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Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers
By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDORUpdated 9:30 PM CST, February 21, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the war in Ukraine and the expanded conflict in the Middle East.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.
Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration’s wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities. ...
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Founded ahead of the city’s 1997 return from British to Chinese rule, the Democratic Party has long been a key symbol of the city’s freedoms and plurality.
www.nbcnews.comTrump administration looks to slash HUD workers tackling the housing crisis
The Trump administration’s proposal to layoff half of federal workers at the nation’s housing agency is targeting employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers, according to two documents obtained by The Associated Press.
apnews.com
DOGE claims credit for $4 million sale of school building auctioned under Biden administration
DOGE touted the sale of a historic Washington, D.C., property that had been boarded up for years — but the auction happened before President Trump took office.
www.cbsnews.comMAGA activist charged with being a fake elector for Trump seeks to lead the Michigan GOP
Republicans in Michigan may choose a MAGA activist leader who's charged with being a fake elector for Donald Trump to lead the party into the 2026 midterms.
apnews.com
Sinn Fein leaders to boycott White House visit over US Gaza plan
Michelle O’Neill says Trump’s comment on the mass expulsion of Palestinians is ‘something I cannot ignore’.
Supreme Court clears the way for a lawsuit over COVID-19 pandemic-era unemployment claims in Alabama
The U.S. Supreme Court says people left waiting for months on their unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic in Alabama must be able to sue the state over the delay.
apnews.com
York sees Trump's Zelensky criticisms as 'part of his plan'
Ukraine is approaching its third-year anniversary of when Russia invaded. President Donald Trump made recent jabs at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
www.washingtonexaminer.comDemocrats channel their outrage over DOGE, Ukraine and more in marathon Senate session
The budget resolution from Republicans was on the agenda in the Senate, but the nearly all-night debate encompassed so much more.
apnews.com
With RFK Jr. in charge, supplement makers see chance to cash in
The FDA is already limited in policing claims of health benefits by makers of supplements and herbal remedies — a $70 billion industry. Get ready for even less regulation.
www.cbsnews.comJudge extends temporary block to huge cuts in National Institutes of Health research funding
A federal judge is continuing to block the Trump administration’s drastic cuts in medical research funding.
apnews.com
China supportive of peace talks between US and Russia - Washington Examiner
Trade with China has helped Russia weather the most extensive sanctions in history as the war approaches its third anniversary.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Mental health agency loses 1 in 10 staffers to DOGE cuts, 988 hotline team impacted
Around 100 were fired from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
www.cbsnews.comNetanyahu decries release of wrong body as a ceasefire violation. Hamas pledges to investigate
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed revenge for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
apnews.com
Hermoso will appeal Rubiales ‘forced kiss’ verdict
Prosecutors had sought a prison term for ex football chief Luis Rubiales for assault and coercion against Jenni Hermoso.
Meet the 5 top court justices in Brazil who could decide the future of former President Bolsonaro
Five of Brazil’s 11 Supreme Court justices will decide in the next three weeks whether former President Jair Bolsonaro and 33 others charged by the country’s prosecutor-general with attempting a coup will stand trial.
apnews.com
What to know about the key laws invoked in the scores of Trump legal challenges
Many of the dozens of lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's actions hinge on alleged violations of decades-old federal laws.
www.cbsnews.com
What do countries call themselves? The stories behind their original names
Around half of the world’s countries have native or local names that differ from their English versions.
