President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, as worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing
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Elon Musk comes to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans who discuss turning DOGE cuts into law
GOP senators told the billionaire Trump aide about budget rescissions, an obscure legislative tool that could bring legal heft to his federal budget slashing efforts and enshrine the cuts into law.
They explained how the White House could put the billions of dollars of savings Musk has amassed into what’s called a budget rescissions package and send it to Congress for a vote to rescind the funding.
The proposal introduced a potential next phase of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts and comes at an important time. The Trump administration is fighting in court — and in the court of public opinion — over the budget cuts tearing through the federal government.
Trump reached an estimated 36.6 million television viewers for his Congress address
The number beat the 32.2 million people who watched former President Joe Biden’s final State of the Union address last year but was smaller than any of Trump’s audiences for the annual address during his first term, the Nielsen Company said. The audience data tracker measured viewing on 15 different television networks, including those whose feed was carried on streaming services.
Trump’s first speech to Congress as president, in 2017, was seen by 47.7 million people. Television viewing in general has decreased since then.
Fox News Channel, the most popular network for Trump fans, dominated viewing, reaching 10.7 million people. ABC had 6.3 million, CBS had 4 million, NBC had 3.9 million, Fox broadcast had 2.7 million and both CNN and MSNBC had 1.9 million, Nielsen said.
Nielsen said 71% of Trump’s television viewers were 55 and older.
New Zealand’s high commissioner to the UK loses his job over Trump remarks
During an event held by the international affairs think tank Chatham House in London this week, Phil Goff said he had been rereading a speech former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave in 1938 after the Munich Agreement.
“He turned to (Neville) Chamberlain, he said, ‘You had the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, yet you will have war,’” Goff said. “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Goff’s comments were “disappointing” and made the envoy’s position “untenable.”
Officials would work on an “upcoming leadership transition” at New Zealand’s mission in London, Peters said. Goff has been New Zealand’s envoy to the U.K. since January 2023.
‘Hamilton’ pulls out of plans for perform at the Kennedy Center, citing Trump’s leadership shakeup
“Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement.
The megahit Broadway musical played the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in 2018 during Trump’s first administration and again in 2022 when Joe Biden was president. It was scheduled to play it again March 3-April 26, 2026. Those plans are off; no tickets had gone on sale.
The Kennedy Center has been in upheaval since Trump forced out the center’s leadership and was elected chair of the board of trustees. Trump’s takeover of the center is part of his broad campaign against “woke” culture.
Appeals court allows removal of head of watchdog agency as legal battle rages over Trump firing
An appeals court has removed the head of a federal watchdog agency in the latest twist in a legal fight over Trump’s authority to fire the special counsel.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with the Trump administration in allowing the immediate removal of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel while the court battle continues. Dellinger is likely to appeal.
Dellinger sued Trump last month after he was fired, even though the law says special counsels can be removed by the president “only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic president Barack Obama, quickly reinstated Dellinger in the job while he pursued his case.
House Speaker Johnson’s top aide was arrested on a DUI charge last night, police say
The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson was arrested Tuesday night on a charge of driving under the influence after crashing into a police vehicle following Trump’s address to Congress.
U.S. Capitol police said Hayden Haynes “backed into a parked vehicle” shortly before midnight. He was arrested and later released.
Haynes didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Johnson said the speaker was “aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police.”
Major retailers temper expectations for 2025
Some national retailers are beginning to take a more cautious approach with their financial forecasts as they keep a closer eye on signs of a pullback in consumer spending.
U.S. consumer confidence plunged last month, the biggest monthly decline in more than four years, according to the Conference Board. Respondents to the board’s survey expressed concern over inflation with a significant increase in mentions of trade and tariffs, the board said.
Trump meets 8 former Gaza hostages at the White House
The former captives included Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher and Noa Argamani.
“The President listened intently to their heartbreaking stories,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “The hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all of the hostages home.”
Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas, demanding all remaining hostages be returned to Israel
Trump issued what he called a “last warning” to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, directing a sharply worded message as the White House confirmed that the president had recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group.
Trump, in a statement on his Truth Social platform soon after meeting with eight former hostages, added that he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.”
“Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” Trump said. “To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision.”
Unapologetic Rep. Al Green says, ‘I would do it again’
Republicans are looking to formally rebuke Green, of Texas, for interrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress and refusing take his seat.
