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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is seen during a hearing for Linda McMahon, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of Education, on Feb. 13, 2025.
The Hill/Greg Nash
Murkowski slams Trump administration over Russia-Ukraine war stance: ‘Sick to my stomach’
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) condemned the Trump administration over the recent fallout with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during Friday’s Oval Office meeting broadcasted by the American press. 
“This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine,” Murkowski wrote in a Saturday post on X.
“I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”
Her stance, notable from a Republican, echoes that of many foreign leaders who labeled the meeting a stark sever in American values, including the country’s tradition of fighting for democracy across the globe. ...
READ THE FULL STORY - THE HILL
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US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say | CNN Politics
Foreign adversaries including Russia and China have recently directed their intelligence services to ramp up recruiting of US federal employees working in national security, targeting those who have been fired or feel they could be soon, according to four people familiar with recent US...
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Trump's moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy
During his first six weeks in office, President Donald Trump has worked to tear down the federal government and attack long-standing institutions.
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Furious Dems attack Trump, Vance after explosive Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy: 'Siding with dictators'
Democrats quickly reacted to President Donald Trump's tense meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it shameful.
Head of federal watchdog agency fired by Trump should remain on the job, judge rules | CNN Politics
A federal judge ruled Saturday that the head of a government watchdog agency whom President Donald Trump is attempting to fire is entitled to remain in the post, setting up a dispute that will almost certainly be decided by the Supreme Court.
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Trump's Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies' ability to sway US leader
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has laid bare the limits of a full-court press by America’s allies aimed at reshaping Trump’s determination to end Russia’s invasion even if the terms are not to Ukraine’s liking.
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Vance took the lead attacking Zelensky. Why?
Is the US vice-president doing Trump's bidding or looking to the future?
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Judge rules head of watchdog agency must keep his job, says Trump's bid to oust him was unlawful
A federal judge has ruled that the head of a federal watchdog agency must remain in his job, saying President Donald Trump’s bid to remove the special counsel was unlawful.
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Trump administration accused of sidestepping court rulings amid spree of legal losses
Trump’s efforts to drastically shrink the federal government are running into legal roadblocks.
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Judge rules that Trump's firing of whistleblower office chief was unlawful
Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, sued President Trump last month after he was fired.
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Anti-DOGE protests at Tesla stores target Elon Musk's bottom line
Demonstrators have gathered outside Tesla stores across the U.S. to protest the automaker’s billionaire leader, Elon Musk.
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A measles crisis decades in the making: How RFK Jr. helped drive America to this moment
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sits atop the very health system he spent years attacking, and he’s already chipping away at the institutions he’s been appointed to lead.
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Blame game intensifies in Congress as government shutdown threat inches closer
Democrats and Republicans are already pointing fingers over a potential government shutdown next month. Republicans may pass a short-term extension of last year's federal funding.
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Trump-Zelenskyy clash marks a defining turn away from U.S. defense of democracies
Analysis: The confrontation revealed Trump’s deep impatience with Ukraine and its democratically elected president, and his persistent defense of Russia’s autocratic ruler.
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How much has the US given to Ukraine?
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US has given over $300bn to Ukraine, but he is incorrect.
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Pennsylvania Republicans who narrowly won their House seats feel the heat of early votes back home
Back in November, three Pennsylvania Republicans won seats in Congress by tight margins. Today, the three find themselves navigating the delicate politics of a divided electorate once again as President Donald Trump makes economy-altering decisions early in his second term.
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FBI Director Kash Patel wants to bring the UFC to the FBI, sources say
Newly-installed FBI Director Kash Patel has proposed enhancing the FBI with help from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, say sources who were told of the proposal.
Renowned geneticist Francis Collins retires from NIH, urging 'respect' for embattled workers
Dr. Francis Collins, a renowned geneticist, and former longtime director of the National Institutes of Health, is retiring from the government agency and urging “respect” for its embattled workers.
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Trump, Zelenskyy meeting shocks Europe, delights Russia: Analysis
Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy explode in the Oval Office: Analysis
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Keir Starmer gives Volodymyr Zelensky 'full backing' in warm No 10 welcome
A £2.26bn loan was signed during Zelensky's visit to London, which came ahead of a summit on ending the war in Ukraine.
