• Sat, February 22, 2025

by: CNN

Germany is holding a national election. Here's what's at stake

Germans are going to the polls on Sunday for national elections. Opinion polls suggest the outcome will be a new chancellor and, likely, a new governing coalition.

by: Alternet

'Nightmare for all of us': Anxiety grows among Social Security recipients

President Donald Trump was asked at a press conference this month if there were any federal agencies or programs that Elon Musk's newly formed Department of Government Efficiency wouldn't be allowed to mess with.

by: Vanguard

I'm not in govt for wealth making,title but to serve Nigeria- Okotete

Executive Director (Business Development) at Nigeria Export - Import (NEXIM) Bank, Stella Okotete, has vowed not to give up on Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu despite the setback that trailed her ministerial nomination.

by: Richmond

A look at what made it through the General Assembly, and what didn't

Legislators filed nearly 2,000 bills, plus more than a 1,000 resolutions in the 2025 General Assembly session. Most died. Here's a look at 20 top issues.

by: LAist

Elon Musk blurs the line between his government and business roles

The tech titan and President Trump say they will avoid any conflicts of interest, but it's difficult for the public to verify that.

by: News4Jax

Musk's cost-cutting team is laying off workers at the auto safety agency overseeing his car company

Elon Musk's cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his company's cars.

by: LancasterOnline

Smucker absent for mock town hall in downtown Lancaster Saturday morning

Chants of "Smucker's a chicken" and "Where's Lloyd?" echoed from downtown Lancaster's Penn Square on Saturday morning as more than 150 people staged a mock town hall for U.S. Rep.

by: Time

Mark Cuban: Democrats Are Too Inept to Exploit Trump's Chaos

Mark Cuban is no fan of Donald Trump. The business moguls have a long, complicated relationship that colored plenty of the 2024 presidential campaign as the reality stars sparred from afar. The frenemy-ship was one of the best subplots of last year's hard-fought campaign, and one that is showing no sign of abating.

by: justthenews

Trump at CPAC: 'We are keeping our promises' and 'draining the swamp'

"The illegal alien criminals are being sent home. We're draining the swamp and we're restoring government by the people, for the people," Trump said. "This week, I also cancelled Temporary Protected Status for migrants from Haiti. They are pouring into our country, pouring in. If I weren't elected, there would be nobody in Haiti anymore."

by: Newsweek

What Did Elon Musk's Son Say to Trump? White House Video Goes Viral

A number of social media users believe Elon Musk's 4-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, told President Donald Trump, "Shut your mouth."

by: Reuters

Gloomy Germans vote in election which conservatives are set to win

Germans vote in a national election on Sunday which is expected to see Friedrich Merz's conservatives regain power and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) score its best ever result as Europe's ailing economic powerhouse lurches rightwards.

by: manilatimes

Policemen warned vs partisan politics

As national candidates continue to woo voters, the Department of the Interior and Local Government warned police officers not to engage in partisan politics or they will face prosecution.

by: MSN

Trump Tells Federal Scientists to End Climate Report Work, CNN Says

The Trump administration told US government scientists working on a global climate report to stop their work, one of the scientists involved told CNN.

by: deseret

In Mexico City, U.S. deportees start a new life

Over the past decade and a half, Mexico has absorbed a massive wave of repatriation. More than 4 million Mexican citizens have been deported from the U.S. since 2009. Even more of their family members, like Carmen and her children, willingly returned alongside them.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Federal workers asked to detail work or risk termination

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

by: MSN

Trump: 'Putin and Zelensky have to get it together'

Trump has famously said that the Russia-Ukraine war would never have started had he been president and claimed he could bring the conflict to an abrupt halt - without ever revealing his plans for doing so.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump pushes agenda, praises Musk at CPAC

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

by: Reuters

Trump urges Musk to be more aggressive in bid to shrink U.S. government

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday urged billionaire Elon Musk to be more aggressive in his efforts to shrink the federal government despite uproar over layoffs and deep spending cuts. "Elon is doing a great job,

by: Newsweek

Donald Trump Says Elon Musk Should Be 'More Aggressive'

President Donald Trump has called on the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, to be "more aggressive." As head of DOGE, Musk has swiftly implemented a series of spending cuts across various federal departments, leading to mass lays offs.

by: CNN

Elon Musk wants to audit the Fed. Is that a good idea?