House Speaker Mike Johnson eventually called on the sergeant at arms to restore order by removing Green.
Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, the censure resolution’s sponsor, said “respect for the institution is paramount” and that Green “performed one of the most shameful acts that I’ve ever seen on this floor.”
Green, before speaking in his own defense, went up to Newhouse and shook his hand.
He explained his actions by saying the president indicated he had a mandate to cut Medicaid. Green said Trump doesn’t have a mandate to cut the program that many of his constituents rely on.
“This is a matter of principle. This is a matter of conscience,” Green said. “There are people suffering in this country because they don’t have health care.”
Chicago mayor doesn’t take committee comments personally
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his experience as a middle school teacher prepared him for his appearance in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
He spoke to reporters after the roughly six-hour-long hearing involving four Democratic mayors of what are known as “sanctuary cities,” including Johnson, ended.
He said he doesn’t take some of the attacks that were directed at him during the hearing personally.
One committee member said she would be referring the four mayors to the Justice Department over their policies. Johnson said that if that happens, their legal team would review it and proceed accordingly.
House Democrats fail to block an effort
to censure Rep. Al Green for heckling Trump during his address
The parliamentary tactic to table the censure resolution failed with 209 Democrats in support and 211 Republicans against. The result means a final vote on whether to censure Green, of Texas, will likely take place Thursday.
Green was escorted out of the chamber for the disruption early in the Tuesday address when Trump boasted of his election victory and Green countered, “You have no mandate.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Green to take his seat, but he refused. Johnson ordered the sergeant at arms to restore order by removing Green.
National Parks Service says it’s implementing orders by removing transgender references on agency websites
Last month, the National Parks Service removed references to transgender people from a website for the Stonewall National monument. The National Parks Conservation Association, a group that advocates for the national park system, said Wednesday that the same thing has since happened on other of the service’s websites, which The Associated Press verified.
The National Parks Service said in an email Wednesday afternoon that it’s been removing references to transgender people on agency websites to implement Trump’s executive order that calls for the federal government to define sex as only male or female and rejects that people can transition from one gender to another.
There was a further order from the acting interior secretary at the time telling the agency’s departments to do so.
Trump welcomes 13-year-old cancer survivor to the Oval Office after honoring him during address
D.J. Daniel got an honorary U.S. Secret Service badge and a nationally televised standing ovation during Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.
But the fun in Washington wasn’t over for the Texas teen who dreams of being a police officer. Trump welcomed Daniel and his family to the Oval Office on Wednesday.
White House aide Margo Martin posted a brief clip of their interaction on the social platform X. Daniel approached Trump, who was seated at his desk, and hugged him.
“There’s one more thing I got for you: a big hug,” the boy told the president.
“That was a big evening last night, wasn’t it?” Trump said to Daniel’s father.
During border visit, Vance says US forces won’t invade Mexico
Vice President JD Vance says U.S. forces won’t invade Mexico despite the president designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, opening the door for potential military action.
Asked about the potential for ground forces during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Vance responded emphatically: “No. Next question.”
He declined to offer details on any potential air strikes or other military activity.
“The president has a megaphone, and he’ll speak to those issues as he feels necessary,” Vance said.
Vance went to Eagle Pass, Texas, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to tout a drop in illegal border crossings.
Vance said the administration is still working to ramp up its capacity to carry out the mass deportations that Trump promised during his campaign. He blamed a need for more funding and alleged that former President Joe Biden “gutted” the immigration enforcement apparatus.
Justice Department opens investigation into antisemitism at the University of California
The U.S. Department of Justice says it has opened a civil rights investigation into claims that the University of California allowed an “antisemitic hostile work environment” for Jewish faculty and staff.
The investigation will determine if the 10-campus University of California system allowed discrimination against Jewish employees after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests that followed, the department said in a statement.
The University of California said it had been notified of the decision to open an investigation.
“We want to be clear: the University of California is unwavering in in its commitment to combating antisemitism and protecting everyone’s civil rights,” a UC statement said.
The Trump administration has promised to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism. The administration has opened federal investigations into five campuses, including Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley.
‘That’s it!’ Sanctuary cities hearing ends
After roughly six hours, a contentious hearing about “sanctuary cities” policies in four Democratic major cities is over.
Republican Chairman James Comer said, “That’s it!” in calling an end to the session.
He added: “Believe it or not, this is the best behaved this committee has been all Congress.”
