world news

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.