These pages are a modest attempt to provide up-to-date news that is relevant to the areas of mathematics, education, computer science or information technology. Reader should keep in mind that old links often disappear.
2/28/2025
TechNews for the week: February 28; February 26; February 24;
Ukraine/Russia war
In reversal, Trump says Russia attacked Ukraine; Mapped: Russia’s and Ukraine’s competing visions for peace;
Kremlin-linked officials to be banned from entering UK ;
Zelensky Pushes Back Against U.S. Mineral Deal and Announces European Summit;
U.S. sides with Russia to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow for the Ukraine war;
Trump wants Ukraine’s rare metals. Putin just offered Russia’s.; Kremlin appears to contradict Trump on Ukraine peacekeepers;
Macron interrupts Trump, clarifies how Europe gave money to Ukraine;
Ukraine and U.S. agree to framework for mineral deal, Ukrainian official says;
US will not give Ukraine security guarantees ‘beyond very much’, Donald Trump says;
North Koreans are back to fighting alongside Russia, South Korean intelligence says;
Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy clash at White House Ukraine meeting; Contentious Trump-Zelensky meeting threatens U.S. support for Ukraine;
Trump cancels news conference with Zelensky after heated Oval Office meeting;
US,Israel/Middle East Conflict
Arab Leaders Scramble to Counter Trump’s Gaza Plans;
Netanyahu says Israel demands ‘complete demilitarization’ of southern Syria;
West Bank residents cannot return to cleared camps, says Israeli defence minister;
Israel Says 40,000 Palestinians 'Evacuated' West Bank Refugee Camps, Vows to Stay for a Year;
Hamas says no Gaza ceasefire talks unless Israel releases prisoners;
Gaza Truce Could End in Days, With No Extension Agreed. What Happens Next?;
West Bank Palestinians fear Gaza-style clearance as Israel squeezes Jenin camp;
Israel Strikes Syria Hours After Country’s Leader Demands Withdrawal;
Israel seeks Gaza ceasefire extension while shunning talks to end war;
GOP chair demands staff call West Bank by biblical name;
Israel’s Peace With Egypt Is Starting to Crack; Israel says it won’t withdraw from Gaza-Egypt border as it sends team to ceasefire talks;
International Events
Emboldened Kremlin Steps Up Efforts to Seize Businesses in Russia;
Trump Says He Is in Talks With Putin About 'Economic Development';
Why Trump is pivoting to Russia and what it means for Ukraine, Europe, and China;
Taiwan condemns China for 'shooting' drills off Taiwanese coast;
New Zealand must ‘reset’ Cook Islands ties after China pact, foreign minister says;
How a false DOGE claim ignited a political firestorm in India;
Iran accelerating near-weapons-grade plutonium production;
Kurdish militant chief's peace call prompts hope, scepticism in Turkey;
Romania’s far-right candidate, championed by Vance and Musk, detained by police;
Germany’s Friedrich Merz says Europe can no longer rely on US protection;
Center-right conservatives are poised to win German election, exit polls show, as far-right AfD makes historic gains;
Germany’s election winner pledges ‘independence from US’; Germany Election Maps: How Conservatives Regained Power;
More than 230,000 Canadians sign petition to revoke Musk’s citizenship;
Americans’ views of Israel, Ukraine, Mexico more divided than ever;
The US is now the enemy of the west;
These countries could lose the most, if U.S. stops aid;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Migrants sent to Guantánamo describe humiliating strip searches and suicide attempts;
Trump officials launch ICE effort to deport unaccompanied migrant children;
Judge blocks immigration raids at religious groups suing Trump administration;
Trump administration says undocumented immigrants must register;
IRS rejected request from immigration officials for addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants;
In Trump’s Alternate Reality, Lies and Distortions Drive Change;
Crockett (D-Texas): ‘Actual ecosystem’ pumps out disinformation on behalf of Republicans;
‘Embarrassing,’ ‘cruel,’ ‘absurd,’ ‘extortion’: GOP moderates find voices on Trump;
GSA says workers who took ‘fork’ won’t get a full payout — then reverses itself;
Government agencies don’t know what to do about Musk’s email;
Government Watchdog Moves to Protect Probationary Federal Workers; calling Musk-led efforts unlawful;
VA axes another 1,400 employees; Firings at US agency foreshadow second wave of mass government layoffs;
When will mass US government firings show up in data;
Frustrated Democrats Urge Leaders to Show More Fight Against Trump; As Trump pursues his policies, Democratic states block his path;
Chris Murphy Emerges as a Clear Voice for Democrats Countering Trump;
FBI Director Kash Patel to also take over as acting ATF director;
FBI takes up EPA probe of fraud in $20B Biden grant fund amid pushback from judge, prosecutors;
In podcasts, D.C. U.S. attorney discussed investigating Trump foes;
At Federal Bureau of Prisons, senior retirements add to uncertainty;
Prison Officials Detail Treatment of Trans Inmates Under Trump Gender Order;
McConnell suggests Trump has ‘gross misunderstanding’ of Ukraine talks;
House GOP advances budget resolution as conservative opponents hold firm; What's in Trump’s Agenda One Big Bill;
Trump speaks with several holdouts ahead of key budget vote; House vote of 217 to 215 capped a wild evening;
House passes GOP budget bill, setting up talks with Senate on how to enact Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration and safety net cuts;
As G.O.P. Eyes Medicaid Cuts, States Could be Left With Vast Shortfalls;
House Republican budget plan would pair tax cuts that primarily benefit the rich with cuts to programs that help the poor;
Senate Republicans seek major changes to House-passed Trump budget bill;
High-level power struggle between Musk and Trump-appointed Cabinet secretaries intensifies;
Musk to join Trump’s first White House Cabinet meeting; Musk grabs spotlight: 5 takeaways from Trump’s first Cabinet meeting;
OPM instructs agencies to turn over plans for mass government layoffs;
Gabbard fires intelligence workers over explicit chats; Interior halts employee spending and travel;
6 federal workers get their jobs back in 1st successful challenge to Trump's firings;
Democrat introducing resolution affirming 22nd Amendment support amid Trump third term talk;
Murphy: Trump administration focused on ‘stealing from all of us’;
More than 100 House Democrats demand answers on Energy Department firings;
Behind the scenes, GOP senators including Lindsey Graham challenge legality of Trump’s aid cuts;
Harsh findings on Trump’s aid freeze kept secret by USAID watchdog;
Trump-Ukraine deal faces doubts on Capitol Hill;
Hegseth confirms report on Trump easing rules on military raids, airstrikes;
Pentagon says Transgender troops will be removed from U.S. military;
Five former defense secretaries denounce Trump’s ‘reckless’ Pentagon firings;
DOJ spokesperson resigns, citing ‘toxic work environment’;
Feds to start getting weekly emails asking what they did. Bosses will see if it fits Trump goals;
Two more staffers quit John Fetterman's office as the senator carves his own lane with Trump;
At National, flights are now disrupted when Trump boards Marine One;
Newsom asks Congress for almost $40B in wildfire recovery aid;
Republican governors defend DOGE even as they face looming deficits ;
DeSantis Launches State’s Own Department Of Government Efficiency Targeting College Spending;
Hochul highlights New York state jobs for federal workers;
Iowa is poised to become the first state to revoke nondiscrimination protections for transgender people;
Neo-Nazis targeted a majority-Black town. Locals launched an armed watch;
Bannon denies making Nazi salute as French far-right leader cancels speech;
Trump action and proclamations
Trump says he's replacing Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in shake-up of Pentagon leadership;
George Floyd Killing Separated Trump From His Generals; Who is Dan Caine, Trump’s pick as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
Trump Plans to Use Military Sites Across the Country to Detain Undocumented Immigrants;
Trump announces conservative podcaster Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director;
Trump fires weather forecasters ahead of potential tornadoes in the U.S. Southeast;
Trump strips security clearances at law firm with ties to Jack Smith;
Trump officials start dismantling civil rights offices as part of DOGE’s secret plan;
Trump to sign order to make English official language of US;
Trump administration breaks with Elon Musk, telling federal agencies they can ignore his order on email reply;
White House to take over press pool amid ‘Gulf of America’ fight with AP; NYT reporter says Trump handling press like Soviet Kremlin;
WHCA head: Public ‘can no longer trust’ pool reports under White House control;
Fact check: Trump lies at CPAC about the 2024 election he won;
Trump seeks to run government like a business, for better and worse;
Trump’s executive order signings seem to be carefully choreographed;
Trump plans to add White House ballroom, pave part of the Rose Garden;
Trump proposes selling $5 million ‘gold cards’ to wealthy immigrants;
Trump is selling 'official' DOGE membership in exchange for donations;
Trump’s job approval rating;
Musk government actions
Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says;
The job responsibilities of DOGE staff embedded in federal agencies, according to Trump;
The White House has evaded for weeks on saying who is leading DOGE. Here’s who it is;
DOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes; Musk claims DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials disagree;
DOGE Claims It Has Saved Billions. See Where; DOGE claims it has saved billions, but nearly 75% unaccounted for;
Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Musk's DOGE are expected to produce no savings;
DOGE Quietly Deletes the 5 Biggest Spending Cuts It Celebrated Last Week;
DOGE shut the funding spigot for medical research overnight. Scientists are calling it ‘the end of science’ in America;
DOGE to cancel government contracts that help veterans, records show;
Feds must answer email on what they did last week — or lose jobs, Musk says;
Several administration officials tell federal workers not to respond to Musk email demanding accounting of their work;
Musk: Federal workers who haven’t returned to office will be placed on leave this week;
DOGE will use AI to assess the responses of federal workers who were told to justify their jobs via email;
Trump administration tells agencies they can ignore Musk order on email reply;
Musk says failure to respond a second time to email will end in termination;
Officials Are Fired at Traffic Safety Agency Investigating Musk’s Company;
Acting IRS commissioner to step down amid DOGE blitz on agency;
New Social Security chief was being investigated when Musk team tapped him;
As DOGE seeks personal data, experts warn that potential misuse could affect everyday Americans;
21 DOGE staffers resign, saying they won't help 'dismantle' public services;
Court news
Judge temporarily blocks key portions of Trump's executive orders to end DEI in the federal government;
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s DEI Policy Changes As Lawsuit Advances;
Supreme Court Rejects, for Now, Trump’s Bid to Fire Government Watchdog;
Judge Gives Trump Administration Deadline to Release Foreign Aid; Supreme Court grants Trump request to pause USAID payments order;
Judge blocks Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers, ruling them likely to be illegal;
Judge orders rescission of OPM memos directing agencies to fire probationary employees;
Judge blocks Department of Education, OPM from disclosing troves of sensitive personal data to DOGE ;
Judge allows White House ban on Associated Press to continue — for now;
Judge Questions Constitutionality of Musk’s Cost-Cutting Operation;
Judge temporarily blocks DOGE access to sensitive information at OPM and Educ Dept;
Supreme Court orders new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate in case that centers on prosecutorial misconduct;
Supreme Court schedules arguments in case where Trump administration is defending ACA;
Supreme Court declines to take up challenge to Tennessee law restricting drag shows;
Supreme Court turns down chance to claw back abortion clinic buffer zones;
Supreme Court seems poised to lower bar for White people to sue for job bias;
Farmers sue USDA after agency deletes climate change data;
Campaign issues
The Death of Competition in American Elections;
New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct Swirls Around CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp;
Angry Democratic donors turn off the flow of money;
Trump plans to wield cash and endorsements to shape midterm elections;
Prominent political donor and attorney John Morgan launching new political party;
The Election Just Ended and We Already Have a New Michael Wolff Book;
Confirmation News
Dr. Oz: How His Millions Collide With Medicare;
Stefanik’s Confirmation Is on Ice as Republicans Guard Their Scant Majority;
Senate confirms Vance adviser as Army secretary;
Justice Dept. Nominees Suggest Some Court Orders Can Be Ignored;
Senate Clears McMahon’s Nomination For Education Secretary For Final Vote;
Election politics
Musk flexes political muscle in Wisconsin Supreme Court race;
DeSantis Talks Up Wife as Potential Successor, Clashing With Trump;
Jan 6th consequences
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio arrested outside U.S. Capitol;
Freed Proud Boys and J6ers take D.C. by storm: ‘Our house!’;
Health: COVID-19 and other health issues
71 percent of Trump voters oppose Medicaid cuts;
US aid freeze sows disruption in HIV, malaria product supply chains;
Measles Outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico Sicken Nearly 100 People;
Texas child is first confirmed death in state’s spreading measles outbreak, which has sickened more than 100 people;
Federal vaccine meeting to prepare for coming winter’s flu season canceled;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
North Korean Hackers behind $1.5 billion crypto hack;
Data on 3.3M Exposed in Breach at Employee Screening Company;
More Research Showing AI Breaking the Rules; “Emergent Misalignment” in LLMs;
UK Demanded Apple Add a Backdoor to iCloud;
State and local lawmakers take a renewed look at speed enforcement cameras; Math and science
Chinese rivals to Musk's Starlink accelerate race to dominate satellite internet;
Elon Musk begins testing his Starlink terminals in the U.S. airspace system;
Musk’s Starlink gets FAA contract, raising new conflict of interest concerns;
Elon Musk Sends Starlink Tech To FAA, Claims, without evidence, Air Safety Risk with Verizon;
Key SpaceX Starlink Engineer Departing;
Mining the moon for minerals could be worth billions, but astronomers warn it's bad news for science;
Tech Giants Race To Develop Quantum Computers; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
With Truth Social, Trump Has Official Mouthpiece and a Channel for Revenue;
On X, Conservative Activists Find a Direct Pipeline to Musk’s Team;
Behind the Curtain:Trump's media-control strategy; How Donald Trump could change free speech as we know it;
Paramount and Trump Seek Mediator for CBS News Lawsuit;
Post owner Bezos announces shift in opinions section; Shipley to leave;
Tesla Fires a Manager Who Criticized Elon Musk on Social Media; AI and Chatbot issues
OpenAI Uncovers Evidence of A.I.-Powered Chinese Surveillance Tool;
DeepSeek rushes to launch new AI model as China goes all in; China’s DeepSeek Accelerates Launch Of R2 AI Model;
Alibaba to invest more than $52 billion in AI over next 3 years;
Meta Expands AI Chatbot To Middle East, North Africa;
OpenAI Unveils A.I. Technology for ‘Natural Conversation’;
AI Power Demand Drives Investment In Alternative Energy Sources;
Leading Technology Companies Turn To Hydrogen, Nuclear Energy For AI Data Centers;
Internal documents reveal how Elon Musk's xAI trains Grok to suss out “woke ideology” and “cancel culture”;
The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use; Banking news
Consumer Bureau Drops Lawsuit Against Capital One;
Business and Economics
Stocks Notch Worst Week Since Trump’s Inauguration; US stocks fall as consumer confidence sinks most in four years;
Electricity Prices Surge in US: Map Shows Most-Expensive States; Coffee Prices Are at a 50-Year High. Producers Aren’t Celebrating;
Vance: Gas, grocery prices ‘are going to come down,’ but it will ‘take a little bit of time’;
The U.S. Economy Depends More Than Ever on Rich People; The U.S. is currently in a de minimis boom;
What to Know About Changes in a Trade Loophole for Online Goods;
Forget the Trump trade. The Musk trade is where it's at;
Trump and Musk froze USAID funding to put Americans first. US citizens are feeling the impact;
Retail traders could have a new YOLO bet: corn and soybeans;
Trump Team Seeks to Toughen Chip Controls Over China; Trump's steel tariffs imperil China's steel transshipment trade;
US-China trade rule change hangs in the balance;
Trump Opens Door to New Metal Levy With Copper Tariff Probe;
Trump cancels Chevron's Venezuela oil licence, citing lack of electoral reforms;
Trump Says Canada, Mexico Tariffs Will Take Effect Next Week, China Rate to Double;
Satellite images show 'Hidden Marina' being built for Saudi Arabia's $2 trillion megacity;
World’s Largest Data Center Planned In South Korea;
Construction Robots Address Workforce Shortage;
Dockworkers Vote to Accept New Labor Contract;
Nvidia's H20 chip orders jump as Chinese firms adopt DeepSeek's AI models;
Nvidia’s Profit Jumps 80% as Company Rides Tech’s A.I. Boom;
Apple will spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years;
Trump takes a victory lap on Apple’s $500 billion U.S. investment, but one analyst calls it ‘completely unrealistic’;
Starbucks plans to lay off more than 1,100 corporate jobs;
SBA won't try to claw back $155 million in controversial COVID grants to celebrities;
DOJ Dropping SpaceX Case;
Tesla's market cap falls below $1 trillion as European sales drop; Tesla Offers Advanced Self-Driving Functions In China;
Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding; Musk business entanglements loom over CFPB siege;
FAA targeting Verizon contract in favor of Musk’s Starlink, people briefed on plans say;
Coinbase Says S.E.C. Will Drop Crypto Lawsuit;
Big Day for Crypto Goes South in a Hurry After a Giant Hack; Crypto-tied Stocks Sink as Price of Bitcoin Falls Below $90,000;
Bitcoin Drops to $81,000 as Crypto-Tied Stocks Fall; Bitcoin has tipped into a bear market, slipping 23% from January highs;
Crypto Firm Pleads Guilty to Operating Illegally in U.S.;
Coins, watches and more: A look at Trump's crypto-related ventures, by the numbers;
S.E.C. Declares Memecoins Are Not Subject to Oversight;
The Art of the Old Deal;
Finance
Warren Buffett hails Berkshire Hathaway's record $26.8 billion tax payment and tells the government to 'spend it wisely';
More Than 70 Million Americans Are on Medicaid. This Is Where They Live;
The best free tax software for filing your taxes;
Sports
This women’s college hoops coach lost his job in government’s mass firings;
Other news and history
The Trump team ups the trolling to 11;
How Elon Musk Executed His Takeover of the Federal Bureaucracy;
The oligarch who wants to “Make Russia Great Again.”: part Steve Bannon, part Elon Musk;
Was 40-year-old Trump recruited by the KGB;
The history of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in America;
Why Aren’t We in the Streets;
Education:
Georgetown Center Updates Tool Assessing Colleges’ ROI;
Student loan borrowers face abrupt 180 as GOP budget plans threaten to raise payments;
Federal Student Aid Office Reduces Staff By 10% After Buyout Offer; Pell Grant Program’s Budget Shortfall Could Hinder Federal Aid;
Education Department Tightens Loan Repayment Plan Rules; Education Department Extends COVID-19 Relief Fund Deadline For Schools;
Educators Working To Support Undocumented Students’ College Pathways;
Survey Reveals Widespread Credit Transfer Challenges For Students;
Latest Trump guidance on race has schools scrambling amid ‘intense fear’;
Children with disabilities swept up in DEI fight, advocates say;
College student groups based on race, ethnicity could be in jeopardy under Trump;
USDA Suspends Scholars Program For Underserved HBCU Students;
USDA launches review at University of Maine over transgender sports policy after Trump-Gov. Mills blowup;
American Bar Association Suspends DEI Standards Amid Political Pressure;
Accreditors Offer Flexibility On DEI Standards; STEM Accreditor Removes DEIA From Its Criteria;
Teachers union sues to overturn Trump’s crackdown on race and DEI in schools;
Trump Administration Cancels Long-Term Education Assessment For High Schoolers;
Education Statistics Commissioner Placed On Leave By Trump Administration;
Penn State Plans Branch Campus Closures Due To Declining Enrollments;
Stanford University Cancels Purchase Of California Campus;
Michigan Governor Urges Young Men To Pursue Higher Ed In State Address;
Education Funding Cuts Disrupt Teacher Training Programs;
Educators Are Learning To Navigate AI Cheating Concerns;
Three School Districts Successfully Improve Algebra Completion Rates;
Math Anxiety Significantly Impacts Student Proficiency;
NYC’s New Math Curriculum Sees Mixed Reactions;
Maryland Board Proposes Math Education Overhaul;
Online Education Company Sues Google for Eroding Demand;
2/21/2025
TechNews for the week: February 21; February 19;
Ukraine/Russia war
Ukraine rejects Trump bid to take rights to half its mineral reserves;
US presented Ukraine with a document to access its minerals but offered almost nothing in return;