AOC grills Adams about the Department of Justice handling his case
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has told NYC Mayor Eric Adams that he should be invoking the right against self-incrimination if he wants to dodge questions about an alleged quid pro quo arrangement with the Trump administration to drop his corruption charges in exchange for immigration enforcement cooperation.
Under questioning, Adams acknowledged that seven career Department of Justice officials resigned after they were ordered to drop his case.
Ocasio-Cortez described the alleged DOJ arrangement they resigned in protest against as a “four-alarm fire” that Americans should pay attention to.
“This is important not just for the city of New York, but for the people of the United States of America,” she said. “What other city, what other individual, what other municipality leader can be next?”
It’s not just the Stonewall website where references to transgender people have disappeared
Last month, the National Parks Service removed references to transgender people from a website for the Stonewall National monument. The National Parks Conservation Association, a group that advocates for the national park system, says the same thing has since happened on other of the service’s websites.
In some cases, whole items have been removed, including an article about Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender woman who was part of the Stonewall history, as well as The Pride Guide, an interactive workbook on LGBTQ+ history.
“We’re really concerned about the erasure of history relevant to all communities,” said Kristen Sykes, the Northeast regional director for NPCA. “We would like the American people to be able to get the full breadth of the story.”
The Associated Press verified that the pages are no longer available on Park Service sites.
The National Parks Service did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Social Security Administration says it is correcting records of deceased people
The agency said it has made “significant progress” in identifying and correcting beneficiary records of people 100 years old or older.
During his address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump repeated the claim that millions of people over 100, some up to 360 years old, are collecting Social Security benefits.
The agency said in a Wednesday statement that “while these people may not be receiving benefits, it is important for the agency to maintain accurate and complete records.”
A series of reports from the Social Security Administration’s inspector general in March 2023 and July 2024 state that the agency has not established a new system to properly annotate death information in its database, which included roughly 18.9 million Social Security numbers of people born in 1920 or earlier but were not marked as deceased.
The agency’s acting commissioner clarified last month that deceased centenarians were “not necessarily receiving benefits.”
Federal judge blocks drastic funding cuts to medical research
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from drastically cutting medical research funding that many scientists say will endanger patients and cost jobs.
The new National Institutes of Health policy would strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover so-called indirect expenses of studying Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and a host of other illnesses — anything from clinical trials of new treatments to basic lab research that is the foundation for discoveries.
Separate lawsuits filed by a group of 22 states plus organizations representing universities, hospitals and research institutions nationwide sued to stop the cuts, saying they would cause “irreparable harm.”
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston had temporarily blocked the cuts last month. Wednesday, she filed a preliminary injunction that puts the cuts on hold for longer, while the suits proceed.
Vance tours US-Mexico border by air and holds roundtable with officials
Vance participated in an aerial tour of the U.S.-Mexico border by helicopter and is holding a roundtable discussion with law officials.
Vance is being joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Trump has yet to visit the border himself since returning the White House on Jan. 20.
About 180 fired CDC employees are invited back, some to fight outbreaks
Emails went out Tuesday to some Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probationary employees who got termination notices last month, according to current and former CDC employees.
A message seen by the AP was sent with the subject line, “Read this e-mail immediately.” It said their Feb. 15 termination notices have been rescinded. “We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused,” it said.
About 180 people received the reinstatement emails, according to two federal health officials who were briefed on the tally but were not authorized to discuss it and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It’s not clear how many of them returned to work Wednesday.
French president promises nuclear deterrent against Russia
Emmanuel Macron said he will confer with European allies on using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats, now that support from the U.S. is less certain.
Macron also said he hopes to persuade President Donald Trump to abandon his threat to impose 25% tariffs on European goods.
In a televised address to his nation, Macron described Russia as a “threat to France and Europe,” and said he had decided “to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent by our (nuclear) deterrent.”
Whether or not to use France’s nuclear weapons, he said, is a decision that remains only in the French president’s hands.
GOP representative: ‘Your policies are hurting the American people’
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida says she’s asking the Justice Department to investigate Democratic mayors of so-called “sanctuary cities.”
Luna said she didn’t think the mayors of Boston, Chicago, New York and Denver are “bad people” — she said they’re just “ideologically misled.”
