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March 21, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Constitutional showdown

• Chief Justice Roberts rebukes Trump and GOP rhetoric about impeaching judges  (CNN)
• Judge demands to know why Trump administration ignored order about redirecting deportation flights (CBS)
• Judge orders urgent release of DOGE records, citing ‘unprecedented’ power and ‘unusual secrecy’ (Politico)
• Judge rails against DOGE for ‘terrorizing’ U.S. Institute of Peace after using ‘guns and threats’ to shut it down (Independent)

March 6, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Military cuts

• Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers (AP)
• Hegseth orders major Pentagon spending cuts (Politico)

Economy and tariffs

• Trump enacts sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, opening door to painful trade war (CNN)
• America First? Not when it comes to stock markets worldwide this year  (Associated Press)
• Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts: Promises vs. Reality

Presidential power

• Legal experts warn of 'constitutional crisis' as JD Vance and Elon Musk question judges' authority over Trump (NBC)
• Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies (Politico)
• Republican lawmakers urge Trump to respect federal court rulings (The Hill)
• Trump appears to channel Napoleon in vision for executive authority: ‘He who saves his Country does not violate any Law’ (CNN)

Ukraine aid

• Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after Oval Office argument with Zelensky, White House official says(CNN)
• Reagan-era Republicans aghast as Trump turns Russia policy on its head (Guardian)
• How a U.S. President Pivoted Toward Russia(Wall Street Journal)

DOGE

• DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up (NPR)
• Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say (CNN)
• Musk gives all federal workers 48 hours to explain what they did last week or face consequences  (AP)
• As Musk works to slash federal spending, his own firms have received billions in government contracts (ABC)
• Judge Who Made Life Hell for Trump Will Oversee Case on Elon Musk (New Republic)
• Elon Musk calls for the US to 'delete entire agencies' from the federal government (AP)
• Elon Musk’s Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink’s Contracts in Ukraine (Gizmodo)

Press restrictions

• The White House says it 'will determine' which news outlets cover Trump, rotating traditional ones (AP)
• AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech (AP)

Court Actions

• Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's bid to avoid paying USAID contractors(NBC)
• Supreme Court rules that government watchdog fired by Trump may temporarily remain on the job (CNN)
• Federal Judge Blocks DOGE Access to Sensitive Data At Education Department and OPM(Democracy Docket)

Other National News

• Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts  (Newsbreak)
• Dismantling of federal efforts to monitor election interference creates opening for foreign meddling (AP)
• Trump Bid to Take Over Postal Service Could Threaten Mail Voting (Democracy Docket)
• Members of Congress denied access to Department of Education (MSN)
• Feds Fire 20 Immigration Judges Despite Case Backlog Amid Trump Wave of Government Cuts
• Invasive frisks, suicide attempts: Three migrants describe Guantánamo detention (Washington Post)
• 3 migrants beat the Trump administration in court. They got deported the next day (ABC)
• Rubio says El Salvador will house deportees from U.S., including Americans  (NPR)
• Farmers hit by a federal funding freeze scramble to respond ahead of spring thaw(NBC)
• Trump picks Neil Jacobs to head NOAA, a scientist with 'Sharpiegate' ties (NPR)
• Elon Musk's DOGE seeks access to taxpayer data at IRS: AP sources (AP)
• IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season  (AP)
• Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash (AP)
• Speaker Johnson tells GOP lawmakers to skip town halls after an onslaught of protests (AP)
• Major troubles for Donald Trump in new polling (NJ.com)
• GOP bill to ban trans athletes from women’s sports blocked in Senate (The Hill)
• Four top New York City officials resign as turmoil ripples over Mayor Adams' corruption case (AP)

WORLD

Ukraine-Russia

• US joins Russia to vote against UN resolution condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine (CNN)
• Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine on eve of third year of war (CBS)
• Trump’s rush for a deal with Putin leaves Ukraine and Europe scrambling  (CNN)
• US refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in UN votes (AP)

Europe

• Leaked memo reveals alarming German warnings over Trump  (Politico)
• Scholz rebukes Vance, defends Europe's stance on hate speech and far right (Reuters)

