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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.
apnews.com[URL...
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The ATF, a law enforcement agency housed in the Department of Justice, is responsible for enforcing federal laws regarding the illegal use, sale and...
Continue reading...Patel's appointment could be made official as soon as next week with a swearing-in ceremony, the sources said.
The ATF, a law enforcement agency housed in the Department of Justice, is responsible for enforcing federal laws regarding the illegal use, sale and...
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"The discussion turned to Monday’s G7 call that will mark the third anniversary of the...
Continue reading...In a statement released Saturday evening, the White House said Trump and Trudeau began the call by discussing the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament that Canada won, and both leaders "expressed pride in the excellence of both nations' teams that faced off in a hard-fought hockey championship."
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FBI NOMINEE KASH PATEL CONFIRMED IN NARROW SENATE VOTE
"Earlier today, I was served official notice from the...
Continue reading...The news comes a day after Patel was sworn in as the ninth FBI director in a narrow Senate vote.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray resigned at the end of former President Joe Biden's term, and Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF general counsel, Pamela Hicks, Thursday.
FBI NOMINEE KASH PATEL CONFIRMED IN NARROW SENATE VOTE
"Earlier today, I was served official notice from the...
Kash Patel to be named acting ATF chief, sources say
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Following a lengthy process, Patel, a Trump loyalist, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday as FBI director in a slim 51-49 margin, with two Republican senators joining all Democrats in dissent.
The ATF, like the FBI, is an agency within the Justice Department. It has more than 5,200 employees and a budget of approximately $1.6 billion...
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The ATF, like the FBI, is an agency within the Justice Department. It has more than 5,200 employees and a budget of approximately $1.6 billion...
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Continue reading...Trump expected to name Kash Patel as acting ATF director: Sources
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Continue reading...Elon Musk says federal workers must justify their work — or resign
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The email, sent from the Office of Personnel Management and shared with NBC News, asked employees to send approximately five bullet points listing what they accomplished this week, CC’ing their managers.
The email reviewed by NBC...
Continue reading...Federal employees have already began receiving the email, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The email, sent from the Office of Personnel Management and shared with NBC News, asked employees to send approximately five bullet points listing what they accomplished this week, CC’ing their managers.
The email reviewed by NBC...
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