Fri, February 21, 2025

by: Salon

MAGA's not-so-secret weapon: "Major media are a key tool for Trump's destruction of the government"

"The takeover is easy when journalism and massive news orgs. stay the course and pretend everything is normal"

by: BBC

Senedd election could be 'most difficult' for Labour

The next Senedd election could be one of the most difficult Labour has faced in Wales, a senior politician from the party has said. Mick Antoniw told Walescast Labour needed to show things would improve in Wales ahead of the vote in May 2026.

by: Slate

This Might Be the Fastest Way to Get Elon Musk Out of the White House

These suits will no doubt proceed in the weeks and months ahead, as it falls to the courts to hold Musk accountable for his blatant indifference to the law. But beyond his individual actions, Musk's role raises more fundamental questions.

by: Politico

Long-distance relationship

— Like-minded: The friendship is rooted in the shared history of Canada and Ukraine. Under former Prime Minister BRIAN MULRONEY, Canada was the first Western country to recognize Ukraine's independence, and it is home to one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world.

by: Mint

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Oath Ceremony LIVE: Rekha Gupta tables 14 CAG reports; Parvesh Verma allotted PWD and flood control

Rekha Gupta announces to table 14 CAG reports in first House meeting of Delhi Assembly. Parvesh Verma has been allotted PWD, legislative affairs, water, and flood control.

by: Reuters

Trump is firing federal workers who are not funded by taxpayers

Elon Musk's DOGE team has slashed hundreds of jobs paid for by fees from banks, medical device companies and other forms of funding rather than taxpayer dollars, raising the question of whether the cuts will render hoped for savings.

by: Alternet

DOGE's millions: As Musk and Trump gut government, their ax-cutting agency gets cash infusion

While Elon Musk and his underlings demand budget cuts and layoffs across the federal government, funding for their agency — the Department of Government Efficiency — has soared to nearly $40 million,

by: MSN

Donna Gaffney and Teri Mills: Trump's plans for Medicaid will harm 3.1 million Pennsylvanians

The Republican-led House Budget Committee has announced details of its 2025 Budget Reconciliation bill. Surprisingly, their proposal doesn't focus on the waste and fraud you might expect. It calls for slashing Medicaid funding by $880 billion in the next 10 years.

by: LocalSYR

Democrats channel their outrage over DOGE, Ukraine and more in marathon Senate session

The budget resolution from Republicans was on the agenda in the Senate, but the late-night debate encompassed so much more. Democrats used the overnight session that ended early

by: Tennessean

The week in politics: Why Tennessee lawmakers formed a bipartisan Israel caucus

An Tennessee-Israel legislative caucus gets formed. The group is bipartisan. A new bill would make it a crime to block the movement of the security detail of the House and Senate speakers. The Senate passes a bill requiring tattoo artists to undergo anti-trafficking training.

by: CNN

How DOGE cracked Washington: A focus on arcane agencies gave Musk and his allies swift control of government nerve centers

Political appointees with deep ties to Musk now sit in key leadership positions across agencies that comprise the federal government's personnel, technology, property and acquisition operations.

by: Newsweek

Airbnb Faces Boycott Calls

The calls come after Airbnb's billionaire co-founder, Joe Gebbia has reportedly joined Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

by: MSN

German politicians and chancellor candidates face off for one last debate ahead of Sunday's vote

Top German politicians and chancellor candidates faced off one last time in a debate on local broadcaster ZDF ahead of Sunday's federal elections. The war in Ukraine dominated an agenda packed with contentious topics which included immigration and the economy.

by: RealClearPolitics

DOGE Bros: Trump and Musk Tell Hannity the 'Bromance' Endures

What would you say you do here, Sean Hannity asked in so many words, and the world’s richest man replied, “Tech support.” The answer was quite

by: MSN

Trump's new ban makes scientists shudder

Doesn't signing executive orders give Donald Trump hand cramps? Since his return to the White House, he hasn't stopped. And this time, it's an executive order concerning the dismantling of the federal government's diversity and inclusion (DEI) programs that's causing concern.

by: cnbctv18

Delhi BJP government scraps all co-terminus appointments in ex-CM, ministers' offices

According to the official order, all officers, officials, and staff assigned from various departments, organisations, boards, and hospitals in a "diverted capacity" must immediately return to their parent departments.

by: Onefootball

SC Freiburg prepare for kickoff on German Federal Election Weekend: "More important than football." | OneFootball

In the always intertwined world of politics and Bundesliga football, SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster took an opportunity on Thursday to prove himself Christian Streich's true successor. Streich - actually one of the figures on the board responsible for electing Germany's (largely ceremonial) President - never missed an opportunity to weigh in on the state of German politics.

by: CNN

Hegseth could fire some senior generals and admirals soon, sources say

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could soon move to fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, part of an effort to purge the department of senior leaders perceived as either too political or too close to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

by: CounterPunch

The Great Trump Media Robbery

After a month in which President Donald J. Trump allowed Elon Musk to launch a hostile takeover of the U.S. government, dispatched his talking dummy J.D.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump touts work of 1st month, praises Musk and DOGE

The chief counsel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was fired and escorted out of her office, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

by: CNN

Latest on Trump's presidency: Government overhaul, Patel confirmed and tensions with Ukraine

President Donald Trump and his administration continue with their government overhaul efforts and foreign policy agenda. Follow for live updates.
Thu, February 20, 2025

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Attorney General Pam Bondi fires chief counsel of ATF

The chief counsel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was fired and escorted out of her office, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

by: WAtoday

Nationals to break ranks with Liberal colleagues and get election promises costed by treasury

The country party confirmed to WAtoday it would submit its costings to the Treasury next week, marking an embarrassing deviation from alliance partner the WA Liberal's defiant stance against using the agency to cost its commitments.

by: Forbes

Majority Of Americans Dislike Musk And Zuckerberg, New Research Shows

New research reveals that most U.S. adults feel unfavorably towards Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Why? That could be down to social media.

by: News4Jax

Musk waves a chainsaw and charms conservatives talking up Trump's cost-cutting efforts

Billionaire Elon Musk has created a buzz waving a chainsaw in the air at a conservative gathering outside Washington.

by: KING5

Jayapal: There will be 'direct consequences' to the country because of Trump administration layoffs

Jayapal discussed the federal layoffs, criticized the Trump administration's plans and her efforts to protect the trans community in an interview with KING 5.

by: BBC

Elon Musk and Javier Milei wield chainsaw on stage at conservative conference

by: News4Jax

Dr. Mehmet Oz holds millions from companies that he'd wield power over if confirmed, report shows

Dr. Mehmet Oz holds millions of dollars worth of shares in health insurance, fertility, pharmaceutical and vitamin companies.

by: WXYZ

Trump administration is considering 'dividend' checks from money generated by DOGE

The Trump Administration is considering having the so-called Department of Government Efficiency give some of its savings to the American people.

by: Reuters

Trump administration can continue mass firings of federal workers, US judge rules

The Trump administration can for now continue its mass firings of federal employees, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, rejecting a bid by a group of labor unions to halt President Donald Trump's dramatic downsizing of the roughly 2.

by: Newsweek

Trump Says DOGE Could Give 20% of Savings Directly to Taxpayers: Live Updates

President Donald Trump said he was considering a plan to Americans with savings from DOGE. Follow Newsweek's live blog for updates.

by: Newsweek

Kash Patel's Confirmation Tightens Trump's Control of Government

The Senate voted to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director on Thursday, tightening President Donald Trump's control of the federal government. Why It Matters. Patel was among a handfu

by: Yahoo

'Zero Day' Review: Robert De Niro Can't Save This Dull Dad TV Political Thriller

An all-star cast fails to elevate this lackluster conspiracy drama with no point of view The post 'Zero Day' Review: Robert De Niro Can't Save This Dull Dad TV Political Thriller appeared first on TheWrap.

by: WVXU

Analysis: Red states like Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana could be hurt most by Trump's cuts

The numbers clearly show how states like Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana won't be spared from the Trump/Musk budget-cuts.

by: Sky

Farage says Zelenskyy is not a dictator and Trump 'should not be taken literally'

Donald Trump has called the Ukrainian president a "dictator", and the US leader's ally Nigel Farage has remained silent on the controversial remarks until now.

by: CNN

Trump wants to 'abolish' the IRS and replace it with tariffs. Can it work?