Top Russian and American officials will hold talks on ending the Ukraine war without Kyiv;
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy travels to United Arab Emirates as momentum grows for war peace talks;
France's Macron to host emergency European summit on Ukraine; Polish leader says united European army ‘will not happen’;
Retired general: Putin will likely ‘wait out’ Trump term and take Ukraine;
Trump offers key concessions to Putin ahead of Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia;
Russian troops intensify attacks on Ukrainian forces in east;
Europeans explore troops for Ukraine ceasefire — and want U.S. support;
What Russia is demanding from the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine; US Puts Russian Sanctions on the Table in Ukraine War Talks;
Trump blames Zelenskyy for Ukraine war; Ukrainians shocked, defiant in face of Trump attacks on Zelensky;
Russia Says Drone Attack Cut Oil Via Kazakhstan Caspian Pipeline by up to 40%;
Trump says Zelensky ‘should have never started’ war with Russia; Trump calls Zelensky a dictator in post rife with falsehoods;
Russian forces advance on Ukraine's critical minerals as Trump talks of a deal;
US not co-sponsoring UN resolution supporting Ukraine;
China backs Trump's Ukraine peace bid at G20 as US allies rally behind Zelenskiy;
US,Israel/Middle East Conflict
Gazans return to ruined homes and severe water shortage;
On first Mideast tour, Rubio warns Iran, praises Trump’s Gaza plan;
Israeli troops to keep control of 5 ‘strategic’ locations inside Lebanon ;
Israel receives shipment of heavy bombs cleared by Trump; Netanyahu says Israel and US are determined to thwart Iran;
Lebanon demands full Israeli withdrawal from its territory;
Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps;
Netanyahu decries release of wrong body as a ceasefire violation. Hamas pledges to investigate;
International Events
In Russia, dozens of dissenters are held as psychiatric patients;
U.S. Releases Russian Cybercriminal for American Teacher;
China tightens grip on tech, minerals and engineers as trade war spirals;
China accuses U.S. of 'serious regression' in its Taiwan position after change to State Dept. website;
China sees an opportunity as the U.S. cuts aid to groups around the world;
India opposition slams Trump's F-35 offer, Russia makes its own pitch;
Vance Tells Europeans to Stop Shunning Parties Deemed Extreme; JD Vance emboldens pro-Putin Romanian presidential candidate;
Vance used ‘same language’ as Hitler did to ‘justify’ Holocaust;
German chancellor blasts Vance’s support of country’s far right; German voters demand change as Europe's biggest economy stalls;
US Defense Secretary Hegseth's Europe debut irks allies, wins Trump's nod;
Europe’s Leaders, Dazed by an Ally Acting Like an Adversary, Recalculate;
Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican says, as concerns grow over ‘complex’ infection;
Mexico threatens to sue Google over ‘Gulf of America’ name change;
Brazil charges former president Jair Bolsonaro with leading plot to seize power, kill political rivals;
Trump Media Group Sues Brazilian Judge Weighing Arrest of Jair Bolsonaro;
Migrants, Deported to Panama Under Trump Plan, Detained in Remote Jungle Camp;
Trump Administration Abruptly Clears Out Migrants It Sent to Guantánamo;
Steve Witkoff emerges as force in Trump’s foreign policy;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Soldiers are arriving at the border — but hardly any migrants are crossing; ICE struggles to boost arrest numbers despite infusion of resources;
Border Czar Whines It’s Been ‘Hard’ to Find Undocumented Immigrants;
Acting ICE director removed amid White House pressure to boost arrests;
Federal workers are being rushed back to the office. It’s causing chaos;
Trump Fired, Then Unfired, National Nuclear Security Administration Employees. What Were Their Jobs;
Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over attempts to access sensitive data;
Trump administration fires thousands for ‘performance’ without evidence, in messy rush;
Trump is firing federal workers who are not funded by taxpayers; Inside the Trump administration’s error-plagued federal firing spree;
These feds took Trump’s ‘fork’ deal. Then they got fired — creating a government ‘mess.’;
D.C. federal prosecutor resigns after declining to take part in Trump administration plan to freeze EPA grant funding;
Prosecutor in U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington Abruptly Resigns; Acting archivist, inspector general for National Archives forced out;
F.D.A.’s Food Safety Chief Resigns Over Trump Administration Layoffs;
FEMA is losing scores of employees. That could slow disaster response;
JFK Library closes indefinitely, then reopens, amid chaos from federal cuts;
Postmaster general to step down, asks for replacement;
Trump plans to fire Postal Service board and let his administration control the U.S. mail system;
House Republicans plot impeachment against judges blocking Trump, DOGE;
Trump nominates ally who defended Jan. 6 rioters, DOGE efforts as top DC federal prosecutor;
Senate Democrats split over how to combat Trump’s USAID shutdown;
House GOP budget resolution in jeopardy amid concerns from moderates ;
Republicans hope to jam through defense, border funding boost ahead of shutdown fight;
House, Senate standoff over Trump agenda escalates; Congress closing in on shutdown deadline with no clear plan;
Bracing for a Shutdown Fight, Democrats Warn Their Votes Are Not a Given;
Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions;
Trump’s vow to preserve Medicaid collides with House GOP plan for tax cuts;
‘You would see lawsuits’: Susan Collins fires new warning shot at Trump on spending;
Hegseth seeks to shift $50 billion in FY26 budget proposal; Hegseth’s proposed Pentagon cuts, firing of generals: What to know;
Democrats sound alarm over ‘indiscriminate’ Pentagon cuts;
Pentagon to fire 5,400 workers starting next week, an ‘initial’ purge as Trump moves to cull its civilian staff by up to 8 percent;
FBI managers told 1,500 staff and agents to be moved from headquarters;
State Dept. orders cancellation of news subscriptions around the world;
Trump backs House GOP reconciliation bill over Senate version; Senate adopts budget resolution after marathon overnight vote-a-rama;
Senate Republicans open to DOGE access to IRS;
Trump's approval rating slips as Americans worry about the economy; Americans’ approval of Congress spikes to highest point in nearly 4 years;
Many of Trump’s actions in his first month are unpopular among Americans;
Back in their districts, GOP lawmakers get an earful on DOGE and Musk;
4 takeaways from the Trump, Elon Musk interview;
With Congress Pliant, an Emboldened Trump Pushes His Business Interests;
Top D.C. prosecutor probing Democrats over alleged threats; Justice Dept. Official Suggests That Aiding Trump Outweighs Prosecutions;
As Trump Turns Toward Russia and Against Ukraine, Republicans Are Mum;
Haley admonishes Trump for Ukraine stance: ‘Exactly what Putin wants’ ; Senate Republican: Putin a ‘cancer,’ ‘greatest threat to democracy’;
Staff at multiple agencies instructed not to speak to Congress;
FDA Staffers Told That 'Woman,' 'Disabled' Among Banned Words; White House Says It’s an Error;
Justice Department deletes database tracking federal police misconduct after a Trump executive order undid a Biden-era program;
Right-Wing Media Praises U.S.-Russia Talks as ‘Breath of Fresh Air’;
Kansas lawmakers override veto of ban on transgender care for minors;
4 Top N.Y.C. Officials Plan to Resign Over Adams’s Cooperation With Trump;
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will not remove Mayor Eric Adams;
Judge appoints outside lawyer to review Justice Dept. effort to dismiss case against New York Mayor Eric Adams;
Citing DoD order, Md. National Guard to skip Frederick Douglass event;
Trump action and proclamations
Trump again raises idea of running for an unconstitutional third term; ‘Long Live the King’: Trump Likens Himself to Royalty on Truth Social;
Trump says ‘inflation is back’: ‘I had nothing to do with it’;
White House May Have to Make Unpopular Cuts to Achieve Trump's Cost-Cut Goals;
For the fourth day in a row, the White House barred an AP reporter from official events;
Seeking a Mar-a-Lago Vibe, Trump Considers Paving Over Grass in Rose Garden;
US CDC, NIH lay off probationary workers under Trump job cuts; Trump administration lays off over 2,000 workers at Interior Department;
Trump threatens a 100% tariff on ‘dead’ BRICS group if they ‘play games with the dollar’;
As Trump vents about covid, experts worry his moves could worsen next threat;
Trump thinks defense spending could be halved, but the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program is ‘relatively affordable;
Trump Targets a Growing List of Those He Sees as Disloyal;
White House says Elon Musk is not part of DOGE; he's a “White House Office” employee;
Inside the Trump administration’s error-plagued firing spree, which dismissed thousands for ‘performance’ reasons without evidence;
Trump order challenges independence of FCC, FTC and financial regulators; Trump expands White House control of independent agencies;
President says feds should ‘take over’ governance of D.C.;
Trump Team Plans Deep Cuts at Office That Funds Disaster Recovery;
Trump administration nixes legal representation for thousands of migrant children;
Musk government actions
Internal documents show how DOGE wrote the playbook for Trump’s DEI purge — and whom they plan to fire next;
Who’s running DOGE? The White House says it’s not Musk; Elon Musk’s Financial Disclosure Will Not Be Made Public;
DOGE and Musk: The 5 biggest controversies so far; DOGE efforts to access private data spark sharp pushback;
Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS;
US judges bar Musk's DOGE from Treasury, allow access to health, labor;
DOGE says it has saved government $55B so far; Savings List; Musk claims DOGE is saving taxpayers billions, but the data is unclear;
DOGE Claimed It Saved $8 Billion in One Contract. It Was Actually $8 Million; savings estimates fall by $9 billion in 48 hours;
DOGE prepares to audit US gold reserves at Fort Knox after urging by Sen. Rand Paul;
Trump Floats Giving DOGE Savings to Public, Defending Cost Cuts;
DOGE employee cuts fall heavily on agency that regulates Musk’s Tesla;
Court news
The Radical Legal Theories That Could Fuel a Constitutional Crisis;
Trump comes close to the red line of openly defying judges, experts say;
Judge rules Trump admin violated order to unfreeze foreign aid but declines to hold officials in contempt;
Forced to flee Congo, USAID workers lost everything. They’re suing Trump;
Judge Refuses to Immediately Reinstate Inspectors General Fired by Trump;
First Test of Trump’s Power to Fire Officials Reaches Supreme Court;
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow him to fire independent agency leader;