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Nobody wants to live near nuclear waste. The Supreme Court mulls where to put it
The case could shape the future of how America handles radioactive nuclear waste.
www.usatoday.com
The Latest: Most European leaders back Zelenskyy as he joins crisis talks in London
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the American people and leadership and voiced hope for “strong relations,” a day after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with U.S.
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Federal employees are asked again to report their activities at work – now on a weekly basis | CNN Politics
Federal employees at multiple government agencies are once again being told to report their work accomplishments over the past week to the Trump administration, according to a union source and several employees who received the Friday evening missives.
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Trump signs order designating English as the official language of the US
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.
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Zelensky meets with British PM Keir Starmer ahead of European defense summit - Washington Examiner
Starmer emphasized to Zelensky in the meeting that Ukraine has the "full backing" of the U.K. "for as long as it may take."
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Here's what happened during President Donald Trump's 6th week in office
The Trump administrations efforts to broker a peace negotiation ending the war in Ukraine came to an abrupt halt on Friday.
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‘Propaganda lessons for everyone’: Russia’s wartime curriculum exposed
A new film reveals how Moscow’s overhauled syllabus is influencing a generation of young Russians.
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Zelensky to meet King Charles and European leaders in UK after nightmare Trump meeting | CNN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet European leaders at a vital summit in London on Sunday, after his extraordinary argument with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office left Western allies reeling and threw the future of the Russia-Ukraine war into deep uncertainty.
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Zelenskyy embraced by British prime minister a day after White House blowout
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he has the nation’s unwavering support a day after the blowout at the White House with President Donald Trump.
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RFK measles response under scrutiny as deadly outbreak frightens Texas parents
Local health experts wish US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy would emphasize the importance of vaccines.
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Trump cutoff of humanitarian parole for immigrants from Ukraine, 6 other countries challenged
A group of American citizens and immigrants is suing the Trump administration for ending a legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries with wars and political instability to come to the U.S. temporarily.
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Federal workers laid off by DOGE sound off as they look for new jobs
Federal workers, some of whom are veterans, were filled with despair and frustration as they searched for jobs after Donald Trump and Elon Musk's cuts to the workforce.
Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports
President Donald Trump has signed a pair of actions to increase domestic lumber production. They include a directive for the Commerce Department to investigate the possible harms that lumber imports pose to national security.
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Trump did on live TV what other US presidents would just do in private
The dressing-down the US president gave to his Ukrainian counterpart was nothing out of the ordinary.
Murkowski rebukes Trump over Ukraine: ‘Walking away from our allies’
The Alaska senator’s statement was a rare note of dissent from a Republican.
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Federal judge rules Trump’s firing of head of special counsel was unlawful, will maintain his job
Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled late Saturday evening that President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger, was unlawful, keeping him in his post.
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Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance | CNN Politics
White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval Office.
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Trump golf courses poised to be winners in a PGA-LIV merger - Washington Examiner
The PGA Tour, earlier this month, said it had asked Trump to help it broker a deal with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
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Trump cutoff of humanitarian parole for immigrants from Ukraine, 6 other countries challenged
A group of American citizens and immigrants is suing the Trump administration for ending a legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries with wars and political instability to come to the U.S. temporarily.
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Head of federal watchdog agency fired by Trump should remain on the job, judge rules | CNN Politics
A federal judge ruled Saturday that the head of a government watchdog agency whom President Donald Trump is attempting to fire is entitled to remain in the post, setting up a dispute that will almost certainly be decided by the Supreme Court.
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Zelensky wants US to 'stand more firmly' on Ukraine's side
US support is crucial, Zelensky says hours after the bust-up with Trump at the White House.
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From Cabinet secretary to doomsday president: What being a designated survivor is like
The designated survivor for a president's address to Congress starts the day as a Cabinet secretary and ends it that way, too, God willing.
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Michigan's last-minute pay law shows the fight over tips and wages is getting more complicated
The state’s chaotic resolution of a yearslong battle is the latest compromise effort to satisfy workers, employers and consumers in the absence of federal action.