Luna said she’d be making a case to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Texas governor’s migrant busing campaign called haphazard and inhumane
A controversial operation by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that transported asylum seekers to so-called sanctuary cities has been a sore point for Democrats at a congressional hearing with big city mayors.
Abbot has said paying to move than 100,000 migrants out of state was a way to relieve pressure on border cities.
But the big-city mayors testifying Wednesday complained that Texas refused to communicate with them.
Several cities filed lawsuits and levied fines against bus companies, which would often drop people off at all hours, far from public transit.
White House confirms ‘ongoing talks and discussions’ with Hamas amid ceasefire uncertainty
White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday confirmed that U.S. officials have had “ongoing talks and discussions” with Hamas officials.
The talks come as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains in the balance.
Leavitt declined to detail the talks, which were first reported by the news site Axios.
GOP representative contradicts Trump’s call for mass deportations
President Donald Trump and members of his team have made no secret of wanting to deport immense numbers of immigrants living illegally in the U.S.
In his Tuesday night address, Trump said: “I have sent Congress a detailed funding request, laying out exactly how we will eliminate these threats to protect our homeland and complete the largest deportation operation in American history.”
But on Wednesday, Republican Rep. James Comer indicated otherwise during a congressional hearing on so-called sanctuary policies. “I don’t think anyone’s calling for mass deportation,” he said during one exchange.
Trump exempts auto imports from Mexico and Canada from tariffs for one month
President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, amid fears that the trade war could harm U.S. manufacturers.
Wednesday’s announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “Big 3” automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
“We are going to give a one month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA,” Trump said in a statement read by his spokesperson, referencing the North American Free Trade Agreement he renegotiated in his first term.
Pressley, Comer clash in ‘sanctuary cities’ hearing
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Republican Chairman James Comer clashed as Pressley was trying to introduce several articles into the record of the proceedings.
Comer repeatedly banged his gavel to get her to stop talking while Pressley continued.
At one point Comer accused Democrats of “trying to get thrown out of committee so you can end up on MSNBC.”
“We’re not going to put up with it,” Comer said.
Teachers union sues to block anti-DEI ‘Dear Colleague’ memo
The nation’s largest teachers’ union is challenging a Trump administration memo ordering schools to end “race-based” practices of any kind or lose their federal money.
The National Education Association’s federal lawsuit, filed Wednesday in New Hampshire, argues that the Feb. 14 memo violates teachers’ free speech rights and is unclear on what practices could run afoul of the memo.
It asks a judge to strike down the Education Department’s “Dear Colleague” Letter, which gave schools two weeks to end any practice that treats people differently based on their race, including in admissions, hiring and any aspect of student life.
The administration argues that diversity policies have discriminated against white and Asian American students.
Trump and Trudeau speak by phone
The official confirmed Trudeau’s stance on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The official said Trump and Trudeau spoke by phone around midday. A White House official later confirmed the call.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told the AP that if the tariffs remain, the American and Canadian auto industries will last about 10 days before they start shutting down assembly lines in the U.S. and Ontario.
“People are going to lose their jobs,” Ford said.
— Josh Boak and Rob Gillies
Immigration czar defends NYC mayor
Trump administration immigration czar Tom Homan went on X to defend Eric Adams, who is among a group of Democratic mayors testifying before Congress on so-called sanctuary city policies.
Adams faced sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers over his willingness to work with the Trump administration on immigration as the Justice Department works to drop corruption charges against him.
“Watching some of the sanctuary city hearing while on a flight,” Homan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “One Democrat congressman accuses Mayor Adams of “selling out New Yorkers” while making a deal with Tom Homan. Simply disgusting. Mayor Adams is trying to protect New Yorkers from violent illegal aliens. He is trying.”
Clergy: Morality is at stake as Trump administration dismantles government
A small group of clergy members across denominations and faiths protested on Capitol Hill, calling out the Trump Administration and Congress on issues including cutting funding to aid programs and the targeting of the federal workforce by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Rev. William Barber said the group came to Congress to keep the attention on how lawmakers are spending the people’s money while attention is turned to the president’s executive orders.
“If people’s lives and livelihoods can be dismissed as waste without due process, we forsake our moral commitments to equality,” Barber said.
Trump fuels Greenland’s independence fight with his talk of seizing the island
“Even though there are strong feelings of sadness, despair, confusion, I think we’re also stronger than ever,” Aka Hansen, an Inuk filmmaker and writer, told The Associated Press in Nuuk, the capital of the semi-autonomous territory.
