Mon, February 17, 2025

by: PBS

Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control employees weeks after fatal DC plane crash

The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told the Associated Press.

by: CNN

European leaders to host Ukraine summit as Trump pushes peace talks with Russia

Donald Trump is forging ahead with his foreign and domestic policy agendas in the early stages of his presidency, working toward a deal to end the war in Ukraine and shrinking the scale of federal government agencies at home.

by: Newsweek

Elon Musk Raises Alarm Over Social Security

The Social Security Administration has come under the scrutiny of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

by: WPLG

Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

The Trump administration has begun firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend and just weeks after a fatal mid-air collision in Washington.

by: MSN

Assam: FIR filed against Pakistan national allegedly linked to Congress MP Gogoi's wife

The Assam Police has registered a case against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheik, and others under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

by: WBTW

Trump administration cuts hit FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco products

Nearly half of the FDA's $6.9 billion budget comes from fees paid by companies the agency regulates, including drug and medical device makers, which allows the agency to hire extra scientists to

by: MSN

Analysis-Italy's Meloni takes on the judiciary, in echo of Berlusconi

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is clashing with the country's judiciary in the same way her old political ally and mentor Silvio Berlusconi used to, promising a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul of the legal system.

by: MSN

Washington Post refuses to run $115,000 ad titled 'Fire Elon Musk,' report says

Washington Post refuses to run $115,000 ad titled 'Fire Elon Musk,' report says - 'Who's running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk,' reads the advert, which was intended for Tuesday's edition of

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: White House says some employees were fired by mistake

President Donald Trump's administration said some federal government employees who took the "Fork in the Road" buyout offer were then fired or let go — in error.

by: Reuters

Italy's Meloni takes on the judiciary, in echo of Berlusconi

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is clashing with the country's judiciary in the same way her old political ally and mentor Silvio Berlusconi used to, promising a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul of the legal system.

by: CNN

Paranoia seeps into a federal workforce worried about getting fired and being watched

As the Trump administration fires thousands of employees across the government, federal workers have another reason to be on edge: the widespread access that Elon Musk's "government efficiency" team has gained to agency computer systems.

by: MSN

Former UK PM John Major warns of dangers if US does not stand by allies

Major said if the US 'retreats towards isolation' it would leave the door open for China and Russia to wield increased influence A world in which the United States does not support its allies will be "rather more dangerous",

by: ABC

'We're under attack by billionaires': Fired federal workers speak out on terminations

Hanna Hickman, a now-terminated worker for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told ABC News the last four days have been a roller coaster.

by: MSN

Trump told Netanyahu 'Do whatever you want,' provides hostage update

Donald Trump was asked by reporters if he's been briefed on phase two of the hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. Trump replied that he told Israeli PM Netanyahu to, 'Do whatever you want.'

by: NDTV

How USAID Funneled $21 Million To India For 'Voter Turnout'

The newly created US Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE has been auditing several government agencies in the US and cutting wasteful expenditure.

by: CounterPunch

Trump's Reign of Cruelty

Neoliberalism has always been more than an economic project; it is a political and educational weapon designed to erode social solidarity and dismantle the foundations of democracy. It does not merely defund public institutions like healthcare,

by: MSN

Trump takes a lap at Daytona as Elon Musk reportedly seeks access to personal taxpayer data: Live

Trump drives Daytona 500 track as government tries to rehire fired nuclear safety staff: Live updates - According to the White House the president will arrive at the Daytona International Speedway jus

by: MSN

'Trump's actions taking us back to primitive days of slavery, colonisation'

Frank Chikane, a veteran of the African National Congress (ANC), argues that the arbitrary actions of United States President Donald Trump, including the cutting of financial support to South Africa,

by: MSN

Are Musk's plans for mass federal layoffs 'driven by what he sees' on X?

More employees across more than a dozen federal agencies are reporting they are being let go from their positions as Elon Musk and DOGE look to slash the government workforce. New York Times reporter Teddy Schleifer breaks down the latest on these firings and discusses the relationship between Musk and President Trump.

by: ABC

GOP Sen. Mullin: Trump is the only person who can force Putin to the table

GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Trump has the capability to apply pressure to Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

by: MSN

Assam: Politics heats up as BJP and Congress warn each other of legal battle

The ongoing political battle between Assam's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress took a legal turn on Sunday, February 16, with both sides threatening lawsuits over allegations of defamation and character assassination.
Sun, February 16, 2025

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Musk's DOGE requests access to IRS tax database: Sources

Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

by: Newsweek

Who Is Ashley St. Clair? Author Says She's Had Elon Musk's 13th Child

The conservative influencer said she made the announcement to prevent the baby's existence from being revealed by "tabloid media."

by: Yahoo

What it means when Elon Musk brings his children to work

Jon Haber, a strategic communication consultant who has worked with five presidential campaigns and teaches at Harvard, said Musk's children making frequent appearances - and creating viral moments - is beneficial for Trump.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Rubio agrees with Netanyahu Hamas must be 'eliminated'

As President Donald Trump's second administration continued its effort to swiftly reshape the federal government, a union representing foreign service officers at the U.S. Agency for International Development accused the administration of failing to comply with last week's temporary restraining order to prevent the dismantling of USAID.

by: PBS

Fact-checking Trump and Musk's claims that they are cutting government 'fraud and abuse'

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump say they have uncovered massive "fraud" in the federal government. But the projects the White House points to are largely ones that the administration disagrees with ideologically,

by: CNN

'Salute and execute': A new generation of military veterans takes center stage as Trump remakes US foreign policy

At the start of his first term, President Donald Trump filled several top jobs with retired generals — high-ranking veterans who served in leadership positions during the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

by: CNN

Steve Bannon is playing MAGA enforcer from the outside. Is the White House listening?

