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Trump administration tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers
The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE’s blind cost cutting will put communities at risk.
Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late Thursday, with some losing access to email before they’d learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Elon Musk’s DOGE asks for access to IRS taxpayer data, sources say
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has requested access to an Internal Revenue Service system that retains the personal tax information of millions of Americans, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The system, known as the Integrated Data Retrieval System, is used by IRS employees to review tax information, issue notices and update taxpayer records.
Access to the files, which is tightly controlled within the agency, had not been granted as of this weekend, several sources told ABC News.
The Rude Pundit: The Simplest Explanation… They Are Evil
“Evil” is a hard concept to get your head around. We can get close to it when we say things like “The cruelty is the point,” but that was truly about the first Donald Trump administration, with its scattershot acts of savagery, many of them mitigated by courts and by stronger Democrats and even a few Republicans who still had souls and spines. The cruelty had no real ideology behind it, just the sheer deranged pleasure of hurting people. Systematic, planned cruelty with a goal of hurting everyone who ever opposed you and your ideology? That’s evil. We don’t want to think that we are confronting evil now because it seems melodramatic and frankly unfathomable. If we have leaders who keep acting in ways that are evil, as in directly contrary to any concept of “good,” then we need to acknowledge that we are in an evil country living through an evil age.
Trump says he could withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt if they reject his Gaza development plan
The Trump administration is gearing up for potentially contentious meetings with Arab power players this week as President Donald Trump continues to press his plan for what he calls U.S. “ownership” of Gaza, going so far as to threaten cutting off U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t go along.
On Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House, becoming the first Arab leader to do since he returned to power last month.
Jordan has served as a humanitarian lifeline for civilians in Gaza throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict and already hosts millions of registered Palestinian refugees.
White House officials bristle as the courts throttle parts of Trump’s agenda
The nation may be edging closer to a constitutional crisis as senior White House officials bristle over a string of court orders stymieing President Donald Trump’s agenda, sparking fears that they may ignore judicial decisions.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Monday that the Trump administration failed to comply with his previous directive temporarily halting a sweeping funding freeze, reminding Trump and his top officials in stark terms that “those who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt.”
Judge to decide fate of Trump’s federal buyout offer
A federal judge in Boston Monday will consider whether to block President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk from carrying out their unprecedented plan to buy out tens of thousands of federal employees.
Three federal employee unions — with the support of 20 Democratic attorneys general — have argued that the Office of Personnel Management’s deferred resignation offer is an “unlawful ultimatum” to force the resignation of government workers under the “threat of mass termination.”
Philadelphia Eagles demolish the Kansas City Chiefs to win their second Super Bowl
Fueled by a harassing defense, Philadelphia denied a Kansas City coronation in Super Bowl 59, dethroning the Chiefs in a rout that delivered the Eagles their second championship in seven seasons by a score of 40-22.
Kansas City had won three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, including the last two, and it was trying to become the first team in the NFL’s Super Bowl era to win back-to-back-to-back titles. Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whose résumé sparked debates about whether he or Tom Brady was the best quarterback in NFL history, the Chiefs had won 17 consecutive one-score games and appeared infallible in the clutch.
Legal experts warn of ‘constitutional crisis’ as JD Vance and Elon Musk question judges’ authority over Trump
Legal and constitutional experts warned Sunday that the United States could be headed toward a “constitutional crisis” or a “breakdown of the system” after Vice President JD Vance suggested judges don’t have jurisdiction over President Donald Trump’s “legitimate power.”
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal,” Vance wrote on X, adding, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
Read the rest of the story at NBC News
Trump announces blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum, reciprocal tariffs on other countries
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce reciprocal tariffs this week, as well as a 25% blanket tariff on steel and aluminum imports.
“Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that the same tariff would be applied to aluminum.
“Aluminum, too,” Trump added, when a reporter asked him whether it would also be subject to tariffs.
The Rude Pundit: Democrats Need to Stop Being Afraid of Being Democrats
In Kamala Harris’s speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president in Chicago in August, one key word and its variations were conspicuously absent, and it’s a shame because she was speaking to a huge audience that needed to hear the words “Democrat” and “Democrats” and “Democratic Party.” The only reference was a worthless nod to dead bipartisanship: “Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades.” Awesome. Now how about all the shit that was done by Democrats?
In other speeches, she didn’t mention the party at all, and sometimes that was just odd. At a rally in Atlanta, Harris said, “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity to build a business, to own a home, to build intergenerational wealth; a future with affordable health care, affordable childcare, paid leave.” While this was in a comparison to Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric, she never expanded “we” beyond her and her voters. That “we” should have been “Democrats.”