She is suspicious of Trump’s intentions but still thanks him for turning the world’s attention to her homeland. Like many other Greenlanders, she doesn’t want to be ruled by another colonial power. But she feels Trump’s rhetoric has increased the momentum for independence.
Thousands of USDA workers may get their jobs back
More than 5,000 employees fired by the Trump administration should be put back on the job at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a government panel that enforces workers’ rights.
The order by the Merit Systems Protection Board followed a request by the Office of Special Counsel. And while this order applies only to the USDA workers, Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger issued a statement “calling on all federal agencies to voluntarily and immediately rescind any unlawful terminations of probationary employees.”
The employees were in their probationary periods when they lost their jobs last month. They’ll be on the job for 45 days as an investigation continues.
Mayor strongly defends Chicago’s immigrant protections
Mayor Brandon Johnson says immigrants help prevent and solve crimes, and that threatening to deport them makes American cities more dangerous.
“Scapegoating entire communities is not only misleading, it is unjust and beneath us,” the first-term Democrat said.
The city’s immigrant protections are decades old, said Johnson, adding that he’s the mayor of all people in Chicago, whether they have legal status or not. Chicago has spent more than $600 million on migrant services and shelter.
Trump’s USAID leader has ‘concerns’ about Supreme Court ruling against funding freeze
Pete Marocco, the Trump political appointee overseeing dismantling of USAID, told a closed-door meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday that he would review the court’s ruling reinstating an order to release frozen foreign aid.
That’s according to Committee Chairman Brian Mast. Committee members noted that Marocco did not directly answer when asked by Democrats if he would obey the high court and unfreeze the funding.
Trump called the spending wasteful and out of line with his foreign policy goals.
In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that he’s stunned that the ruling “imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers.”
Musk coming to Capitol Hill amid DOGE fallout
Musk is headed to Capitol Hill to meet privately with Republicans among growing questions about his government-slashing DOGE effort.
The billionaire Trump aide planned a private huddle with Senate Republicans at lunch and a separate meeting with House GOP lawmakers.
The blowback from constituents to government cuts has prompted Speaker Mike Johnson to advise Republicans to skip holding town hall meetings where they are being confronted by protesters.
Under oath, Adams denies agreement with Trump to drop corruption charges against him
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in New York. A top official at the U.S. Department of Justice has ordered federal prosecutors to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams and halt the ongoing investigation. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Two hours into the hearing, Democratic lawmakers grilled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, over his cooperation with Trump’s immigration officials and the subsequent dropping of corruption charges against him.
“Are you selling out New Yorkers to save yourself from prosecution?” asked Rep. Robert Garcia, of California.
Using a giant printout of a document, Garcia pointed out that a prosecutor resigned rather than dropping the charges.
“There’s no deal, no quid pro quo. And I did nothing wrong,” Adams said.
Democrat Eric Adams gets rare praise from Republican lawmakers
Republican Rep. James Comer went out of his way to thank Mayor Eric Adams for embracing the idea of working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one of the few compliments doled out by Republican lawmakers at the hearing.
Unlike the other panelists, Adams has flown to Florida to meet with Trump, praised him publicly and appeared jointly with his federal immigration officials.
Adams’ critics say the collaboration is part of an effort to wriggle out of federal corruption charges. But even before Trump was elected, Adams called on city lawmakers to allow the NYPD to collaborate even more with ICE.
10 hackers, 2 Chinese officials charged in cyberespionage targeting US agencies
Ten Chinese hackers have been charged alongside two Chinese law enforcement officers in a global hacking campaign that targeted dissidents, news organizations and U.S. agencies, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The hacking by workers of I-Soon was done in some cases at the direction of China’s Ministry of Public Security, which received the stolen information and selected targets for the intrusions as part of what U.S. officials say was a massive intelligence-gathering operation.
Among the targets of the hacking was the U.S. Treasury Department, which disclosed a breach by Chinese actors late last year.
Trump administration internal memo: 80,000 employees to be cut from Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning an “aggressive” reorganization to cut staff across the sprawling agency that provides health care for retired military, according to internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.
The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top agency officials that it’s objective is to return to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000, before the VA expanded to cover veterans impacted by burn pits under the 2022 PACT Act.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said “It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality.”
Government Executive first reported on the internal memo.
