role in economic entrapment and geopolitical leverage rather than genuine development. Additionally, with a Trump White House China's economy is likely to face even greater strain, further limiting its ability to invest in the BRI and expand its global influence. A decade after its launch, BRI seems to be faltering. Once hailed as a transformative infrastructure project that would reshape global trade, the BRI has instead been marred by financial instability, unfinished projects, and accusations of debt-trap diplomacy. Countries that once embraced Beijing's ambitious promises are now stepping back, with Brazil being the latest major economy to reject formal participation, joining both India and Italy in distancing themselves from the initiative. As nations struggle with mounting debt and projects that fail to deliver meaningful economic benefits, the BRI's grand vision apparently is unraveling. February 19: The Epoch Times: Trump and Musk spend an hour in an open interview with Sean Hannity during prime time President Trump and Elon Musk discussed waste, fraud, abuse, and more in a joint interview with Sean Hannity that aired on Feb. 18. The world's wealthiest man and the president of the United States defended the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), now facing leftwing political opposition and numerous lawsuits as it slashes government spending. During the interview Musk promised to recuse himself on issues where his companies may have a perceived conflict of interest. During the interview Musk discussed bringing home the two astronauts who have been stranded in space. The president said DOGE was pinpointing "billions—and it will be hundreds of billions—of dollars' worth of fraud." He predicted Musk would identify $1 trillion in what Hannity called "waste, fraud, abuse, corruption," adding that he believes that to be "a very small percentage" of that sort of suspect spending. Musk did not dispute the trillion-dollar figure. February19: News Max: Musk shows interest in refunding DOGE savings to taxpayers Elon Musk said he will "check with the president" about sending Americans rebates for federal money saved by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Azoria CEO and co-founder James Fishback suggested on Twitter [X] that President Donald Trump and Musk "should announce a 'DOGE Dividend' — a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE." Musk responded little more than two hours later by saying, "Will check with the President." February 18: The Gateway Pundit: Trump fires remaining Biden-appointed US Attorney President Trump fired all remaining Biden-appointed US Attorneys on Tuesday. "Over the past four years, the Department of Justice has been politicized like never before. Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining "Biden Era" U.S. Attorneys. We must "clean house" Iimmediately, and restore confidence. America's Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – that begins today!" Some of the Biden-era US Attorneys resigned in a timely manner after Trump was sworn into office, but others have overstayed their welcome. President Trump fired approximately a dozen Biden-appointed US Attorneys last week. February 18: The Daily Caller: US Navy and Coast Guard rescue Iranian sailors in Arabian Gulf The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard rescued five Iranian and two Indian sailors from their distressed vessel Tuesday in the Arabian Gulf, authorities said. The seven sailors were aboard the M/V Shayesteh, an Iranian vessel, when it listed heavily to one side and forced the sailors to radio for help. Officers aboard the U.S. Navy ship USS Devastator and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Clarence Sutphin Jr. responded to the sailors' mayday call, rescued them and saw them safely aboard the Coast Guard ship. The sailors then received medical attention. The distressed vessel ultimately sank. February 18: Fox News: Judge declines to block DOGE employees from accessing government data A federal judge on Tuesday declined to block Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing government data or firing federal employees. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan declined to grant the plaintiffs' request to issue a temporary restraining order, citing what she said was their failure to demonstrate evidence of "irreparable harm" caused by DOGE's access. "Plaintiffs legitimately call into question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual and an entity that was not. The court "…cannot issue a TRO, especially one as wide-ranging as Plaintiffs request, without clear evidence of imminent, irreparable harm to these Plaintiffs. The current record does not meet that standard." [See Related Story – regarding the legitimacy of Musk's service as an advisor to the President] February 17: Fox News: DOGE uncovers $4.7 Trillion nearly untraceable payments The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) discovered an identification code linking U.S. Treasury payments to a budget line item, which accounts for nearly $4.7 trillion in payments which was oftentimes left blank. It's like the "For:" line on your personal checks, and filling it out has been optional, thereby making it difficult to determine what the funds were spent for. It was often left blank for $4.7 Trillion in payments, making traceability to determine what the funds were spent for almost impossible. As of Saturday, filling out this field is required in order to show where money is actually going. February 17: Fox 8 News-Cleveland: Delta airline flips upside down while landing in Toronto, none died in the incident The Delta Airlines plane that flipped over while landing in Toronto Monday flew out of Cleveland to Minneapolis-Saint Paul and then on to Toronto, Canada. Delta Airlines said the flight was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members when it experienced an "incident while landing" in Toronto, leaving at least 17 people injured, including a child, there were no fatalities. The cause of the incident remains under investigation but an audio recording of communications with the cockpit crew warned the pilots of a possible air flow bump in its path because of an aircraft in front of it. [Our take away? The next time the crew tells you to stow your tray table, put your seat in its full upright position and to make sure your seat belt is securely fastened…. Don't argue… Just Do It!] February 17: The Daily Caller: Trump's leadership is forcing European leadership to step up to the plate As global tensions simmer, veteran political analyst Brit Hume said Monday he believes President Trump has taken a commanding role shaping NATO's approach to defense spending and European security dynamics. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is prepared to deploy troops in Ukraine as part of a peace deal to ensure lasting security and deter future aggression from Russian President Putin. Hume said Trump is able to steer international discourse toward the U.S.'s demand for greater defense equity among NATO members. He said he sees a flurry of diplomatic activity, with French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly scheduling an urgent visit to Washington. "He's got something going here. He's got Macron going to rush to Washington to seek reassurance or something. This is going to make a lot of news in the next few weeks," Hume added. Hume noted that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince expressing a desire to mediate. One can hope that this is a sign that he might also be willing, when the dust settles over Gaza, to move forward with the hope for agreement with and normalization of relations with Israel. That would be quite a remarkable breakthrough if that were to happen," Hume suggested. February 16: The Post Newspaper: The RFK, Jr. nomination; follow the money Since the Inauguration of President Trump, some have described the Senate confirmation process a circus rather than government performing its constitutional duty. One floor vote even required the Vice-President to cast the deciding vote. Of the many hearings, one seems most troubling, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who has been nominated to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is not our kind of guy on many issues, but when it comes to encouraging healthy food production and allowing personal choice on health-related issues, we think he's got it right. On Thursday, February 13th, the Senate confirmed Robert Kennedy's nomination by a vote of 52 to 48, in a straight party-line vote with the only GOP defector being former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). February 16: The Gateway Pundit: FTC tells employees to cut ties with the American Bar Association Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson has declared war against the American Bar Association (ABA). The new directive prohibits any FTC political appointees from engaging with or benefiting from the ABA in any capacity. "Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson announced a new policy that prohibits FTC political appointees from holding leadership roles in the ABA, participating in its events, or renewing their ABA memberships. Additionally, the FTC will no longer use its resources to support any employee's ABA membership or participation in its activities. This decisive action comes in the wake of the ABA's recent, highly politicized critique of President Donald Trump's administration, particularly its efforts to reform the corruption-riddled USAID. February 16: The Times of Israel: 2,000 pound bombs held up by Biden arrive in Israel after Trump takes office A shipment of some 1,800 heavy bombs from the United States that had been held up by the previous American (Biden) administration arrived in Israel overnight, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. A ship carrying the MK-84 2,000-lb munitions docked at Ashdod Port and was unloaded onto dozens of trucks and taken to Israeli airbases, the ministry said. Defense Minister Israel Katz hailed the arrival of the bombs, saying in a statement: "The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States." "I thank President Donald Trump and the US administration for their unwavering support of the State of Israel. We will continue working together to strengthen our security," Katz added. February 16: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: IRS expected to fire thousands of probationary workers The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly cutting thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season. The Trump administration has already instructed agencies to fire most probationary workers who have not secured civil service protections. Last month, President Trump announced federal employees would be fired if they did not return to in-person work by early February. 65,000 employees have already accepted a buyout offer, however, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season are not eligible for the buyout until after the taxpayer filing deadline. January 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season. It's unclear how many IRS workers will be affected. Hundreds of thousands of people could potentially be impacted. The IRS is reportedly expecting to receive more than 140 million tax returns this year. February 15: The Epoch Times: Trump wants peace in Ukraine after Russian aggression The Trump administration is moving quickly to initiate a cease-fire and bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. After phone calls with both Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy both seem willing to come to the negotiating table to begin carving out an ultimate end to the conflict. "I just want to see people stop being killed," Trump said. But negotiations won't be easy and it could take weeks or even months to hammer out a deal. Economic benefits & Security: Trump has frequently criticized the amount of security assistance the United States has sent to Ukraine and suggested that the United States ought to receive economic benefits for its continued support. An initial framework, agreed to by the US and Ukraine, would allow US access to hundreds of billions of dollars of rare earth elements in Ukraine in exchange for continued security assistance. This is seen as a key foundation for any lasting peace as it will anchor U.S. business interests within Ukraine and continue the flow of American-made weapons to Kyiv. The US is looking for an alternative source of these minerals in order to wean themselves off of Communist China, the world's largest supplier of many of those metals. No NATO membership but European-nation defense arrangement; NATO membership is a non-starter for Russia. However, the idea of a new treaty alliance of primarily European nations to guarantee Ukraine's defense might be possible but without the involvementof the United States. Ukraine is likely to be deeply disappointed with the failure to become a NATO member while Russia's initially wanted a demilitarized Ukraine. Without some type of protection against future Russian aggression, there will not be a deal. Ukrainian borders – land: Finally, there is the central issue of land, which will likely prove the most difficult problem to solve. It is unlikely that – although it is the right thing to do – Ukraine will get back all the lands it had in 2014, which includes Crimea. The question is how much of the land grabbed by Russia in its invasion will be returned to Ukraine. It would be good to have it all back, but Russia is likely not to agree. At the same time, why should the aggressor (Russia) be rewarded for its actions? February 15: The Washington Times: Trump fires 20 Biden-appointed immigration judges The Trump Administration has canned 20 "midnight" immigration judges the Biden administration tried to shoehorn onto the courts in its final days in office. Thirteen judges hired in late December and early January were ousted Friday, a Justice Department source said. Seven assistant chief immigration judges were also axed. The housecleaning matches one the Biden administration did when it took office in 2021, clearing out many Trump picks from the immigration courts. Among the new firings, according to a department source, was Kerry Doyle. She had been a critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before she was appointed to be ICE's principal legal adviser. While at ICE, she shepherded through lenient policies toward illegal immigrants. The Biden administration then tried to burrow her into the regular civil service by converting her from a political appointee, the department source said. February 15: News Max: Zelensky calls for a European Army to deter future Russian aggression On Saturday Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for the creation of a European army, saying the continent could no longer be sure of protection from the United States and would only get respect from Washington with a strong military. In an impassioned speech to the annual Munich Security Conference of global policymakers, Zelenskiy said an address by U.S. Vice President JD Vance the previous day had made clear the relationship between Europe and the United States was changing. "Let's be honest - now we can't rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it," said Zelenskiy, speaking as the war triggered by Russia's invasion of his country will soon enter its fourth year. "Many, many leaders have talked about (a) Europe that needs its own military and army. An army of Europe. And I really believe the time has come, the armed forces of Europe must be created (and, of course, include Ukraine)." He warned European leaders that their countries could be next to face a Russian attack. "If this (Ukraine-Russia) war ends the wrong way, he (Putin) will have a surplus of battle-tested soldiers who know nothing but killing and looting," he said, citing intelligence reports indicating Russia will dispatch troops to close ally Belarus, another neighbor of Ukraine, this summer. European nations cooperate militarily primarily within NATO but governments have so far rejected various calls for the creation of a single European army over the years, arguing that defense is a matter of national sovereignty. February 15: The Epoch Times: DOJ asks Judge to dismiss federal charges against NYC Mayor Adams The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Feb. 14 formally asked a judge to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Federal prosecutors said that the DOJ is requesting that the court dismissal of the charges but U.S. District Judge Dale Ho still must sign off on the request before it becomes effective. Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove said the timing of the charges, brought in late 2024, and statements made by prosecutors "have threatened the integrity of the proceedings, including by increasing prejudicial pretrial publicity." Continuing to prosecute Adams, Bove said, would restrict the mayor's ability to help the administration of President Donald Trump combat illegal immigration and crime in the city. Bove is a former lawyer of the president and worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York until 2021. February 14: The Daily Caller: Huckabee; Musk is doing what the people hired Trump to do Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) praised Elon Musk's efforts Friday for exposing government waste as "the greatest thing in my lifetime." Huckabee said he supported Musk and his efforts as he leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Donald Trump is keeping a promise. He said he was going to do it, and he did it, and he's doing it. And I love what's going on. Elon Musk and the group of young guys that I call the 'revenge of the nerds,' it's the greatest thing that's happened probably in my lifetime in relation to the federal government," he said. "I think if you get [outside] the beltway, people are dancing in the streets and celebrating. It's finally a moment where you've got government people who are looking into how the taxpayer's money is being spent. I think people are ecstatic about it," Huckabee contended. DOGE has dismantled the mismanaged USAID and is now setting its sights on reducing funding to both the Department of Education and the Department of Defense. DOGE is currently facing several legal battles initiated by public employee unions against the buyout programs and general efforts to cut the workforce (the "deep state"). Resistance to DOGE and Musk's role in the Trump administration mounted following Musk's announcement on Feb. 3 that he and Trump had decided to restructure USAID under the direction of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Despite revelations of government inefficiency, Democrat legislators have staged protests in Washington D.C. hurling insults at the president and others. However, despite Democrat objections, a Sunday CBS News poll says that 53% of Americans support Trump's administration thus far, with 70% saying that Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises. February 14: The Washington Free Beacon: Trump rolls back regulatory mandates on light bulbs and household appliances The Trump administration is halting a bevy of Biden-era energy efficiency regulations targeting light bulbs and household appliances—actions that officials said would help lower consumer costs and improve the quality of appliances. The actions are the latest example of Trump's rolling back Biden's climate agenda. Friday the Department of Energy said it would pause implementation of seven energy efficiency regulations finalized during the Biden administration. Those regulations targeted non-LED light bulbs, central air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, walk-in coolers and freezers, gas-powered water heaters, commercial refrigeration equipment, and air compressors. "Today's announcement will foster consumer choice and lower prices — it's a win for all Americans," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. "The people, not the government, should be choosing the home appliances and products they want at prices they can afford." In one of its final actions, the Biden administration banned an entire category of gas-powered tankless water heaters, which critics said would force consumers to pay $450 more on average when buying a new water heater. February 13: The Epoch Times: USAID employees sue claiming Musk needs Senate confirmation Current and former employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claiming that Musk should have been first confirmed by the Senate. As a "special government employee" -- meaning that Musk is not beholden to the same kinds of rules as other federal workers – the White House counters Musk doesn't need senate confirmation. And the Senate doesn't have the authority to advise and consent to every person who advises a president. Early in his administration, President Donald Trump established DOGE to root out government fraud and waste. Since then, the department has helped to put a halt to numerous programs and departments, including USAID. Meanwhile, Musk is not being paid for his advice. Meanwhile in the February 13th lawsuit USAID workers wrote: "In his government role, Defendant Musk exercises an extraordinary amount of power. Indeed, the scope and reach of his executive authority appears unprecedented in U.S. history." Lawyers for the anonymous USAID workers who have brought the lawsuit are using a novel approach saying Musk should be confirmed by the Senate because he should be deemed an officer of the United States under the U.S. Constitution's appropriations clause. Deputy USAID head Pete Marocco has said in a court filing that "insubordination" at USAID made it impossible for the new administration to undertake a close review of aid programs without first pushing almost all of the agency staffers off the job and halting aid and development work. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made similar accusations last week saying USAID is "not functioning" as it should. As for Musk, he has been critical of the agency likening it to being a money laundering operation. February 13: NBC News: Senate confirms Kennedy 52-48 for Secretary of HHS The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the country's most powerful health care agency. Kennedy was confirmed as health and human services secretary on a mostly party-line vote of 52-48 with only Senator. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) breaking ranks on yet another of Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, joining all Democrats in opposition. McConnell, who has often opposed Trump and his agenda, said Kennedy had a "record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions." [See Related Story] February 13: Fox News: Trump's legal team dials up pressure on CBS/Paramount Global Donald Trump's legal team continued to dial up the pressure on CBS and parent company Paramount Global Thursday with a massive discovery demand for 107 different forms of communications. Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference over its handling of a "60 Minutes" interview. The president has accused CBS of aiding his Democrat rival Vice President Kamala Harris through deceptive editing one month before they faced off in the presidential election. February 12: The Epoch Times: DOGE finds $3.4 billion in savings so far with more to come A new list from the White House assesses the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE's) financial impact so far at more than $3.4 billion. The latest numbers as provided on February 11th include $59 million that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff sent to house illegal immigrants in New York City hotels. The White House has sought to claw back that money. The list also includes a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) contracts and grants, many in the Department of Education, as well as moves against DEI-related directives and policies deemed as out of step with the new administration's priorities. On the first day of his new presidency, Donald Trump issued an executive order against DEI in the federal government. The latest White House numbers supplement its data provided February 10th. That total also reached into the billions. Congressional Democrats and progressive groups are mounting litigation in attempts to stop DOGE's cost cutting measures. One lawsuit seeks to block DOGE investigators from the Treasury Department payment systems data where a federal judge initially went beyond the pale to even restrict the Secretary of the Treasury from accessing the data from his own agency. A subsequent decision restored SECTREAS' access to this data. Trump questioned the various decisions asking "How could a judge want to hold us back from finding all of this fraud and finding all of this incompetence?" February 12: News Max: Former CIA Official; Trump using language Hamas "understands!" It is "absolutely appropriate" for President Donald Trump to call for an end to a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and to threaten that "all hell is going to break out" if all remaining hostages aren't released from Gaza by noon Saturday, former CIA official Marty Martin said. "All bets are off," Martin said. "You know what? That's what Hamas understands, [not this] dilly-dathering around, trying to negotiate and have intermediaries. No one's accountable, so he's making them accountable." Prime Minister Netanyahu backs Trump's call on the hostages, saying that fighting will resume against Hamas if it doesn't release the hostages by Saturday. Martin has said Joe Biden was "trying to hold" Netanyahu back, but with Trump, the Israel Defense Forces will "probably go in heavy." The remaining Hamas fighters in Gaza are "pretty much the remnants" of the terrorist group, he added. "Their core cadre is probably still intact but they can be demolished," he said. "Hamas has no place left in Gaza, period. I think if they don't release these hostages in one fell swoop, I believe that the IDF will go in and with the full support of the United States of America." February 12: The Epoch Times: OPM; use of federal worker's probationary period to consider for possible dismissal The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is telling agencies to continue to use the probationary period for federal workers after the Trump administration issued a directive last month for agency heads to review workers under probation for possible dismissal. "The Trump Administration is encouraging agencies to use the probationary period as it was intended: as a continuation of the job application process, not an entitlement for permanent employment," an OPM official said Wednesday. The spokesperson also confirmed reports that it is instructing the heads of agencies that they do not have to terminate all government employees who are on probation but to instead focus on low-performing workers. New federal workers generally have to undergo a probationary period for about one year, but in some cases, for longer periods of time. During that time an agency manager can decide whether a person is the right person for the job, and if they aren't, the employer can terminate the worker's employment at any point in the probationary period. Such employees can be dismissed without triggering appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board, a federal panel for mediating disputes between employees and agencies. February 11: The Gateway Pundit: EPA rushed to spend money before Biden left office An EPA advisor was exposed in a Project Veritas undercover video admitting that the agency rushed to allocate billions of taxpayer dollars to climate change initiatives just before President Donald Trump's inauguration. Brent Efron, a special advisor at the EPA and instrumental in implementing Biden's climate agenda, spoke to a Project Veritas operative about the rush to disburse funds two months before Trump's inauguration. "Now it's how to get the money out as fast as possible before they [Trump Administration] come in … It truly feels like we're on the Titanic or throwing gold bar off the top edge.," Efron said. Under the Biden administration's "Inflation Reduction Act," which Efron referred to as "Biden's climate law," over $100 billion was allocated for various environmental projects. February 11: Fox News: Mother of American arrested thanks Trump for getting him released The mother of Marc Fogel, an American who had been detained in Russia since 2021, is expressing relief and gratitude to Trump for securing his release Tuesday. "(Trump) promised me he would get him out, and he kept his promise," Malphine Fogel said. "I can't thank him enough." Malphine, met with Trump before his fateful rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, asking the then-presidential nominee to not forget her son's name. He assured her that he would bring her son home. Now, Malphine is celebrating that fulfilled promise. February 11: The Epoch Times: Budget Chairman Graham to move forward on reconciliation bills The Senate Republican Conference announced on Feb. 11 that it will draft legislation to fund $325 billion worth of government spending in support of border security and military expansion. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said his committee will begin drafting a budget resolution that authorizes two bills. "[We] will come up with a $150 billion plan to increase spending to make our military stronger and more lethal. We'll come up with a $175 billion plan to secure the border," Graham said. "The other committees will be instructed by the Budget Committee to find offsets," he added, signaling that other areas of government spending will face cuts to pay for the new spending. He did not provide details on what would be funded, although he mentioned a "border wall." Budget reconciliation is a process whereby Congress can pass fiscal policy bills without requiring the support of 60 senators, whose body has a cloture requirement of 60 votes to end debate, avert a filibuster, and pass a bill. The measures that Republicans seek to enact are unlikely to secure few, if any, Democrat votes. Provisions in a reconciliation bill can affect taxation, spending, and public borrowing only for a period of up to 10 years. No policy measures, such as reforms to immigration statutes, may be included. The process requires the Senate and House of Representatives to first concurrently pass a "budget resolution" that orders reconciliation, after which a bill may be drafted. The bill, then, must be passed by both chambers. February 10: The Epoch Times: FEMA thanks DOGE for discovering $59 million spent to house illegals in luxury hotels The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent $59 million last week on continuing to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels in New York City, according to Elon Musk. "Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President's executive order," Musk said, February 10th. "That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high-end hotels for illegals! Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton said, "A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds. I want to thank the @DOGE team for making me aware of this. Effective yesterday these payments have all been suspended from FEMA. Personnel will be held accountable." Hamilton went on to say that Congress should have never asked FEMA to do that type of work in bills passed in 2023 and 2024 and it "stops now!" FEMA has been criticized for nearly a year over its disaster relief performance in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and reports of political bias within its ranks. Trump signed an executive order on January 24 after visiting the recovery areas of North Carolina. In the order, he called for the creation of a council to review FEMA. February 10: Fox News: Trump issues deadline to Hamas, release all hostages by Saturday or "All Hell will Break Out" President Trump said if Hamas doesn't return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and "let all hell break out." He made the comments in the Oval Office Monday evening. When asked if he felt the ceasefire deal should be canceled, the president said that is "Israel's decision." But he stressed that Hamas needs to release "all of them—not in drips and drabs." "Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out. " A Hamas spokesperson said Monday the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. February 10: The Daily Caller: Feds ignore DC Death Trap for years despite dozens of near misses between planes and chopper Washington's Reagan National Airport has suffered countless near misses between aircrafts over the last few decades, many reported by pilots themselves, an issue the FAA has reportedly done little to solve. Just a few moments away from touching down at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) on Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter. There were no survivors. The most fatal crash in several decades has caused aviation experts and administration officials alike to parse through public information and determine how something so catastrophic happened. Was the helicopter too high? Did the airplane take the wrong approach? Did Air Traffic Control (ATC) give proper alerts? February 10: The Washington Times: Trump imposes 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from all nations on Monday as part of an early-term blitz on trade. U.S. levies on the metals are not unusual but the sweep of the action is notable, going beyond nations considered rivals and impacting metals from places like Canada, Brazil and South Korea. "This is a big deal. This the beginning of making America rich again," Trump contended. "We were being pummeled by both friends and foe alike, our nation requires steel and aluminum to be made in America, not in foreign lands." February 10: The Epoch Times: DOJ directs federal prosecutors to drop charges against NYC Mayor Adams Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has directed federal prosecutors to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks. Bove stated in a two-page memo dated Feb. 10 that the decision to dismiss is based on the timing of the charges and recent public actions by the former U.S. attorney who initiated the case, Damian Williams, who resigned from the post in December and was replaced by Danielle Sassoon shortly after President Trump assumed office. Specifically, Bove wrote that these actions have jeopardized the fairness of the proceedings, particularly by generating prejudicial pretrial publicity that could influence witnesses and the jury pool. February 9: News Max: Trump; Trusts Musk, has nothing to gain President Trump says the Department of Government Efficiency simply is fulfilling a campaign promise to Americans. Trump said he ran on finding ways to reduce spending and streamlining the bureaucracy. "I don't know if it's kickbacks or what's going on," Trump Fox News' Bret Baier. "Look, I ran on this, and the people want me to find it. And I've had a great help with Elon Musk, who has been terrific." Musk and DOGE have come under fire from Democrats after it was reported the advisory group found much alleged partisan and wasteful spending. Trump said in response to a question about whether he trusted Musk, "He's not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it. He's so into it. But I told him to do that… to go check the Department of Education. He's going to find the same thing. Then I'm going to go, Go to the military. Let's check the military. We're going to find billions, hundreds of millions of dollars of fraud and abuse. You know, the people elected me on that." February 9: Fox Business: Surprise Poland is a European "tiger" at Germany's door Nothing seems to get in the way of Poland going from strength to strength despite being part of the sluggish EU. There are multiple reasons why and many facets, including the country's outstanding defense spending and its conservative Donald Trump-like approach to illicit immigration. Late last month, Poland's economy was estimated to have grown by 2.9% last year, according to the country's StatOffice. That performance trounces Europe's single currency area, also known as the eurozone, by more than threefold; it eked out a mere 0.7% over the same period. Poland's growth also overtook the U.S., which grew a "robust" 2.5% in the 12 months through December. "The last year or two has seen a boom, and it's getting publicity," says Mateusz Urban, a senior economist at Oxford Economics in Warsaw, Poland. "There really is a European tiger right at Germany's door." February 8: News Max: Allegations of a billion in public fraud each week Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team said personnel at the Treasury Department suspect roughly $1 billion a week of entitlement payments are "unequivocal and obvious fraud." Amid lawsuits and vocal protests over his efforts to unmask waste, fraud and abuse, Musk proceeded with President Trump's plan to weed out government inefficiency and wasteful spending. The billionaire tech mogul now claims to have uncovered several "extremely suspicious" activities at the U.S. Treasury. February 8: The Gateway Pundit: Obama appointed judge orders all data collected by DOGE to be destroyed in wake of disclosures of waste, fraud, and abuse The left-leaning judiciary continues to try to sabotage the Trump Administration's efforts to drain the swamp. CNN reported Saturday that a federal judge halted Elon Musk's government efficiency team from accessing a critical Treasury Department data. Obama appointed US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer cited a risk of "irreparable harm" but we are not sure whether it is harm to individuals or to federal government programs go amuck. The order temporarily stops access to a payment system that distributes Americans' tax returns, Social Security benefits, disability payments, and federal employees' salaries. Moreover, Engelmeyer ordered the destruction of any downloaded information from the payment system by anyone given access to it since Trump was inaugurated. Elon Musk exploded after hearing of the judge's decision. "This ruling is absolutely insane!" he wrote. "How on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent? That's literally impossible!" Musk contended. "Something super shady is going to protect scammers." But perhaps that is the point; some don't want the misuse of funds made public! February 8: Breitbart News: Trump won't step in to deport Prince Harry Trump has said that he will not personally step in to deport Britain's woke and wayward Prince Harry from the United States, remarking that he has "enough problems with his wife." Questions have long been raised about the Duke of Sussex's immigration status and whether he received special treatment from the previous administration, which fought in court to keep his visa application secret. The Heritage Foundation