Tue, February 18, 2025

by: CNN

US and Russia discuss Ukraine war as Trump's federal overhaul takes shape

Trump administration and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the Ukraine war as President Donald Trump continues to forge ahead with his overhaul of the US government. Follow for live updates.

by: WPLG

Senate GOP pushes ahead with budget bill that funds Trump's mass deportations and border wall

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans pushed ahead late Tuesday on a scaled-back budget bill, a $340 billion package to give the Trump administration money for mass deportations and other priorities, as Democrats prepare a counter-campaign against the onslaught of actions coming from the White House.

by: Slate

Meet the Disabled Vets, Cancer Researchers, and Nuclear Techs Fired by Elon Musk "For Cause"

Musk's vulture-capitalist approach to dismantling the federal government may be opening the door to wrongful termination lawsuits.

by: Slate

I Just Figured Out What Elon Musk's DOGE Really Is

It's how things worked when you went to the Cosa Nostra to ask for protection for you and your family in exchange for some portion of your own resources.

by: scrippsnews

Judge won't place restraining order on Elon Musk and DOGE in state AG case

A federal judge has declined to grant a request for a temporary restraining order against Elon Musk and DOGE. State attorneys general argue his making government changes is unconstitutional.

by: Slate

Is This a Constitutional Crisis? Wrong Question.

The legalists just want to have a big old fight that lands up at the Supreme Court about the unitary executive and big conservative principles, and the monarchic view of the presidency they've been pushing for a very long time.

by: Oregonian

Republicans worry Trump's firings of federal workers will hit red states hard

The DOGE push to downsize government employees will hit the coalition that elected Trump,' a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, wrote.

by: Slate

What Happens Next in the Eric Adams Case? It's Up to One Judge.

Judge Ho will have a hearing on Wednesday to determine whether to accept the DOJ's motion to dismiss the case against the New York City mayor.

by: Newsweek

Social Security's COBOL Software Comes Under Scrutiny

Elon Musk's investigation of federal government systems highlighted Social Security's reliance on software developed in the 1950s.

by: PBS

Looking to slash Medicaid funding, Republicans consider cutting billions of dollars

Republican lawmakers could try to siphon billions of dollars from the nearly-free health care coverage offered to the poorest Americans.

by: CNN

'Good luck with that.' Trump administration terminates privacy officials at agency overseeing government hiring and firing

The Trump administration has quietly fired multiple members of the "privacy team" and other officials from the office that oversees the hiring of federal workers, a move that limits outside access to government records related to the security clearances granted to Elon Musk and his associates,

by: Newsweek

Steve Bannon Escalates Feud With Elon Musk: 'Parasitic Illegal Immigrant'

The former Trump adviser accused the Tesla CEO of using his influence to push an agenda that disregards American traditions.

by: AOL

Analysis-France's latest pensions battle could ignite fresh political crisis

President Emmanuel Macron braved strikes and street protests to force through a deeply unpopular reform in 2023 raising France's retirement age by two years to 64, saying it was the only way to keep the generous but costly pension system afloat.

by: KPBS

White House says Elon Musk is not in charge of DOGE - legally, anyway

by: Sky

England's top judge condemns Starmer and Badenoch comments on Gaza family coming to UK on Ukraine scheme

The Labour and Conservative leaders spoke out in PMQs against an immigration tribunal allowing a Gazan family to come to the UK under the Ukraine scheme.

by: BBC

US Social Security boss steps down after reportedly clashing with Doge

Michelle King left because of a reported disagreement over Elon Musk-led Doge staffers accessing sensitive data.

by: Politico

Platkin and the resistance

While I very much doubt that Platkin wanted Trump to be elected, he is now part of a group of Democratic attorneys general who have arguably been the only effective resistance so far to the new administration.

by: MSN

Leaked DOGE documents offer a damning insights into Trump's DEI purge - and what's next

A new set of leak documents have revealed damning details regarding Trump's purge of government employees and DEI staff - and what's coming next.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Musk sets sights on Fort Knox gold reserves

In recent days, Musk repeatedly posted to X about wanting to "make sure" the gold is still at the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

by: CapX

Lawyers are good at politics - but not if you want growth

In a lecture titled 'Politics as Vocation', the philosopher Max Weber noted that: 'To an outstanding degree, politics today is in fact conducted in public by means of the spoken or written word.' It was true when he said it, in 1918; it is even more true now.

by: Sky

London mayor Sadiq Khan to tell EU diplomats 'Brexit was a mistake' and argue for stronger EU ties to fight Trump tariffs

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is to tell EU diplomats "Brexit was a mistake" and argue stronger ties with the bloc would help fight Donald Trump's tariff threats. He will say the UK's withdrawal from the EU "continues to have a negative impact" and will promise to make the case for "being bold" to seek closer alignment.

by: MSN

Amir of Qatar receives Guard of Honour, ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Amir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani received the Guard of Honour and a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. He was received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior ministers from the government.

by: MSN

Costa Rica offers to receive deported Indians and central Asian migrants from US

Costa Rica has agreed to repatriate 200 illegal immigrants from Central Asia and India, following President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. This makes Costa Rica the third Central American country to collaborate in this effort,

by: CNN

US and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine war deal

Trump administration and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Follow for live updates.

by: MSN

Musk is not a DOGE employee and "has no actual or formal authority," White House says

Elon Musk is not the administrator of DOGE and nor is he an employee of the department that's overseeing massive cuts to the federal workforce and agencies, either, per a Monday night White House court filing.

by: MSN

"Their anxiety increases as Sanatanis come together...": BJP's Gourav Vallabh hits back at Akhilesh Yadav

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gourav Vallabh came out heavily against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government over Maha Kumbh arrangements, and accused him of engaging in appeasement politics.

by: CNN

US and Russian officials to discuss Ukraine war deal in Saudi Arabia

Trump administration and Russian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Follow for live updates.

by: MSN

Elon Musk's role in DOGE uncertain after recent filing from White House

In an affidavit filed in federal court Tuesday, a White House official said Elon Musk is not the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

by: ABC12

Trump begins firing FAA staff weeks after Washington, D.C. plane crash

Probationary workers were targeted in late-night emails Friday notifying them they had been fired, according to David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union.
Mon, February 17, 2025

by: Newsweek

Photos Show Trump, Musk 50501 Protests Across the US

Thousands of Americans braved freezing temperatures on Presidents Day to protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

by: Newsweek

Americans Shocked by '60 Minutes' Report on German Speech Policing

The segment, which aired on Sunday, showcased how German authorities crack down on online speech deemed harmful or offensive under the country's laws.

by: KTVZ

Oregon's federal workforce among those hit by Trump's sweeping firings of thousands of probationary employees

The Trump administration Friday continued its mass firing of thousands of probationary federal employees in an attempt to remove workers recently hired under the Biden administration and to cull the federal workforce.

by: Reuters

Scholz calls for 'strong and sovereign' Europe ahead of security talks in Paris

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to see a strong and sovereign Europe, he said on Monday, ahead of hastily arranged talks in Paris following signals that the United States is no longer seeking Europe's input on ending the Ukraine conflict.

by: Newsweek

John Fetterman Calls Out Elon Musk After Recent Support for Trump Ally

Following Trump's win, Fetterman and Musk shared pleasantries when the two were on Capitol Hill back in December.

by: Newsweek

Americans Shocked by '60 Minutes' Report on German Free Speech Policing

The segment, which aired on Sunday, showcased how German authorities crack down on online speech deemed harmful or offensive under the country's laws.

by: WESA

Hundreds of Pittsburghers protest Trump cuts, voice support for Ukraine, immigrants, trans people

