Trump will step on to the dais at 9 p.m. ET to lay out his vision for the next four years and tout the actions taken in his first six weeks in office.
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Today's Political News Compilation - Thursday, February. 13, 2025
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Trump seems to question well-known part of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s life — his childhood polio battle
By BRUCE SCHREINERUpdated 6:03 PM CST, February 13, 2025
President Donald Trump seemed to question a well-documented part of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s life — his childhood battle with polio — after the Kentucky Republican opposed vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation Thursday as the nation’s top health official.
Trump attacked McConnell’s mental acuity and said he had “no idea” if the senator had polio. The Oval Office barrage exposed the icy relationship between the Republican president and the former Senate GOP leader. They worked in tandem on tax cuts and judicial appointments during Trump’s first term, but their relationship soured after McConnell blamed Trump for “disgraceful” acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and the president made personal comments about McConnell and his family.
McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to the president’s attack Thursday. Earlier, the senator referred to himself as a survivor of childhood polio and talked about the life-saving impact of vaccines, in explaining his opposition to Kennedy’s confirmation as Trump’s health secretary.
“I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell said in the statement.
READ THE FULL STORY - AP
Order to drop New York Mayor Adams' case roils Justice Department as high-ranking officials resign
Danielle Sassoon, a Republican serving as interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced her resignation in an email to her staff.
apnews.com
Republicans push to repeal D.C.'s governing power, but city supporters push for statehood
Republican lawmakers introduced a bill to strip D.C. of its governing power, but city officials want statehood instead.
www.usatoday.com
Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sworn in as Trump's health chief after a close Senate vote
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been sworn in as President Donald Trump’s health secretary. The Senate on Thursday confirmed him, voting 52 to 48.
apnews.com
US could send troops to Ukraine if Russia doesn’t seek peace with Kyiv, Vance says | CNN Politics
Vice President JD Vance warned on Thursday that the United States could send troops to Ukraine and hit Russia with further sanctions if Vladimir Putin doesn’t negotiate a peace deal in good faith.
www.cnn.comIncluding people without legal status in census has had little impact on House seats, study finds
Republicans are trying to exclude people who are in the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to portion out congressional seats among the states.
apnews.com
Zelenskyy protests US, Russia negotiating over Ukraine's head after Trump's call with Putin
Ukraine and key European nations demanded a role in any negotiations to end Russia's war on the country, after President Donald Trump announced they would begin.
State Department halts plan to buy $400M worth of armored vehicles from Musk's Tesla
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase.
apnews.com
Analysis: Drama over Adams case raises questions about Trump administration’s ‘weaponization’ of justice | CNN Politics
Call it the Thursday afternoon massacre.
www.cnn.comFourth federal judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order
A federal judge in Boston has blocked an executive order from President Donald Trump that would end birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally.
apnews.com
Europe must invoke 'snapback' sanctions on Iran, US lawmakers say, as Trump resumes 'maximum pressure'
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress is urging European countries party to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran to trigger harsh United Nations sanctions
House and Senate committees move forward on dueling budget plans
The House is pursuing one massive package, while the Senate plans to divide its work into two.
www.cbsnews.comJudge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs abroad.
apnews.com
DOGE software approval alarms Labor Department employees
Elon Musk’s DOGE subordinates received approval to use software at the Labor Department that could be used to transfer large amounts of data, two employees said.
www.nbcnews.com
Trump 2nd term live updates: Federal judge has temporarily halted Trump's foreign aid freeze
The Trump administration has begun mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies, a move expected to affect thousands of employees, sources familiar told ABC News.
Thousands of probationary employees fired as Trump administration directs agencies to carry out widespread layoffs | CNN Politics
The Trump administration broadened its effort to terminate thousands of probationary workers on Thursday, instructing agencies on a call to move forward with the layoffs.
www.cnn.comTrump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come
The Trump administration is intensifying its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
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During immigration raid, DHS Secretary Noem says ICE bringing 'consequences'
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is bringing "consequences" during raids in Virginia on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Europe must lead on Ukrainian security guarantees, Greek foreign minister says: 'We are the neighbors'
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told Fox News Digital in an interview that he believes Europe should take the lead on Ukraine's security guarantees.