Judge appears inclined to deny request to block DOGE's mass firings, access to data;
Judge refuses to block DOGE’s access to student borrower data;
Judge Declines To Block DOGE From Gaining Access To Education Department’s Data Systems;
Judge blocks mass layoffs at consumer protection agency targeted by Trump ;
Judge Declines to Block Musk Team’s Foray Into Federal Agencies;
Courts Force a Window Into Musk’s Secretive Unit;
Judge bars firing of intelligence officers working on DEI issues;
Federal judge reinstates employee appeals board member fired by Trump;
Judge rejects unions’ request to pause federal worker firings, clearing roadblock for Trump administration as it makes sweeping cuts;
Supreme Court unanimously sides with Hungary in Holocaust survivors’ lawsuit;
Federal law that prohibits the executive branch from interfering with taxpayer audits;
Confirmation News
GOP fight over Pentagon policy nominee breaks out;
Kash Patel narrowly confirmed as FBI director, putting Trump loyalist atop storied law enforcement agency;
Election politics
Vance gets standing ovation at CPAC for Munich speech: ‘Glad you guys liked it’;
Pardoned Jan. 6 defendants get hero’s welcome, star status at CPAC;
Trump Dismantles Government Fight Against Foreign Influence Operations;
Jan 6th consequences
Jan. 6 Rioters Argue Pardons Apply to Charges Including Murder Plot, Child Porn;
Health: COVID-19 and other health issues
FDA staff reviewing Musk’s Neuralink were included in DOGE employee firings;
U.S. weighs destroying $500 million in stockpiled covid tests; U.S. reverses plan to shut down free covid test program;
USDA tries to reverse mistaken firing of bird flu response workers;
RFK Jr. targets transgender protections in one of first moves at HHS;
Citing ‘Biological Truth,’ Kennedy Issues Guidance Recognizing Only Two Sexes;
Emergency Food, TB Tests and H.I.V. Drugs: Vital Health Aid Remains Frozen Despite Court Ruling;
How to Deal With a Narcissist;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
February Crypto-gram newsletter, Phishing, Malware, Cybersecurity, AI and more;
How US allies may try to safeguard their intel ops from Trump;
Global funding freeze leaves anti-terror programs in limbo;
C.I.A. Expands Secret Drone Flights Over Mexico;
The Cryptocurrency Scam That Turned a Small Town Against Itself;
An LLM Trained to Create Backdoors in Code; Device Code Phishing;
Story About Medical Device Security;
Atlas of Surveillance; Math and science
U.S. Debt by President: Dollar and Percentage;
Under Trump, NASA meetings are on hold and missions are up in the air;
Key NASA Officials' Departure Casts More Uncertainty Over US Moon Program;
Scientists Address Threats To Research Amid Federal Funding Cuts; Funding Freeze Disrupts NIH Grant Processes;
Trump Administration Cuts 168 Employees From National Science Foundation Workforce;
Microsoft Says It Has Created a New State of Matter to Power Quantum Computers;
Satya Nadella explains why Microsoft's quantum 'breakthrough' is so important;
New EV batteries are making electric cars cheaper and safer;
We may be able to trap climate pollution in ordinary rocks;
China’s Tech Scene Shifts Toward Humanoid Robots;
Egypt announces discovery of the lost tomb of King Thutmose II ;
Northeastern University Agrees To Repay $600K In Grants To NSF;
The Physics That Keeps a Crowd From Becoming a Stampede;
Who Controls the Gulf of Mexico; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Australian Children Said to Easily Evade Social Media Age Limits;
FCC to open probe into NBC-parent Comcast over promotion of DEI programs;
Washington Post backs out of ‘Fire Elon Musk’ ad order; Common Cause Ad;
Judge Orders Mississippi Newspaper to Remove Editorial, Alarming Press Advocates;
Elon Musk ridiculed a blind person on X. Then a mob went to work;
Meta Struggles With Deepfake Image Regulation, Investigation Suggests;
Elon Musk in talks to raise money for X at a $44 billion valuation;
TikTok implements strict RTO conditions on U.S. staff;
Google caught in crossfire over Gulf of America name change;
Windows 11 update breaks File Explorer - among other glitches;
If COBOL is so problematic, why does the US government still use it; AI and Chatbot issues
Key Ways to Measure AI Project ROI;
Musk’s xAI claims new Grok3 model performs better than rivals;
Grok 3 model impresses — but early reactions suggest OpenAI remains ahead;
Elon Musk quietly built a 2nd mega-data center for xAI in Atlanta with $700 million worth of chips and cables;
AI Usage By Researchers Varies Depending on Their Career Phase, Field & Region;
Nvidia unveils powerful AI system for genetic research;
Universities Teaming Up To Identify Viruses In Human Bodies Using AI;
AI Drives Change In Manufacturing Industry; SC News and Politics
Mace says she will file censure against Democrat over ‘actual weapons’ to bar fight remark ;
Business and Economics
Fed Is In No Hurry To Cut Rates, Meeting Minutes Confirm; 13 states get more federal money than they send;
'Stagflation' fears haunt US markets despite Trump's pro-growth agenda;
Fired and rehired: the dizzying confusion of Trump's government overhaul;
I.R.S. to Begin Laying Off Roughly 6,000 Employees on Thursday;
Long lines and canceled rentals: Firings bring chaos to national parks;
European stocks outpace Wall Street since Donald Trump took office;
US oil and gas rig count hits highest since June;
How Trump’s One-for-One Tariff Plan Threatens the Global Economy; Trump considers 25% tariff on imported cars;
What are Ukraine’s rare minerals and why is Trump eyeing them?;
Putin essentially seized the Russia operations of companies including Carlsberg;
Russian wealth fund sees US companies returning in 2025;
BYD and its rivals are crushing Tesla in China — and they're going global;
Delaware lawmakers propose new bill to stem corporate defections;
Team from SpaceX to review air traffic control system;
Southwest Airlines Plans to Cut 15% of Corporate Work Force;
BlackRock (BLK) Halts Company Meetings amid SEC’s New ESG Rules;
ISS ends diversity considerations for US boardrooms, citing Trump orders;
Nikola, E.V. Start-Up That Once Thrilled Investors, Files for Bankruptcy;
Palantir's surging stock fell 10% after reports of Pentagon budget cuts;
Justice Dept. to Drop Discrimination Case Against Elon Musk’s SpaceX;
Meta approves bonuses of up to 200% of company executives' salaries as it trims stock awards for employees;
Inside Trump’s Million-Dollar Dinners With Healthcare Executives;
Trump and Musk say they want to make sure the Fort Knox gold is still there: 'Maybe it's there, maybe it's not';
Trump says he’s going to Fort Knox to inspect gold reserves;
Finance
Bridging the Medicare Cost Gap;
Trump officials want to rewrite tax season. Cross your fingers and file like normal, experts say;
Sports
MLB, ESPN cut cord on broadcast deal after this season;
Robot Umpires Begin Trials in MLB Spring Training Games;
Other news and history
Bill Gates says younger generations should be worried about 4 'very scary' things;
How Trump got the Cabinet he wanted and quashed GOP concerns;
Hundreds of Artists Call on N.E.A. to Roll Back Trump’s Restrictions;
Are federal workers lazy? Let’s look at the data;
Va. lawmakers reject gift of last Founding Father home in private hands;
Education:
Ed. Dept. says SCOTUS ruling applies to all race-conscious programs; Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs;
Education Department Cancels Another $350 Million In Contracts, Grants; contract cuts spur ‘chaos and confusion’;
Federal Student Aid Office Faces Significant Staff Reductions;
Education Department Cancels NAEP Assessment For 17-Year-Olds;
Tribal Colleges Face Challenges Amid Trump’s Executive Orders;
California college leaders anxious, uncertain as Trump administration orders end to diversity programs;
Eighth Circuit Blocks Biden’s SAVE Plan; Florida Lawmakers Repeal In-State Tuition For Undocumented Students;
Research Examines How To Measure College Graduate Earnings;
Julianne Moore on her children’s book being restricted at DOD schools: ‘It is a great shock’;
Digital HBCU Offers Free Virtual Courses On TikTok;
Students Express Distrust In College Leadership;
New Science Curriculum Improves Student Achievement; Survey Finds Most Educators Embrace AI In Teaching;
Jonathan Alder Schools Unveils New “Think Big Space” In Partnership With Amazon;
Virginia Ranked Last In Math Recovery From 2019-2024;
House Committee Investigates Foreign Funding In Higher Education;
Arkansas Lawmakers Introduce Higher-Education Overhaul Bills; Kentucky House Bill Advances, Raising Academic Tenure Concerns;
New Mexico governor appoints brother to university board amid frustration with oversight, cronyism;
Tennessee State University President’s Financial Recovery Plan Includes Additional Staff Cuts;
NYU College Republicans president resigns after saying Barron Trump ‘sort of an oddity’;
2/14/2025
TechNews for the week: February 14; February 12; February 10;
Ukraine/Russia war
Zelensky proposes swap of seized territory with Russia; Trump Holds Call With Putin, Characterizing It as Start of Talks to End Ukraine War;
Russia plays hardball on Ukraine peace discussions after Trump talks of Putin contact;
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Ukraine’s peace goals ‘unrealistic’ in meeting with allies;
Trump’s call with Putin alarms Europe and shocks Ukraine; John Bolton denounces Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin peace talks;
NATO ministers say Ukraine to be involved in Trump-Putin peace talks; NATO membership for Ukraine not off the table, US official says;
Russians evacuated to Ukraine after Kursk shelter bombed;
Russian ballistic missile salvo kills civilian in Kyiv;
US,Israel/Middle East Conflict
How Israel Deceived the U.S. and Built the Bomb;
U.S.A.I.D. Turmoil Threatens Key Aid Supplies to Gaza; Israeli Troops Withdraw From Key Zone Bisecting Gaza;
Jordan, home to millions of Palestinians, fears Trump’s Gaza proposal;
Turkey's Erdogan again rejects US proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza ;
Trump says Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza under his proposal to take over the enclave;
Trump says US might lose patience with ceasefire deal; Netanyahu Says Cease-Fire Will End Saturday if Hostages Are Not Returned;
Trump Says He Could Cut Aid to Jordan and Egypt Over Gaza Development Plan;
Jordanian King Rebuffs Trump Proposal to Displace Palestinians in Gaza;
Jordan pledges to take in sick Palestinian children as Trump backpedals on aid threat;
Israel amassing troops in and around Gaza ahead of Hamas hostage release deadline ;
South Africa vows to pursue Israel genocide case despite Trump pressure;
Saudi Arabia launches ferocious state media attack on Netanyahu;
Israel likely to strike Iran’s nuclear sites in coming months, U.S. intelligence warns;
Egypt's President Sisi to not attend any White House talks if Gaza displacement on agenda, Egyptian sources say;
International Events