▶ Read more about planned cuts at the Veterans Administration
US sanctions Houthi members for weapons procurement
The U.S. sanctioned seven Houthi militants on Wednesday for allegedly procuring weapons from Russia and smuggling military-grade weapons into areas they control in Yemen.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned on a Houthi-affiliated operative and his firm accused of recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.
“Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news release. “The United States will use all available tools to disrupt the Houthis’ terrorist activities and degrade their ability to threaten U.S. personnel, our regional partners, and global maritime trade.”
Wisconsin governor urges congressional Republicans to stand up to Trump
Gov. Tony Evers’ open letter Wednesday urges the state’s Republican congressional delegation “to do more than offer vague concern” and to stand up to “reckless, chaotic decisions and disastrous cuts to our federal programs and workforce.”
The Democratic governor also called on the state’s six GOP House members and one Republican senator to reject cuts to Medicaid and other federal assistance programs, which he said “would almost certainly blow a devastating hole in our state budget.”
Evers’ state budget plan would hold $500 million in reserve to deal with potential federal cuts, but he said that may not be enough.
Chicago owes its founding to a Haitian immigrant, mayor says
“Chicago is and always has been a proud city of immigrants. Generations of new arrivals, including the descendants of the enslaved during the Great Migration, created a vibrant city where 1 in 5 residents is foreign born,” Johnson said.
Boston’s mayor opens by noting how much safer her city has become
“Last year, Boston saw the fewest homicides on record in the last 70 years,” Michelle Wu told the committee, citing a figure backed up by local reporting that mirrors trends across U.S. cities.
“This federal administration is making hard-working taxpaying, God-fearing residents afraid to live their lives,” said Wu, a self-described “daughter of immigrants” and Roman Catholic who testified with an ash cross on her forehead in acknowledgement of Ash Wednesday.
Denver mayor scolds Texas governor for dumping immigrants on his city
“The question Denver faced was, what will you do with a mom and two kids dropped on the streets of our city with no warm clothes, no food, and no place to stay?” Johnston said.
He also noted how Colorado police officer Julian Becerra, a Mexican immigrant, died pursuing a carjacking suspect. “If we want to tell the story of what impact immigrants have in America, we must tell the full story,” Johnston said.
Big-city mayors are now testifying to the House oversight committee on ‘sanctuary’ policies
They’re challenging the idea that such policies mean they’re protecting criminals.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said “If an undocumented individual witnesses a crime but is afraid to call 911 for fear of being turned over to federal authorities, criminals will roam free.”
Adams described first-hand experience with this dilemma — he and other officers caught the suspect of a crime, but the witness was was “an undocumented man from China” who wouldn’t file a police report because he feared putting “a target on his back with federal immigration authorities.”
Beijing and US Defense Secretary trade talk of war
Trump suggested that eliminating persistent U.S. trade deficits is the goal of the 20% tariffs he’s imposed on imports from China.
“If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy posted on X on Tuesday night.
In response Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” that “those who long for peace must prepare for war.”
Canadian finance minister: ‘We’re not interested in meeting in the middle’
“Canada wants the tariffs removed,” Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not willing to lift Canada’s retaliatory tariffs if Trump leaves any tariffs on Canada, a senior government official told The Associated Press. The official confirmed the stance on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada will reluctantly respond by plastering tariffs on over $100 billion (U.S. dollars) of American goods over the course of 21 days.
Trudeau spoke during a fiery news conference, saying Trump is launching a trade war against the closest friend of the U.S. while “appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense.”
Loud protest condemns USAID freeze outside House briefing
Protesters shouted condemnations of Trump’s leadership of USAID Wednesday outside a Capitol briefing on the agency’s shutdown.
Deputy USAID head Pete Marocco was giving a closed-door briefing to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on cuts eliminating thousands of U.S. foreign assistance programs and dismantling the agency.
“Marocco has blood on his hands! Unfreeze aid now!” the roughly 20 protesters yelled, sitting cross-legged in front of the room doors. Capitol police carried them away one by one.
Marocco and ally Elon Musk have presided over Trump’s foreign assistance funding freeze, terminating 90% of USAID programs and taking all but a fraction of agency workers off the job through firings and forced leaves.
Trump administration lists hundreds of federal buildings for potential sale
Hours later on Tuesday, the administration issued a revised list with only 320 entries — none in Washington, D.C. The GSA didn’t immediately respond to questions about the change.