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Attorneys are suing to keep 10 migrants out of Guantanamo Bay as others say they were abused there
Civil rights attorneys are suing the Trump administration to prevent it from transferring 10 migrants detained in the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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Trump 2nd term live updates: GOP senator says she is 'sick to my stomach' after White House blow up
Trump and Zelenskyy's bilateral press conference has been canceled.
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Trump still really wants to win a Nobel Peace Prize
The prestigious award may be a tough get for Trump as he increasingly breaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth
A judge has continued to block President Donald Trump’s plan to pull federal funding from institutions that provide gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
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Uruguay's new leftist president takes office, facing a financial balancing act
Yamandú Orsi, a telegenic left-leaning former mayor and history teacher, took office as Uruguay's new president on Saturday, at the helm of a government that has pledged to strengthen the social safety net while reversing years of economic stagnation. The inauguration of Orsi, 57, marks the...
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In the US, DEI is under attack. But under a different name, it might live on
Donald Trump has promised to "terminate" diversity programmes. But a rebrand might yet save them.
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The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 more active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border
The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 more active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as President Donald Trump seeks to clamp down on illegal immigration and fulfill a central promise of his campaign.
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Trump, Vance castigate Zelensky in tense Oval Office meeting | CNN Politics
A remarkable shouting match broke out in the Oval Office on Friday between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, an extraordinarily fractious display that only underscored the deeply uncertain future of American assistance to Kyiv.
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Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters hold rally ahead of Romania's election rerun
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the European Union country last year.
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Trump signs executive order making English official language of US
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order making English the official language of the U.S.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches political comeback with a run for New York City mayor
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that he is running for mayor of New York City. The Democrat’s entry into the race Saturday relaunches his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations.
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Price controls on California home insurance scrutinized after Los Angeles fires - Washington Examiner
The efficacy of price controls on California's insurance industry that keep premiums artificially low is in question after the Los Angeles fires.
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In the room where it happened: Trump advisers recall what led up to Oval Office confrontation
The president's closest advisers, stunned after the debacle in the Oval Office, huddled on Saturday morning were still uncertain how to salvage a mining deal with Ukraine.
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Gene Hackman and his wife test negative for carbon monoxide after mysteriously found dead
Authorities are searching for answers into the death of actor Gene Hackman, 95, who along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were mysteriously found dead in Santa Fe.
Border czar makes the city of Boston his latest immigration target
Donald Trump’s border czar has turned his anger over illegal immigration to Boston. He denigrated the police commissioner and suggested that the so-called sanctuary city is holding onto hardened criminals, rather than handing them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Medicaid recipients fear ‘buzzsaw cuts’ for Trump’s agenda: ‘We’re not going to be alive forever’
To pay for $4.5tn in tax cuts and mass deportations, the GOP plans to roll back the federal healthcare insurance program
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Tulsi Gabbard thanks Trump for ‘unwavering leadership’ in Oval Office clash with Zelenskyy
Tulsi Gabbard commended President Trump's "unwavering leadership" Friday after a controversial dustup with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
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Trump takes seized boxes back to Florida on Air Force One | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump on Friday transported back to Florida with him boxes of documents that the FBI had seized from Mar-a-Lago after executing a court-ordered search warrant in August 2022.
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What Trump's order making English the official language in the US could mean
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, and activists and advocacy groups are alarmed by what that will mean for non-English speakers when it comes to immigration, voter access and other issues.
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Israel approves temporary extension of Gaza ceasefire
Israel proposes a six-week truce covering Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover - but Hamas has not yet commented.
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Treasury sec reveals Zelenskyy nixed Trump's mineral deal twice prior to Oval Office blowup
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had already twice refused to sign a minerals deal with the United States.
What Trump's order making English the official language in the US could mean
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, and activists and advocacy groups are alarmed by what that will mean for non-English speakers when it comes to immigration, voter access and other issues.
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After monthlong pause, Trump admin resumes investigating disability complaints at schools
The Education Department's civil rights division has resumed investigations into disability-related discrimination complaints at schools, a memo says.
www.usatoday.com
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President Trump orders additional troops, armored vehicles to southern border
The troops add to a growing U.S. military presence on the border. Trump has ordered about 4,500 troops there since January.
www.usatoday.com
Jeff Bezos' Washington Post moves might please Trump — but they're costing him money
Jeff Bezos' moves seem like they are helping him win favor with Donald Trump. But they're going to cost his paper money, so why own it at all?