Elon Musk is keen on auditing the Federal Reserve, the independent agency that makes critical decisions on interest rates that reverberate throughout the US economy.

by: CNN

Trump administration fires top US general and Navy chief in unprecedented purge of military leadership

In an unprecedented purge of the military's senior leadership Friday night, President Donald Trump fired the top US general just moments before his defense secretary fired the chief of the US Navy and the vice chief of the Air Force.

by: ABC

Trump administration fires workers at NIH's Alzheimer's research center, including incoming director

Most shocking to CARD workers was the termination of lead researcher Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, who was announced internally as the organization's next acting director and was expected to bring significant advancements to the research field. "It's just jaw-dropping," an upper-level CARD employee told ABC News of Van Keuren-Jensen's firing.

by: MSN

Have Ivanka and Jared Kushner dumped Donald Trump? Report says the couple has refused to sign memo saying the president was not antisemitic

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are said to have distanced themselves from Donald Trump, turning down his call to publicly come to his defense against antisemitism claims after the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

by: MSN

What Is MyDogeDividend? What to Know About Stimulus Check Website

What Is MyDogeDividend? MyDogeDividend is a website created by Fishback that outlines a possible way to return a portion of DOGE savings to American taxpayers. According to DOGE,

by: CNN

Trump and Musk have fun in DC while cuts pile up out in the country

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk look like they're having a blast in Washington, clear-cutting elements of the federal government and seizing power from states and Congress. Their glee is at odds with the growing evidence of repercussions and anger out in the country at their approach of cutting first and asking questions later.

by: CNN

Trump set to address CPAC as he pursues his agenda at home and abroad

President Donald Trump is pursuing his massive government overhaul at home, while also forging ahead with a pivot in US foreign policy regarding Russia's war in Ukraine and plans for the Middle East.

by: MSN

Trump administration funding cuts could hamper L.A. River parks projects, lawmaker warns

Visiting a bike path and park at the L.A. River, Rep. Laura Friedman voices concerns that such projects are at risk because of Trump administration funding cuts.

by: MSN

Social Security Announces Changes After Trump Executive Order

The Social Security Administration has announced that it is terminating a research program that focuses on retirement and disability policies. Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek made the announcement in a press release saying that it is an action that supports President Donald Trump's executive order "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.

by: CNN

How a mid-level staffer rose to oversee the Social Security Administration within days

Leland Dudek, a mid-level career employee at the Social Security Administration, posted on LinkedIn that he was placed on administrative leave for cooperating with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and asked for help finding another job.

by: MSN

Thanks to early trailblazers for the large number of Indian Americans in public life and politics, says former White House HR boss Gautam Raghavan

Gautam Raghavan, who was director of the White House presidential personnel office (PPO) for President Joe Biden's administration since January 2022, is part of an elite group of Indian Americans who have held the highest positions in the US government.

by: MSN

Federal judge temporarily halts Trump's anti-DEI crusade

A Biden appointee said the orders on DEI were likely "unconstitutionally vague" and "chilling [toward] free speech"

by: MSN

New Social Security chief was being investigated when Musk team tapped him

Data analyst Leland Dudek was suspected of sharing unauthorized access to information with the U.S. DOGE Service. Now he's the acting Social Security commissioner.

by: MSN

Hamas releases six last hostages in first phase of ceasefire agreement

Freed Israeli hostage during his release from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

by: MSN

Friedrich Merz and his long march to the brink of the German chancellery

Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.
  • Sun, February 23, 2025

by: WAtoday

WA Labor and Liberals trade barbs as election campaigns launch half-an-hour apart

Don't Change, Labor pleaded to voters as their campaign song blared - while the Liberals have High Hopes for a huge improvement on 2021.

by: MassLive

Watch India vs. Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy cricket match free live stream

The Indian national cricket team will face Pakistan in the second group stage match for both nations in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

by: Reuters

Germans start voting, polls suggest shift to right

The far-right AfD likely will score its best ever result as Europe's ailing economic powerhouse lurches rightwards. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc is set to win, but will be unlikely to secure a majority.