No one wants to pay taxes, and practically every American dislikes the IRS. But, as the saying goes, the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. So the IRS is here to stay.

by: WLRN

Speed vs. accountability: The call to fix FEMA and the high stakes for Florida

President Trump has pledged to reform FEMA, while suggesting it should be done away with. Two Floridians who used to lead the agency told WLRN they support the process — but caution federal emergency management is needed.

by: britishhorseracing

Racing and Politics in 2025: A busy start to the year

The new year is always busy when it comes to political engagement and 2025 has been no exception.

by: RealClearPolitics

Tapper: Trump Calling Zelensky A Dictator Is More Than Just Upending The Normal Way Of Doing Things, He's Breaking With Facts

We begin today with President Trump seeming to upend the domestic and a global world order. Let's start with the global world order. This morning President Trump sending shockwaves throughout Europe when he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a quote dictator,

by: CNN

Trump overhauls government and upends foreign policy on Ukraine

President Donald Trump and his administration continue with their government overhaul efforts and foreign policy agenda on Ukraine. Follow for live updates.

by: Alternet

Legal expert wanrs Trump's 'shock and awe' approach is 'undermining' his own agenda

Donald Trump promised to bring "shock and awe" to the United States' federal government if he won the 2024 election, and his first month back in the White House has been extremely turbulent. Trump issued countless executive orders after beginning his second presidency,

by: NPR

Trump claims expanded power over independent agencies

The executive order would affect agencies like the SEC and FDIC, but it excludes the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors and Open Market Committee.

by: MSN

Gilbert: In Germany, Trump's return and embrace of the far-right loom over Sunday's elections

Months after American voters returned Donald Trump to the White House, the 2024 U.S. election is casting a giant shadow over the 2025 German election.

by: MSNBC

Youngkin fails to stand up to Trump as federal cuts threaten thousands in Virginia

Although some Republicans can't seem to bear what the president is doing to their states, they're too scared to say they're against it.

by: MSN

Trump and Musk Question if There's Gold in Fort Knox: What We Know

President Donald Trump discussed Fort Knox and the status of the United States' gold reserves while aboard Air Force One on Wednesday night, echoing recent speculation fueled online by billionaire ally Elon Musk.

by: ABC

Trump says the federal government should 'take over' the District of Columbia, backing GOP push in Congress

WASHINGTON -- Trump says the federal government should 'take over' the District of Columbia, backing GOP push in Congress.

by: MSN

All the things announced by the Welsh Government in the 2025-26 budget

More money has been added to the 'brighter' budget announced by Mark Drakeford with £120m additional spending planned for Wales

by: CNN

Trump overhauls government and upends foreign policy

President Donald Trump and his administration continue with their government overhaul efforts and foreign policy agenda. Follow for live updates.

What is the two-child benefit cap and will the government scrap it?

The two-child benefit cap could be back on the government's agenda after it refused to ditch the controversial policy when it came into power. Questions about scrapping or tweaking the policy have been raised repeatedly at sessions of the government's child poverty taskforce,

The two-child benefit cap, introduced in 2017 by the UK government, limits child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in a family, aiming to encourage parents to work more and reduce welfare spending. This policy has been criticized for pushing families into poverty, with an estimated 1.6 million children affected. Despite calls from various groups, including the Labour Party, to abolish the cap, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resisted, arguing that it's unfair for working families to fund benefits for larger families. The cap has been a point of contention, with critics highlighting its detrimental impact on child poverty, while supporters claim it promotes fairness in welfare distribution. The government's stance remains unchanged, with no plans to scrap the policy, emphasizing the need for fiscal responsibility and work incentives.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/politics/government/what-is-the-two-child-benefit-cap-and-will-the-government-scrap-it/ar-AA1zs6Ad