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Israel supports a US proposal to extend Gaza ceasefire's first phase. But Hamas wants Phase 2
Officials from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been involved in negotiations on the second phase in Cairo.
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In address to congress, Argentine President Milei promises IMF deal and lauds economic wins
Argentina’s libertarian president Javier Milei signaled late Saturday that a new deal with the International Monetary Fund was imminent, as he used his annual address to congress to project an optimistic picture of his economic overhaul following a divisive first year in office and recent swirl...
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DC blames looming $1 billion budget deficit on federal workforce cuts - Washington Examiner
CFO Glen Lee projected a dire financial situation resulting from the cuts. He estimated that the city would lose 40,000 federal jobs over the next three years.
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‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters gather outside showrooms to rally against Elon Musk’s role with DOGE | CNN Business
Protesters gathered at more than 50 Tesla showrooms Saturday morning in protest of Elon Musk’s controversial role in slashing government.
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Kurdish PKK militants declare a ceasefire in 40-year insurgency in Turkey
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has led to tens of thousands of deaths since it began in 1984.
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U.K. neighbors offered a bounty to turn in a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist to Chinese officials
Neighbors of the activist were notified in letters bearing Hong Kong stamps; it was not clear who sent them.
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What they said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance's heated argument in the Oval Office
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office over the war in Ukraine, accusing him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
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Transgender military members react to 'jarring' Pentagon memo
Lt. Cmdr. Geirid Morgan told ABC News that as an openly transgender woman, seeing the ban in "black and white" was "jarring."
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Who could lead Ukraine if Zelenskyy resigns?
Uncertainty about whether President Zelenskyy may resign following heated discussion with President Trump or if Kyiv gets NATO membership have left questions on who could lead Ukraine next?
Trump and Zelenskyy got into a heated blowup in the Oval Office. Now their mineral deal is in limbo.
In an extraordinary scene, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump shouted at each other in the Oval Office.
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Most Republicans laud Trump after Zelensky showdown, but some express dismay
The majority of Republicans say Zelensky was at fault for the spat, but one accused the president of "embracing Putin".
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A child dies of Ebola in Uganda, raising concern over disease surveillance in outbreak
The World Health Organization says a 4-year-old child has become the second person to die of Ebola in Uganda.
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Amid Trump crackdown, illegal border crossings plunge to levels not seen in decades
Over the past 25 years, the only time monthly apprehensions came close to the level recorded in February was in April 2017.
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Federal workers turn to little-known ‘merit board’ as they try to avoid Trump’s mass layoffs | CNN Politics
Federal workers are rushing to a little-known and understaffed office to try to save their jobs from President Donald Trump’s mass government layoffs, in hopes that it will be a bulwark against the president and Elon Musk as they push for more cuts.
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Serbian students declare 'we deserve better' as latest anti-graft rally adds pressure on government
Tens of thousands of people have joined protesting students in Serbia for a rally proclaiming that “we deserve better” and will no longer accept injustice and corruption in the Balkan country that has been ruled firmly by a populist government for over a decade.
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Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance | CNN Politics
White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval Office.
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Israel supports ceasefire proposal from U.S. envoy, Netanyahu says
Israel's government said early Sunday it supports a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover.
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Black graves are being moved to make way for an industrial park, drawing a mix of emotions
The graves of hundreds of African American tenant farmers and their families are being moved from a former Virginia tobacco plantation to make way for an industrial park.
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What's the point of all these anti-DOGE lawsuits? Fight Trump's agenda to SCOTUS, legal experts say
Legal experts point out that as anti-Trump plaintiffs seek to stifle his agenda, courts are navigating uncharted waters when it comes to DOGE spending cuts.
Zelenskyy meets with bipartisan group of senators ahead of tense White House exchange
A group of bipartisan senators met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday ahead of the tense exchange between the Ukrainian leader, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone dies in car crash
Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone, a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and known for the hit song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” was killed early Saturday in a car crash.
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US promises crypto summit as 'golden age' threatened by tariff threats
The first of its kind cryptocurrency summit is set to be held in the White House next Friday.