Mexico

• Mexico's President Sheinbaum threatens to take legal action over the Gulf name change  (NPR)
• The US now considers these cartels and gangs terrorist groups. Here’s what to know about them (CNN)
• Mexico sends drug lord Caro Quintero and 28 others to the U.S.  (NPR)
• Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Narco Dream at Mexico Border (New Republic)

Israel-Gaza

• Forensics chief confirms ID of body of Shiri Bibas, no evidence she died in explosion (Times of Israel)
• Trump issues 'last warning' to Hamas over Israeli hostage release (BBC)

Vatican

• Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs as tests show ‘complex picture,’ Vatican says (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

February 14, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

DOGE controversy

• Trump and Musk’s dismantling of government is shaking the foundations of US democracy (AP)
• As Musk cuts federal spending, his own firms have received billions in contracts (ABC News)

Legal actions

• Elon Musk’s DOGE sued by 14 states (Newsweek)
• Trump administration pauses prosecutions of individuals and entities bribing foreign officials  (Jurist)
• Inspectors general fired by Trump file lawsuit to get their jobs back (ABC)
• A 2nd U.S. judge says Trump administration must pause its federal spending freeze  (NPR)
• Judge blocks Trump’s executive order on transgender prisoners (Politico)
• Trump sued in attempt to block his anti-diversity orders (Reuters)
• Oath Keepers founder barred from D.C., U.S. Capitol unless judge signs off  (NPR)
• Jan. 6 court evidence ‘disappeared,’ attorneys for press group say  (NPR)

Cabinet appointments

• Trump Cabinet confirmation status: Which nominees have been confirmed? (AP)
• Trump’s FCC chief investigates NPR, PBS (NPR)
• ‘Terrifying’: Public Health Experts React to Senate’s Confirmation of RFK Jr. to Lead HHS (Time Magazine)
• Senate confirms Doug Burgum as interior secretary after Trump tasked him to boost drilling (AP)
• Trump's FBI chief pick, Kash Patel, insists he has no 'enemies list' and won't seek retribution (AP)
• Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to oversee US spy agencies, grilled about Snowden, Syria and Russia (AP)
• Trump’s pick to lead counter-terrorism unit is a white supremacist dream (New Republic)

Immigration

• Homan warns daily migrant arrests will 'steadily increase' as Trump admin targets nonviolent illegal aliens (Fox)
• Trump will send up to 30K illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay: ‘It’s a tough place to get out of’ (New York Post)
• ’Legal black hole’: ACLU sues over immigrants being sent to Guantanamo (USA Today)
• Trump signs first bill of his second presidency, the Laken Riley Act, into law (NPR)
• Trump Immigration Targets: Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Haitians (NY Times)
• Some migrants arrested in Trump's immigration crackdown have been released back into the U.S. (NBC)
• Trump administration begins sending migrants to Guantánamo Bay (Washington Post)

Safety and oversight

• Trump fires heads of TSA, Coast Guard and guts key aviation safety advisory committee (AP)
• Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (AP)
• Air traffic controllers were initially offered buyouts and told to consider leaving government  (AP)
• Trump ends Fauci's security detail and says he'd feel no responsibility if harm befell him (AP)

Protests

Protesters in cities across the US rally against Trump’s policies, Project 2025 and Elon Musk (AP)

Women’s health

• Government's reproductive rights resource goes dark hours into new Trump administration (RawStory)

WORLD

• South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports (Maravi Post)
• What would happen if the US military went after cartels on Mexican soil? (Guardian)
• Europe fears Trump-Putin ‘dirty deal’ as Ukraine scrambles for a seat at the table(CNN)
• El Salvador’s millennial dictator offers to hold American criminals in mega prisons (Yahoo News)
• Russian drone struck Chernobyl reactor shell but radiation levels normal, Zelenskyy says (AP)
• Syria's new leader denounces Iran, calling its proxies a regional threat  (NPR)
• European Leaders Condemn Musk's 'Ominous' Push for Germany to 'Forget' Holocaust (Common Dreams)
• Colombia yields on US deportation flights to avert trade war (BBC)
• A U.S. dual citizen is among 3 Israeli hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners (NPR)
• Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries Greek experts (AP)
• Baltic nations count final hours to ending electricity ties to Russia   (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

“Eliminating USAID means no more food for millions of Sudanese refugees who’ve fled a civil war, no more medical care for displaced Palestinians, no more HIV treatment on the African continent, and more." -- Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via X: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs speaks at a rally to save US Aid.

