Judge blocks Trump’s and Musk’s DOGE from having access to vital Treasury payment system: Live
A federal judge temporarily restricted Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the Treasury Department’s crucial payment and data system, warning that it could cause “irreparable harm.”
Early Saturday morning, the New York judge said allowing Musk, a billionaire tech entrepreneur and now “special government employee,” to obtain sensitive information such as bank details, heightens the risk of leaks.
President Donald Trump gave Musk that status to allow him to access a vast swath of internal information as Musk helps carry out Trump’s agenda to re-make the government in his vision and cut federal spending.
It is the latest Trump administration decision to be blocked by a judge.
Earlier this week, thousands of employees were set to be purged in the U.S. Agency for International Development and tens of thousands of federal workers across various departments were offered a buyout offer to resign or take early retirement. However, judges have temporarily blocked both plans.
Trump and Musk have made drastic changes in the less than three weeks since taking office. They are said to be looking at military and education spending next.
Key Points
Trump says Musk will be targeting military and education next
Musk says he will bring back DOGE staffer who resigned over racist tweets scandal
Trump’s resignation offers are blocked by judge hours before buyouts were set to expire
Judge temporarily blocks purge of USAID staff
Trump turns on Time magazine after new cover shows Musk sitting behind his Resolute desk
Zelensky to Trump on rare earths and minerals: ‘Let’s do a deal’
15:10 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump, who campaigned claiming he could bring about a rapid end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, said on Monday he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded: “If we are talking about a deal, then let's make one. We are only for it.”
Last autumn, Ukraine proposed opening its critical minerals to investment from allies, presenting a “victory plan" aimed at putting it in the strongest position for negotiations and compelling Moscow to engage in talks.
Zelensky said less than 20 percent of Ukraine's mineral resources, including about half its rare earth deposits, were under Russian occupation.
Rare earths are crucial in producing high-performance magnets, electric motors, and consumer electronics. Zelensky suggested that Moscow could share these resources with its allies, North Korea and Iran, both of whom are staunch enemies of the U.S.
“We need to stop Putin and protect what we have — a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky told Reuters that Ukraine has Europe's largest reserves of titanium, which is essential for the aviation and space industries, and uranium, which is used for nuclear energy and weapons.
Many of the titanium deposits were marked in northwestern Ukraine, far from the fighting.
Ukraine has rapidly recalibrated its foreign policy approach to align with the transactional worldview of President Trump, Ukraine's most important ally.
However, Zelenskiy emphasized that Kyiv was not proposing “giving away” these vital resources, but instead was interested in offering a mutually beneficial partnership to develop them jointly: “The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most. And they should have this priority, and they will. I would also like to talk about this with President Trump.”
Reporting by Reuters
'Hallmarks of government censorship’ seen in FCC’s latest investigation of radio station
14:40 , Oliver O'Connell
The Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission announced this week that the FCC is investigating San Francisco-based radio station KCBS over its coverage of the administration's mass deportation raids in San Jose, prompting First Amendment experts to express concerns about authoritarian-style censorship.
“This effort to control media content – a foundational trait of dictatorships – contains the hallmarks of government censorship,” Joseph Russomanno, professor emeritus at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, told The Independent.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Experts see ‘hallmarks of government censorship’ in FCC’s latest investigation
The View hosts praise Travis Kelce’s ‘classy’ response to Trump Super Bowl appearance
14:10 , Oliver O'Connell
The View co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro have praised Travis Kelce for his “classy” response to the news that President Donald Trump may attend this weekend’s Super Bowl.
Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end told reporters that he considered Trump’s appearance to be “a great honor.”
Kevin E G Perry has the story.
The View hosts praise Travis Kelce’s ‘classy’ response to Trump Super Bowl appearance
‘Everything’s fertile’: Trump says Musk will be targeting military and education next
13:40 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Friday said he’s letting the Elon Musk-helmed Department of Government Efficiency dig into the budgets of the Pentagon and the federal Department of Education to find wasteful spending in need of cutting.
