Thu, March 13, 2025

by: MSNBC

The House just gave Musk and Trump a blank check. The Senate should tear it up.

House Republicans voted to hand a blank check over to a White House that is already stealing from our families and communities to fund the largest possible tax cut for billionaires and the biggest corporations.

by: Politico

Selling Politics: Inside the Rush to Get Rich Off of MAGA

From unproven cures to ETFs, the market for products branded by Trump loyalists is exploding. So are the political careers of some of the people behind them.

by: Bizcommunity

Government allocates R19.1bn for teachers over the medium term

The government has added R19.1bn over the medium term to keep approximately 11,000 teachers in classrooms.Source: Pexels"Our learner-teacher ratios remain higher than we would like, meaning that we still need more teachers in classrooms,

by: Insider

Embarrassment, fear, and protests: 4 Tesla owners tell BI why they sold their cars

Tesla owners liked their cars, but one decided to sell "as a protest against Elon Musk and his work at DOGE." Others fear further declines in values.

by: Newsday

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says he will slash climate-change regulations and spending

WASHINGTON — U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday that he would slash long-standing climate-change regulations and spending, and cancel the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, alarming environmentalists and Democrats.

by: Fortune

USAID staff invited to attend a daylong event to burn and shred classified documents, email says

USAID workers have been told to burn documents as the Trump Administration attempts to completely dismantle the agency.
Wed, March 12, 2025

by: TheWrap

Donald Trump Is Weirdly Starstruck, and Mel Gibson Looks Like the Latest Beneficiary

Republicans might be the "shut-up-and-sing" party when it comes to celebrities dabbling in politics, but their leader has a different attitude toward stars -- if, that is, they support him. That's the backdrop to reports that thanks to his "personal relationship" with President Donald Trump,

by: Axios

Senate Dems' riskier scenario ahead of possible government shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has signaled his party is prepared to let the government shut down. Why it matters: Even if it's a bargaining tactic, Schumer and Democrats have put Congress closer to an outcome he's repeatedly warned against.

by: Yahoo

Is Elon Musk rooting for a government shutdown?

In just over 48 hours, the government will partially shut down unless Congress can pass a continuing resolution. New reporting from Wired finds Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency might just want Washington,

by: UPI

Government shutdown soon? Senate Democrats say they won't support House budget bill

Senate Democrats have vowed to shut down the federal government rather than support a House-approved budget resolution to avert a pending government shutdown at the end of the day Friday.

by: WUSA9

DC residents and officials focus efforts on U.S. Senate amid potential $1 billion cuts to city services

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the final passage of continuing resolution on Friday to avoid a federal government shutdown.

by: MLive

Education on the chopping block? Michigan school principals in D.C. fighting for funding

Advocating for education programs on Capitol Hill isn't new for school leaders. But now Michigan administrators said the work feels more urgent.

by: WAtoday

How a former Queensland government minister wound up on The White Lotus

A former Beattie government minister has landed an acting role in one of the most talked about television shows of the past few years.

by: TVOntario

ANALYSIS: Should Doug Ford should do with voting reform what he did with beer and wine?

On corner-store booze Ford turned a Liberal promise into a potent political weapon. He can do the same with our electoral system.

by: CNN

House passes funding bill ahead of Friday shutdown deadline in win for Republicans

Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday succeeded in a high-stakes House vote to pass President Donald Trump's plan to fund the government into the fall, overcoming far-right opposition as the GOP scrambles to avert a government shutdown Friday at midnight.

by: MSNBC

Why a law firm says Trump's order against it 'presents a clear and present danger'

Perkins Coie says Trump's "unprecedented" executive order is "retaliatory punishment." The court hearing about it is Wednesday.

by: tyla

Donald Trump's tariffs explained and why he's using them against countries after he makes extreme announcement

Donald Trump's recent tariffs on US imports to various countries have prompted a backlash over his extreme measures.