Through blunt conversations with staff and his popular podcast, Steve Bannon is trying to steer the early direction of the new Trump administration. Whether he's having much impact inside the White House is a subject of debate.

by: MSN

Trump's Reach for Power: Seven Court Cases to Watch

The cases, brought by nonprofits, state attorneys general, civil rights groups and private citizens, challenge Trump's directives to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding, shrink the federal workforce,

by: MSN

Mahamoud Youssouf speaks out after defeating Raila Odinga in AUC election: "I am humbled"

Newly elected AUC chairperson Mahamoud Youssouf from Djibouti has thanked African heads of state who supported and voted for him during the AU election.

by: MSN

What Christian leaders in SA said about allegations the US raised against the government

Over 300 white Christian leaders in South Africa slammed the United States government and accused it of spreading outright lies about white South Africans.

by: MSN

S. Korea navigates uncertainty as Trump's reciprocal tariffs reshape global trade

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Feb. 13, directing his top advisers to come up with new tariff levels that match the tax rates the country's trading partners charge on American imports,

by: MSN

MSC 2025: US, Europe divided on how to deal with Russia

European and US leaders have diverged on how to deal with Russia's war on Ukraine during the Munich Security Conference. German Chancellor Scholz, along with others, has been critical of US comments.

by: MSN

US, Russia to meet in Saudi Arabia over Ukraine war

U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending Moscow's nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning said on Saturday.

by: rnz

Mediawatch: Golden visas obscured by politics and talkback pushback

Mediawatch: Media management helped the government's new 'golden visas' into the headlines, but it also got obscured by the ACT leader's antics.

by: MSN

Australia has some 'strong arguments' to gain an exemption from Trumps tariffs

Former federal trade minister and ANZ Head of APAC Engagement Simon Birmingham discusses whether Australia could be exempt from the Trump administration's global steel and aluminium tariffs.

by: MSN

Lavrov, Rubio discus removal of 'barriers' set by previous U.S. administration, Russia says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the situation in Ukraine in a call on Saturday as well as the removal of "unilateral barriers" set by previous U.

by: CNN

Who is Friedrich Merz, Merkel's rival and German election frontrunner?

Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old veteran German politician with a hardline stance on migration and an expensive aviation hobby, is the favorite to become the country's next chancellor in the February 23 federal election.
Sat, February 15, 2025

by: MSN

Tunisia reaffirms commitment to peace and sustainable development as AU Summit kicks off

The 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit at the Heads of State level kicked off in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on Saturday. The summit saw the election of Angolan President João Lourenço as the new Chairperson of the African Union for 2025,

by: MSN

PORI's looming end and why Hong Kong needs credible polling outfits

On Thursday, pollster Robert Chung announced that the independent Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) would "suspend all its self-funded research activities indefinitely, including regular tacking surveys conducted since

by: rnz

Elon Musk's DOGE agency is at the centre of controversy in the US. So what is it?

Elon Musk's DOGE has been making global headlines recently, but, what is this new agency - so why has the world's richest person decided to centre himself in US politics?

by: MSN

Leaked DOGE Docs Reveal How Musk Plotted Trump's DEI Purge

Leaked internal documents from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency show how the team intends to carry out President Donald Trump's purge of DEI initiatives from the federal government—and reveal who is next on the chopping block.

by: MSN

Baloch National Movement's protest in Germany exposes Pakistan's genocide, human rights abuses in Balochistan

The Baloch National Movement (BNM) Germany Chapter, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) unit, organised a protest at Lohr Rondell in Koblenz on February 8, 2025, to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide and human rights abuses in Balochistan by the Pakistani state.

by: CNN

Trump advances plans for Ukraine peace talks and US government overhaul

President Donald Trump is forging ahead with his plan to overhaul and shrink the federal government. The effort led by Elon Musk's DOGE is facing a variety of legal challenges, which have halted firings at some agencies.

by: MSN

"Blot on Humanity": Uma Bharti slams US over treatment against illegal Indian immigrants

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti on Saturday condemned the US administration for deporting Indian citizens in handcuffs and shackles, calling it "shameful" and a "blot on humanity.

by: MSN

Ethiopia: Angola takes over the rotating presidency of the African Union in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Angola, one of sub-Saharan Africa's oil powers, assumed for the first time the rotating presidency of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa this Saturday, at a time of major security and development challenges on the continent.

by: MSN

2% EPF contribution rate further marginalises foreign workers, says activist

by: MSN

Justice Department fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts amid major government cuts

The Trump administration fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government. On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice,

Fact-checking Trump and Musk's claims that they are cutting government 'fraud and abuse'

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump say they have uncovered massive "fraud" in the federal government. But the projects the White House points to are largely ones that the administration disagrees with ideologically,

The article from PBS NewsHour discusses the claims made by former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk regarding their efforts to reduce government fraud and abuse. Trump, during his presidency, often boasted about cutting down on waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, particularly through executive orders aimed at reducing improper payments. However, fact-checkers and analyses have shown mixed results; while some initiatives did lead to savings, the overall impact was less significant than claimed, with improper payments still amounting to billions annually. Similarly, Elon Musk has made statements about his companies, like SpaceX and Tesla, contributing to government efficiency by reducing costs in space travel and electric vehicle adoption, respectively. Critics argue that while these companies have indeed innovated, the direct impact on reducing government fraud or abuse is not straightforward, as government contracts and subsidies to these companies also come under scrutiny for potential mismanagement or favoritism. The article highlights the complexity of quantifying the effectiveness of these efforts, pointing out that while both Trump and Musk have initiated changes, the actual reduction in fraud and abuse remains a nuanced and ongoing challenge.

Read the Full PBS Article at:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trump-and-musks-claims-that-they-are-cutting-government-fraud-and-abuse