Trump told reporters at a joint press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that the billionaire’s cost-cutting initiative, which has rampaged through multiple federal agencies, would be taking a look at the $842 billion defense department ledger along with the 4,000-person Department of Education, which Trump has said he would like to eliminate from the executive branch.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Trump says Musk will be targeting military and education next: ‘Everything’s fertile’
Hours before purge, Judge puts brakes on Trump’s plan to fire USAID workforce
13:10 , Oliver O'Connell
A federal judge has put the brakes on Donald Trump’s plan to gut the United States Agency for International Development workforce.
Washington, D.C.., District Judge Carl J. Nichols — who was appointed by Trump — granted a “limited” temporary restraining order Friday that blocks the Trump administration from placing roughly 2,200 USAID workers on administrative leave, hours before the administration was set to send them packing at midnight.
Unions representing nearly 2,000 USAID employees filed a lawsuit against Trump and administration officials Thursday night following an unprecedented attack against the global aid agency, which supports dozens of life-saving missions in more than 100 countries.
Alex Woodward reports.
Judge puts brakes on Trump’s plan to fire USAID workforce hours before midnight purge
Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more troops to the southern border
12:40 , AP
The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration, a U.S. official said Friday.
That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border, where they're expected to put up concertina wire barriers and provide transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol.
The order has been approved, the official said, to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment hasn't yet been publicly announced.
The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s executive orders. The first 1,600 active duty troops already deployed to the border, and nearly 500 more from the 10th Mountain Division will move in the days ahead.
Some of the 500 Marines told to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have already arrived there to prepare for an influx of migrants.
Taliban tell Trump they want to reset relationship with US
11:40 , Oliver O'Connell
The Taliban have signalled their willingness to start afresh with the US administration of Donald Trump but claimed ownership of the military equipment and vehicles the American and Nato forces left behind.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban’s spokesperson for the foreign ministry, spoke to CBS News on Wednesday and said that the group controlling Afghanistan was ready to establish a new diplomatic chapter on engagement with the US.
"We would like to close the chapter of warfare and open a new chapter," Mr Balkhi.
Here’s Arpan Rai’s report.
Taliban say they can reset ties with Trump – but don’t expect to get Humvees back
Trump mocks Time magazine after new cover shows Musk sitting behind his desk
10:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Attempting to shrug off a recent Time cover showing Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk as president, Donald Trump mockingly asked whether the magazine was “still in business” while claiming he hadn’t seen the latest issue.
The president’s dismissive snipe at Time comes just weeks after he boasted about being named the magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year, an honor he’s long coveted and first received after winning the presidential election in 2016.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Trump turns on Time after new cover shows Musk sitting behind his Resolute desk
Musk is rehiring DOGE staffer who quit after racist social media posts exposed
09:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Elon Musk says he plans to rehire a staffer in his so-called Department of Government Efficiency who quit after his openly racist social media posts were exposed.
Vice President J.D. Vance encouraged Musk to “bring back” Marko Elez, a 25-year-old programmer who posted his support for a “eugenic immigration policy” and called to “normalize Indian hate,” among other racist statements uncovered by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Alex Woodward has the story.
J.D. Vance wants DOGE staffer to get his job back after racist social media posts
ANALYSIS: Democrats lost the optics war with Joe Biden. They’re making the same mistakes all over again
08:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Andrew Feinberg writes that Democrats didn’t see Joe Biden’s frail physicality as a political liability — they appear to be making the same mistake again...
Dems lost the optics war with Biden. They’re making the same mistakes all over again
JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg quits social media
07:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, has deleted his social media after posting an apology to X.
Schlossberg, 32, was known across the internet for his political commentary and satirical posts. But now, his online presence is no longer.
Katie Hawkinson looks at what happened.
JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg quits social media after cryptic apology
Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’
06:40 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Friday continued to push his plan for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and threatened a host of new tariffs against American allies to be rolled out at a press conference next week.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump said he’d be announcing the trade actions — which amount to a unilateral tax increase on Americans — as part of his program for ensuring what he has called “reciprocal” trade with American allies.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.
Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’ as he previews new tariffs
USAID was once promoted by Melania and Ivanka Trump — now the president calls it a massive 'fraud'
05:40 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s administration is working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development — the very agency that the president’s wife and daughter promoted seven years ago.
The president has threatened to end USAID, which provides humanitarian assistance around the globe. Earlier this week, Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency and Trump’s “First Buddy,” took aim at the agency, calling it a “criminal organization.”
Kelly Rissman reports.
How Melania and Ivanka promoted federal agency Trump now calls a massive ‘fraud’
Fetterman reveals which way he’ll vote on RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard
04:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who has shown an increasing willingness to break with his party in recent months, has revealed that he will not be supporting the nominations of two of Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet nominees: Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
John Fetterman reveals which way he’ll vote on RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard
Critics say the Trump administration is on a ‘lawbreaking spree.’ Can the courts stop him?
03:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
President Donald Trump’s unprecedented power grabs within his first three weeks in office have provoked an opposite and equal reaction in the form of an avalanche of lawsuits.
Now, how far the president can plunge the United States into a constitutional crisis could depend on a handful of federal judges.
Americans should be prepared for the administration to ignore them, “unless and until there's real enforcement, either by law enforcement or by the Supreme Court,” says Ty Cobb, a former White House counsel during Trump’s first administration.
“The real question is, will Trump honor those orders?” Cobb tells The Independent.
Continue reading...
Critics say Trump is on a ‘lawbreaking spree.’ Can the courts stop him?
'The price of groceries went through the roof,' Trump says
03:35 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump: Groceries, sort of an old fashioned word. The price of groceries went through the roof… You take a look at eggs today— I mean, the eggs are double, triple, quadruple, they’re going through the roof. No, there’s some outside problem with eggs maybe. pic.twitter.com/x7McFIuPpG
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 8, 2025
Indonesia halts development of ‘Trump Community’
02:41 , Oliver O'Connell
Indonesian authorities have halted development of a tourism project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The project, covering over 3,000 hectares, is a collaboration between Trump’s business partner, Indonesian billionaire Hary Tanoesoedibjo, and the Trump Organization.
Tanoesoedibjo attended Trump's inauguration in Washington last month. His association with Trump began in 2014 when his group company, MNC, was looking for an operator for sprawling “six star” resorts, one to be built on the tourist island of Bali and the other near Jakarta.
Continue reading...
Indonesia halts development of ‘Trump Community’ on tourist island
Neo-Nazi group sued by Springfield, Ohio
01:40 , Oliver O'Connell
The Ohio city that became a flashpoint of the immigration debate during the 2024 presidential election after Donald Trump amplified false rumors of Haitian immigrants “eating the pets” is suing a neo-Nazi group for unleashing a “campaign of hate and harassment” against residents who defended the city’s migrant population.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Springfield, Ohio, sues neo-Nazi group for ‘campaign of hate and harassment’
Federal health workers brace for layoffs as White House instructs HHS to rank staff
01:10 , Oliver O'Connell
Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are bracing for layoffs across the vast public health agency, as Donald Trump’s administration instructs federal health officials to rank their essential workers and those who are deemed less essential.
Agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could be forced to cut a certain percentage of employees under the directive, gutting critical public health agencies under the sprawling cabinet-level department.
Leaders were also asked to justify why certain employees should be retained.
Alex Woodward reports.
Federal health workers brace for layoffs as White House instructs HHS to rank workers
Unemployment drops and wages rise - but hiring is lower than expected
00:40 , AP
The first job report of Donald Trump's second presidency suggested that he inherited a labor market that is solid but unspectacular - but experts have warned his policies could change that.
U.S. employers added just 143,000 jobs last month, but the jobless rate slipped to 4% to start 2025 and the government revised November and December payrolls higher. January job creation was down from 307,000 in December and 263,000 in November. Economists had expected about 170,000 new jobs in January.
