The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 700 civilians had been killed in 48 hours.
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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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Latest Political News Feed
South Korea's impeached president Yoon released from detention
Yoon Suk Yeol still faces trial on insurrection charges for his failed attempt to impose martial law.
Continue reading...CDC will research widely debunked link between vaccines and autism
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is initiating expanded research into understanding autism and potential links between vaccines and autism, a source familiar with the CDC’s planning said, NBC News reported.
The CDC is one of the agencies that operates under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency that President Donald Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead. The Senate confirmed him to the post in a 52-48 vote last month.
The possibility of a link between vaccines and autism has been...
Continue reading...The CDC is one of the agencies that operates under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency that President Donald Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead. The Senate confirmed him to the post in a 52-48 vote last month.
The possibility of a link between vaccines and autism has been...
All HHS workers given $25,000 voluntary buyout offer, source says
All employees in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were notified Friday of the option to voluntarily resign in exchange for a $25,000 payment, a source familiar with the situation told CBS News.
The department-wide email offered a "voluntary separation incentive payment," the source said. Employees have been given until a deadline of March 14 to reply.
Friday's offer is part of the Trump administration's efforts to slash the size of federal workforce and shrink the government's budget through mass layoffs and financial cuts. That...
Continue reading...The department-wide email offered a "voluntary separation incentive payment," the source said. Employees have been given until a deadline of March 14 to reply.
Friday's offer is part of the Trump administration's efforts to slash the size of federal workforce and shrink the government's budget through mass layoffs and financial cuts. That...
JD Vance says he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with toddler daughter
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter.
"Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared," Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.
"I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone," he continued. "Nearly all of them agreed."
Vance said it was a...
Continue reading..."Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared," Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.
"I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone," he continued. "Nearly all of them agreed."
Vance said it was a...
They lost 52 soldiers fighting alongside the US. Now they feel threatened by Trump
Danes, who have been loyal allies of Washington, are blindsided by Trump's insistence on taking over Greenland.
Continue reading...Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa died of natural causes one week apart
The 95-year-old actor's Alzheimer's means it is "quite possible" he was unaware of his wife's death, say officials.
Continue reading...Pope Francis responding well to treatment, Vatican says
The 88-year-old prayed on Saturday morning in the chapel of the papal suite at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said.
Continue reading...Your pictures on the theme of 'monochrome'
Images on the theme of "monochrome" sent in by our readers.
Continue reading...India's rap rebel makes a comeback after battling addiction
Yo Yo Honey Singh, who transformed Indian hip-hop, has made a comeback after a long battle with drug abuse.
Continue reading...Tesla facilities face wave of attacks as Elon Musk delves into politics
As Elon Musk attempts to drastically cut the federal workforce and delves further into the corridors of American power, the Tesla CEO's electric carmaker facilities have come under fire — literally, NBC News reported.
There have been at least 10 acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships or charging stations in recent weeks, according to police and local reports, underscoring the backlash Musk has faced since taking on an unprecedented role in the federal government.
On Jan. 29, a 40-year-old woman threw a molotov cocktail at a...
Continue reading...There have been at least 10 acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships or charging stations in recent weeks, according to police and local reports, underscoring the backlash Musk has faced since taking on an unprecedented role in the federal government.
On Jan. 29, a 40-year-old woman threw a molotov cocktail at a...
Canadians show their displeasure with President Trump
President Trump took aim at dairy and lumber imports from Canada, but the U.S.'s northern neighbor is fighting back. Ed O'Keefe reports on the latest in the tumultuous trade war.
Continue reading...Migrant deported in chains: 'No-one will go to US illegally now'
Indian deportee tells BBC about his risky journey and how Trump’s tactics are spreading fear.
Continue reading...Not so demure any more: The rise of 'free the nipple' fashion
Stars like Charli XCX have made see-through outfits all the rage at big events, but not everyone's a fan.
Continue reading...DHS administering lie detector tests to employees in effort to find leakers
The Department of Homeland Security is administering polygraph tests to its personnel to determine who may be leaking information to the media about its ongoing immigration raids, an agency spokesperson confirmed to CBS News Saturday.
On Feb. 18, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS would start polygraphing employees in order to crack down on these leaks.
In a video posted to social media Friday, Noem wrote that the department had "identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling...
Continue reading...On Feb. 18, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS would start polygraphing employees in order to crack down on these leaks.
In a video posted to social media Friday, Noem wrote that the department had "identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling...