• Wed, March 12, 2025

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: MSN

RFK Jr and Sean Hannity reveal Trump's secret to losing '30 pounds'

Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has made the surprising claim that the president has recently lost 30 pounds - while conceding that his junk food diet still leaves a lot to be desired. Interviewed by Fox News host ...

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Reuters

US judge says Trump cannot fire Democratic member of federal labor board

A federal judge said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump lacked the power to remove a Democratic member from the Federal Labor Relations Authority and ordered that Susan Tsui Grundmann be reinstated.

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: 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: BBC

A man called Bombshell fires up Zimbabwe's succession battle

Zanu-PF was outraged by his "disloyal" remarks - later described as "amounting to treason" - forcing Bombshell into hiding from where, through his representatives, he continues to make taunts via social media, hinting at protests.

by: WLRN

Florida gun rights groups push to repeal the ban on selling firearms and ammo in a local emergency

"And of course, making sure that we're not under the thumb of overbearing local government declaring an emergency to take away our rights"

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: 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: 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: Reuters

US Senate Democrats debate path forward on government funding bill

U.S. Senate Democrats were wrestling on Wednesday with how to respond to a stopgap funding bill passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, choosing between voting for a bill many of them oppose or allowing a government shutdown.
  • Thu, March 13, 2025

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.

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: politicsweb

Budget 2025: A blend of social, economic and coalition realities - Brett Herron

These propositions have ranged from various approaches to implementing a direct or indirect wealth tax, such as reducing retirement fund tax breaks for top earners, adopting a zero-based approach to budgeting to eliminate waste, improving SARS' capacity to collect tax, and eliminating the provincial tier of government.

by: MSN

Fact check: Was Donald Trump recruited by the KGB and codenamed 'Krasnov'?

When former KGB officer Alnur Mussayev claimed that US President Donald Trump was recruited as an asset for Moscow in the 1980s, it set off a storm on social media. In a Facebook post on 20 February, Mussayev said that Trump was enlisted by the KGB in 1987 ...

by: IOL

Budget Speech exposes opposition's strategic vacuum in SA politics

Throughout the nearly hour-long address, the ANC side of the National Assembly chamber erupted in raucous cheers for the increases in social grants, while the opposition sat sullenly on the other side of the room,

by: ProPublica

Washington Blues: A Government Town Faces a Gloomy Future

For years, Washington, D.C., was insulated from many of the economic forces that decimated many older U.S. cities. Now, as Elon Musk's mass layoffs shake everything from employment to real estate, the region faces the prospect of decline.

by: KJZZ

Trump's hiring freeze has halted local head counts and could threaten the U.S. census

by: HuffPost

GOP Senator Admits What Trump And White House Are Denying In Tariff War

That is something the White House does not acknowledge," the host shot back. "That is something the president, who is a businessperson, understands that completely," the

by: YorkshireLive

NHS England to be abolished - what it means and how it could affect you

In a major speech, the Prime Minister said the move would bring the NHS "back into democratic control" in a huge reorganisation. It will now be brought under the DHSC.

by: dw

Trump's madman tactics and the psychology of bluffing

It was former US President Richard Nixon who came up with the "Madman Theory" as a way to coerce foreign adversaries. But Trump even uses it with allies. Here's how it works.

by: CNBC

The state and local tax deduction could change amid Trump's tax cuts debate. Here's what to know

The state and local tax deduction could change in 2025 as lawmakers debate Trump's tax cuts. Here's what to know.

by: Insider

Judge blasts Trump's mass firing of probationary employees as a 'sham' and orders jobs to be reinstated

A federal judge said the government's explanation for firing tens of thousands of workers was a "lie" to circumvent the law.

by: Alternet

'Lies and gimmicks': Judge reverses Trump administration's 'sham' firing of 20,000 federal workers

A federal judge on Thursday ruled the Trump administration must "immediately [reinstate]" tens of thousands of probationary federal employees "unlawfully [terminated]" by the government, ABC News Katherine Faulders reports.

by: Distractify

What Are Frank's Stallone's Politics? All About His Political History

Frank Stallone is familiar with heightened media attention — and that's what he is now in the middle of due to his political opinions.

by: Euronews

Portugal set to hold early election in May after minority government collapses

The government, led by the Social Democrats in an alliance with a smaller party, fell amid a controversy that has revolved around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of outgoing Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's family law firm.

by: Reuters

Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits in escalating trade war

By Doina Chiacu, Philip Blenkinsop and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200% tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe,

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: Politico

Pete Hoekstra is poised to become US ambassador to Canada at a tense moment

The Trump ally is set to be confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Canada. The position has never been more critical — or more fraught.

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: SaltWire

'An Evening with the Premier' was a look back at Furey's legacy and opportunity to pass on advice for next leader

At the Liberal party of NL's annual "Evening with the Premier" event, Premier Andrew Furey said if he had he known there would be the amount of support there was, he may have reconsidered his decision to step down .

by: Metro

Keir Starmer to scrap NHS England and bring it back under government control

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: Axios

D.C. makes final plea to avoid $1B in cuts in government shutdown bill

D.C. leaders and activists are pleading with U.S. Senate offices to avoid $1.1 billion in cuts from the city's budget. Why it matters: The House GOP muscled through a bill late Tuesday to avoid a government shutdown,

by: BBC

Starmer to scrap NHS England and bring health service back under 'democratic control'

The PM says abolishing "the arms-length body" will reduce duplication and save money that can then be spent on frontline services.

by: dw

Is Elon Musk's politics threatening Tesla and his empire?

Investors are questioning the tech billionaire's involvement in Trump's administration, while shares in his Tesla electric-car company plummet.

by: BBC

Maze Prison regeneration 'limited to health and safety'

Plans to regenerate the site near Lisburn have been in limbo for almost 12 years due to a political row.

by: Insider

Embarrassment, fear, and protests: 4 Tesla owners tell BI why they're selling 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: 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: Reuters

UN experts accuse Israel of genocidal acts and sexual violence in Gaza

Israel carried out "genocidal acts" against Palestinians by systematically destroying women's healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza, and used sexual violence as a war strategy, United Nations experts said in a new report on Thursday.

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: dw

Germany's likely new government makes a risky gambit

The CDU/CSU and SPD want to raise hundreds of billions of euros in debt. They are set to push the proposal through the outgoing Bundestag in special sessions. That is legal, but is it legitimate?

by: Newsweek

Donald Trump Compared to Evil Queen by Judge

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said the president cannot act like "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" villain, the Queen of Hearts.

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.
The article from MSN discusses the increasing challenges faced by civil society organizations in Central and Eastern Europe, where governments are exerting more control over NGOs, media, and other independent groups. It highlights how these governments are using legal and administrative measures to restrict the operations of these organizations, often under the guise of national security or anti-corruption efforts. This crackdown is seen in countries like Hungary, Poland, and Serbia, where laws have been passed to limit foreign funding, impose heavy bureaucratic burdens, or outright label NGOs as foreign agents. Such actions not only stifle dissent but also undermine democracy by reducing the space for civil engagement and pluralism. The article points out that this trend is part of a broader global pattern where populist and authoritarian leaders seek to consolidate power by weakening independent civil sectors.

Read the Full DW Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/politics/government/civil-society-in-the-crosshairs-in-central-eastern-europe/ar-AA1ALMjQ

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