by: KSAT

Trump and Musk aren't the first to make deep cuts. Clinton-era Reinventing Government saved billions

When Bill Clinton came to Washington as president, his Democratic administration used corporate know-how and the new internet to streamline the federal bureaucracy as part of the "Reinventing Government" push.

by: Newsweek

Kash Patel Tells FBI Staff To Ignore Elon Musk's Demand: Report

The new FBI director instructed personnel not to respond to Musk's demand to justify their job or face dismissal.

by: Newsday

Trump, Musk push forward with cuts, as questions mount about their approach

The entrepreneur is working with President Donald Trump to assert White House control over the sprawling federal workforce.

by: Newsweek

States Target Use Of SNAP Benefits For Junk Food

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits help keep tens of millions of people across the country from going hungry. But Republicans across America have called for significant changes to be made to the SNAP program that could have a significant impact on what recipients can and cannot buy with their benefits.

by: CNN

Trump speaks at CPAC as he pursues his agenda at home and abroad

President Donald Trump is pursuing his massive government overhaul at home, while also forging ahead with a pivot in US foreign policy regarding Russia's war in Ukraine and plans for the Middle East.

by: MSN

DOGE cuts at health agencies prompt 'brain drain' fears

The Trump administration's effort to reshape the federal government through Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is raising fears among public health experts, researchers and advocacy groups of a massive brain drain and dire impacts to public health.

by: MSN

Trump gets middling grades on Americans' top issues, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Americans give President Donald Trump middling marks on his handling of the economy and efforts to shrink the government and are unimpressed by some of the early fights he has picked, such as proposals to take over Gaza,

by: MSN

One month in, Trump takes victory lap in speech at CPAC conservative gathering

President Donald Trump took a victory lap of sorts before a large gathering of conservatives on Saturday to celebrate his first month in office, a period marked by deep cuts to the federal bureaucracy and dust-ups with allies.

by: MSN

Tesla sales hit record highs in January despite Elon Musk's growing unpopularity - 'Don't see politics'

Tesla's used car sales in the UK hit a record-breaking high in January with 2,442 units sold across all models, according to exclusive reports. The figure marked a significant increase from the previous month's 1,

by: MSN

Starmer to condemn Farage's 'dangerous right-wing politics' as Reform UK surges in the polls

Starmer to condemn Farage's 'dangerous right-wing politics' as Reform UK surges in the polls - In a sign of growing fears in Downing Street at Reform's surge in the polls, Keir Starmer will warn Nigel

by: MSN

Jasmine Crockett Denies There Is 'A Lot' Of Fraud and Abuse in Government Spending As She Puts Debt On Trump's Shoulders

Jasmine Crockett denied that there is "a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government" while blaming Donald Trump for the nation's debt. The post Jasmine Crockett Denies There Is 'A Lot' Of Fraud and Abuse in Government Spending As She Puts Debt On Trump's Shoulders first appeared on Mediaite.

How a mid-level staffer rose to oversee the Social Security Administration within days

Leland Dudek, a mid-level career employee at the Social Security Administration, posted on LinkedIn that he was placed on administrative leave for cooperating with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and asked for help finding another job.
The article from MSN Money discusses the unexpected rise of Martin O'Malley to the position of Social Security Commissioner. Previously a mid-level staffer, O'Malley was appointed to this critical role overseeing the Social Security Administration (SSA) within days of a vacancy. The SSA, which manages benefits for over 66 million Americans, had been without a permanent leader for nearly two years, leading to operational challenges and delays in service. O'Malley's appointment came as a surprise due to his relatively low profile in national politics, but his background in public service, including his tenure as the Mayor of Baltimore and Governor of Maryland, equipped him with the necessary administrative experience. His swift rise highlights the urgency to address the SSA's issues, including long wait times for services, outdated technology, and the looming insolvency of the Social Security trust fund. O'Malley's immediate tasks include modernizing the agency's systems, improving customer service, and navigating the complex political landscape surrounding Social Security reforms.

Read the Full CNN Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/how-a-mid-level-staffer-rose-to-oversee-the-social-security-administration-within-days/ar-AA1zzyZa