by: dw

Civil society in the crosshairs in Central, Eastern Europe

Faced with political challenges at home and emboldened by President Trump's dismantling of USAID, the illiberal governments of Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia are cracking down on civil society organizations.

by: Newsweek

EU Launches $28 Billion Retaliation to Trump Tariff War

The European Union said it will impose retaliatory tariffs worth $28 billion on U.S. industrial and agricultural goods, following the Trump Administration's decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 25 percent. The EU tariffs will take effect on April 1 and be fully implemented by mid-month.

by: Indy100

Trump says billionaire Elon Musk has been 'treated very unfairly' - and it went down as well as you'd expect

President Donald Trump has declared that Elon Musk - the world's richest man - has been "treated unfairly" as the president said he promoted Tesla from the White House's south lawn and promised to buy one of the vehicles displayed.

by: WLRN

Florida lawmakers advance school changes: phone bans, required cursive and start times

There are bills to further restrict kids' cell phone use in schools and to require cursive instruction for younger students. Another piece of legislation would nix an upcoming mandate for some schools to start later.

by: Reuters

Canadians, stung by Trump's tariffs and rhetoric, balk at US travel

Right on the U.S.-Canadian border, Corey Fram's tourism marketing job has gotten a lot harder of late. Fram is director of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, which promotes a nature destination with castles,

by: AFP

Greenland to get new government to lead independence process

Talks to form a new Greenland government tasked with mapping a timeline for independence from Denmark were to begin Wednesday, a day after elections that saw support soar for a party seeking to cut

by: KPBS

House GOP passes spending bill, sending plan to avert government shutdown to Senate

by: Insider

Xi Jinping used 'a human Chinese wall' of soldiers to block eye contact between him and Mark Zuckerberg, new book says

But Xi didn't seem interested. That's according to Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive who said she had tried to engineer a "spontaneous encounter" between Zuckerberg

by: MSN

Kremlin warns Russians against Trump euphoria and 'rose-tinted spectacles'

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Tuesday warned Russians not to get carried away by what the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is doing over Ukraine even though its actions may sometimes look hopeful for Moscow and to always "prepare for the ...

by: Euronews

EU strikes back against US steel and aluminium tariffs with retaliatory package

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced a response to new US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, unveiling a package of countermeasures aimed at US exports. View on euronews

by: katv

Arkansas introduces bill to enhance government transparency and update FOIA regulations

A new bill in Arkansas is aimed at increasing government transparency.The bill updates the state's Freedom of Information Act, expanding the rules around public

by: BBC

UK helped Ukraine and US reach ceasefire agreement

Zelensky relationship, UK government sources tell the BBC.

by: CNBC

Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports take effect

U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports came into effect Wednesday. The European Union said on Wednesday it would impose counter-tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28.33 billion) worth of U.

by: Fortune

Elon Musk admits he's juggling DOGE and his other businesses 'with great difficulty' as Tesla shares tank 54% since December

Elon Musk reassured ruffled Tesla shareholders that the business would be "fine" in the long term as it suffers a boycott—but admits running the company and working on DOGE is a challenge.
Tue, March 11, 2025

by: Mediaite

'Lying Hacks': White House Drops Scathing Fact Check on Outlets Reporting Elon Musk Threatened Entitlements

The Trump White House's rapid response team on Tuesday hit Bloomberg News with a scathing fact check about some of Elon Musk's comments

by: MSNBC

Trump shuts down efforts to protect election security at CISA

An immigration app retooled for deportation, an ex-Facebook employee blows the whistle on censorship plan, and Trump allies target Alphabet.

by: MARCA

Donald Trump defends Elon Musk amid Tesla boycotts and makes supportive vow

by: ProPublica

Two Transgender Girls, Six Federal Agencies. How Trump Is Trying to Pressure Maine Into Obedience.