China lashes out at US 'coercion' after Panama declines to renew infrastructure agreement;
China imposes retaliatory tariffs on $14bn worth of US goods ; The US relies on China for key medicines. They won’t be spared from tariffs;
China builds space alliances in Africa as Trump cuts foreign aid; China’s war games near Taiwan could be used to conceal attack, US says;
Iran leader Khamenei meets top Hamas leaders in Tehran; Iran’s president calls for unity against Donald Trump;
The Islamic State has regrouped in Somalia — and has global ambitions;
Sudan agreeds to deal for Russian naval base;
Nerves fray in Turkey textile sector as Syria refugees mull return;
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis resigns ahead of election rerun;
Greece elects former parliament speaker as new president;
Between Russia and Elon Musk, German Voters Face a ‘Dual Front’ of Disinformation;
Vice President JD Vance on Friday met with far-right German leader Alice Weidel, the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to do so;
EU calls Trump tariffs unjust, vows swift response;
Ecuador’s Presidential Race Heads to a Runoff;
Venezuelan Planes Fly Deported Migrants From U.S. to Venezuela;
Behind Closed Doors, Trudeau Says Trump Threat to Take Over Canada Is Real;
The US State Department says humanitarian assistance can continue. Foreign aid workers say that’s not happening;
US tells UN: We cannot pay forever for Syria camps with Islamic State-linked prisoners;
Trump border czar knocks Pope Francis’s criticism: ‘Fix the Catholic Church’;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Falsehoods Fuel the Right-Wing Crusade Against U.S.A.I.D.;
White House fires USAID inspector general one day after blistering report;
Five Former Treasury Secretaries: Our Democracy Is Under Siege;
Lawyers worry migrants sent to Gitmo are entering a ‘legal black hole’;
Immigrant Aid Groups Seek Access to Migrants Sent by Trump to Guantánamo;
DHS Seeks to Deputize IRS Officers to Help With Deportation Effort;
Top ICE officials removed from jobs amid scramble to meet Trump's ramped-up goals for arrests and deportations;
Trump's immigration arrests appear to lag Biden's; Since Trump’s ‘Emergency,’ What Is Actually Happening on the Border;
Federal workers who took Trump buyout feel fear, regret after judge’s order;
White House says it can talk to Justice Dept. on criminal cases;
Kristi Noem says she would recommend Trump ‘get rid’ of FEMA;
FEMA fires four, blames alleged payments to New York City hotels for migrants;
Russell Vought Orders Consumer Protection Bureau’s Headquarters Closed for a Week;
Shutting down CFPB ‘begging for another financial crisis’: Former director;
2 top consumer bureau officials resign after Trump admin halts work;
Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds;
GOP senators terrified of crossing Trump, facing Musk-funded challengers; Democrats reject Johnson’s finger-pointing: ‘Full of s‑‑‑’;
Johnson: Budget blueprint not ready for prime time; Rep. Hern defends delay on House budget proposal;
Trump might be stuck with Biden’s funding priorities for longer than GOP hoped;
Democrat AGs Demanding Administration Release Federal Funds For State Climate Programs;
DOGE caucus Democrat: ‘Elon’s been doing it all himself’;
Warren, Waters question Fed chair on proposal ‘upending’ bank stress test framework;
Senate Democrats launch portal for whistleblowers in Trump administration;
House Democrats call for investigation into top DOJ officials;
House Republicans unveil new blueprint to advance Trump’s agenda; House Freedom Caucus plans to throw another tax plan into the mix;
GOP leaders downplay Medicaid cuts as they seek $2T in savings; House budget resolution;
Hard-liners, leadership strike deal on budget resolution ahead of key vote;
House panel advances budget resolution after marathon meeting; Republicans Love Trump’s Spending Cuts. Just Not in Their States;
Senate Republicans say they won’t support tax bill that doesn’t make Trump cuts permanent;
Riley Moore (R-WVa) introdeced bill to make it illegal for credit card companies to identify firearm retailers;
Scott, Hagerty, Lummis, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Establish a Stablecoin Regulatory Framework;
OPM eases plans to target all federal workers on probation; Federal workers describe being fired, unfired, and refired in 5 chaotic days;
OPM directs agencies to fire government workers still on probation;
Justice Dept. Seeks Dismissal of Federal Corruption Case Against Adams;
Three Justice Department officials resign after Trump administration orders end to prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams;
Top N.Y. prosecutor, others resign after order to drop Eric Adams case;
Former prosecutor: Adams’s attorneys ‘repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo’;
Homan: If Adams doesn’t ‘come through, I’ll be back in New York City’;
Justice officials seek to drop Eric Adams case after 7 veteran prosecutors resign over request to do so;
Treasury, Congress watchdogs launch audits into DOGE access to payment system;
Hegseth team invites far-right activist Jack Posobiec on overseas trip;
Vance Slaps Down Hegseth by Threatening Putin With U.S. Troops;
DEI controversy collides with state-level cyber workforce needs;
California city votes to criminalize helping people in homeless camps;
Associated Press says White House barred reporter over policy on ‘Gulf of Mexico’;
Steve Bannon pleads guilty in New York 'We Build the Wall' case;
Trump action and proclamations
Trump says he is revoking Biden's security clearance; Trump revokes security clearances of Blinken, other Biden officials;
Trump, Musk move to oust EPA staff in the Great Lakes region, including dozens responsible for protecting drinking water US and Canada;
Trump dismisses archivist to the United Statesbecause agency sought to retain documents from his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022;
Attacks on Catholics, Lutherans suggest new Trump approach on religion;
Trump Administration Moves to Send $8 Billion in Arms to Israel, Bypassing Some Lawmakers;
Trump allies suggest defying court orders after stinging legal rebukes;
Trump names ally to lead D.C. performing arts center, leaving its future uncertain;
Trump Muses About a Third Term, Over and Over Again; Why Trump will (probably) run again for president in 2028;
Trump fires Office of Government Ethics chief; VA Secretary Doug Collins to temporarily head the Office of Government Ethics;
Summary of Standards of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Rules;
How Trump Uses Language to Attack the Idea of Transgender Identity;
Trump Orders Plans for ‘Large Scale’ Work Force Cuts and Expands Musk’s Power;
Trump Curtails Anti-Corruption Efforts, Suggesting Charging Bribery Is Unfair;
Trump's DOGE order: Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative;
Trump taps RNC Executive as National Cyber Director; Trump picks oil industry vets for key posts at energy, environment agencies;
Trump closes down federal worker buyout offer after judge lifts hold;
Trump administration tells agency heads to fire probationary staff in effort to shrink federal workforce;
Under pressure, Trump exempts military spouses from federal return to office;
Trump fires FEMA leaders and seizes $80 million from New York;
With blitz of policies, Trump goes beyond Project 2025's goals;
Trump and Musk can’t seem to locate much evidence of fraud;
Musk government actions
Elon Musk’s X Becomes Weapon in Government Cost Cutting; Some of Elon Musk’s old employees have a warning for federal workers;
Young Aides Emerge as Enforcers in Musk’s Broadside Against Government;
Who is part of Elon Musk's DOGE, and what are they doing; 19-year-old Musk surrogate takes on roles at State Department and DHS;
Musk calls for impeachment of judge who blocked DOGE access at Treasury;
Some DOGE agents removed from sensitive personnel systems after security fears;
Musk Team’s Treasury Access Raises Security Fears, Despite Judge’s Ordered Halt;
Musk, DOGE descend on consumer bureau: halting the agency’s work, cutting off its funding and shutting down its headquarters;
Appearing With Trump, Musk Makes Broad Claims of Federal Fraud Without Proof;
Elon Musk calls for the U.S. government to delete entire agencies; List of federal agencies DODE has targeted so far;
Musk's DOGE cuts based more on political ideology than real cost savings so far;
Court news
Supreme Court Signals That Landmark Libel Ruling Is Secure; Vance Says ‘Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control’ Trump’s ‘Legitimate Power’;
US judge declines to block Elon Musk's DOGE from Labor Department systems;
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from putting more than 2,000 USAID workers on leave;
Federal judge grants a one-week extension to the pause on Trump’s attempt to put more than 2,000 USAID workers on leave;
Foreign Aid Contractors Sue to Overturn Trump Administration’s U.S.A.I.D. Order;
Federal judge blocks Musk’s DOGE from access to Treasury Department material;
22 states sue to block Trump cuts to NIH research payments; Federal judge blocks Trump’s move to slash NIH funding in 22 states that sued;
Judge halts Trump’s NIH cuts that support medical research after California and 21 states sue;
Judge directs Trump administration to comply with order to unfreeze federal grants;
Judge rules that White House defied order to unfreeze grants; Legal expert on what happens if Trump decides to defy federal judge's court order;
Trump’s Actions Have Created a Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say; 83 percent say president is required to follow Supreme Court rulings;
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Cuts to Medical Research Funding;
Judge Keeps Pause on Program Offering Federal Workers Incentives to Quit;
Judge temporarily reinstalls fired head of whistleblower protection office;
Judge orders health agencies to restore data scrubbed by Trump administration;
Judge orders CDC, FDA to restore websites taken down after Trump gender order;
Judge adjusts ruling blocking Musk, DOGE from Treasury Department payment systems;
Labor Unions Sue To Block DOGE’s Access To Private Data;
Ousted federal watchdogs sue Trump, saying they were fired illegally;
Trump’s federal worker buyout offer can move forward after judge lifts hold;
Federal judge blocks Trump’s executive order aiming to restrict health care for transgender youth;
14 states sue Musk and Trump, calling billionaire’s role unconstitutional;
Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily reinstate foreign aid funding;
Hawaii court rules against insurance companies in Maui wildfire, allowing $4 billion settlement to proceed;
Springfield, Ohio, sues neo-Nazis over hate campaign against Haitians;
Election issues
Administration cuts teams that fight foreign election interference;
Ramaswamy’s Celebrity and Trump Ties Give Him a Jump in Ohio Governor’s Race;
Confirmation News