February 11, 2025 (San Diego) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) today introduced legislation declaring it illegal for the Trump administration to dismantle the USAID agency without an act of Congress, and to prohibit any funding of such efforts. Jacobs calls the action a "coup" and warns other agencies could be illegally dismantled next.

Elon Musk and his Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have shut down the USAID agency’s headquarters and website, put thousands of staffers on leave, and issued a stop work order on most foreign aid.

As a result of those actions, Jacobs says in a press release, “HIV/AIDS clinics have closed across Africa, hospitals in war-torn Syria have locked their doors, millions of Sudanese refugees will be at risk of catching diseases like cholera, malaria, and measles that are spreading, and so much more.”

January 28, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• U.S. puts virtually all foreign aid on 90-day hold, issues 'stop-work' order (NPR)
• DOJ halts legal programs for detained immigrants, cuts off advocates’ access to facilities (Los Angeles Times)
• Trump uses mass firing to remove independent inspectors general at a series of agencies  (AP)
• Vice President Vance casts tie-breaking Senate vote to narrowly confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary  (CNN)
• Trump launches crypto meme coin, ballooning net worth ahead of inauguration (Politico)
• Top 5 takeaways from Jack Smith's final report on Trump's Jan. 6 case  (Axios)
• Jen Rubin exits Washington Post, joins Norm Eisen to launch new outlet countering ‘authoritarian threat’ (CNN)
• Supreme Court declines to hear from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits (AP)
• Judge bars Rhodes, other Oath Keepers from entering DC without court permission (The Hill)
• Trump was sentenced to ‘unconditional discharge.’ Here’s what that means. (Politico)
• Biden says Equal Rights Amendment is ratified, kicking off expected legal battle as he pushes through final executive actions (CNN)
• Biden Aides Warned Putin as Russia’s Shadow War Threatened Air Disaster (New York Times)
• Biden pardons Fauci and Milley in an effort to guard against potential 'revenge' by Trump (AP)

WORLD

• Palestinians return to Gaza City as mediators look ahead to next stage (Reuters)
• Mexico refuses to accept a U.S. deportation flight (NBC News)
• What to Know About the U.S.-Colombia Clash Over Deportations and Tariffs (Time)
• Danish PM says Europe must ‘stand together’ as Trump threatens Greenland (Guardian)
• Sweden seizes vessel suspected of 'sabotage' after undersea data cable rupture in Baltic Sea (AP)
• 'It starts now': South Korea's President Yoon defiant as police closed in (Reuters)
• Zelensky offers exchange of North Korean soldiers (BBC)
• Gunman shoots dead 2 judges in Iran's capital tied to 1988 mass executions (AP)
• Nigeria is admitted as a partner country of the BRICS bloc (AP)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Gaza bombing by Israel, WAFA for news agency APA, creative commons via WIkiPalestine

January 15, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden today announced, “After many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal.”

The deal is slated to halt fighting in Gaza, surge humanitarian aide to Palestinian civilians, and return hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attack in Israel, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

January 8, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Jimmy Carter, Peacemaking President Amid Crises, Is Dead at 100 (New York Times)
• Trump Won't Rule Out Military Action in Greenland, Panama (Time)
• Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump's Mass Deportations
• US Congress certifies Trump election victory with Harris presiding (Reuters)
• Johnson Ekes Out a Win to Stay Speaker, But Dicey Proceedings Signal Trouble For Trump (Time)
• Treasury says China hacked documents in 'major' cyber incident
• US plans $8bn arms sale to Israel (BBC)
• Trump's Greenland and Panama Canal ambitions face Republican skepticism (The Hill)

WORLD

• Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau says he will resign after new party leader chosen  (CNN)
• Finland detains Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea
• German government condemns New Year's Eve violence after hundreds of arrests
• Ceremonies mark full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Europe's Schengen travel zone (AP)
• Canadian leaders say Trump’s talk about Canada becoming the 51st state isn’t funny anymore  (AP)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.