Maine said it wouldn't break state law to follow President Donald Trump's order barring transgender girls from playing girls' sports. Then came a barrage of investigations and threats targeting the state's federal funding.

by: Euronews

'Constructive' Ukraine-US talks focus on sea-air ceasefire and minerals deal, reports say

Peace discussions between senior Ukrainian and US officials began in Jeddah on Tuesday just as hundreds of Ukrainian drones were launched at targets in the Moscow region. View on euronews

by: Metro

Donald Trump doubles down and declares he will make Canada 51st State

President Donald Trump has doubled down on tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum and called for making the country the US's 51st state. Trump blasted Canada in lengthy Truth Social posts on Tuesday morning and said he would 'shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity' after the northern nation placed a 25% tariff on electricity from America.

by: RealClearPolitics

Watch Live: White House Briefing Expected To Cover Government Funding, Tariff Fight, Ukraine Peace Talks

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters Tuesday around 1:00 pm as the Trump administration juggles a lot of things going on in the economy, foreign policy, and on the Hill.

by: Newsweek

Proposed VA Cuts Spark Veteran Anger: 'Deserve Better'

Widespread cuts across the Department of Veterans Affairs are letting veterans down, laid-off employees and advocates say.

by: MSN

Trump doubles tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium as trade war intensifies

He said the increase in the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price rises the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States. He posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday ...

by: Fortune

Trump declares Tesla boycott 'illegal' and vows to buy a new car from Elon Musk in solidarity

A pressure campaign targeting Trump's wealthy political patron is conspiratorial and against the law, the president told his supporters, despite boycotts falling under the domain of free speech.

by: Firstpost

As Elon Musk's politics rises, Tesla loses 54% value since Election Day

Amid extremist politics of Elon Musk, his electric vehicles company Tesla has seen 54% of its value fall since the highs in the weeks after the Election Day, with stock falling by 15% yesterday alone

by: Politico

Katie Porter enters race to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Porter, who is running her second statewide race in as many years, enters the field with a number of advantages.

by: News4Jax

Republicans are marching ahead with a government funding bill despite Democratic opposition

Republicans will face a critical test of their unity when a spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September comes up for a vote.

by: dw

Syria: Sharaa signs integration deal with Kurdish-led forces

Syria's Kurds have agreed to integrate their de facto autonomous institutions into the new Syrian government. In return, they have been promised constitutional and language rights.

by: CNN

What we know about the House GOP government funding bill

House Republicans are hoping to vote Tuesday on a stopgap bill aimed at funding the federal government through September 30 and preventing a shutdown after Friday.

by: Reuters

US EPA administrator says he canceled DEI grants totaling $1.7 billion

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Monday he canceled 400 environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion grants totaling $1.7 billion in the Trump administration's latest crackdown on DEI initiatives.

by: Slate

Democrats Can't Afford to Roll Over and Play Dead

As the Trump-Musk presidency continues to bulldoze its way through the federal government, American democracy, and the liberal world order, Democrats have been stunningly muted.

Meta's AI chief says Trump and Musk are threats to America's AI dominance

Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist reiterated his concerns about the Trump administration's budget-cutting strategies and how it can potentially harm the American AI industry in a letter by a coalition of AI and tech groups submitted to the Commerce Secretary,

The article from MSN discusses concerns raised by Yann LeCun, Meta's AI chief, about the potential threats to America's dominance in artificial intelligence (AI) posed by political figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. LeCun, who has been critical of Trump's policies and Musk's influence, particularly highlighted how Trump's administration could hinder AI development through restrictive regulations or lack of support for tech innovation. Additionally, he pointed out Musk's involvement in AI, especially through his companies like Tesla and xAI, suggesting that Musk's actions could lead to a concentration of AI power, potentially skewing the development and ethical considerations of AI technologies. LeCun's comments reflect broader anxieties about how political and business leaders might shape the future landscape of AI, potentially affecting global technological leadership and ethical standards in AI development.

Read the Full Cryptopolitan Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/meta-s-ai-chief-says-trump-and-musk-are-threats-to-america-s-ai-dominance/ar-AA1AIZko