Read on...
January jobs report: Unemployment drops and wages rise - but hiring falls
19 states sue to stop DOGE accessing Americans’ personal data
00:28 , AP
Nineteen Democratic attorneys general sued President Donald Trump on Friday to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.
The case, filed in federal court in New York City, alleges the Trump administration allowed Musk’s team access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system in violation of federal law.
The payment system handles tax refunds, Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits and much more, sending out trillions of dollars every year while containing an expansive network of Americans’ personal and financial data.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, was created to discover and eliminate what the Trump administration has deemed to be wasteful government spending. DOGE’s access to Treasury records, as well as its inspection of various government agencies, has ignited widespread concern among critics over the increasing power of Musk, while supporters have cheered at the idea of reining in bloated government finances.
In a statement, New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office filed the lawsuit, said DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s data raises security problems and the possibility for an illegal freeze in federal funds.
“President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress,” said James, a Democrat who has been one of Trump’s chief antagonists. “Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data.”
Also on the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The View hosts praise Travis Kelce’s ‘classy’ response to Trump Super Bowl appearance
00:25 , Oliver O'Connell
The View co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro have praised Travis Kelce for his “classy” response to the news that President Donald Trump may attend this weekend’s Super Bowl.
Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end told reporters that he considered Trump’s appearance to be “a great honor.”
Kevin E G Perry has the story.
The View hosts praise Travis Kelce’s ‘classy’ response to Trump Super Bowl appearance
Pardoned Jan 6 felon heckles former Capitol police officer
00:10 , Oliver O'Connell
A former police officer attacked during the January 6 insurrection was heckled outside the Capitol by a rioter pardoned by Donald Trump.
Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn was confronted after a gathering on the Capitol steps Wednesday honoring fellow fallen officer Brian Sicknick, who died after suffering two strokes the day after he was attacked and sprayed with bear mace during the riot.
Mary Papenfuss has the story.
Pardoned Jan 6 felon heckles former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn
Trump ‘immediately’ revokes Biden’s security clearance and daily briefing in act of revenge against predecessor
00:08 , Andrew Feinberg
President Donald Trump on Friday said he would be denying former president Joe Biden any access to classified information and the courtesy briefings traditionally provided to former presidents as needed.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” following a precedent Biden had set four years earlier when he instructed U.S. intelligence officials to halt any briefings to Trump, citing the then-former president’s “erratic behavior” in the wake of his 2020 election loss.
As elected officials, presidents do not hold security clearances but they have traditionally been given courtesy briefings on an as-needed basis, such as when traveling abroad or when meeting with foreign government officials.
Read more:
Trump revokes Biden’s security clearance in act of revenge against predecessor
'Hallmarks of government censorship’ seen in FCC’s latest investigation of radio station
Friday 7 February 2025 23:55 , Oliver O'Connell
The Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission announced this week that the FCC is investigating San Francisco-based radio station KCBS over its coverage of the administration's mass deportation raids in San Jose, prompting First Amendment experts to express concerns about authoritarian-style censorship.
“This effort to control media content – a foundational trait of dictatorships – contains the hallmarks of government censorship,” Joseph Russomanno, professor emeritus at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, told The Independent.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Experts see ‘hallmarks of government censorship’ in FCC’s latest investigation
Visas and deportation of Indian migrants on agenda as Modi prepares to visit Trump
Friday 7 February 2025 23:40 , Oliver O'Connell
Narendra Modi is visiting Washington DC next week to meet Donald Trump amid concerns over trade tariffs and visas for Indian skilled workers.
The Indian prime minister is only the second foreign leader, after Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, to be invited by the White House since Mr Trump started his second term last month.
The trip comes as anger is growing in India over the humiliating deportation by the US of over a hundred illegal migrants back to the South Asian country this week.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.
What Indian prime minister Modi is looking to get out of his impending US visit
Trump 'fires' Biden and revokes security clearance
Friday 7 February 2025 23:29 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has revoked security clearances from former president Joe Biden.