Kash Patel was paid by Russian filmmaker with Kremlin ties; Durbin calls for investigation into Patel role in FBI firings;
30 House Democrats call on Senate to reject Patel’s FBI nomination;
Tulsi Gabbard is confirmed by the Senate as Trump’s director of national intelligence, overcoming stiff opposition;
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed by the Senate to serve as the nation’s top health official;
Nominee for No. 2 Official at Justice Dept., Todd Blanche, Denounces Treatment of Trump;
Linda McMahon vows to work with Congress, including to roll up Education Department;
Education Secretary Nominee McMahon Spends Confirmation Hearing Defending Trump’s Agenda;
2 Trump nominees for national security positions raise red flags for GOP;
Trump's classified doc case
Appeals court agrees to toss Mar-a-Lago case;
Jan 6th retribution
Trump Says He’ll Fire F.B.I. Agents Amid Fight Over Those Who Investigated Jan. 6;
Health: COVID-19 and other health issues
Flu is surging nationwide, with 24 million cases so far; New version of bird flu infects Nevada dairy worker;
At least 22 children and two adults infected in Texas measles outbreak;
The Trump administration cut billions in biomedical funding. Researchers say it imperils work on cancer and other illnesses.;
A health board’s ban on coronavirus shots in its Idaho clinics offers a glimpse of RFK Jr.’s vaccine-skeptical America;
Where RFK, Jr stands on vaccines, abortion, and your dinner plate.; RFK Jr. says vaccines aren’t tested enough. Experts say that’s baseless.;
5 easy exercises for your hips and hamstrings to alleviate desk job aches and pains;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
DOGE Is Hacking America; AI and Civil Service Purges;
U.S. Makes Sanctions, Arrests Over Russian Ransomware Networks; Man Pleads Guilty to Hacking SEC's X Account for Bitcoin Posts;
UK Is Ordering Apple to Break Its Own Encryption;
Delivering Malware Through Abandoned Amazon S3 Buckets;
Trusted Encryption Environments; Pairwise Authentication of Humans;
Everything You Need to Know About the Privacy-Focused Messaging App Signal; Math and science
NASA Continues To Enhance Asteroid Detection Capabilities;
The Troubles of the 7,000 Starlink Satellites Crowding Our Night Skies;
Scientists detect a mysterious exceptional ultra-high-energy neutrino;
2,000-year-old Roman basilica found in London office basement;
Portrait of mystery woman found hidden beneath century-old Picasso;
Swamps get a bad rep.: They may help save the world;
Marriages in China plunge by a record in 2024, fanning birthrate concerns;
Ban on D.E.I. Language Sweeps Through the Sciences; Pitt Pauses Global Health Trials Due To USAID Cuts;
Randomized Controlled Trials Remain Essential For Ed Tech Research;
Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared”;
European Startups Achieve EV Battery Recycling Milestones;
Gender data; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Elon Musk’s DOGE launched its website. It was hacked within days;
How Elon Musk and the Right Are Trying to Recast Reporting as ‘Doxxing’; Elon Musk’s Own Account Dominates X;
Trump’s New Line of Attack Against the Media; Trump’s Blueprint for Bending the Media Has Nixon Written All Over It;
A sample of the government webpages Trump doesn’t want you to see;
Newspaper Publisher Blames 'Cybersecurity Event' for Woes;
After Musk Complains, Reddit Bans 'WhitePeopleTwitter';
Texas’ social media law takes another hit with temporary blocks on three more provisions;
Elon Musk’s X Settles Trump Lawsuit; AI and Chatbot issues
Lawmakers Plan Bill to Ban DeepSeek on Government Devices;
Elon Musk Leads Bid to Buy Assets of OpenAI for $97.4 Billion; Altman fires back over unsolicited OpenAI bid, says 'no thank you';
Musk Says He Will Drop OpenAI Bid if Company Preserves Nonprofit Mission;
Elon Musk's xAI has been working on a 'DeepSearch' feature, employees say, and it could compete with Google and OpenAI;
Judge Says AI Company Infringed Thomson Reuters' Copyrights;
Stony Brook University Researcher Develops AI Model For Marine Ecology;
AI-generated content raises risks of more bank runs, UK study shows; SC News and Politics
Eerie Light Haunts Summerville. It May Come From Under the Earth;
Mace alleges sexual abuse, rape in stunning House floor speech;
Banking news
Are banks profiting from customers’ confusion;
What to know about the fight over ‘debanking’;
Business and Economics
Inflation increased more than expected in January as prices heated up for Americans;
Historical U.S. Inflation Rate by Year: 1929 to 2025; Larry Summers sounds alarm over inflation under Trump;
Retail sales make biggest drop in almost 2 years;
Fannie Mae Underpins the Mortgage Market. Should the Government Sell It;
Gold hits record high after Trump threatens steel and aluminum tariffs;
The New York Stock Exchange is coming to Texas;
China inflation surges 0.5% in January amid Lunar New Year holidays; China's car sales post biggest drop in almost a year in January;
Chinese Officials Targeting U.S. Tech Companies for Antitrust Probes; China Invites Jack Ma and DeepSeek Founder to Meet Top Leaders;
US endowments join crypto rush by building bitcoin portfolios ;
Why the Trump administration is taking aim at stablecoins to jumpstart its pro-crypto push;
Trump’s Gaza proposal dashes shipping industry’s Red Sea hopes;
U.S. electricity demand growth through 2027 will be like adding another California;
Senate Republicans want IEA to stop predicting ‘peak oil’;
T-Mobile, Starlink to launch satellite-based connectivity in July for $15 per month;
Automakers Face Challenges In EV Transition; GM and Ford Lobby to Save EV Tax Incentives;
BP pledges strategy reset as annual profit falls by a third;
Elon Musk’s Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up; Tesla opens Megapack battery factory in China amid nascent trade war;
Wall Street nears sale of $3bn of debt tied to Elon Musk’s Twitter buyout;
"Armored Tesla" (was) forecast to win $400 million State Department contract after Trump's election;
Plans to buy ‘armored Teslas’ vanish from U.S. State Department procurement list; list now says "Armored Electric Vehicle";
State says $400 million armored EV contract on hold;
Meta begins cutting thousands more positions;
Ford Chief Executive Says Trump Policies May Lead to Layoffs;
75,000 federal employees took Trump's buyout, fewer than the White House's goal;
National Park Service to fire 1,000 employees — but rehire 5,000 seasonal workers;
Missouri AG sues Starbucks, says workforce is ‘more female and less white’;
California’s insurer of last resort runs out of money to pay L.A. fire claims;
Trump's businesses actions
Layoffs to hit IRS as billionaire Elon Musk’s team targets tax collections;
to Stop Minting Pennies;
Trump to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports;
Trump announces new ‘reciprocal’ tariff policy to tax foreign goods at the same rate that other nations apply to American products;
Trump Curbs Enforcement of Antibribery Law; Trump's Justice Department hits the brakes on anti-corruption enforcement;
Trump may dust off 1930 trade discrimination law to back reciprocal US tariffs;
Finance
What the End of the Penny Means for the Economy, Your Piggy Bank, and the Way America Prices Items;
One-third of Americans have more credit card debt than emergency savings;
Sports
Eagles overwhelm Chiefs to claim Lombardi Trophy;
Other news and history
New Kennedy Center board appoints Trump as its chair, and its president confirms she is leaving;
Stars flee Kennedy Center groups after Trump seizes chair;
Kennedy Center staff describe climate of fear as events drop from calendar after Trump takeover;
Education:
ED Can’t Be Shuttered Without Congressional Action;
Trump threatened college research, culture and funding. Confusion reigns;
Trump moves to halt funding for schools with coronavirus mandates;
Education Department Cuts Funding For Research Contracts, Grants;
DOGE Guts Institute Of Education Sciences Funding; DOGE rips through Education Department, cutting contracts, staff and grants;
Elon Musk’s Team Decimates Education Department Arm That Tracks National School Performance ;
Democrats Push Back Against DOGE’s Access To Education Department’s Systems;
Federal Hiring Freeze Disrupts Student Internships; Foreign Affairs Students Reassess Career Plans Amid Federal Cuts;
House Republicans Propose Tax Changes Impacting Higher Education; Republicans’ Proposed Changes Could Increase Student Loan Payments;
Federal Student Loan Rates To Increase For 2024-2025; FAFSA Submissions Face Significant Technical Challenges;
Student Loan Rumors Emerge Online As Administration Targets Education Department;
Education Department Offers Income-Driven Repayment Plans For Student Loans;
Mississippi House Passes Bill For Tuition-Free Community College;
Study Reveals Decline In Legacy Admissions At US Colleges;
Study Reveals College Students’ Vaccine Perceptions;
University Of North Carolina System Prohibits DEI Course Requirements, Citing Trump Order;
Trump Orders Dismissal Of US Military Academy Boards;
Judge Grants ED 90-Day Extension In Gainful Employment Lawsuit;
Community Colleges Redefine Student Success With Community-Based Model;
Popular Michigan STEM Program Closes After Federal Funding Halt;
Colorado’s Digital Math Tool Contributed To Improved Student Scores;
Court blocks professor’s return after profane remarks about Trump, governor;
2/7/2025
TechNews for the week: February 7; February 5; February 3;
Ukraine/Russia war
North Korean troops pulled back from frontline after heavy losses;
Donald Trump wants Ukrainian rare earths deal in return for US military support;
In Kursk, Ukrainians try to sway Russian minds;
Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine;
A special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders over Ukraine wins backing from European institutions;
Ukraine sees marked improvement in accuracy of Russia's North Korean missiles;
US,Israel/Middle East Conflict
UNRWA carries on aid work in occupied territories and Gaza, despite Israeli ban, hostilities;
UN chief demands evacuation of 2,500 Gaza children at 'imminent risk' of death;
Israel is building outposts in Syria, raising local fears of occupation;
Israeli military blows up buildings in West Bank refugee camp; As Israel Expands West Bank Operation, Two Soldiers Are Killed;
Netanyahu portrays U.S. visit as a triumph despite hurdles over Gaza; Netanyahu vows to restart war in Gaza;
Who Will Govern Postwar Gaza? Four Competing Models Are Emerging; Trump team extends timeline for Gaza reconstruction;
Trump proposes permanent displacement of Gazans as he welcomes Netanyahu to White House;
Trump Proposes U.S. Takeover of Gaza and Says All Palestinians Should Leave;
World Officials Reject Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal; Arab Nations Reject Trump’s Suggestion to ‘Clean Out’ Gaza;
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be ... abolished;