In a follow-up meeting, GSA regional managers were told their goal is to terminate as many as 300 leases per day, according to an employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
The canceled office leases raise questions about services provided from these offices. The properties include federal courthouses and Internal Revenue Service centers in West Virginia, Utah, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts and New York.
Latino leaders disappointed by lack of solutions in Trump’s message
Latino leaders said Trump’s address to Congress prioritized division instead.
Trump had the opportunity to address the nation’s economic challenges but decided instead to emphasize policies that make life more difficult for working families, said a statement by Voto Latino.
And UnidosUS president Janet Murguía said Trump repeated campaign rhetoric and blamed the previous administration instead of focusing on what is being done to help working class Americans.
“The focus of the Latino community continues to be the economy and inflation, and we heard very little,” Murguía said.
Veterans speak out on the Trump administration’s plans to cut the VA’s budget
Some veterans told The Associated Press they're in favor of Trump’s proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, while others are strongly opposed.
Stephen Watson is a former Marine who lives in Jesup, Georgia — he says everyone, including veterans, needs to share in the sacrifice to bring the nation’s spending under control.
But former Marine Gregg Bafundo, of Tonasket, Washington, disagrees — he says Trump’s cuts are only about “hurting people and breaking things.”
The Republican administration’s plans to cut $2 billion in VA contracts are currently on pause over concerns that critical health services for veterans would be harmed.
A mayor, baby in arms, prepares to be grilled by Republicans
Mayor Michelle Wu just gave birth in January and now her baby daughter has come to Congress.
Ahead of what's expected to be tough questioning by Republicans over the city’s policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement, Wu appeared in the committee hearing room with her baby daughter — Mira, wearing a pink onesie — in her arms.
The baby is Wu’s third. The mayor returned to work just a few weeks after giving birth.
Democrats meanwhile are showing support. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois spoke ahead of the hearing about the economic contributions of immigrants in Illinois and Chicago. She said it would be illegal to withhold federal funds from cities that limit their cooperation with immigration enforcement.
“Our communities will not be bullied into compliance with their illegal unconstitutional authoritarian agenda,” she said.
Trump and first lady offer prayers for holy season Lent
The president and his wife, Melania, offered best wishes to Roman Catholics and Christians observing Lent, which began with Ash Wednesday.
Christians worldwide spend the next 40 days praying and fasting. On Wednesday, they wear crosses of ash on their foreheads as a reminder of their mortality.
“We offer you our best wishes for a prayerful and enriching Lenten season,” the Trumps wrote.
Trump told Religion News Service in 2020 that he considers himself to be a nondenominational Christian and no longer identifies as Presbyterian.
Leaders of France and Britain could accompany Zelenskyy for another Trump meeting
The French government spokesperson said Wednesday that Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer could travel together with Ukraine’s leader.
“It is envisaged that President Macron could eventually travel again to Washington with President Zelenskyy and his British counterpart,” spokesperson Sophie Primas told reporters. She did not elaborate. No trip is being planned yet, Macron’s office later said.
Macron plans a televised address to his nation Wednesday about what he called the “great uncertainty” in global affairs.
Supreme Court rejects Trump push to rebuke a judge in foreign aid freeze
By a 5-4 vote Wednesday, the court told U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the Republican administration to release nearly $2 billion in aid for work that had already been done.
Justice Samuel Alito led four conservative justices in dissent, saying Ali lacks the authority to order the payments. Alito wrote that he is stunned the court is rewarding “an act of judicial hubris.”
US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine
The U.S. has paused its sharing of intelligence with Ukraine following Trump’s decision to withhold military aid for the Ukrainian defense against Russian invaders.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Wednesday that the U.S. has “taken a step back” in its relationship with Ukraine. CIA Director John Ratcliffe called the suspension a “pause” and that American intelligence and military aid could begin flowing again soon once Trump knows that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is serious about peace.
Businesses scramble to contain fallout from Trump’s tariffs
A Minnesota farmer worries about the price of fertilizer. A San Diego entrepreneur deals with an unexpected cost increase of remodeling a restaurant. A Midwestern sheet metal fabricator bemoans the prospect of higher aluminum prices.
Many business owners hoped that Trump would avoid actually imposing tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners. No such luck. And the longer the tariffs stick, the more damage they can do, forcing companies to decide between eating higher costs and passing them along to inflation-weary consumers.
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