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Thousands report outage affecting Microsoft services like Outlook
Thousands of Microsoft 365 customers have reported issues with services like Outlook. The company said Saturday in a series of posts on the social platform X that it was investigating the issue, which affected various Microsoft 365 services.
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Hamas denounces ‘blackmail’ after Israel ‘weaponises’ Gaza aid
Israel halts the entry of all supplies into Gaza with artillery fire and air strikes reported in the war-torn territory
Lifelong New York civil rights advocate and NAACP leader Hazel Dukes dies at 92
Hazel Dukes, the president of the New York State chapter of the NAACP and lifelong civil rights advocate, has died.
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A married couple was murdered in Pennsylvania. Are Zizians responsible?
Three members of the cultlike group, including the couple’s daughter, were questioned in the killings. Then they disappeared.
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David Johansen, singer from the seminal punk band the New York Dolls, dies at 75
David Johansen, the wiry, gravelly-voiced singer and last surviving member of the glam and protopunk band the New York Dolls, has died.
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Hamas rejects Israel’s ‘formulation’ to extend phase one of Gaza ceasefire
Uncertainty in Gaza as Palestinian group says no ongoing talks for second phase even as first phase expires on Saturday.
Manfred considering petition to have Rose posthumously removed from ineligible list, AP source says
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering a petition to have Pete Rose posthumously removed from Major League Baseball’s ineligible list, according to a person familiar with the situation.
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PKK declares ceasefire in 40-year conflict with Turkiye
Kurdish group calls on Ankara to release jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, held in near total isolation since 1999.
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FedEx flight catches fire after colliding with bird during takeoff from Newark airport
FedEx Flight 3609 declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark Saturday morning, according to FedEx. No injuries were reported, officials said.
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$75 million was awarded to plant trees in places that badly need them. In anti-DEI push, that's over
The U.S. Forest Service has terminated $75 million awarded to the Arbor Day Foundation to help disadvantaged communities plant trees.
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Trump says he will issue a posthumous pardon for Pete Rose
The baseball legend pleaded guilty in 1990 to two counts of filing false tax returns and served a five-month prison sentence.
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Trump reveals who he believes left infamous bag of cocaine at White House
President Donald Trump said in an interview this week he believes President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, left cocaine in the White House in 2023.
Democratic activists fueled anti-Trump protests at GOP town halls but also rage at their own party
Democrats filled Republican town halls during the congressional break to protest President Donald Trump’s power grab in Washington.
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Canadian coffee shops changing name of Americano drink to 'Canadiano' to spite Trump, US tariffs: report
Canadian coffee shop owners spoke to the Washington Post about why they are changing the name of an iconic drink as a form of patriotic protest against America's current president.
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Andrew Cuomo running for mayor of NYC
Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday afternoon that he would run for mayor of New York City, joining a crowded race.
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For Gene Hackman, Santa Fe was a refuge from the limelight
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa made Santa Fe their home decades ago.
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World reacts after Donald Trump, JD Vance berate Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
Trump wrote on social media that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not ‘ready for peace if America is involved’.
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The 2025 Oscar nominees class photo is pretty epic | CNN
The stars were out for an Oscar nominee event held Tuesday.
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Guyana's president denounces Venezuelan incursion in offshore oil field operated by ExxonMobil
Guyana’s president has denounced an incursion by an armed Venezuelan naval vessel in disputed waters and home to a mammoth offshore oil deposit being developed by ExxonMobil.
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At least 37 people killed and 39 wounded as two buses collide in Bolivia
The crash happened on the route between Uyuni and Colchani, when one of the vehicles swerved into the oncoming lane.
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How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 2/28/2025
Wall Street closed its dreary February on a brighter note, as U.S. stock indexes rallied. The S&P 500 jumped 1.6% Friday to trim its loss for the month, enough to make it the worst since only December instead of since April.
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JD Vance steps into spotlight defending Trump's foreign policy in Oval Office dustup with Zelenskyy
The exchange ultimately prompted President Donald Trump to announce an end to peace negotiations and request that the Ukrainian leader leave the White House.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A ‘dictator’, or a ‘Ukrainian Churchill’?
A political outsider who upended norms, Zelenskyy is now the face of Ukraine’s defence against Russia. And Donald Trump.