USAID to be reduced to about 290 foreign service officers and civil servants
The U.S. Agency of International Development is expected to be reduced to about 290 workers from the more than 5,000 foreign service officers, civil servants and personal service contractors it currently employs, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
Most of the approximately 3,000 institutional support contractors have already been fired or furloughed. The status of the approximately 5,000 foreign service nationals serving around the world is not yet clear.
The bureaus of Humanitarian Assistance, Global Health and Management are expected to retain the most staff members, but under the expected plan, only 12 people would be dedicated to the entire continent of Africa and eight people for all of Asia.
Republicans block Musk from congressional subpoena as DOGE continues to access government data
As Elon Musk continues to dismantle government agencies, threaten workers with layoffs and gain access to government data, congressional Republicans on Wednesday blocked Democratic efforts to compel him to answer for his actions under oath.
At the same time, protests demanding accountability continued.
Musk, who has not made any public appearances since the inauguration, has publicly called for slashing federal government spending and, through his non-government organization Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has frozen funding for several agencies including USAID the international aid agency.
WORLD Trump’s plan for U.S. to “take over” Gaza amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire rejected by allies and adversaries
Allies and adversaries of the United States reacted with shock and disapproval Wednesday to President Trump’s announcement of plans for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Trump’s suggestion that the Palestinian territory — part of the land that many people hope will eventually become an independent Palestinian state — be redeveloped into a “Riviera of the Middle East,” owned by the U.S., sent diplomatic shockwaves around the world.
Mr. Trump’s announcement worried some Israeli hostage family members, and it drew immediate condemnation from Palestinian civilians and from Hamas, which warned it could threaten the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell Falls Again At The Capitol
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fell twice on Wednesday ― once leaving the Senate chamber and again inside a closed-door Republican conference lunch just minutes later.
The 82-year-old former Senate GOP leader, a childhood polio survivor, is using a wheelchair as a precautionary measure after the pair of spills at the U.S. Capitol.
“Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work,” a McConnell spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost.
Robin Abcarian: No one polices men’s bodies the way we police women’s bodies
While we’ve been distracted by wildfire tragedies, and the dizzying stream of Project 2025-inspired directives flowing from the Oval Office, we cannot forget that the Republican-led war on women’s reproductive rights shows no signs of waning.
In fact, it’s heating up again.
Last week, a Democratic Mississippi state senator with a wry sense of humor introduced a law meant to call attention to the absurdity of America’s enduring efforts to control women’s bodies.
Read the rest of Robin Abcarian’s piece at The Los Angeles Times
Charlie Pierce: Senator Brian Schatz Is Actually Doing Something (When Very Little Can Be Done)
This is how you do it when there really isn’t much you can do. From Reuters:
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said on Monday he would block Senate votes on President Donald Trump’s nominees for diplomatic positions in protest over moves to close the U.S. Agency for International Development and fold it into the State Department. Under the chamber’s rules, one senator can hold up nominations even if the other 99 all want them to move quickly, forcing the Senate to consume many hours of floor time to move nominations or promotions ahead…. Slowing nominations or promotions that must be approved by the Senate is one of the few avenues available to members of the minority party to try to influence policy. Last year, when Democrats held a slim majority in the chamber, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville blocked hundreds of military promotions over the Defense Department’s abortion
Frank Figliuzzi: Trump’s revenge campaign is eroding the FBI’s ability to protect America
A purge of experienced leaders is now underway at the FBI. Thousands of field agents are being threatened with dismissal. Here’s what we know so far, and why America is already less safe.
At least eight of the most senior officials in the FBI, and multiple field office chiefs, have been forced out, despite the fact that neitherattorney general pick Pam Bondi, nor FBI director nominee Kash Patel have been confirmed. In fact, perhaps this action is already in full swing precisely to allow both nominees to feign ignorance during their Senate hearings. Bondi testified, “There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.” Patel claimed, “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.” The past few days suggest otherwise.
Gabbard gains support from 2 key GOP senators ahead of confirmation vote
The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence in a closed-door session Tuesday afternoon. The vote follows Gabbard’s at-times contentious confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill on Thursday, where she was grilled over her views on government secrets leaker Edward Snowden and her refusal to label him a traitor.
Gabbard, a former Democratic Hawaii Congresswoman turned Republican, picked up two key Republican votes on Monday from Sens. Susan Collins and James Lankford. Both had previously been critical of her past statements on Snowden and her opposition to government surveillance programs. Gabbard can only afford to lose one Republican vote on the committee.
Rubio Blames ‘Insubordination’ for Changes at USAID
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that he had taken over as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, assuming control of an agency that had functioned largely independently for over 60 years and stoking fears about U.S. assistance around the world.
Mr. Rubio’s announcement came after a week of drastic changes at U.S.A.I.D., the government’s lead agency for humanitarian aid and development assistance. Senior officials have been suspended, and hundreds of civil servants and contractors have been iced out of U.S.A.I.D. systems without warning.