had alleged that Prince Harry may have lied on his immigration forms after his memoir Spare revealed that he had taken illegal drugs, including cocaine, mushrooms, and marijuana. Although previous drug use doesn't preclude the granted of a visa in the United States, lying on an application could result in separation and a ban from applying for citizenship. In response to a NY Post question, Trump said, "I don't want to do that, I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible." February 7: One America News Network: Trump Administration pulls Biden's security clearance On Friday that Joe Biden's security clearance and access to classified information has been revoked. "There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden's Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings," Trump said. "He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (Trump) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided previously to former Presidents. The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from 'poor memory' and, even in his 'prime,' could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — so, Joe, you're fired." Trump posted on Truth Social. February 7: Fox News: Whistleblower USAID; Movement toward DEI resulted in other countries taking the United States less seriously The now-archived website for the virtually shut down United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has a page devoted to pushing DEI which a former employee whistleblower has said was part of a larger Biden Administration effort. Mark Moyar, a USAID whistleblower who worked in the department from 2018 to 2019, said, "…we saw this [the DEI movement at USAID] with very negative effects all over the place and you have people taking time off from their jobs to attend these indoctrination sessions and clearly pushing the message that people are divided into oppressor groups and victim groups and that there's this white rage and white extremism running all over the place." He went on to say that "far left theories" were given "legitimacy" and when DEI became a "central" focus at USAID it resulted in other countries taking the United States less seriously. "It's particularly disturbing that not only were they pushing within the organization, they were actually funding DEI events all over the world, you know, DEI comic books or DEI workshops and so I think this can only undermine our image abroad because most people outside of this country recognized DEI for the silliness that it is and the divisiveness that it causes," Moyar reported. February 7: The Gateway Pundit: Musk/DOGE uncover over $100 Billion in Medicare/Medicaid wasteful spending In a bombshell revelation that could shake the foundations of American healthcare, Elon Musk, leading the charge under President Trump's newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has uncovered what he describes as a staggering "$100B of taxpayer money" wasted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Left-leaning USA Today reports, Musk's team, along with two senior veterans from the agency, have been meticulously reviewing the CMS's payment and contracting systems, which are crucial for managing health insurance for approximately one in every four Americans. "CMS has two senior Agency veterans – one focused on policy and one focused on operations – who are leading the collaboration with DOGE, including ensuring appropriate access to CMS systems and technology," the agency said. The DOGE team was granted read-only access to the system February 7: The Epoch Times: More government works decide to take the buyout offer The number of workers who have decided to accept the buyout offer from the Trump administration has risen by about 25,000, according to a White House official, with some 65,000 government employees now having signed up for the offer. That was up from more than 20,000 on Feb. 4 and more than 40,000 on Thursday morning. The buyout offer is a deferred resignation that pays workers until Sept. 30. February 7: The Daily Wire: Trump; Forget paper straws, back to paper straws President Trump said on Friday that he would sign an executive order next week ending the federal government's "ridiculous" push for paper straws. Last year, the Biden administration announced that it would "phase out" single-use plastic utensils such as cutlery, cups, and straws across federal departments. The move was part of Joe Biden's "ambitious actions … to end plastic pollution," the New York Post reported. In a Truth Social post on Friday morning, Trump said the U.S. government would again use plastic straws. In recent years, some restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops have begun using paper straws instead of plastic in the name of saving the environment. However, a 2023 Belgian study showed that out of plastic, paper, glass, and bamboo straws, paper straws contain the most "forever chemicals." February 6: Breitbart News: Panamanian President there is no agreement to let U.S. ships transit the canal for free The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, on Thursday morning refuted the "false" and "intolerable" claims made by the U.S. Department of State indicating that U.S. government vessels would be allowed to travel through the Panama Canal without paying fees. Panama is not the first country in the world, but neither is it the last," he said. "In my little book, bilateral relations between two friendly countries are not handled that way." Mulino's remarks come after the State Department announced on Wednesday that U.S. government ships would no longer face fees when transiting through the Panama Canal. The Canal's authority refuted the State Department's claims Wednesday evening, stating it has not made any adjustments to its tolls and other fees. "With absolute responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority, as it has indicated, is willing to establish a dialogue with the pertinent officials of the United States with respect to the transit of U.S. warships," they said in a statement. [Statistical Note: The reality is that the transit of U.S. Navy ships through the waterway is minimal and on average there are 38 per year. From 1998 to the close of fiscal year 2024 (26 years), of the 373,039 vessels that transited the canal, 994 (0.3%) correspond to transits by warships and submarines of the United States Navy. In 2023, the canal collected an average of $341,000 per vessel, compared to $215k in 2018, an increase of 59%. Based on the average price per ship, US Navy vessels should have paid annual tolls of $12.9 million. Truly what has been promised to the US Government at this time from the ACP in Panama is, the canal administration guaranteed expedited passage to ships of the United States Navy, and not for free, at least officially. Mouse over image to see the USS Iowa transiting the canal in 1992. ] February 6: One American News Network: Clinton appointed judge issues temporary restraining order on DOGE and Musk access to U.S. Treasury payment records The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was temporarily denied access to specific Treasury Department payment information by a federal judge on Thursday — after cries from the Democrat Party erupted this week. Additionally, according to Washington-based WUSA9-TV, the Justice Department reassured the judge on Wednesday that Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, does not have direct access to private data about millions of Americans that is stored in Treasury Department payment systems. Nevertheless, in a temporary restraining order, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly stated that Treasury personnel "will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained within the [Treasury] Bureau of Fiscal Service." Kollar-Kotelly serves as a senior federal judge in the District of Columbia's U.S. District Court and was appointed by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1997. Every year, the Treasury Department's systems manage around $6 trillion. Social Security, Medicare, federal employee salaries, grant payments, government contractor payments, and tax refunds are all distributed by it. Roughly 90% of federal payments are processed through that program. The order follows the Justice Department's Wednesday agreement in a proposed court order to grant read-only clearance to two "special government employees" within DOGE to examine the sensitive material. As part of a DOGE-led government-wide review of programs and systems, some government employee unions comprised of critics of Musk had filed a lawsuit over access to the material. February 6: The Epoch Times: Bondi; First day in office orders halt to funds for sanctuary cities U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Feb. 5 ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pause all funds to so-called sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions that work to protect illegal immigrants from arrest. "The Department of Justice will ensure that, consistent with law, 'sanctuary jurisdictions' do not receive access to Federal funds from the Department," Bondi said to all DOJ employees. "Consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, court orders, and terms, the Department of Justice shall pause the distribution of all funds until a review has been completed, terminate any agreements that are in violation of law or are the source of waste, fraud, or abuse, and initiate clawback or recoupment procedures, where appropriate." It's unclear how long the DOJ review will take. February 5: News Max: Trump's AG; Lawyers who refuse orders could be fired New Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a directive on her first day in office, that could allow Justice Department lawyers to be fired if they refuse to advance legal arguments on behalf of the administration. The memo states that "any Justice Department attorney who declines to sign a brief, refuses to advance good-faith arguments on behalf of the Trump administration, or otherwise delays or impedes the Justice Department's mission will be subject to discipline and potentially termination." Trump appointees have moved quickly to assert control over the Justice Department, firing or reassigning dozens of career lawyers, and aligning it with Trump's hardline immigration policies. Bondi also plans to launch an effort to review criminal and civil cases brought against Trump while he was out of office. The inquiry, known as the "Weaponization Working Group," will also examine the prosecution of Trump supporters who played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and other Justice Department actions condemned by Republicans during Biden's administration. February 5: One America News Network: Trump signs bill prohibiting biological men from playing in women's sports On Wednesday afternoon, Trump fulfilled his campaign promise of keeping biological men out of women's sports. Prior to signing the order, Trump gave a speech to the crowd. "This doesn't have to be long. It's all about common sense," Trump said. "Women's sports will be only for women. The war on women's sports is over." He was joined on the stage by a plethora of female athletes of all ages and by Independent Women ambassadors Riley Gaines, Payton McNabb, Paula Scanlan, Sia Liilii, Lauren Miller, Kim Russell, Kaitlynn Wheeler, Linnea Saltz and Lily Mullens. Additionally, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) were in attendance. February 5: The Epoch Times: Congressional Dems try to gain access to Treasury building, rebuffed by the U.S. Secret Service Congressional Democrats tried to gain entry to the Treasury Building, saying they wanted to provide oversight after the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) access to the Treasury's federal payments system. Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Warren (D-MA), and other top Democrats spoke at a rally after the make-shift oversight squad attempted to gain access to the building's grounds. The Secret Service rebuffed their attempt. February 5: The Washington Free Beacon: NPR brings in massive amounts from private companies plus taxpayer funds Taxpayer-funded radio stations are barred from 'airing commercials or other promotional announcements on behalf of for-profit entities.' But, on Monday National Public Radio (NPR) ran a "sponsor message" promoting pharma giant Procter & Gamble's nerve-relief drug Nervive, "designed to reduce occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort." The message, which was effectively a commercial, is tied to one of hundreds of deals that are far more important to NPR than government funding. NPR brought in $100 million from corporate sponsors in 2023, compared to only $7 million in federal funding. The thinly disguised commercials such as the "sponsor message" from Procter & Gamble—aimed straight at NPR's rapidly aging audience with aching hands and feet—are now the focus of the new Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brendan Carr, who may have found the powerful news giant's Achilles' heel. Carr has now launched an investigation into whether the news nonprofit's "sponsor messages" have violated federal rules that prohibit taxpayer-funded radio stations from "airing commercials or other promotional announcements on behalf of for-profit entities." February 4: The Epoch Times: DC Midair collision; Conflicting altimeter readings found on two aircraft involved Investigators have found conflicting altimeter readings from the control tower data of the Black Hawk military helicopter and the passenger jet that collided over Washington on Jan. 29. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials told reporters on Feb. 1 that preliminary altimeter data don't match the events on the night of the deadly accident. Officials said the control tower recorded the Black Hawk helicopter flying at an altitude of 200 feet at the time of the collision, in line with its maximum allowed altitude for its flight path. However, data from the passenger jet's flight recorder show the collision occurred at an altitude of about 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet. "That's what our job is, to figure that out," NTSB member J. Todd Inman said during an evening news conference on Feb. 1. Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter's black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after it plunged into the Potomac River. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable. February 4: The Gateway Pundit: Former Florida AG confirmed to be US Attorney General The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Pam Bondi as the next US Attorney General. The Senate voted 52-46 to invoke cloture on Monday evening which allowed for up to 30 hours of debate. The Democrats gave back the remainder of their time allowing the Senate to vote on the confirmation Tuesday evening. Pam Bondi vowed to keep politics out of the DOJ if confirmed. "Politics has to be taken out of this system," she told Senators. "This department has been weaponized for years and years and years, and it has to stop." Democrats tried to stall at the last minute but it didn't work. February 4: Fox News: Trump; If you assassinate me, you will be obliterated, they're won't be anything left President Trump said on Tuesday if Iran carries out his assassination, advisers will ensure that country is "obliterated." While signing an executive order imposing maximum pressure on Tehran, the president said he left instructions if something were to happen to him. "That would be a terrible thing for them to do," Trump said. "If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. … There won't be anything left." He said Joe Biden "should have said that," but did not, due to a "lack of intelligence." The Justice Department confirmed in November it thwarted an Iranian plot to kill Trump in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. A criminal complaint filed in September noted an official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps asked Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, to "focus on surveilling, and, ultimately, assassinating" Trump. Shakeri had immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported about 17 years ago after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction, according to the DOJ. February 3: The Daily Caller: Gabbard gets endorsement of Susan Collins (R-ME) virtually assuring confirmation Sen. Susan Collins from Maine announced Monday she will support President Trump's Director of National Intelligence (DNI) nominee, Tulsi Gabbard. "After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence," she said. Collins sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee which will consider the Gabbard nomination. "As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence community." Assuming all Democrats on the committee vote against her nomination, Gabbard will need every Republican vote. As of publication, Indiana Sen. Todd Young is the only Republican on the committee who has not committed to voting for her. February 3: Fox News: Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Canada in exchange for more border enforcement President Trump will pause additional tariffs on Canadian imports for 30 days after a call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made some concessions to temporarily stave off the levies. Trump and Trudeau spoke via phone on Monday, hours before additional 25% tariffs were to take effect on Canadian goods coming into the United States. In a post on X, Trudeau said Canada will implement a $1.3 billion border plan and appoint a fentanyl czar. Additionally, Canada will reinforce its border with new helicopters, technology, personnel and enhanced coordination with American authorities. He added that nearly 10,000 personnel are and will be working on border protection. February 3: News Max: USAID Staffers told to stay out of DC HQ After Musk Said Trump Agreed to Close It Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency's Washington headquarters on Monday after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut down the agency. USAID staffers said they tracked 600 employees who reported being locked out of the agency's computer systems overnight. Those still in the system received emails in the agency system saying that "at the direction of Agency leadership" the headquarters building "will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3." February 3: The Epoch Times: Panamanian President; Panama will not renew its MOU with the Chinese regime Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Feb. 2 that his country will not renew its memorandum of understanding with the Chinese regime to be a part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Speaking to reporters, Mulino said the agreement is due for renewal in two years and his government is looking into the possibility of terminating it earlier, according to local media reports. "We are going to study the possibility of whether it can be finished earlier or not," he said. "I think it is due for renewal in one or two years." The announcement was made following Mulino's meeting earlier in the day with US Secretary of State Rubio. February 2: The Epoch Times: Secretary of State Rubio arrives in Panama U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off his trip to Latin America, arriving in Panama on Feb. 1, with a focus on the Panama Canal and China's intrusion into the two ports that bracket the canal zone. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic from February 1–6 to advance President Trump's America First foreign policy," the U.S. Department of State said. Rubio is expected to discuss the United States' interest in the critical waterway connecting the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The president has suggested retaking control over the canal, citing the threat of Chinese hegemony in the region. February 2: News Max: Sean Duffy: FAA Systems 'Antiquated,' More Controllers Needed The United States has the "safest skies in the world," but the Federal Aviation Administration's systems are "antiquated" and need updates, and the nation is suffering a shortage of air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday. Still, Duffy said the skies above the United States are among the safest in the world, even with changes needed. The Notice to Air Mission, or NOTAM, which is the FAA's pilot warning system, suffered an outage Saturday night, less than a week after the deadly plane crash in Washington, D.C., that claimed 67 lives. "The backup system is not up and running as we try to get the primary system online," said Duffy. "It's an old, antiquated system. It has to be upgraded. That is in the works, and it's been in the works for years ... this is the second time in two years it's gone down." February 2: The Gateway Pundit: Sweden reviewing agreement with Cuba, may cut funding The Swedish Government's has taken the decision to review the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with the Cuban regime and may cut funding to Havana. The PDCA between the European Union (EU) and Cuba was signed in 2016 and aimed to normalize and strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between the two parties. Its main objectives were to promote dialogue on political issues, human rights, and economic development while enhancing cooperation in areas like trade, investment, sustainable development, and governance. However, Sweden insists that it is not a good idea to have European funds diverted to support a regime that tramples on human rights. February 2: The Washington Times: Bondi's nomination to become AG clears committee; on way to the Senate floor The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Pam Bondi's nomination to be attorney general in a 12-10 vote Wednesday. Despite stiff opposition from Democrats, Bondi is on a glide path to confirmation by the Senate. Her confirmation could go to a vote as early as next week. Democrats' chief beef with the former Florida attorney general is her loyalty to Trump. They fear Bondi will use the Justice Department to punish Trump's political enemies and turn a blind eye to illegal moves by the president. At her confirmation hearing, Bondi said that just the opposite was true. "The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone," she said. "America will have one tier of justice for all." For years conservatives have accused the Justice Department and FBI of politicized investigations against Trump and his allies. Trump has vowed to root out the partisan leadership at the DOJ and tapped Bondi to lead the charge. February 1: One America News Network: Paramount/CBS News agree to turn over transcripts of the Harris 60 Minutes interview to the FCC CBS has announced that it will turn over an unedited transcript of its October interview with Kamala Harris to the Federal Communications Commission, which was part of President Trump's ongoing feud with the network over how it handled a story of his defeated opponent. This comes after Trump sued CBS for $10 billion over the "60 Minutes" interview, saying it was deceptively edited to help make Harris look good. Meanwhile, multiple reports have indicated that CBS' parent company, Paramount, has been discussing with Trump's lawyers about a possible settlement. CBS said on Friday that it was called by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to turn over the transcripts and camera feeds of the interview for a parallel investigation by the commission. The show has since resisted releasing transcripts for the interview and all of its interviews, to help avoid being second-guessed on its editing process. The case has been closely watched by advocates for press freedom by journalists within CBS. February 1: News Max: Trump initiates tariffs on Communist China, Mexico and Canada On Saturday President Trump signed an executive order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and Communist China — fulfilling one of his post-campaign commitments to voters that also some contend carries the risk of sparking higher inflation and disrupting businesses across North America. Trump declared an economic emergency in order to place duties of 10% on all imports from Communist China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada — the United States' largest trading partners — except for a 10% rate on Canadian energy, including oil, natural gas, and electricity. The tariffs would go into effect on Tuesday, setting a possible showdown in North America that might potentially sabotage economic growth. The White House said Trump's order also includes a mechanism to escalate the rates if the countries retaliate against the U.S., as they have threatened. Both Canada and Mexico have plans, if needed, to impose their own tariffs in response. The Trump administration put the tariffs in place to force the three countries to stop the spread and manufacturing of fentanyl, in addition to pressuring Canada and Mexico to limit any illegal immigration into the United States. February 1: The Daily Mail: SECDEF Hegseth shows liberal legacy media outlets the door Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has kicked out liberal legacy media outlets from the Pentagon press offices to make room for other news organizations during his first week in office. The New York Times, NBC News, NPR and Politico have been giving their marching orders to evacuate their office spaces inside the Pentagon by Valentine's Day, a memo read. In their place will be three other outlets - the New York Post, One America News Network (OAN) and Breitbart News Network - and the progressive outlet, HuffPost, which will move in for one year. Hegseth's office implemented the rotating schedule for outlets to use the office space, which each rotation lasting one year. The move was announced on Friday. January 31: The NY Post: 2015 lawsuit over FAA hiring practices suggests the DC midair collision was likely to happen The Federal Aviation Administration is fighting a class-action lawsuit alleging it denied 1,000 would-be air traffic controllers jobs because of diversity hiring targets — as it was revealed that staffing levels were not "normal" during this week's deadly midair collision in the nations capital. The collision of an American Airline passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter claimed he lives of 67 passengers and crew in the country's deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter-century. Andrew Brigida, the lead plaintiff in the suit filed in 2015, suggested the federal aviation agency's obsession with diversity hiring and inclusion had only ensured that an accident was likely to happen. The FAA has faced scrutiny over its hiring policies after it was revealed that staffing levels were "not normal" at the time of this week's deadly midair collision in Washington, DC. The crux of the lawsuit is that the FAA, under the Obama administration, dropped a skill-based system for hiring controllers and replaced it with a "biographical assessment" in an alleged bid to boost the number of minority job applicants. Brigida, who is white, alleges he was discriminated against solely based on his race when his application was rejected, court papers state. January 31: The Gateway Pundit: Army; withholding ID of female pilot of helo involved with the DC midair collision The Army announced Friday that at the request of the female pilot's family, it is withholding the name of one of three Black Hawk helicopter crew members killed in the mid-air collision with a passenger plane over the Potomac River while the plane was on final approach Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. The Army said the name "will not be released at this time", leaving open the possibility of later public identification. All 60 passengers and 4 crew members on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas were also killed in the crash. As of Friday afternoon, 41 sets of remains had been recovered with 28 of those identified. A spokesman for the Army's Unified Command Post for the crash told reporters Thursday the unnamed pilot was a female with 500 flying hours under her belt. January 31: NBC News: Assistant Director of FBI Washington Field Office to resign or be fired David Sundberg, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, was notified Thursday that he was going to lose his job and is preparing to leave the bureau, according to two senior law enforcement sources. This is the latest step in a cleansing of officials in headquarters and the field of individuals involved in the agency's use for politically motivated "lawfare." Sundberg is the highest-ranking field agent so far to be fired from the FBI in Trump's second term. Special agents from the Washington Field Office were heavily involved in former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations of President Donald Trump, as well as the sprawling investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol that resulted in criminal charges against hundreds. News of Sundberg's firing comes as many as eight senior FBI executives have been told to either resign or be fired. Sundberg was in charge of nearly 1,600 employees at the Washington Field Office, leading FBI operations across Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, including high-profile cases involving terrorism and public corruption, like the Trump investigations. January 31: The Epoch Times: Trump warns BRICS economic bloc; if you attempt to replace the US you will face 100% tariffs in trying to access U.S. markets President Donald Trump on Thursday repeated a warning that he will impose 100 percent tariffs on members of the BRICS economic bloc (which includes Russia and Communist China) if they attempt to replace the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency. "The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar, while we stand by and watch, is OVER," Trump said. "We are going to require a commitment from these seemingly hostile Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and (they) should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy." The original BRICS nations include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but the bloc has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a member earlier this month. January 30: News Max: Court rules restricting gun sales to those over 21 years old is unconstitutional A decades-old U.S. government ban on federally licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, a U.S. appeals court held on Thursday, citing recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings expanding gun rights. The ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked the first time a federal appeals court has held that the prohibition violated the right to keep and bear arms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment. The appeals court had previously upheld that same ban in 2012. But that was before a 6-3 majority decision by the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling in 2022 that established a new test for assessing modern firearms laws. January 30: Fox News: Thorny exchange between Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kash Patel, the Trump nominee for FBI Director Many on social media praised Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, after a thorny exchange with Sen. Amy Klobuchar during his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Referring to his statements about the January 6th hearings, Patel told the senator that "snippets" (sound bites) don't tell the true story and can be used as a "mischaracterization" of what he said. "I encourage you to read the rest of the interviews," he added. "This is why snippets of information are often misleading and detrimental to this committee's advice and consent." January 30: The Washington Times: FAA's diversity hiring practices were under scrutiny long before the air disaster in Washington Years before Wednesday's fatal collision in Washington, DC, between a military helicopter and a passenger jet approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, critics warned that the Obama and Biden administrations had jeopardized safety by prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion at the Federal Aviation Administration. Donald Trump faced criticism Thursday after suggesting that the FAA's DEI-focused hiring practices "could have" (that is might have) contributed to the crash. Some had warned that the FAA's focus on DEI diverted time and resources from air travel safety. It hobbled the agency as it grappled with air traffic controller shortages, antiquated monitoring equipment and an increase in near misses on crowded airport runways, they say. An unidentified source told The Associated Press on Thursday that the air traffic controller in charge of monitoring the airspace at the time of the fatal collision was performing the work of two people – the tower had only one controller on duty when normal staffing called for having two. Last year air safety concerns prompted eleven state attorneys general to write to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to question the administration's hiring practices and priorities. Diversity goals at the FAA ramped up during the Obama administration, were largely dropped under Mr. Trump's first term and resumed under President Biden. January 30: The Daily Signal: Trump promises a thorough investigation into DC midair collision with findings made public At a press conference Donald Trump discussed the midair collision just outside of Washington, D.C. near National Airport, involved a regional jet operating as an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, and an Army UH-60 helicopter on a training flight that originated at Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Trump called the event a "real tragedy" after holding a moment of silence for the victims of the crash. He promised a thorough investigation in the Federal Aviation Administration and within the military will take place and the public will know about the findings of that investigation. The president noted that during his first administration he increased the standards for FAA officials. Those standards were later lowered by the Biden Administration in order to increase the inclusion of applicants based upon race and gender. When Trump resumed the Presidency on January 20th of this year the standards were raised back up again. January 30: The Washington Free Beacon: CA Dems abruptly stop vote on Newsom plan to "Trump-Proof" the state, thereby avoiding public debate over funding the project California Democratic lawmakers suddenly canceled Thursday's vote on their high-profile $50 million plan to fight President Donald Trump with no clear timeline for moving forward. The delay came as Republicans threatened to force a public debate on an amendment that would prohibit funds from being used to protect illegal immigrants with felony convictions from being deported. The state assembly on Thursday morning was set to approve $50 million in taxpayer funds for Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to split evenly between the California Department of Justice and various nonprofits. The $25 million earmarked for the Department of Justice would bankroll lawsuits against Trump's policies, while the other $25 million would bankroll nonprofit legal services, including deportation defenses for illegal immigrants. Ahead of the scheduled floor debate, Republican assembly members planned to force their Democratic colleagues to vote on four proposed amendments. Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo planned to introduce an amendment that would have barred any legal aid money from funding the deportation defenses for illegal aliens with felony convictions. During an earlier committee hearing on the $50 million plan, assemblyman Bill Essayli (R) repeatedly pressed the Newsom administration officials and legislative staffers for guarantees that no taxpayer money would protect convicted felons. They couldn't give him those assurances. January 29: The Daily Caller: RFK, Jr.; Most Americans would prefer private healthcare over Obamacare or Medicaid Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired back at Democrats who were "chuckling" at his claim that most Americans prefer to be enrolled in private insurance during his Wednesday Senate confirmation hearing. Kennedy said that the nation needs to "improve" healthcare" for all Americans, particularly veterans, lower income and elderly individuals, and argued that the billions of dollars sent to Medicaid on a yearly basis has not succeeded in making citizens healthier. He argued that a majority of Americans do not approve of government-run health insurance such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) or Medicaid. January 29: One America News Network: Trump demands federal workers show up to work or be fired President Trump provided a simple ultimatum for approximately two million federal workers who insist on working remotely, or those who argue that they will defy the order – either show up to work in person "or be terminated." "We're requiring them to show up to work or be terminated," Trump said Wednesday. "We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore, our government will get smaller and more efficient," Trump contended. "And that's what we've been looking to do." Trump's comments follow a mass email sent out by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to federal workers. It offered to buy them out their government contracts if they do not wish to return to the office. January 29: Fox News: SECDEF Hegseth; Gitmo is the perfect place to hold migrants safely until they can be returned to their home country Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will "humanely move" criminal migrants out of the country and work with other agencies to secure the southern border in his first interview since he was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate. Hegseth addressed President Trump's memorandum to the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DOD), calling on them to prepare a 30,000-person migrant facility at Gimo, a U.S. Naval base in Cuba. He said that Guantanamo Bay is a "perfect place" to hold criminal migrants "safely in the interim" as the process to repatriate them to their homelands plays out. Meanwhile News Max reported that President Trump, when signing his first bill during his second term – The Laken Riley Act -- said the U.S. will use a detention center at Guantanamo (GITMO) Bay, Cuba, to hold tens of thousands of people who can't be sent back to their home countries. He suggested that if the immigrants' country of origin wouldn't take them back, they's be sent to GITMO. Subsequently Trump signed a presidential memorandum and said he'd direct federal officials to get facilities ready to receive criminal immigrants in the US illegally. Border czar Tom Homan said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would run the facility. Still, details of the plan weren't immediately clear. January 28: The Galveston County Daily News: The U.S. has a major shipbuilding problem; additional shipyards are needed If you only count containerized shipping, the Houston/Galveston port is the sixth most active in the nation. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, if you look at ALL exports – including petrochemical exports – our port leads the nation in total exports. The ports of Houston/Galveston are one of the few that export more than we import, the leader of 43 U.S. ports that handle exports. But there's a problem! The U.S. has only 80 vessels in its merchant marine – down from 2,500 after World War II -- and by 2027 that number will be reduced to 55. Compare that to the 5,500 merchant vessels in Communist China's service. Additionally, we need mariners to run them. The U.S. has only 2% of the shipbuilding capability of the entire world; much of this is constructing vessels for the U.S. Navy. Most commercial shipbuilding now takes place in China, Japan, and South Korea. For national security reasons the U.S. drastically needs to increase its number of shipyards and its shipbuilding capabilities. The Houston-Galveston area would be a prime location for having a new shipyard but there are some major hurdles. January 28: The Daily Mail: Trump offers buyouts to up to two million government workers Up to two million federal workers will be offered buyouts if they don't want to return to the office as part of Donald Trump's government purge, confirmed on Tuesday. The Trump administration started sending emails to thousands of federal workers Tuesday evening offering them a chance to voluntarily vacate their government posts while remaining on the payroll for months. The emails were linked to an executive order demanding federal employees return to their physical offices. A spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management said the employees who accept the terms were being offered the chance to go on administrative leave through Sept. 30 at full pay. January 28: One America News Network: Oklahoma Board of Education approves asking immigration status of students The Oklahoma Board of Education approved a proposal on Tuesday that requires all parents to declare their child's immigration status or citizenship when enrolling them in schools in the state. After a 6-0 vote, the proposal now heads to the state legislature — where lawmakers and the governor will have to approve it before it can officially take effect. According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, the proposal will be used to acquire more data about illegal immigrant children's status. However, a CNN article posted on a January 28th reported that parents will have to declare their own immigration status or citizenship as well. Parents or legal guardians will have to provide a "U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, consular report of birth abroad, permanent resident card or other legal document," according to AP News. January 27: The Gateway Pundit: Trump to reinstate 8,000 members of the Armed Forces who were kicked out for not taking "the jab;" they will get back pay too Promised made, promises kept. President Trump will sign an executive order to reinstate thousands of troops kicked out of the military by Joe Biden for refusing the Covid vaccine. Trump vowed to reinstate the troops "unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the Covid vaccine mandate" during his inauguration speech last week. Approximately 8,000 troops were discharged because of Biden's Covid vaccine mandate. Some troops sued over the mandate and faced backlash. The troops will be reinstated with full back pay and benefits. January 27: News Max: DOJ sacks Jack Smith's prosecutor team; cannot be trusted More than a dozen officials who worked on Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of President Trump reportedly have been given pink slips because Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted to "faithfully" implement the president's agenda. McHenry, who is running the DOJ until the Senate confirms Pam Bondi as attorney general, sent a letter to each employee notifying them of their termination. "Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump," an official told Fox News. "In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President's agenda." This action "is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government," the official said. January 27: Breitbart News: Federal Agents come under fire from Mexican cartels Several Border Patrol agents conducting surveillance and enforcement activities in Texas came under fire from suspected Mexican drug cartel operatives early Monday afternoon. Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents exchanged gunfire with the cartel members and sought cover as reinforcements were summoned. The agents did not sustain injuries during the initial exchange of gunfire. As of this posting, Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez has said the four alleged gunmen are still pinned down on an island in the Rio Grande. The men are being monitored by DPS drones while they have reportedly pointed rifles at the drones. January 26: Fox News: Trump's purge of Biden's DEI programs saves taxpayers $420 million in contracts Donald Trump's executive order terminating all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs has already sidelined 395 government bureaucrats, a senior administration official have said. Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said Friday that approximately $420 million in current/impending contracts, mainly focused on DEI initiatives, had also been canceled. After he signed the order on the day of his inauguration, the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all DEI offices by the end of the day Wednesday, and place government workers in those offices on paid leave. It is not yet clear when or if they will be terminated. January 25: The Post Newspaper: The U.S. must deal with its looming debt issue Over the past century, elected officials have saddled Americans with an unconscionable level of debt, $35 trillion at the latest count. With the debt's interest spinning out of control, its reduction must be a major focus. Fixing this problem may require taking on "selected" additional debt in the short term while spending it wisely and reducing the overall debt in the long run. No more can we treat things as business as usual. Should we eliminate the debt ceiling for a period of time? Perhaps, if there are serious cuts to spending included with it. In the meantime, we need to address, and stop, the Congress' insatiable hunger for spending January 25: The Daily Mail: Trump in Vegas announces he may fire Biden's 88,000 IRS agents Trump has revealed what could be the fate of nearly 90,000 newly hired Internal Revenue Service (IRS) staff, suggesting he might 'move them to the border'. Hours after he was handed over the presidency, the Republican leader signed an executive order to stop the hiring of all federal civilian employees until 'his Administration can determine that it is in the national interest to do so'. Apart from the IRS, the decision is temporary for all other federal offices. He also froze funding for the "Inflation Reduction" Act commonly known as the bipartisan infrastructure law. His order has thrown the future of about 87,000 new IRS agents who had been hired for the 2022 Act into jeopardy. While speaking to about 2,000 people at a resort in Los Vegas Trump said he may move them to the border. He said, "… we're in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we move them to the border." He noted that Special Agents are allowed to carry weapons, suggesting they could be used at the border. January 25: The Epoch Times: Rubio: Chinese; Trump Administration will prioritize U.S. interests U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told his Chinese counterpart that the Trump administration will prioritize American interests in its relationship with communist China. He conveyed this message during a phone call on Jan. 24 with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, marking his first publicly known formal exchange with Wang as the top U.S. diplomat. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the secretary "stressed the United States' commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China's coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea." Wang reiterated the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) sovereignty claims over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that the regime has not ruled out using force to bring under its control. January 25: Fox News: Justice Thomas swears in DHS Secretary Noem in his home South Dakota Gov. [Now former Governor] Kristi Noem was sworn in as Department of Homeland Security secretary by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home Saturday, following a scheduling hiccup earlier in the day. The ceremony, which was originally slated to take place in the Indian Treaty Room inside the Navy Department Wing of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., but was postponed. "It is such an honor to be sworn in as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security," she wrote. "It was made even more meaningful by being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home." January 25: News Max: Trump fires Inspector Generals in more than a dozen federal agencies President Trump's administration reportedly fired the independent inspectors general of more than a dozen major government agencies late on Friday. The agencies included the departments of defense, state, transportation, veterans affairs, housing and urban development, interior, and energy. The New York Times said the purge affected 17 agencies but spared the Department of Justice inspector general, Michael Horowitz. An inspector general is an independent position that conducts audits, investigations and looks into allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. They can be removed by the president or the agency head, depending on who nominated or appointed them. Most of those dismissed were appointees from Trump's first term. January 24: The Daily Signal: Vance breaks tie vote; Pete Hegseth nomination confirmed President Trump's defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was confirmed in a 51-50 vote with Vice President J.D. Vance braking a tie 50-50 vote in the Senate Friday, ending one of the most contentious confirmation battles of Trump's early administration. Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox News anchor, is the epitome of Donald Trump's campaign to dethrone the establishment elites from their seats of power, as he does not come from a high-ranking position in the armed forces. Hegseth faced unproven allegations related to his relationships with alcohol and women. January 24: The Epoch Times: Trump vows to fix FEMA or get rid of it Donald Trump said he would be signing an executive order to start the process of fundamentally overhauling or "getting rid of" the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), while touring areas in western North Carolina on Jan. 24 that were devastated by Hurricane Helene last year. He criticized the Biden administration's response to Hurricane Helene, a catastrophic Category 4 tropical cyclone that tore through the southeast in late September 2024, leaving tens of billions of dollars in destruction and killing more than 200 hundred people across several states. He called for immediate disaster relief for North Carolina without conditions for aid. He also suggested that FEMA may no longer be up to the task of providing funds to rebuild areas facing devastation. "I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump said. The president said he would might provide direct aid from the federal government to North Carolina so it could "come back bigger, better, stronger than ever before." He said the timeline for federal aid would be immediate so infrastructure rebuilding can commence. January 24: Fox News: Governor Maura Healey (D-MA) will support arresting criminal illegals The Democratic governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, signaled her support for arresting criminal illegal immigrants, saying she supports "the apprehension of criminals in our communities." According to local news outlet WCVB, she told reporters Thursday that she supports arresting criminals, regardless of whether they are undocumented or not. Meanwhile Fox News witnessed ICE in Boston making eight arrests this week -- including multiple MS-13 members, Interpol Red Notices, murder and rape suspects, and a volatile Haitian gang member with 18 convictions in recent years who shouted that he "ain't going back to Haiti." The arrests come as the Trump administration moves rapidly to fulfill its promise to launch a historic mass deportation operation, which it has said will focus primarily – but not exclusively – on public safety threats. January 23: Fox News: Trump to make public all information about the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations On Thursday President Trump signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Trump had promised to release the previously classified documents during his 2024 campaign after decades of speculation and conspiracy theories about the killings. "Everything will be revealed," Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office of the White House. January 23: Breitbart News: White House pulls Former CIA chief John Brennan's security clearance – No longer needed Former CIA chief John Brennan was not happy about President Trump's decision to cancel his security clearance, claiming the only reason he maintained a clearance was to provide advice to the president. But apparently Trump isn't interested in Brennan's advice since he signed a letter falsely claiming Hunter Biden's laptop was Russian disinformation. Brennan served as Barack Obama's director of the CIA and played a role in the Russia hoax, along with reportedly dismissing intelligence that Russia wanted Hillary Clinton to win the U.S. presidential election in 2016. Recently, Brennan criticized Trump for preventing him from giving the president advice on national security. January 23: News Max: Trump to pull U.S. out of the World Health Administration The United States will leave the World Health Organization on Jan. 22, 2026, the United Nations said Thursday, after being formally notified of the decision by President Donald Trump, who has accused the agency of mishandling the pandemic and other international health crises. Trump announced the move on Monday, hours after he was sworn in for a second four-year term. The WHO said on Tuesday that it regretted the move from its top donor country. Trump must give a one-year notice of U.S. withdrawal from the Geneva-based body and pay Washington's dues under a 1948 joint resolution of the U.S. Congress. January 23: Fox News: Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources say the U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration,. The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is reportedly 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations. January 22: The Epoch Times: Trump sends additional 1,500 troops to the border President Trump ordered a new deployment of around 1,500 troops to the U.S. southern border on Jan. 22, as part of his ongoing effort to halt illegal border crossing and smuggling efforts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday, "This is something President Trump campaigned on. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this for our Department of Defense to actually take homeland security seriously." Currently about 2,500 troops are on the southern border. On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump repeatedly indicated he would pursue more expansive border security efforts, including increased troop deployments. January 22: The Gateway Pundit: Hegseth nomination sent to the full senate for a vote On Monday, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to advance Pete Hegseth's nomination to a full senate floor vote. Meanwhile, Danielle Hegseth, the nominee's former sister-in-law, lifelong Democrat, and who is represented by a powerful Democrat-linked law firm, submitted a last minute affidavit claiming Pete Hegseth had abused and mistreated his second wife. According to NBC News, Hegseth's former wife responded to the allegations via email, saying, "First and foremost, I have not and will not comment on my marriage to Pete Hegseth. I do not have representatives speaking on my behalf, nor have I ever asked anyone to share or speak about the details of my marriage on my behalf, whether it be a reporter, a committee member, a transition team member, etc." She further added, "I do not believe your information to be accurate, and I have cc'd my lawyer." January 22: The Washington Examiner: Hegseth's attorney discredits former sister-in-law's allegations An attorney for SECDEF nominee Pete Hegseth sent a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) Wednesday, discrediting new allegations by Hegseth's former sister-in-law. The letter calls the allegations "deeply flawed and questionable" and urged the Senate to rely on court records when evaluating the new allegations. "There is no basis to credit this deeply flawed and questionable affidavit, which was submitted at the 11th hour in a clear and admitted partisan attempt to derail Mr. Hegseth's confirmation," attorney Timothy Parlatore wrote. "I would respectfully submit that you can rely upon the Minnesota Court records and the FBI's findings to reject this perjurious affidavit and move forward to confirm Mr. Hegseth as Secretary of Defense." Meanwhile Hegseth's former wife said she believes the information in the allegations are not accurate. January 22: The Epoch Times: Fetterman (D-PA) votes to move SECDEF nominee Pete Hegseth to Senate Floor Sen. John Fetterman voted on Jan. 21 with Republicans to advance the nomination of Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's choice for defense secretary (SECDEF), but said that he will not switch to the Republican Party. Fetterman was the only member of the Democratic Party to join Republicans in moving the nomination forward. Every other Democrat who voted, as well as the two independents in the Senate, voted against advancing the nomination. Fetterman's vote marks the latest instance in which Fetterman has taken a position that differs from many members of his party. January 22: The Gateway Pundit: Three Republican Senators may vote again st the Hegseth nomination The three usual RINO suspects will likely oppose Pete Hegseth's Secretary of Defense confirmation after an 11th hour affidavit with reportedly false allegations of spousal abuse against Hegseth was released. Republican Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) may oppose Pete Hegseth nomination for SECDEF, forcing Vice President JD Vance to break the tie. January 21: Fox News: Coast Guard deploys resources to detect and deter illegal immigration The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday they are deploying personnel and equipment to various maritime borders in the United States, a day after President Trump dismissed the military branch's former leader. Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said coast guardsmen would work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump's executive orders issued this week. "The U.S. Coast Guard is the world's premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America's maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty," Lunday said. "Per the President's Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets—cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces—to increase Coast Guard presence and focus…" January 21: USA Today: Trump announces $500 Billion Stargate AI project Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a private sector investment of up to $500 billion to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, aiming to outpace rival nations in the business-critical technology. No federal taxpayer dollars are involved and the first facility is expected to be located in Texas. Trump said the joint venture, called Stargate, will build data centers and create more than 100,000 jobs in the United States. ChatGPT creator OpenAI, Softbank and Oracle, along with other equity backers of Stargate, have committed $100 billion for immediate deployment, with the remaining investment expected over the next four years. January 21: Fox News: Biden issued more pardons 15 minutes before leaving office, who didn't he pardon? Joe Biden doled out a flurry of pardons during his final days in office, but he did not issue a pardon for Jack Smith or other figures connected to cases involving President Trump, who has frequently castigated those he feels have unjustly targeted him. He also did not pardon Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Judge Juan Merchan and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This may have been a blessing in disguise because it means these people can plead the fifth amendment before Congressional hearings. Those who have received pardons cannot, because accepting a pardon means they are admitting to guilt. January 20: News Max: President Trump outlines top priorities for Congress President Trump sent a two-page memo to congressional Republican lawmakers Monday morning, outlining his legislative priorities for his administration. The document summarizes many of the executive actions the 47th president plans to take in four categories: "Make America Safe Again" (including securing our borders), "Make America Affordable and Energy Dominant Again" (including empowering consumer choices in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, lightbulbs and dishwashers), "Drain the Swamp" (including ending the weaponization of government against political rivals and the unconstitutional censorship by the federal government)" and "Bring Back American Values" (including establishing that there are only two genders, male and female, and protecting women from "radical gender ideology"). January 20: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden issues preemptive pardons to his family members as he goes out the door After four years of lawfare against President Trump and in the waning hours of his presidency, Joe Biden has issued preemptive pardons to his family members and political allies to protect them from the turnabout to which they were now exposed having failed to jail Trump or stop his return to the White House. The problem he may not have counted on is if they accept the pardons, and if any of them are subpoenaed by Congress to testify about their alleged activities, they can no longer plead 5th Amendment protections. The SCOTUS has made that clear that the acceptance of a pardon is an admission of guilt, Consequently, they would be required to answer Congressional questions. If they failed to answer questions honestly, lying to Congress would not be protected under the current pardons. So, either they would need to answer honestly, potentially exposing their activities to the public, or face jail time for lying to Congress under oath. Additionally, in an accompanying statement Biden said he was taking this action because even if individuals are innocent, protecting themselves could bankrupt them – something the Democrats tried to do to President Trump. January 20: The Gateway Pundit: SCOTUS: Acceptance of a pardon is an admission of guilt A Presidential Pardon does not take effect unless the suspect accepts it. According to a little known 1915 ruling from the Supreme Court, once accepted a pardon serves as an "imputation of guilt," or what's more commonly known as an admission thereof. Because accepting the pardon is "essential to its validity," some are calling upon the Biden family, Dr. Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, the members of the J6 Committee and everyone else Biden unsurprisingly pardoned on his way out the door declare their acceptance of the pardon publicly. Because, according to the Supreme Court, it would also serve as a declaration of guilt. January 19: The Washington Times: "Cautiously optimistic" the Hamas-Israel ceasefire will hold House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday there will be "hell to pay" if the Palestinian militant group Hamas violates any of the terms of its cease-fire deal with Israel. "You cannot allow Hamas, which of course, is a proxy of Iran, to be situated as they were, to have another October 7. We just can't — the Israelis can't live under those conditions," Johnson (R-LA) said, referring to the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel. "And everyone around the world needs to know, as President Trump has made clear, that we stand with Israel and there will be hell to pay if they violate these terms." He didn't specify what "hell to pay" would mean but promised they would find out if they played it fast and loose. The Speaker made it clear he and Trump are "hopeful" that the cease-fire deal will hold. He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "cautiously optimistic" it will, noting they are a terrorist organization that isn't known for keeping their word. The first three Israeli hostages were released Sunday, all women: Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. January 19: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Tik Tok's going dark doesn't last even 24 hours TikTok's ban in the U.S. doesn't even last 24 hours. The Chinese-owned social media app announced Sunday that they are restoring service in the United States after a brief ban that started late Saturday night. "Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!" It appears President Trump promised to issue an executive order on Inauguration Day to extend TikTok's operations. It's unclear how long the extension will last. The app was ordered to be shut down after the Supreme Court upheld a ban law by a vote of 9-0 last week. The law bans the app until the Chinese divest ownership. January 19: The Gateway Pundit: Minnesota police officer found guilty of killing George Floyd released from prison A second former Minneapolis police officer has completed his sentence over the death of George Floyd and has been released from prison. Floyd died in police custody while on drugs and resisting arrest on May 25, 2020. His death caused massive, deadly riots across the nation. Former Officer J. Alexander Kueng, 31, was released from FCI Elkton in Ohio on Wednesday. He had pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in October 2022. He was subsequently sentenced to three and a half years in prison. January 19: The Daily Mail: Fans slam NBC for failing to show the National Anthem during the Rams-Eagles game NBC Sports boldly opted against airing the national anthem before Sunday's NFL playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and visiting Los Angeles Rams. The latest controversy falls just a day before President Trump's inauguration and marks another surprise decision over showing The Star-Spangled Banner this month. Earlier in January, ESPN caught fan blow back for not showing the anthem before the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, which had been moved by a day after the New Year's Day terror attacks in the city killed 14 people. ESPN's leadership apologized taking ownership for the mistake and saying it would not be repeated. The Rams are playing Sunday's game amid scenes of devastation back in Los Angeles due to the wildfires around the city that have killed 27 and destroyed thousands of buildings and homes. NBC's actions appeared to have angered many fans. January 18: The Daily Caller: Government Debars Fauci's gain-of-function mastermind Peter Daszak The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formally debarred Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, a company which coordinated with Dr. Anthony Fauci's aides to receive funding for gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, according to documents released Friday by the House Oversight Committee. HHS debarred and cut funding to both Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit which researches pandemics. EcoHealth has also terminated Daszak's employment. "The suspension and proposed debarment actions were based on information that Dr. Daszak lacks the present responsibility to participate in United States Federal Government procurement and non-procurement programs," HHS wrote. The debarment, which is retroactive to a May 2024 suspension for both Daszak and EcoHealth, will last for a period of five years. January 18: The Epoch Times: Trump signals a possible 90 day reprieve for Tik Tok's ban in the U.S. President- Trump said Saturday that he will probably give TikTok a temporary reprieve from a looming ban over the social media platform's China ties, which would allow the platform to continue operating in the United States as his administration undertakes a careful review of the situation. "The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump said. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday." His remarks come after TikTok said late Friday it would be "forced to go dark" on Sunday — the day before Trump's inauguration — unless the Biden administration delivers a guarantee that it will not enforce a law requiring the company to divest or face a nationwide ban. TikTok's "go dark" warning was made after a U.S. Supreme Court's 9-0 ruling earlier on Friday that upheld a law banning the app in the United States unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by Sunday. ByteDance has repeatedly insisted it will not sell. January 18: Fox News: Trump family returns to Washington ahead of inauguration President Trump returned to Washington Saturday evening, after boarding a special mission Air Force plane for his historic return after four years. Trump and wife Melania and their youngest son, Barron, embarked on their trip from West Palm Beach, Florida, to the nation's capital, waving to crowds before ascending the steps. He celebrated his return at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles west of Washington. In his address he gave a shoutout to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a "great negotiator." Witkoff this past week helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that's scheduled to take effect on Sunday. The event included a fireworks display. January 17: The New York Post: Parent, Paramount Global, has internal talks about settling Trump-CBS News lawsuit Paramount Global executives have reportedly held internal talks about settling a lawsuit filed by President Trump over CBS News' editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. They are hoping to close its planned merger with Skydance Media in the coming months but has been sued by Trump for allegedly favorably editing the "60 Minutes" sit-down with Harris just before the election In recent months, it has become clear that Trump's dissatisfaction with CBS News is proving to be a major hurdle, and it will likely need to pony up concessions to win approval to go forward with the merger. January 17: One America News Network: Biden pardons/commutes sentences of an additional 2,500 offenders Joe Biden has issued individual pardons and commutations to nearly 2,490 drug offenders Friday. He announced he was commuting the sentences of 2,490 people convicted of drug offenses. Adding that they are "serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice." Meanwhile he has done nothing for the January 6h offenders, some of whom have been held in jail for long periods without a trial. And Biden has indicated there may be more pardons/commutations on the way prior to President Trump regaining office. January 17: Fox News: Has he completely lost it? Biden declares the ERA amendment is part of the Constitution Legal experts slammed Joe Biden's announcement declaring the 28th Amendment law as "cynical and irrelevant." On Friday Biden released a statement saying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) should be considered ratified and a new addition to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment, that failed to receive ratification by 75% of the states before it expired in 1979, would prohibit discrimination based on gender. Jonathan Truley, a noted legal and constitutional law expert said in response to Joe Biden's statements that he, Biden, "…seems intent on moving his administration from the odious to the absurd. This was an embarrassingly pandering moment to the most extreme elements in his party. It is a position based on a long-rejected and frankly ridiculous foundation." Meanwhile Andrew McCarthy, a Fox News contributor and former U.S. Attorney, said, "Biden's announcement is both cynical and irrelevant. If he believed what he is saying, he would've said it when his administration started, not when he is on his way out the door as a failed, one-term president. More importantly, the president has no constitutional role in the amendment process, so his view carries no weight." January 17: Judicial Watch: San Francisco settles lawsuit The City of San Francisco authorized a settlement agreement in a taxpayer lawsuit, agreeing to discontinue its discriminatory guaranteed-income program that favored transgender individuals with a preference for biological black and Latino men who identify as women. The agreement commits the city to pay $3,250 in attorney's fees and costs and not to create a new guaranteed income program with the same eligibility criteria. January 16: News Max: Israel attacks Gaza after Hamas accused of backtracking on ceasefire Israel carried out fresh air strikes on Gaza on Thursday and accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal before an expected vote by its Cabinet. The truce, announced by mediators Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, after which the terms of a permanent end to the war would be finalized. But the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Hamas had "reneged on parts of the agreement reached ... in an effort to extort last-minute concessions." Reportedly the Israeli Cabinet "will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement." Netanyahu spoke with Presidents Joe Biden and Trump on Wednesday, the Israeli leader's office said, thanking them for their help securing the agreement but also cautioning that "final details" were still being worked on. January 15: The Daily Caller: Como slams Democrat senators for wasting time on Hegseth's former marriage NewsNation host Chris Cuomo criticized Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Tuesday for using his time during Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing to grill him over his past marriage. Kaine who was the losing Democrat candidate for Vice President in 2016, raised allegations of Hegseth's infidelity, alcoholism and abuse during his questioning rather than prioritizing other queries relevant to the role Hegseth will have as SecDef. Cuomo (D-NY) suggested Kaine's line of questioning was disgusting, condemning both the standard he was holding Hegseth to and the substantive issues he was ignoring. "Let me ask you:" Cuomo asked, "What questions would you have for a potential secretary of defense? 'What are you going to do about China, Russia, terror, Pentagon size, drones — or would your top concern be his marriage?" January 15: The Washington Times: Three suspects arrested for Arson of Los Angeles fires Los Angeles police said three people were charged with arson in separate incidents this week after they were caught lighting fires near where the massive, deadly blazes have torn through parts of Southern California. LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the suspects, who were not identified, were not responsible for starting the infernos in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton that have claimed at least 25 lives since they ignited last week. Authorities said one person was arrested Monday on Van Nuys Boulevard after the person was seen igniting a brush fire. At least five people total have been charged with arson since the wildfires broke out Jan. 7 in the Palisades. For example, an illegal immigrant from Mexico was tackled and held to the ground by wary citizens last week when he was observed with a blowtorch near where the Kenneth fire broke out. January 15: Breitbart News: The Trump Affect; President-elect announces Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement 5 days before he takes office President-elect Donald Trump was the first to announce a ceasefire deal was reached in Gaza between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday. Israeli officials soon confirmed an agreement was in place to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the October 7 atrocities. "We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!" Trump said just after noon EST. "With this deal in place," Trump said, "My National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven." Witkoff traveled to Doha, Qatar, along with representatives of the outgoing Biden administration over the weekend to work with mediators from Israel and Hamas on a deal. Sources familiar with the meetings credited Trump's influence with breaking a long deadlock and setting the stage for the "midnight breakthrough" on Sunday that made a deal possible. Earlier Trump had said to Hamas that "All Hell will breakout" if a hostage return agreement was not met before he takes office January 20th. January 14: The Daily Caller: Illegal with blowtorch arrested for starting fires in Los Angeles A blowtorch-wielding man subdued by Los Angeles residents in a viral online video is living in the United States unlawfully despite multiple arrests and an assault conviction, federal immigration authorities confirmed. Juan Manuel Sierra, a 33-year-old Mexican national, is an illegal migrant "gotaway" who carries an extensive rap sheet with local law enforcement, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson reported. Sierra is currently being held by Los Angeles police on suspicion of contributing to the wildfires that have devastated Southern California in the past several days. January 14: The Washington Examiner: Politics as usual as Dems try to tarnish Hegseth's reputation Pete Hegseth spent several hours in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, where Republicans largely praised his nomination, and Democrats questioned his fitness for the position of secretary of defense (SecDef). The former Fox News host promised to be a "change agent" for a department that he argued, like many Republicans have, has strayed from its mission of lethality and defending U.S. interests abroad. Republicans on the committee defended and praised his nomination and President Trump's plans to overhaul the Department of Defense, while Democrats grilled him over concerns that his past disqualifies him from the role. Despite the Democrats' attacks, they are largely powerless to stop his nomination and any of Trump's Cabinet selections. The Democrats need at least three Republicans to vote against any nomination to block the nominee from assuming the role. January 14: The Texas Scorecard: State Rep Burrows elected Texas House Speaker with support of Dems and 36 Republicans Just hours after the new legislative session kicked off in Austin, State Rep. Dustin Burrows was elected to serve as speaker of the House, a move that has already sparked controversy among Texas Republicans. Burrows (R-Lubbock) secured the gavel despite significant opposition from within his own party, ultimately relying on Democrat support to clinch the position. This is despite the fact that Republicans control 88 of the chamber's 150 seats. The election required two rounds of voting. In the first round, Burrows got 71 votes and the GOP Caucus candidate David Cook (R-Mansfield) garnered 56. In the second round Burrows emerge victorious with 85 votes, while Cook, secured 55. Nine members (all Democrats) were recorded as present but not voting. In total, 36 Republicans supported Burrows along with 49 Democrats. The Republicans voting for Burrows were; Jeff Barry (Pearland), Cecil Bell (Magnolia), Keith Bell (Forney), Greg Bonnen (Friendswood), Brad Buckley (Salado), Angie Button (Garland), Giovanni Capriglione (Southlake), Tom Craddick (Midland), Drew Darby (San Angelo), Jay Dean (Longview), Caroline Fairly (Amarillo), Gary Gates (Richmond), Stan Gerdes (Smithville), Charlie Geren (Fort Worth), Sam Harless (Spring), Cody Harris (Palestine), Cole Hefner (Mount Pleasant), Lacey Hull (Houston), Todd Hunter (Corpus Christi), Ken King (Canadian), Stan Kitzman (Brookshire), Stan Lambert (Abilene), Brooks Lambert (Odessa), Jeff Leach (Allen), Janie Lopez (San Benito), John McQueeney (Fort Worth), Will Metcalf (Montgonery), Morgan Meyer (Dallas), Angelia Orr (Itasca), Jared Patterson (Frisco), Dade Phelan (Beaumont), Carl Tepper (Lubbock), Gary VanDeaver (New Boston), Denise Villalobos (Corpus Christi), Terry Wilson (Georgetown) and of course Dustin Burrows himself. January 13: Fox News: President Trump's allies in House are clearing the runway for him to make good on his vow to acquire Greenland Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is leading a bill to authorize Trump to enter negotiations with Denmark over purchasing Greenland, a territory located in North America but with longstanding cultural and geopolitical ties to Europe. The bill is reportedly titled the "Make Greenland Great Again Act. "Joe Biden took a blowtorch to our reputation these past four years, and before even taking office, President Trump is telling the world that America First is back. American economic and security interests will no longer take a backseat, and House Republicans are ready to help President Trump deliver for the American people," Ogles said. January 13: The Gateway Pundit: Trump no-holds-barred press conference results in stern warning to Hamas In a no-holds barred press conference at Mar-a-Lago following the certification of his 2024 election victory, President Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. With his signature resolve, Trump made it clear that failure to comply by January 20, his Inauguration Day, would result in severe consequences for the region. "All hell will break out. If they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East. It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out," Trump warned. He added, "I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is. They should have given them back a long time ago. They should have never taken them. They should have never committed the attack of October 7. People forget that, but there was, and many people were killed." Following President Trump's ultimatum, Hamas officials announced on Monday they are prepared to make a ceasefire deal with Israel. January 13: The New York Post: Special Counsel Weiss slammed Joe Biden's criticism of his investigation Special counsel David Weiss, who successfully prosecuted first son Hunter Biden on tax fraud and gun charges, slammed President Biden's criticism of his investigation as "gratuitous and wrong" in a report on the years-long investigation released Monday. "Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations," Weiss wrote in his report. I prosecuted the two cases against Mr. Biden because he broke the law," wrote Weiss attaching hundreds of pages of court filings. "A unanimous jury — who found Mr. Biden guilty of gun charges — and Mr. Biden himself — who pleaded guilty to tax offenses — agreed. As I have done for twenty years, I applied the Principles of Federal Prosecution and determined that prosecution was warranted." Joe Biden, 82, signed a sweeping pardon for his only surviving son on Dec. 1, arguing the cases against him had been motivated by "raw politics" and constituted a "miscarriage of justice." January 12: The Washington Examiner: Trump calls Fetterman "impressive" after meeting Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) did not emerge from his meeting with President-elect Trump with a promise that the Braddock Democrat would be named the "Pope of Greenland," but Trump said Fetterman did earn his admiration for his commonsense approach to governing. "It was a totally fascinating meeting," Trump said. The senator and his wife spent an hour with the President-elect at Mar-a-Lago. "He's a commonsense person, He's not liberal of conservative. He's just a commonsense person, which is beautiful," Trump said. January 12: Fox News: Vance: Trump Administration plans on pardons for January 6th protestors The focus on President Trump's vow to pardon Jan. 6 protesters is sharpening, with his return to the White House just eight days away. Vice President-elect JD Vance — who, like Trump, has been critical of a justice system allegedly weaponized against the protesters — laid out how their offenses might be weighed when considering the pardons. "If you protested peacefully on January 6th, and you've had Merrick Garland's Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned," Vance said on Sunday. "If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned, and there's a little bit of a gray area there, but we're very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law. And there are a lot of people, we think, in the wake of January the 6th who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that." Vance contended. January 12: News Max: Former NATO Commander; Greenland acquisition not a crazy idea President Trump has said the importance of Greenland to national and global security cannot be overstated and former NATO supreme allied commander James Stavridis agreed. Skeptical Democrats, cynical pundits, and liberal media laughed off Trump's suggestions of making the country an official U.S. territory. "It's not a crazy idea," Stavridis told WABC 770 AM-N.Y. "We could do an awful lot in terms of business, investment, box out the Russians, box out the Chinese, and work very closely with Greenland." The former NATO commander called the large Arctic Island a "strategic goldmine for the United States." "It sits at the very top of the North Atlantic; it protects approaches to our own country," Stavridis said. "It's geographically very important. It's full of strategic minerals, rare earth, probably a lot of gold. It's got a lot of natural resources. "It doesn't have to become the 51st state, but it can certainly be an economic objective for us. I think that's how it plays out." For skeptics refusing to listen to Trump's logic, Stavridis reminded all to just listen to Greenland and its people. January 11: The Gateway Pundit: Are you serious? Purchasing Greenland? President Trump has been unduly mocked by Democrats and corporate media journalists regarding his desire to purchase Greenland from Denmark. But he now has the Danes and Greenland's full attention. Trump for months has pushed for purchasing the world's largest island and is not ruling out possible military action. He argues that Greenland becoming part of America is absolutely necessary for national security. Trump is, of course, correct, this Arctic Island is rich in natural resources and holds immense geopolitical value due to its proximity to the Arctic Circle and the presence of U.S. military assets, including the Thule Air Base. Moreover, China and Russia are circling Greenland seeking to take advantage of the islands enormous potential. Buying Greenland would enable the U.S. to seize control of the Arctic and deal a heavy blow to the ambitions of their two biggest global adversaries. Meanwhile, Axios reports the Danes are sending private messages to Trump expressing willingness to discuss boosting security in Greenland or increasing the U.S. military presence on the island, two sources with knowledge of the issue said. Greenland (pop. 56,000) is largely autonomous, but Denmark maintains responsibility for defense. Trump has repeatedly declared that controlling Greenland — the world's largest island — is necessary for U.S. national security vis-a-vis Russia and China. His son Don Junior visited Greenland this week bearing MAGA hats. January 11: Fox News: Abbott to send help to California firefighters Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday announced he would be sending firefighters and firefighting resources to California to assist with the ongoing wildfires. Along with more than 135 firefighters, it will include emergency management and medical personnel, more than 45 fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles, and equipment. "Our hearts grieve with the entire Los Angeles community as they continue to respond to these destructive wildfires," Abbott said. January 10: Axios: SCOTUS likely to uphold ban on Tik Tok The Supreme Court seemed inclined Friday to uphold a law that would ban Tik Tok in the U.S. meaning one of the most popular social media apps in the country may disappear or at least not be able to get updates next week. The court heard oral arguments Friday over the new law that requires TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to either sell TikTok or shut it down in the U.S by Jan. 19. The law passed last year with broad bipartisan support and was signed by President Biden. January 10: The Washington Examiner: Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D) won't causus with her party Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D) who has criticized colleagues for being profoundly "disconnected" from voters, announced this week she would no longer be caucusing with her party. Whitsett cited her "close" relationship with Matt Hall, the incoming Republican leader in the state House, as her reason for exiting the caucus, saying she worried about being accused of leaking information to the GOP lawmaker. "I don't want anyone thinking that if, by happenstance, someone said something in the Dem caucus, and the speaker just happens to mention something similar to that — I don't want anyone thinking that I told him anything and vice versa," the rogue Democrat said. During a phone interview Friday, Whitsett spoke warmly of working with Republicans and President Trump to advance an agenda touching issues such as infant mortality, justice reform, and public safety — "just the numerous amount of things that could possibly go through that would be beneficial for bipartisan support." January 10: The Epoch Times: Trump to face sentencing before inauguration President Trump is expected to undergo sentencing in his business records case just 10 days before his inauguration, marking a milestone in the lengthy legal battles that he has, in all but this case, won as his opponents have used lawfare against him since he left office in 2021. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has already indicated he won't impose any term of prison or any other meaningful punishment. Nonetheless, Merchan is expected to use the hearing to enter a judgment of conviction and to take his final shot at Trump, offering a rebuke of how the incoming president has treated the third branch of government. January 10: News Max: Trump vows to appeal Manhattan conviction after sentencing President Trump took to social media shortly after being sentenced in his New York case Friday and said he will appeal and seek a dismissal of the entire case. He appeared remotely with his attorney and was formally sentenced by Democrat Judge Juan M. Merchan who declined to impose any punishment. January 9: The Gateway Pundit: Prince William takes on more responsibility for his father In the last few months, a growing number of reports have been coming out of the United Kingdom that Royal heir to the throne Prince William has begun 'flexing his royal muscles'. The Prince of Wales has reportedly ramped-up preparations for his upcoming rule, and even now is said to be 'seizing more power' from his ailing father, King Charles. "It's no secret that anyone who pushes back against him will be swiftly shown the door," a palace insider said. "He's not willing to take any nonsense and the word is he's already on his way to being the toughest ruler the family has ever seen." January 9: One America News Network: Judge overturns Biden attempt to redefine Title IX, protecting women's sports and spaces After the Biden administration attempted to redefine sex in Title IX as "gender identity," a federal judge in Kentucky shot down the shift nationwide. The case of Cardona v. Tennessee was decided on Thursday by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, Northern Division. After concluding that the 1,500-page regulation was "fatally" polluted by legal flaws, U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves struck it down. "Another massive win for TN and the country!" said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. "This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin's radical new Title IX rule nationwide. The court's order is [a] resounding victory for the protection of girls' privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns." January 9: The Times of Israel: US House votes to sanction ICC over arrest warrant for Israeli leadership Nearly all House Republicans, several Democrats back legislation punishing the ICC for going after Netanyahu and Gallant, but measure may face bumpier path through Senate. The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court to protest its decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza. Lawmakers voted 243 to 140 in favor of the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," which would urge sanctions on any ICC official or entities backing The Hague who advance "any effort to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies." The sanctions include blocking or revoking visas and prohibiting US property transactions. The legislation states that the US and Israel are not signatories to the Rome Statute that created the ICC, which accordingly has no jurisdiction over their conduct. Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republicans voted against the measure. January 9: The Daily Wire: OK Senator blast Gabbard opponents; "She's not a Pete Buttigieg" Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) says he got to know Tulsi Gabbard at the gym when they both served in the House of Representatives. At the time, Mullin a Republican and Gabbard was a Democrat, but the respect they built for each other in the weightroom bridged the political divide. The pair have remained close friends ever since. Mullin is now a senator and Gabbard, who joined the Republican Party in October, is President Trump's pick to be the next director of national intelligence. "When you start looking at her background, she served four terms in the United States House of Representatives – I don't know if that's a bragging point, but we'll still talk about it – twenty-two years in the service, combat veteran, lieutenant colonel right now, and she's currently over the reserve unit in Oklahoma and Missouri. I don't know what [other] qualifications you need," Mullin said. "I mean, you're not Pete Buttigieg," Mullin said, referring to the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who was vaulted into heading the Department of Transportation during the Biden administration despite having absolutely no relevant past experience in a transportation-related role. January 8: The Washington Times: Trump meets with Senate Republicans to hammer out legislative agenda President Trump visited the Capitol on Wednesday meeting with Senate Republicans and discussing the party's legislative agenda. Republicans have been united on their broad goals — to secure the border, restore American energy dominance, cut taxes and rein in spending — but seem divided on the best strategy for passage given their narrow House and Senate majorities. The debate centers on whether to package all those priorities into a single bill, which would take several months to produce, or to quickly move some of the border and energy provisions first. Trump's preference is for "one big," but he also remained open to the two-bill approach as senators pitched him on it. Ted Cruz (R-TX) prefers the two-bill approach, securing two victories. Cruz said the reason to hold an extension and expansion of the 2017 Trump tax cuts for a second bill is not lack of support but the time it will take to put together such a bill and figure out the revenue offsets. "Every Republican wants to extend the tax cuts," he said. "There's not a single Republican that wants a $4 trillion tax increase." Senator Graham (R-SC), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, will play a key role because Republicans will use the budget reconciliation process to advance their agenda thereby blocking the Democrat's use of a filibuster, passing the bill with all Republicans if need be. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said Trump likes a horse race, so he suggested the president allow the Senate and House to pursue their different approaches and pick one later based on which chamber has gotten furthest in producing a work product. "When I suggested the horse race, he said, 'Well we'll see.' He was kind of open but not relinquishing his preference for the one [bill]," Hoeven said. January 8: SCOTUS Blog: Trump files petition with SCOTUS to put a hold Friday on sentencing in Manhattan case President Donald Trump came to the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, asking the justices to halt the criminal sentencing scheduled for Friday morning in his Manhattan case. The 40-page filing by Trump's intended nominee for Solicitor General, John Sauer, urged the court to put the proceedings on hold to allow an appeal of the case. "Forcing President Trump to prepare for a criminal sentencing in a felony case while he is preparing to lead the free world as President of the United States in less than two weeks imposes an intolerable, unconstitutional burden on him that undermines these vital national interests," the filing said. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency appeals from New York, directed the prosecutors to respond to Trump's request by Thursday at 10 a.m. January 8: The Epoch Times: Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says he is considering running for Governor Former Rep. Matt Gaetz says he may launch a gubernatorial bid. "I am starting to think about running for governor," Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times in an interview. Gaetz, 42, stepped down from the House in 2024 after President Donald Trump selected him to be U.S. attorney general. With key senators opposing Gaetz's nomination, he decided to withdraw from consideration before Trump was inaugurated. Trump has since picked Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, to head the Department of Justice. Gaetz, at least for now, has accepted a position as a host for the cable network One America News. Now, he's floated launching a bid to become Florida's next governor, in what could be a competitive race to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida governors can only hold two consecutive terms, making the position an open seat. January 7: The Gateway Pundit: NC Supreme Court blocks state from certifying Dem incumbent Justice as winner of election amid GOP challenges of "shady ballots" The North Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday in a 5-1 vote blocked the state from certifying Democrat incumbent justice Allison Riggs as the winner of the race as her GOP opponent, Jefferson Griffin, challenges the election. North Carolina's Supreme Court race headed for a recount due to a close final tally as the Democrat pulled ahead two weeks after Election Day. Democrat incumbent Sarah Riggs closed the race pulling ahead by a mire 625 votes in an election with over 2,770,000 votes cast. The race went to a recount because of the close vote count. Republican Griffin was leading the race until all of a sudden Democrat Riggs overcame her opponent weeks after the election. Reportedly Griffin is challenging 60,000 ballots that he claims should not have been counted. The North Carolina Supreme Court granted Griffin's request and issued a temporary stay blocking the certification of the election. January 7: Fox News: 30,000 people threatened by Southern California wild fire; forced to flee for their lives A fire was burning out of control Tuesday in Pacific Palisades (Southern California), destroying homes and forcing residents to abandon their vehicles and flee amid a potentially "life-threatening and destructive fires driven by strong winds. Most of Pacific Palisades was under an evacuation order by this afternoon as residents fought traffic jams and heavy smoke trying to escape the nearby flames. The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. and was pushed by intense wind gusts that officials had warned could fuel any spark into a fast-moving and erratic wildfire. It had burned more than 770 acres in just the first five hours. [Editor's Note: My former 1970-1973 Washington, DC housemate is among those evacuating this blaze] January 7: The Washington Times: Trump looks beyond the current U.S. borders President Trump on Tuesday outlined an ambitious plan for U.S. expansion by working to get control of Greenland, the Panama Canal, and maybe working with conservative allies in Canada. In a news conference he refused to take any actions off the table regarding getting Greenland and the canal under the U.S. umbrella. He questioned left-leaning Denmark's legal claim to Greenland and there are indications some of the 50,000 residents of country – the largest island in the world – might favor being an independent territorial state under the U.S. Trump also criticized China's role in operating the Panama Canal and the late President Jimmy Carter's transferring the canal to Panama in 1979, saying it was given to Panama and not communist China. Meanwhile Donald Trump Jr. has made a non-official trip to Greenland. January 7: News Max: Senate "green lights" Trump nominations; hearings scheduled before Trump's swearing in The Hill reports that the Senate took the procedural step of approving committee assignments for the next two years, a move that also allows committee hearings to begin next week on President Trump's cabinet nominees. With Jan. 14 being the earliest that hearings can take place, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Pete Hegseth, Brooke Rollins, and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin are among those scheduled to appear next week. Reportedly Hegseth's hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14; Rollins (Trump's pick for Agriculture secretary) will be Jan. 15 and Rubio's Jan. 15. Zeldin's hearing is expected to be held Jan. 15 or 16. The scheduling of the hearing for Pam Bondi, Trump's pick for attorney general, has been delayed over paperwork issues with the Judiciary Committee, The Hill reports. January 6: Fox News: Justin Trudeau steps down as Canadian PM as his support tanks Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced on Monday that he intends to resign as party leader and prime minister after pressure from within his own Liberal Party increasingly grew amid heightened criticisms over his handling of the economy and threats levied by President Trump. He said he will resign once the party selects a new leader. "I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process," Trudeau told reporters. Trudeau, who led the nation for nearly a decade, has been grappling for months with significant drops in his approval ratings over mounting frustration relating to issues like the soaring cost of living and rising inflation. Though there was no official path for his party to boot him from the top job, the now nearly-former prime minister faced either the threat of a Parliamentary vote of no confidence, or a lengthy fight to hold on to his position until the October 2025 elections – either option was expected to see a crushing end to Trudeau's time in office. January 6: News Max: Trump's legal team seeks delay in sentencing while appeal in process President Trump's legal team asked a judge Monday to halt this week's sentencing in his New York case while they appeal a ruling upholding the verdict. Trump's lawyers said they plan to ask a state appeals court to reverse Judge Juan M. Merchan's decision last week, which set the case for sentencing on Friday. Trump's lawyers argued their appeal should trigger what's known as an automatic stay, or pause, in the proceedings. If that doesn't happen, they argued, Merchan should then grant a pause and prevent sentencing from happening on Friday as scheduled. The problem is the judge wants to allow Trump's opponents to call him the only convicted felony who is president of the United States. As reported earlier, there are those who believe the Democrat Governor of New York might pardon Trump after sentencing and before the case is appealed thereby foreclosing the Trump legal team from appealing the case. Meanwhile, there are numerous legal scholars from different sides of the political aisle who believe that if the case is appealed the convictions will certainly be overturned. The Democrat judge signaled he is not likely to sentence Trump, a Republican, to any punishment for his historic conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. January 5: The UK Telegraph: Ukraine presses further into Russian territory Ukraine has launched a surprise counter offensive inside Russia, forcing Vladimir Putin to dispatch one of his top generals to the front line. Russian military bloggers first reported the attacks by Ukrainian tanks and infantry shortly after dawn on Sunday. Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have confirmed the attacks, likely launched to strengthen Kyiv's position ahead of potential peace talks once Donald Trump takes office. Reportedly the Ukrainian attack have Russian forces scared and worried. Recent reports say that Russia' army has been decimated and is apparently relying upon North Korean soldiers to carry on a major part of the war effort. The reaction from the Kremlin suggested that it was taking the threat seriously. It dispatched one of its top generals to Kursk within hours of the attack to organize a response. Zelensky claims the Kremlin's losses in the region were mounting and on Saturday contended the Kremlin had lost an entire battalion of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region in the past two days. A battalion usually numbers about 500 soldiers. January 5: The Washington Examiner: Schumer; who is leading the Democrat Party? Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declined to say Sunday who the new leader of the Democratic Party is following Vice President Harris's electoral loss to President Donald Trump. Schumer on NBC News's Meet the Press on Sunday for the show's first broadcast of 2025, where he denied that Democrats misled the public about Joe Biden's health but claimed that the party should have shown more "empathy" to voters regarding their economic concerns heading into the November election. The senator would not answer a question about whether he should be viewed as the party's de facto leader once Biden leaves office on January 20. "Look, I think we have a lot of great leaders in our party. Meanwhile Fox News reported about Schumer's being calling Biden's health Republican propaganda. Schumer said Sunday that they didn't mislead Americans about Biden's decline or ability to serve despite the president dropping out of the race after being faced with a February 2024 clip of him declaring the debate over Biden's health was "right-wing propaganda." Back then Schumer said, "His mental acuity is great. It's fine. It's as good as it's been over the years. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong." January 5: The Gateway Pundit: 40% of all murders in the US take place in cities with Soros-backed prosecutors According to a report from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF), 40% of homicides in the US take place in districts with a Soros-funded prosecutors. As Pamela Geller states, Biden should have given him jail time instead of giving George Soros the Medal of Freedom. Geller cites an article by Paul Schnee, in which he states, "What's next? Is Biden going to posthumously award the Medal of Freedom to Benedict Arnold?" "The amount of serious damage Soros has done to America is incalculable. His lifetime of public mischief has been spent wearing the mask of compassion to undo our civilized order by subverting all of our institutions particularly academia and undermining law & order by financing D.A.s whose main interest is in protecting criminals at the expense of justice for their victims. The man is a traitor, but BLM and Antifa love him." January 4: The Washington Examiner: One or two bills to get Trump's agenda flowing President Trump is pushing for one reconciliation bill that will include his border, energy, and tax policy priorities, House Speaker Michael Johnson (R-LA) reportedly told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Saturday. The move sets up a contentious vote as Trump attempts to move his ambitious agenda into one piece of legislation ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20, which is at odds with some in the House and Senate Republican leadership. In late December House and Senate Republicans endorsed a two-step approach to enact Trump's agenda early next Congress, ensuring a border security-focused reconciliation bill is prioritized in January 2025, followed by tax legislation that would extend the Trump administration tax cuts while "including necessary spending reforms and cuts." Reconciliation bills require only a simple majority vote and cannot be blocked by a 60% closure threshold (a filibuster). Senate leader Thune had suggested the GOP focus their first reconciliation resolution on border funding, energy production, and defense spending while leaving tax-related measures for a second piece of legislation later in the year. Trump is urging one package given the tight speaker's race, which saw Johnson secure reelection in the first round of votes on Friday, that could make maneuvering both bills more complicated on top of an already difficult situation in the House. Some in the House, including Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), who endorsed a single bill from the start, has long championed one single package. "It shows the best and quickest approach to deliver for President Trump is one beautiful, big package," Smith said in December. January 4: The Epoch Times: They lost all their cases except one; they want to call Trump the only convicted felon elected as President New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has rejected an attempt by President Trump to dismiss his business records case and ordered sentencing for Jan. 10. He had originally scheduled sentencing in the case for 2029, after Trump leaves office. However, moving the sentencing forward reportedly could hamper Trump's legal team from appealing the conviction because Manhattan DA Bragg then wants the Governor of New York to pardon Trump which would cut off the ability to appeal the conviction -- allowing Trump to be labeled a convicted felon. An important note is that legal experts from all spectrums believe an appeal would be successful because to actions taken by Merchan (such as saying Trump was guilty before the trail even started and having a daughter who has profited from the case). Merchan said in his order that he wasn't inclined to impose a prison term on the president-elect. Citing concerns about presidential immunity, he also said that "a sentence of unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow the Defendant to pursue his appellate options," while not addressing reports of the NY Governor pardoning the conviction. Meanwhile, there are reports that Merchan could be facing the possibility of being disbarred and even being indicted of violating Donald Trump's civil rights (a Federal criminal indictment) based upon his actions prior to and during the trial. January 3: News Max: New Senate Majority Leader not sure all GOP members will vote to confirm all of Trump's nominees New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said there isn't "clarity" just yet if all of President Trump's Cabinet nominees will have the full support of all the Republican senators. He predicted that "a lot of them will get through, and we'll see about all of them." Thune was asked if he knew of Republican senators who might not vote to confirm Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and/or Kash Patel for FBI director to which he responded we don't have clarity at this point. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage plus a vote by JD Vance (if necessary) over Democrats, but there has been pushback from a handful of GOP senators over Hegseth, Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. January 2: The Epoch Times: County Clerk being investigated; 200 ballots in Wisconsin not counted Almost 200 absentee ballots were left uncounted in Madison, Wisconsin, after the 2024 general election, causing state election officials to launch an investigation on Jan. 2 to determine whether the city clerk broke state law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission will investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Wetzel-Biehl flouted state laws or abused her discretion, after it voted unanimously to open a probe on Thursday. The commission is concerned that Wetzel-Biehl's office did not notify it of the problem until the end of December, which is nearly a month and a half after the election and several weeks after Commission Chair Ann Jacobs certified the state election results on Nov. 29. January 2: The Washingbton Times: Trump has long warned Biden of Islamist terrorism President-elect Donald Trump has long warned that the Biden Administration was not fortifying the country against Islamist terrorism on U.S. soil, and his supporters say New Year's Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas hammered home the point. Trump and his allies blamed the massacre of 14 pedestrians by an ISIS-inspired terrorist on Joe Biden's open border policies and weak leadership. They faulted the Biden Administration's focus on investigating White nationalism, religious organizations and activist parents who complain at school board meetings. "Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have open borders, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership," Trump posted on Truth Social. January 2: The Daily Citizen: Federal appeals court rules employers have a right to make personnel decisions based on religious principles A federal appeals court has upheld the right of religious employers to hire employees in accordance with the organization's faith and mission. On January 2, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of several groups challenging a New York law that prohibits "discrimination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making." Several organizations challenged the law which alleged the law violates their First Amendment rights. The law, which applies to churches, religious schools, faith-based pregnancy care centers, and religious nonprofits, requires them to "undermine their own beliefs about abortion, contraception, and sexual morality by forcing them to employ those who cannot effectively convey the groups' message because they refuse to abide by the organizations' statements of faith and core principles about such issues." Under the law a pro-life pregnancy resource center would be required to hire a pro-abortion advocate who has had multiple abortions. Churches who are deeply pro-life could be required to hire employees who are pro-abortion. And the list goes on. January 2: The Gateway Pundit: FBI continues to withhold info to House committee; Jan 6th pipe bomber A new report released by the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight into the January 6 pipe bomber shows the FBI stopped looking for the suspect and covered up evidence. The FBI is now refusing to cooperate with Congressional investigators. In September, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said according to a whistleblower, after the pipe bombs were found at the RNC and DNC headquarters, "assets on the ground, including a whistleblower, was briefed about the pipe bombs the next day and show a picture of a guy in a hoodie." However, the law enforcement agents were told to stand down two days later. Bongino said "… two days later after the pipe bombs, … without explanation, they were told to stand down! No need to look for the guy anymore." This directly contradicts previous statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray. January 1, 2025: Breitbart News: Ukraine shuts off Russian gas that flows through them to Europe Despite nearly three years of war, Russian energy has continued to transit unimpeded through Ukrainian territory every day until now, with the taps being firmly closed on New Year's Day. Zero Russian gas is flowing to European customers through Ukrainian pipelines for the first time in decades today, confirmation there was to be no last-minute deal to keep the route open, sending energy prices spiking on Tuesday. The route has seen billions of cubic feet of gas delivered since the end of the Cold War, and a five-year contract between Moscow and Kyiv governing the transit of gas continued to be observed, remarkably, right to the last moment when it expired at midnight. But no new contract has been signed, and Ukraine, through its state media, has announced today they "ceased the transportation of Russian natural gas through its territory in the interests of national security". Its energy minister said: "We have blocked the transit of Russian gas, this is a historic event. Russia is losing markets, it will suffer financial losses".

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