With Gaza Plan, an Unbound Trump Pushes an Improbable Idea; Saudi Arabia contradicts Trump: No ties to Israel without Palestinian state;
'Deranged' and 'problematic': Bipartisan group of lawmakers bashes Trump's Gaza proposal;
Trump will not send funds to Gaza and hasn’t committed to sending troops, White House says, after his proposal to displace Gazans;
Trump Officials Try to Walk Back Gaza Takeover Plan; 4 explanations for Trump’s shocking Gaza proposal;
Egypt galvanizes Arab momentum against Trump's Gaza plan; Trump’s Gaza Plan Reflects Broader Push for Annexation of Palestinian Land;
Hamas says talks start on second phase of Gaza ceasefire deal;
Israel orders military to prepare for ‘voluntary departure’ of Gaza residents;
Donald Trump says Gaza will be ‘turned over to the US by Israel’;
International Events
Moscow Has $2 Billion Stuck at JPMorgan. The U.S. Isn’t Sure What to Do With It;
Russia raises domestic asset seizure stakes with grain trader, Moscow airport grab;
India 'engaging with US' after shackled deportees spark anger;
Chagos Islands deal could dangerously fracture UK and US relationship;
Norway Seizes Russian-Crewed Ship Suspected of Cutting an Undersea Cable;
Iran Is Developing Plans for Faster, Cruder Weapon, U.S. Concludes;
Egypt Fears Syria’s Revolutionary Fervor Could Be Contagious;
Assad cousin notorious for role in suppressing protests in Syria arrested;
Syria’s new leader visits Saudi Arabia in sign of regional power shift; Syria's Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Turkey's Erdogan;
Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan aim to jointly tackle Islamic State, Ankara says; Syria could allow Russia to keep its bases, new defense minister says;
DOD drafting plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria after recent Trump comments;
The new Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, is named;
Italy's PM investigated over release of Libyan war crimes suspect;
Belgium forms first government to be led by right-wing nationalist party;
Rubio Snubs G-20 Meeting Citing South Africa’s Focus on Equality; South Africa 'will not be bullied,' Ramaphosa says after Trump attack;
El Salvador offers to jail ‘American criminals,’ including U.S. citizens;
Panama president: No deal to allow US warships to use canal for free; Panama says US claims of free canal transit for warships are ‘lies’;
Trump tariffs spark panic and anger in Canada and Mexico;
Countries vow 'unwavering' support for ICC, as Trump hits it with sanctions;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Trump Signs Executive Order Calling for Review of U.S. Funding and Ties to U.N.;
Aid groups get blanket order to pause U.S.-funded programs as payments dry up;
Trump administration explores bringing USAID under State Department; Republican blocks Senate resolution in support of USAID ;
Congressional Research Service: Trump ‘does not have the authority to abolish’ USAID;
Trump administration says Most USAID workers to be put on leave as all overseas staff are recalled;
Trump moves to wrest control of USAID as Musk says ‘we’re shutting it down’;
Bill Gates: Musk wouldn’t be telling USAID workers to say home if he knew what it does;
White House puts USAID officials on leave after they refused Musk allies access. Musk called the agency a ‘criminal organization.’;
Rubio says he’s acting director of U.S.A.I.D. as Musk works to shut it down;
Trump and Musk's moves to ax USAID are 'flatly illegal,' experts say. It doesn't mean it won't happen.;
Trump Administration to Lay Off Nearly All of U.S. Aid Agency’s Staff;
Samantha Power, former USAID Administrator, Autocratic regimes ‘relishing’ USAID gutting;
US military deportation flight to Guatemala likely cost more than $4,600 per migrant — way more than a first class ticket;
DHS to end temporary protection for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, putting them at risk of potential deportation;
ICE releasing migrant detainees as arrests exceed capacity;
Red states eye moves to fingerprint children, certify bounty hunters in immigration crackdown;
Justice Dept. sues Illinois and Chicago over immigration enforcement;
Pentagon Removes NBC News, NYT, Other Media From Offices in New Rotation Program;
Trump’s fierce attacks on DEI reflect a longtime GOP focus; As Trump Attacks Diversity, a Racist Undercurrent Surfaces;
Trump's diversity purge targets dozens of federal workers who did not work in DEI;
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau halts all work after Trump appoints Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as its acting director;
The House DOGE committee is setting its sights on NPR and PBS;
Official Email Urges Federal Workers to Find ‘Higher Productivity’ Jobs;
IRS: Some employees can’t take buyout until after filing deadline;
Trump demands lists of federal employees who have received less than “fully successful” job performance ratings over the past three years;
OPM employees file suit to block use of new email system; The CFO of the OPM, the chief HR agency for the federal government, resigns;
Mystery OPM server that aided buyout offers prompts House Democrat probe; At least 20K have accepted Trump’s government buyout offer;
Layoffs across the federal government are ‘likely’ if not enough workers take the deferred resignation offer, internal email warns;
Dem AGs warn federal workers about ‘misleading’ Trump buyout offers;
Education Department staff warned that Trump buyout offers could be canceled at any time;
CIA sends ‘buyout’ offers to entire workforce;
ACLU asks Congress to investigate plans to fire ‘probationary’ federal employees;
New Leaders of Justice Dept. Move to Assert Control Over Agency; New Group Aims to Help Justice Dept. Employees Alarmed by Trump;
New attorney general’s orders include dissolving teams focused on foreign influence;
Bondi scraps Biden-era environmental justice enforcement policy;
Burgum begins to implement Trump’s ‘energy emergency’ declaration;
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz puts a hold on Trump's State Department nominees;
F.B.I. Agents Ask Court to Bar Trump Team From Disclosing Their Names;
Families and LGBTQ advocacy groups sue to halt Trump order aiming to restrict care for transgender youth;
Texas Dem says he’ll bring articles of impeachment against Trump over Gaza;
Republicans stare down massive deficits to extend Trump tax cuts; Trump Will Seek to End Carried Interest, Expand SALT in Tax Bill;
Tensions flare Wednesday as GOP stymied in advancing Trump legislative agenda;
Lindsey Graham and the Freedom Caucus join forces ; Senate preparing to move first on budget package amid House stalemate;
Graham Graham unveils budget plan to beef up border security and defense;
Mike Johnson says there's a 'gross overreaction' over Elon Musk's efforts to cut government spending;
Texas Governor Bans China's DeepSeek on Government Devices;
Republicans from disaster-prone areas back Trump’s push to overhaul FEMA;
As Washington reels, Trump voters like what they see; Red states pursue their own DOGE-style reforms;
Many Americans Say Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities;
Democrats elect Ken Martin, head of Minnesota party, as next chair;
McConnell slips and falls outside Senate Chamber;
Rubio Now In Charge of the National Archives;
Trump action and proclamations
Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs for Mexico and Canada and raises tariffs on China by 10 percent;
Trump will delay tariffs against Mexico for one month, Mexican president says;
Trudeau, after call with Trump, says U.S. will pause tariffs on Canada for 30 days;
USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House firing;
Trump moves to cancel recent union agreements with federal workers;
Trump ordered water released from California reservoirs. It will likely be wasted.;
Trump Administration Fires Consumer Bureau Chief;
Trump revokes Esper’s security detail;
Trump administration evicts former Coast Guard leader from her house with 3 hours notice;
Inside Trump’s Hastily Written Proposal to ‘Own’ Gaza;
Trump officials plan to close EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, putting nearly 170 workers on leave;
Justice Dept.’s Weaponization Group Underscores Trump’s Quest for Retribution;
Musk government actions
Musk aides lock Office of Personnel Management workers out of computer systems;
Bessent gives Musk’s Team Access to Treasury’s Payments System;
Elon Musk's allies now have access to a sensitive Treasury Department payment system that controls $6 trillion per year;
DOGE broadens sweep of federal agencies, gains access to health payment systems;
Elon Musk’s DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data into AI to target cuts;
Trump administration agrees to restrict DOGE access to Treasury Department payment systems;
Musk Moves With Lightning Speed to Exert Control Over the Government; Musk shocks lawmakers, setting himself on collision course;
White House opens funding spigot for DOGE expenses;
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover;
Musk’s Team Receiving High School Credit for Running Government;
Musk says DOGE works 120 hours a week as he brings Silicon Valley grind culture to government;
Some members of Elon Musk's DOGE squad aren't sharing their last names as they attempt to remake the federal workforce;
Musk says he’ll bring back DOGE staffer under fire for racist posts;
Inside Musk’s Aggressive Incursion Into the Federal Government;
U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal;
As DOGE disrupts Washington, Elon Musk holds court for fans and supplicants on X;
Court news
US judge blocks Trump administration from transferring transgender inmate;
Trump drops opposition at Supreme Court to ban on treatments for trans teens;
Judge Extends Pause On Trump’s Plan To Freeze Federal Loans, Grants, Funding;
Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship;
Government unions sue over DOGE access to Labor Department; Fired Democrat NLRB member sues Trump over ouster;
Public Citizen steps up fight against DOGE access with Education Department lawsuit;
Unions sue Trump administration over USAID shutdown;
Federal judge pauses Thursday deadline for Trump administration’s buyout program as labor groups sue to block it;
Why the Supreme Court may be open to Trump’s push for expanded power;
Federal judge: Trump ignoring rule of law for ‘political or personal gain’;
Sotomayor hits presidential immunity decision in first public comments since new Trump admin;
Judges curb Trump’s sweeping executive actions;
Judge to issue ‘very limited’ order temporarily pausing USAID purge;
Judge bars publicly naming FBI agents who investigated Jan. 6 cases;
Confirmation News
Ethics Pledges by Trump Cabinet Draw Questions and Skepticism; The high-stakes question Trump’s nominees curiously won’t answer;
Key Trump Cabinet members refuse to acknowledge Trump lost in 2020;