Pause on Canada and Mexico Tariffs, China Swiftly Counters Trump’s Tariffs With a Flurry of Trade Curbs
Beijing responded swiftly on Tuesday to the tariffs President Trump had promised, announcing a fusillade of countermeasures targeting American companies and imports of critical products.
Mr. Trump’s 10 percent tariff on all Chinese products went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the result of an executive order issued over the weekend aimed at pressuring Beijing to crack down on fentanyl shipments into the United States.
The Chinese government came back with a series of retaliatory steps, including additional tariffs on liquefied natural gas, coal, farm machinery and other products from the United States. It also said it had implemented restrictions on the export of certain critical minerals, many of which are used in the production of high-tech products.
Elon Musk’s DOGE commission gains access to sensitive Treasury payment systems
The Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald Trump’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The move by DOGE, a Trump administration task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations, means it could have wide leeway to access important taxpayer data, among other things.
The New York Times first reported the news of the group’s access of the massive federal payment system. The two people who spoke to The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Grammy Awards: A Night For Women and Kendrick Lamar
Beyoncé won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2025 Grammys, delivering her — at last — the show’s elusive top award.
The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, had been nominated in the category four times before and many felt she had been snubbed by its top honors.
- Other big winners: Kendrick Lamar won both song and record of the year for his diss track “Not Like Us,” Chappell Roan nudged aside Sabrina Carpenter to win the Grammy for best new artist, and Taylor Swift presented the award for best country album to Beyoncé.
Elon Musk says he and Trump are shutting down USAID
Tech billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that he and President Donald Trump were in the process of shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, escalating their war on the federal bureaucracy and defying the constitutional power of Congress to determine how money is spent.
Musk, the head of Trump’s government efficiency initiative, announced the shutdown in the middle of the night in an audio-only appearance on his social media site X.
“We’re shutting it down,” he said. At another point, he said “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”
Dow futures drop more than 650 points after Trump hits U.S. trading partners with tariffs
Stock futures tumbled early Monday to kick off a new trading month, as investors weighed new U.S. tariffs on goods from key trade partners and their potential impact on the economy and corporate profits.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 546 points, or 1.22%. S&P 500 futures dropped 1.4%, while Nasdaq-100 futures lost 1.7%.
President Donald Trump on Saturday slapped a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. He also placed a 10% levy on imports from China. The U.S. does about $1.6 trillion in business with the three countries.
The Rude Pundit: Note to Democrats… We’re Freaking the Fuck Out and You’re Not Helping Us Enough
I know so many people who are scared to death or freaking the fuck out about all of the ways that the administration of Donald Trump (aka “Elon’s Meat Puppet”) is fucking with their lives like a deranged child pulling the wings off moths. In just the last week:
– A dear friend with a trans teen is making plans to leave the country for at least the next four years. Gender-affirming care saved my friend’s kid’s life, and the fact that hospitals are pulling back on that care since Trump issued his savage, ignorant executive order has made them decide to get the fuck out of here. They’re not the only family with a trans kid I know who are leaving. Of course they’re leaving. That’s what you do for your child. You make sure they aren’t harmed. (And, yes, I recognize that there is a great deal of privilege in having the financial ability to leave.)
Trump baselessly blames diversity program for fatal air collision
Within five minutes of asking for a moment of silence for the victims, Trump pivoted to his political agenda, notably his promises to shrink the federal workforce and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from all agencies. The president told reporters he had seen no evidence to attribute the crash to changes in hiring standards for air traffic controllers.
“It just could have been,” he said. “Because I have common sense.”
Control tower at National Airport understaffed before deadly collision
The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport was understaffed on Wednesday evening when a passenger plane and a military helicopter collided in midair, according to a government report about the circumstances surrounding the disaster that killed 67 people and sparked renewed debate around the airport’s crowded airspace.
According to the report, described to The Washington Post, two people were handling the jobs of four among other colleagues inside National’s control tower at the time of the collision. The control tower staffing levels, the report concludes, were “not normal” for the time of day or the amount of air traffic over D.C., where an average of more than 100 helicopters a day zip around and underneath arriving and departing airline flights.
5 takeaways from the confirmation hearings for RFK Jr., Gabbard and Patel
In a crucial day for President Donald Trump’s nominees, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel descended on Capitol Hill for confirmation hearings Thursday.
Kennedy, the nominee for health and human services secretary; Gabbard, chosen for director of national intelligence; and Patel, selected for FBI director, have all generated controversy for a similar reason: Each has launched searing criticisms of the entities they’ve been chosen to lead. Trump is testing the Republican-controlledSenate on where it will draw the line between disruption and institutionalism.
They all sought to clarify or downplay past stances or remarks that have landed them in hot water with senators who will decide whether they’re confirmed.
