The 88-year-old prayed on Saturday morning in the chapel of the papal suite at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said.
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MadAboutPolitics.com - Featured News
Featured News
Today's Political News Compilation - Friday, March 8, 2025
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin - AP Photo/Rebeca Droke
New EPA guidance says spending items greater than $50,000 must get approval from DOGE
By MATTHEW DALYUpdated 9:10 PM CST, March 7, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has issued new guidance directing that spending items greater than $50,000 now require approval from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The guidance, issued this week, escalates the role that the new efficiency group, known as DOGE, plays in EPA operations.
“Any assistance agreement, contract or interagency agreement transaction (valued at) $50,000 or greater must receive approval from an EPA DOGE team member,” the EPA guidance says, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
To facilitate the DOGE team review, EPA staff members have been directed to submit a one-page explanation of each funding action each day between 3 and 6 p.m. Eastern time, the guidance says. Other relevant forms also must be completed.
President Donald Trump has tasked DOGE with digging up what he and Musk call waste, fraud and abuse. The Republican president suggested Thursday that Cabinet members and agency leaders would take the lead on spending and staffing cuts, but he said Musk could push harder down the line.
“If they can cut, it’s better,” Trump said of agency leaders. “And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.” ...
READ THE FULL STORY - AP
MAGA world turns against Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett
The Trump-appointed justice has shifted the court to the right, but she has angered some in MAGA world by voting against some of President Donald Trump's priorities.
www.nbcnews.com
A single day of Trump and Musk's cost-cutting campaign remakes huge sections of government
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's campaign of disruption is engulfing the federal government. A series of decisions revealed Friday showed how the turmoil is upending how public servants do their jobs in ways big and small.
apnews.com
Trump hits pause on tariffs - but still sees them as vital tool
The White House sees levies as a means to reshape America's relationship with its global partners.
www.bbc.com
Trump claims Putin will be more 'generous' in peace talks than 'difficult' Ukraine
Even though President Donald Trump threatened Russia with sanctions, he claimed President Vladamir Putin is more "generous" when it comes to ending the war.
abcnews.go.com
Meet Amy Gleason, the DOGE administrator who may — or may not — be wielding extraordinary power
Amy Gleason, the acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service, is not a household name. But as Elon Musk’s effort to dramatically reduce the federal government faces a series of legal challenges, the nurse-turned-programmer has been thrust into the spotlight.
apnews.com
Trump says 'something's going to happen very soon' with Iran as he pushes to negotiate nuclear deal
President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters that the U.S. is “down to the final moments" negotiating with Iran, and that he hoped military intervention would prove unnecessary.
www.foxnews.com
Clashes in Syria between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 200
A war monitor says two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad have left more than 200 people dead.
apnews.com
Trump treasury secretary warns of 'detox period' slowdown for US economy
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned the U.S. economy could enter a "detox period" as the administration shifts from robust government spending.
www.usatoday.com
Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump names 2 Fox News hosts to Kennedy Center board
Musk accused Rubio of not firing anyone in his department, sources said.
abcnews.go.com
Homeland Security ends TSA collective bargaining agreement, in effort to dismantle union protections
A union representing Transportation Security Administration workers calls the Department of Homeland Security's decision to end the collective bargaining agreement with them an “unprovoked attack.”
apnews.com
Canadians drop their politeness in the wake of Trump's tariffs
The new tariffs have sown anger and confusion among America’s neighbors to the north who say they feel betrayed by a longtime friend.
www.nbcnews.com
Is Trump reining in Musk after a cabinet showdown with secretaries?
The president intervenes in a cost-cutting row after a reported clash at the White House.
www.bbc.com
DOGE is searching through Social Security payments looking for fraud
DOGE is sifting through Social Security payments in an anti-fraud effort that has some worried the administration could deny payments to vulnerable older Americans.
abcnews.go.com
Trump and his allies hint at economic pain ahead for Americans
While top officials have framed any economic disruption as short term and necessary for long-term prosperity, the comments go against Trump's campaign rhetoric.
www.nbcnews.com
Trump insists there was 'no clash' between Elon Musk and Marco Rubio over DOGE cuts
President Donald Trump denied reports of a clash between Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over sweeping government cuts during a Cabinet meeting Thursday at the White House, insisting to reporters they get along "fantastically well."
apnews.com
Homeland Security ends collective bargaining agreement with TSA employees
Union representing TSA workers calls the Department of Homeland Security's decision an "unprovoked attack."
www.cbsnews.com
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