The protesters shouted slogans of solidarity with a wide variety of Democratic causes and constituencies, such as immigrants and trans people. As they walked through the streets, they waved pride flags,

by: Newsweek

DC House Prices Slashed As DOGE Targets Federal Workers

New listings in Washington, D.C., have risen over the past few weeks, as mass layoffs leave federal workers uncertain about their future.

by: thenightly

Australian news and politics live: Building productivity sinking like a brick, report calls for code shake-up

Senator Fatima Payman has weighed into the furore over the vile anti-Semitic video showing two former NSW nurses last week, saying the comments were 'wrong'.

by: CNN

Trump pushes Russia to end war with Ukraine as government overhaul takes shape in the US

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: KY3

Trump nominates former Missouri GOP leader to stay as top DC federal prosecutor

Ed Martin supervised legal clinics for low-income residents as director of the human rights office for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis and, for two decades before becoming U.S. attorney, ran his own law practice and was active in Republican politics,

by: PBS

How an emboldened crypto industry is trying to cement political influence

The crypto industry has scored some early wins since Trump took office, including the repeal of an accounting rule by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and an executive order by the president directing a working group to study and propose changes to crypto regulations as well as the possible formation of a strategic government reserve of cryptocurrencies within 180 days.

by: MSN

Readers' opine about Musk's DOGE, Shapiro's budget, Linda McMahon and USAID | Letters

by: MSN

Retired general: Putin will likely 'wait out' Trump term and take Ukraine

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Jack Keane said he suspects Russian President Vladimir Putin will wait for President Trump to leave office before trying to topple the government in Ukraine. In an interview Saturday on Fox News,

by: MSN

Anti-Tesla Protests, Sell-Offs Mount As Musk Raids The U.S. Government

Country music star Sheryl Crow was among those who sold their Tesla to protest Elon Musk, Tesla and DOGE. Where does it end?

by: ktvq

Trump's widespread federal layoffs could be felt across the country

While Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. are feeling the effects of these layoffs, a union representing federal workers has emphasized that 80% of its membership resides outside the D.C. metropolitan area, indicating the potential national implications of these layoffs.

by: MSN

New York Congresswoman introduces bill to make Trump's birthday a federal holiday

New York Congresswoman introduces bill to make Trump's birthday a federal holiday - 'This legislation would permanently codify a new federal holiday called "Trump's Birthday and Flag Day", Congressman

by: MSN

Judge to hear arguments over Musk's authority as suits against administration pile up

A judge will hear arguments challenging Elon Musk's constitutional authority -- one of at least 73 lawsuits the administration faces in its effort to trim the government.

by: MSN

'He couldn't answer': Dems left shocked after ambushing Mike Johnson over Elon Musk

Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Gwen Moore (D-WI) — found House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be "alarmingly" ignorant of Elon Musk's intentions as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rampaged its way through the federal government,

Lawyers are good at politics - but not if you want growth

In a lecture titled 'Politics as Vocation', the philosopher Max Weber noted that: 'To an outstanding degree, politics today is in fact conducted in public by means of the spoken or written word.' It was true when he said it, in 1918; it is even more true now.

The article from CapX discusses the influence of lawyers in politics, particularly highlighting how their skills in argumentation and advocacy make them well-suited for political roles. However, it argues that this dominance of lawyers in political spheres might not be beneficial for economic growth. The piece points out that lawyers, by training, focus on precedent, risk aversion, and maintaining the status quo, which can lead to regulatory environments that stifle innovation and entrepreneurship. It contrasts this with the need for politicians who understand and promote economic dynamism, suggesting that an overrepresentation of lawyers could lead to policies that prioritize legalistic approaches over economic efficiency and growth. The article uses examples from various countries where lawyers in politics have led to what the author perceives as overly cautious or restrictive economic policies.

Read the Full CapX Article at:
https://capx.co/lawyers-are-good-at-politics-but-not-if-you-want-growth