Gerapetritis, who was in the U.S. to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the most important order of business was to "stop the hostilities."
"The day after will give the opportunity for considerations about reconstruction and about the security guarantees," he said.
"We are the neighbors, and we have to take the responsibility for these," Gerapetritis...
Continue reading...Gerapetritis, who was in the U.S. to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the most important order of business was to "stop the hostilities."
"The day after will give the opportunity for considerations about reconstruction and about the security guarantees," he said.
"We are the neighbors, and we have to take the responsibility for these," Gerapetritis...
'Moderate' Dem giving rebuttal to Trump's joint address promoted staffer who boosted Farrakhan
FIRST ON FOX: The Democratic senator who is being billed as a "moderate" and was tapped to give the rebuttal to President Trump’s Tuesday address to a joint session of Congress is still employing a staffer who faced backlash last year for her public support of Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who will deliver the rebuttal to Trump, employed a deputy political director during her campaign last year who posted on Facebook in 2017 about her "full week" of "supporting the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan"...
Continue reading...Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who will deliver the rebuttal to Trump, employed a deputy political director during her campaign last year who posted on Facebook in 2017 about her "full week" of "supporting the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan"...
NY Gov Hochul now says she will lead 'resistance' against Trump, after saying the opposite weeks ago
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul now says she will be "leading the resistance" against President Donald Trump, just weeks after telling reporters the opposite.
Hochul said she would "fight back hard" during an interview with NPR’s "Morning Edition" on Monday when asked about New York City’s congestion pricing toll that the Trump administration moved to block last month.
"We offered up an olive branch, [we said] 'We'll work with you on infrastructure. Let's redo Penn Station,'" Hochul said. "Those areas were common ground. But once you draw first blood on...
Continue reading...Hochul said she would "fight back hard" during an interview with NPR’s "Morning Edition" on Monday when asked about New York City’s congestion pricing toll that the Trump administration moved to block last month.
"We offered up an olive branch, [we said] 'We'll work with you on infrastructure. Let's redo Penn Station,'" Hochul said. "Those areas were common ground. But once you draw first blood on...
The difficult choices facing Ukraine's Zelensky
Should he apologise to Trump or even resign? The options for Ukraine's leader are looking increasingly thin.
Continue reading...Father tries to block daughter's euthanasia in landmark Spanish case
It's the first time that a case has gone to court since a euthanasia law was introduced in Spain in 2021.
Continue reading...One-year-olds among those raped during Sudan civil war, UN says
Children as young as one have been subjected to horrific sexual violence, a UN report finds.
Continue reading...Pope Francis 'alert' after respiratory failure
The Pope resumes mechanical ventilation after suffering two "acute respiratory failures" on Monday.
Continue reading...Watch: Chaos as MPs throw smoke grenades in Serbian Parliament
At least three people were injured when politicians clashed with security in a show of support for anti-government protestors.
Continue reading...WATCH: 91-year-old woman hears father sing for 1st time in 30 years
Asunción Estevan Chico, 91, was able to listen to her father's singing on tapes he recorded for his wife in the 1970s.
Continue reading...WATCH: Figure skaters honor midair crash victims
U.S. Figure Skating honored the victims of the deadly midair crash over the Potomac in a touching tribute in Washington, D.C.
Continue reading...WATCH: How contagious is measles?
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to humans, experts say.
Continue reading...Who is Elissa Slotkin, the senator giving the Democratic response to Trump?
Elissa Slotkin, who will deliver the Democrats' response to Trump's address to Congress, is a former CIA agent who served three tours in Iraq before running for Congress.
Continue reading...What to watch when Trump gives his big speech to Congress
President Donald Trump is preparing for his first big speech to Congress since returning to the White House
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