Democrats call to slow RFK Jr. nomination as he revises ethics form; RFK Jr. confirmation could hinge on his embrace of false vaccine-autism link;
Senate Panel Pushes Through Kennedy’s Nomination Along Party Lines; Senate panel advances Tulsi Gabbard nomination for DNI;
Fetterman says he’ll vote against RFK Jr., Gabbard nominations;
Senate confirms fracking CEO Chris Wright to lead Energy Department;
Senate confirms Doug Collins as VA secretary; Bondi Confirmed as Attorney General;
Collins to back OMB nominee Russell Vought, paving way for confirmation;
Senate Democrats delay Kash Patel committee vote;
Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI director, made at least $2.6M from consulting, media deals;
Senate confirms Russell Vought, who helped to craft Project 2025, as White House budget director;
Jan 6th retribution
D.C. U.S. attorney fires Jan. 6 prosecutors, launches new probes; Justice Department orders FBI purge, review of staff who touched Jan. 6 cases;
Illinois governor bans Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump from state jobs;
As Justice Dept. examines FBI’s work on Jan. 6 cases and weighs firings, agents told to explain their roles in each case;
FBI agents sue to keep officials from compiling a list that could be used to fire thousands involved in Trump and Jan. 6 cases;
Health: COVID-19 and other health issues
Tuberculosis toll in Kansas City, Kansas, area rises to nearly 70 active cases;
Dairy cows infected with second version of bird flu;
DOGE officials home in on Medicare, Medicaid offices;
CDC removes gender, equity references in public health material; CDC scientific report resumes publication after unprecedented pause;
Trump team considers demanding WHO reform, including American in charge;
Trump used fentanyl to justify tariffs, but the crisis was already easing;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
NATO scrambles for drones that can survive the Arctic;
U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts;
Deepfakes and the 2024 US Election;
Spyware Campaign Targeted Journalists Using WhatsApp;
Journalists and Civil Society Members Using WhatsApp Targeted by Paragon Spyware;
Former Federal Reserve official accused of passing secrets to China;
UDRP Decisions Rose in 2024, Continuing Long Cybersquatting Trend;
On Generative AI Security; AIs and Robots Should Sound Robotic;
Screenshot-Reading Malware; Math and science
Newly detected near-Earth asteroid has astronomers’ full attention;
Astronomers Detect Massive Radio Jet From Early Quasar;
The world’s largest iceberg is on the move again;
In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains;
Lethal heat waves will triple in size even if climate agreements kept;
First glimpse inside burnt scroll after 2,000 years;
Carbon Dioxide Converted Into 3D-Printed Nanocomposites;
Census Bureau Improves Methodology to Better Estimate Increase in Net International Migration;
Executive Order Freezing Climate Spending Paralyzing Agencies, Causing Confusion, Delaying Projects;
NSF Freezes Grant Payments Amid Executive Order Conflicts; NSF Reviews Grants For Compliance With Trump’s Orders;
NSF threatened with mass layoffs ; US science funding freeze a 'threat to academic freedom';
Women And Minorities In Federal STEM Roles Criticize Trump’s DEI Executive Orders;
Colorado Universities Resume Federally Funded Research Work After DEI Ban;
US CDC orders pullback of new scientific papers involving its researchers;
Scientists on alert as NOAA restricts contact with foreign nationals; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
VP Vance to supervise the divestment of TikTok U.S.;
How federal agencies have already changed their websites under Trump;
Trump orders key government agency to cancel all media contracts;
X Adds More Companies to Antitrust Lawsuit Over Ad Boycott;
Republican ire at USAID finds an unusual target: Politico;
China Leaning Towards Eliminating TikTok’s US Operations; AI and Chatbot issues
Researchers Say DeepSeek’s Answers Include Chinese Propaganda; China’s DeepSeek Chatbot Linked To State Telecom;
The DeepSeek controversy: Authorities ask where does the data come from and how safe is it;
DeepSeek app retains No. 1 ranking in global downloads; South Korea Asking DeepSeek for Info About Managing User Data;
OpenAI reconsiders closed-source approach after DeepSeek shocker;
OpenAI Unveils A.I. Tool That Can Do Research Online;
Researchers Demonstrate AI Model Training Costing $50;
Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance; SC News and Politics
Trump's US-Gaza takeover idea puts SC's Lindsey Graham and Nancy Mace on opposing sides;
Banking news
China keeps renminbi steady in first fix since Donald Trump’s tariffs;
India's central bank seen cutting rates for first time since May 2020; Bank of England cuts rates, sees higher inflation and weaker growth;
Fed Official Pushes Back on Pre-emptive Policy Moves;
S.E.C. Moves to Scale Back Its Crypto Enforcement Efforts;
Wall Street banks offload $5.5bn in debt linked to Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter;
Business and Economics
U.S. Added 818,000 Fewer Jobs in 2024 Than Reported Earlier;
Employers added 143,000 jobs in January, beginning the year with slower but solid gains for the labor market;
Why The U.S. Is About To Gain 2.3 Million Workers (On Paper);
High Stakes for Global Companies in Trump’s Latest Tariff Threats; This Is How Much the U.S. Imports From China, Canada and Mexico;
Oil climbs after-hours as Trump indicates sub-10% tariff on Canadian crude;
Dollar surges as Donald Trump’s tariffs shake markets; Stock prices rebound after U.S.-Mexico deal reached;
Trump tariffs to stoke US food inflation despite pledge to lower costs; China Sets Retaliatory Tariffs on US Imports;
Trump faces backlash from business as tariffs ignite inflation fears;
Layoffs hit contractors and small businesses as Trump cuts take effect;
OPEC+ sticks to oil policy, removes U.S. government data from sources used to monitor output;
From liquor to dishwashers, Canada details U.S. goods it will hit with tariffs;
USPS, in reversal, resumes accepting packages from China and Hong Kong;
Trump tariff drama carries high stakes for US automakers, car buyers;
From JPMorgan to BlackRock: The 15 financial firms that file the most H-1B immigrant work visas;
How The Immigration Surge Boosted The Economy;
Costco raises nonunion pay to over $30 an hour as union deadline looms;
Tesla and Chinese Carmakers Could See Windfall From E.U. Emissions Rules; Tesla’s sales plummet across Europe;
Trump administration orders states to halt EV charging programs;
Walgreens suspends quarterly dividend amid turnaround efforts;
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman says he will move management company out of Delaware ;
Facebook parent Meta in talks to reincorporate outside Delaware ;
Tech giant Workday lays off 1,750 employees in shift to AI;
Nissan open to new partners, sources say, including Foxconn;
Trump's meme coin made nearly $100 million in trading fees, as small traders lost money;
Trump said the new sovereign wealth fund he signed an executive order to create could be used to buy TikTok;
Trump signs order to create US sovereign wealth fund, eyeing TikTok purchase;
5 things to know about Trump’s plan to create a sovereign wealth fund;
Trump Media Is Moving Into the Financial Services Industry;
MicroStrategy is Now Strategy;
Trump Pledges To Investigate California’s High-Speed Rail Project, Citing Mismanagement;
Finance
Trump taps Bessent to lead consumer bureau as GOP plots big changes;
State Farm asks for insurance rate hike of 22 percent after L.A. fires;
Sports
NCAA bans transgender athletes from women’s sports after Trump order;
Other news and history
‘The Airport Said Don’t Do It. And They Did It.’;
Gulf of Mexico, or Gulf of America? Trump makes a call, but who follows;
Trump’s Myth of American Decline;
Education:
State Funding For Higher Education Increases By 4.3% Despite Looming Challenges;
Total Student Loan Debt Increased Under Biden, Despite Forgiveness Efforts;
Pell Grant Program Projected To Face $2.7 Billion Deficit; FAFSA To Exclude Nonbinary Option For Federal Aid Applications;
Chicago Students Weigh FAFSA Risks Amid Deportation Threats;
Colorado And Massachusetts Lead In Higher Education Attainment Despite Racial Disparities;
Report Shows Significant Decline In Legacy Admissions Practices; North Carolina Launches CUNY-Inspired Community College Career Program;
Survey Shows Confidence In Post-Graduation Job Prospects, Notably Among Black Students;
Doctoral Degree Holders Face Challenges In Nonacademic Career Paths;
Even As They Lose Funding, Universities Appear Wary Of Provoking Trump;
Dozens of Education Department staffers on leave amid Trump’s DEI purge ; Education Department Reverts To Trump-Era Title IX Policies;
Education Department employees were placed on leave after taking diversity training during Trump’s first term;
Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data; Prepares executive order to abolish the Department of Education;
Education Department staff warned that Trump buyout offers could be canceled at any time;
Accreditors Brace For Potential Higher Ed Changes Under Trump; Members of Congress denied access to Department of Education;
Maryland Universities Could Face 400 Job Cuts Amid Budget Reductions; Yale To Expand Undergraduate Class And Faculty Roles;
Proposed Constitutional Amendment Targets University Oversight In New Mexico;
Trump’s Immigration Policy Changes Impact School Attendance; University Of Michigan Issues Guidance On Immigration Officials;
Texas lawmakers may ban certain lessons at state colleges under expanded DEI crackdown;
Massachusetts Universities Respond To DEI Executive Orders; Ohio State, Other Universities Face Potential Investigation Over DEI Programs;
Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s DEI Executive Orders;
Florida Board Approves General Ed Curriculum Changes, Drops Seminole History;
School Districts Align Spending With Instructional Needs Amid Budgeting Challenges;
How AI Tools Can Enhance Instruction Methods, Combat Teacher Burnout; Cal State Launches AI Initiative Across 23 Campuses;
Schools Face Challenges In Implementing High-Quality Math Instruction;
Trump Antisemitism Order Prompts Concern Among California Universities;
University of California sued for discrimination against Whites, Asians;
Lawsuit Alleges University Of Michigan Violated Pro-Palestinian Protestors’ Rights;
DEI crackdown DEI crackdown targets student books in Pentagon schools;
Hegseth’s goal for fewer civilian professors at military academies faces roadblocks;
West Point Disbands Clubs for Women and Minorities After Trump Orders;
University Of Southern California Appoints General Counsel To Interim Presidency;
Florida Lt. Governor Expected To Resign, Serve As Florida International University’s Interim President;
School bus operator suspended after posting ‘No speaking Spanish’ sign;