• Thu, February 20, 2025

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: 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: 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: 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: MSN

Request to block mass firing of probationary employees denied by judge

A judge has denied labor unions' request to temporarily block the administration from carrying out mass firing of probationary employees and deferred resignation offers.

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: MSN

IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes US government

A tearful executive at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service told staffers on Thursday that about 6,000 employees would be fired, a person familiar with the matter said, in a move that would eliminate roughly 6% of the agency's workforce in the midst of the busy tax-filing season.

by: MSN

Minnesota bird flu, wolf tracking programs clouded in uncertainty amid Trump's federal funding freeze

Minnesota farmers say they are in a valley of uncertainty amid the layoffs and cost-cutting measures of the first few weeks of President Trump's second term. "It's really ... a day-to-day, hour-to-hour situation,

by: MSN

Farage steps back as Reform UK owner and 'hands over membership' as party 'prepares for Government'

Nigel Farage has stepped back from his role as owner of Reform UK after the party's new constitution came into force. The Clacton MP will remain as party leader - however, the party is now "non-profit,

by: MSN

Yogi Government's power-packed budget: A vision for infrastructure, education, and AI in 2025-26

The Yogi government, on Thursday, presented a historic Budget of Rs 8.08 lakh crore for the financial year 2025-26 in the state assembly, marking the largest budget in Uttar Pradesh's history. Finance Minister Suresh Khanna described the Budget as a significant step toward the state's economic growth and social welfare.

by: MSN

US official says Trump's frustration with Zelenskyy is 'multifold' and blasts 'insults' from Ukraine

A top White House official said Thursday that President Donald Trump's increasingly tough criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy reflects the administration's growing frustration with what they see as the Ukrainian leader creating roadblocks to finding an endgame to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

by: MSN

Be 'less callous': Fox News host begs Trump and Musk to spare veteran friend from layoffs

Many right-wing media outlets are vigorously defending the mass layoffs of federal government employees being pushed by the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency,

by: MSN

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,
  • Fri, February 21, 2025

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: CNN

Trump to sign more executive orders as government overhaul moves forward

President Donald Trump and his administration are continuing to try and implement his agenda amid multiple legal challenges. Follow for live updates.

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: 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: 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.

by: MSN

18 things Trump and his team did this week

The Financial Times newspaper first reported that US officials had brought up the case with the Romanian government last week, and it was then followed up by Trump's envoy Richard Grenell at the weekend. One source told the paper that a request had been ...

by: MSN

Trump 2nd term live updates: Poll finds only a third approve of Musk's role

President Donald Trump's administration is continuing its radical effort to cut much of the federal government.

by: MSN

Elon Musk has created a new 'political problem' for Trump and Republicans: MSNBC panelist

Reacting to Elon Musk being the focus of voter anger at a Georgia town hall that had Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) being shouted down by voters from his district, longtime political observer Elisabeth Bumiller claimed the billionaire made matters worse for Donald Trump and Republicans with his appearance at CPAC on Thursday night.

by: MSN

Archbishop Muheria blasts Ruto, asks him to end rhetoric and work: "Stop advertising what we'll do"

Archbishop Anthony Muheria has delivered a scathing critique of President William Ruto's leadership, urging him to shift focus from rhetoric to tangible action.

by: MSN

Maddow Blog | Pam Bondi brings partisan politics back to the attorney general's office

Attorney General Pam Bondi thought it'd be a good idea to attend CPAC and record a podcast with Sen. Ted Cruz. It was a partisan mess.

by: MSN

Contempt ruling sought against Marco Rubio and others in foreign aid freeze litigation

Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

by: MSN

Chinese and European shares rise, data, politics and geopolitics all in focus

European shares rose on Friday, following peers in Asia, which hit a three-month high on AI optimism, though gains were tempered by uncertainty over developments in Ukraine and the upcoming German elections.

by: MSN

Drone flights and terrorist labels could signal coming U.S. strikes on Mexican cartels

In recent days, the Trump administration has ramped up CIA surveillance drone flights over Mexico, formally designated drug cartels as "foreign terrorist" groups and floated the possibility of deploying troops there to fight organized crime.

by: MSN

Inequity concerns prompt calls to restructure Arlington government

A bill that passed the Virginia legislature would allow Arlington County to restructure its government, addressing concerns that its current form created racial and social inequalities. Arlington is the only county in Virginia that uses a county manager form of government,

by: MSN

Trump is one month in and Americans are already mad at him about inflation

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump vowed repeatedly that he'd bring prices down "starting on Day One" if elected. It's been a month since he took office and he has yet to deliver.

by: MSN

How Clinton's "reinventing government" compares to DOGE's cost-cutting effort

The "reinventing government" program cut over 480,000 federal jobs and thousands of regulations. The woman who ran the program says any similarities to DOGE end there.

by: MSN

Analysis of DOGE's layoffs and cuts so far

Thousands of federal government employees have been laid off in the first month of President Donald Trump's administration, as the White House and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dismiss both new hires and career bureaucrats,

by: MSN

'I feel totally and utterly lied to!' Pensioner unleashes furious rant as Labour 'BREAKS promises'

A pensioner has slammed the Labour Government for "utterly lying" about energy bill support, as millions of retirees face mounting financial pressures. William Pickup expressed his frustration over broken promises regarding energy costs as he blasted Keir Starmer's Government.

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: 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: 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.

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