There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings. He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 7, 2025
The president wrote on Truth Social:
There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings. He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents. The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from “poor memory” and, even in his “prime,” could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Watch: Trudeau comments on Trump accidentally broadcast over loudspeaker
Friday 7 February 2025 23:20 , Oliver O'Connell
Trudeau hot mic: Mr. Trump has it in his mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing pic.twitter.com/RDhyqMsmzt
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2025
Per Reuters:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said U.S. President Donald Trump's talk about absorbing Canada "is a real thing" and is linked to the country's rich natural resources, a government source said.
Trudeau made the remarks during a closed-door session of business and labor leaders on how best to respond to Trump's threats of tariffs on Canadian imports.
His comments were first reported by the Toronto Star, which said they were mistakenly carried by a loudspeaker.
Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state.
"They're very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those," the Star quoted Trudeau as saying.
"But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing."
The government source confirmed that the Star's account of the remarks was accurate.
Friday 7 February 2025 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell
I’ll fire some of them because some of them were corrupt. I have no doubt about that. I got to know a lot about that world. We had some corrupt agents. And those people are gone or they will be gone. And it will be done quickly and very surgically.
President Donald Trump confirms he will purge certain FBI agents who worked on January 6 cases
Trump turns on Time magazine after new cover shows Musk sitting behind his Resolute desk
Friday 7 February 2025 22:50 , Oliver O'Connell
Attempting to shrug off a recent Time cover showing Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk as president, Donald Trump mockingly asked whether the magazine was “still in business” while claiming he hadn’t seen the latest issue.
The president’s dismissive snipe at Time comes just weeks after he boasted about being named the magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year, an honor he’s long coveted and first received after winning the presidential election in 2016.
Justin Baragona reports.
Trump turns on Time after new cover shows Musk sitting behind his Resolute desk
Trump orders review of gun regulations
Friday 7 February 2025 22:42 , AP
Trump has signed an executive order calling for a broad review of all of President Joe Biden’s executive actions on guns, along with other federal government rules, plans, reports and lawsuits, to “assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights” of Americans.
The order calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct the review within 30 days and come up with an action plan for protecting the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.
Trump confirms he terminates Kennedy Center board, makes himself chairman
Friday 7 February 2025 22:38 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has terminated “multiple individuals,” including the chairman, from the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center.
The president said in a Truth Social post that they “do not “share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
He has appointed himself chairman.
POTUS confirms he terminated Board of Trustee members at the Kennedy Center because there were drag shows held at the Center. pic.twitter.com/fMZjniOqyl
— Libbey Dean (@LibbeyDean_) February 7, 2025
Full story: Judge puts brakes on Trump’s plan to fire USAID staff hours before midnight purge
Friday 7 February 2025 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell
A federal judge has put the brakes on Donald Trump’s plan to gut the United States Agency for International Development workforce.
District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C., granted a “limited” temporary restraining order Friday that blocks the Trump administration from placing roughly 2,200 USAID workers on administrative leave, hours before the administration was set to send them packing at midnight.
Unions representing nearly 2,000 USAID employees filed a lawsuit against Trump and administration officials Thursday night following an unprecedented attack against the global aid agency, which supports dozens of life-saving missions in more than 100 countries.
Alex Woodward has been following the story.
Judge puts brakes on Trump’s plan to fire USAID workforce hours before midnight purge
Trump slips up on name of Japanese suitor for US Steel at White House press conference
Friday 7 February 2025 22:12 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump mistakenly referred to Nippon Steel as Nissan, the Japanese automaker, during a press conference with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House this afternoon.
The president announced that Japan's Nippon Steel would not buy U.S. Steel as planned but would instead invest in the company. This dramatically reshaped the $15 billion merger bid that had been in negotiation for more than a year.
Trump did not give additional details but said “[Nippon Steel] is going to be doing something very exciting about U.S. Steel. They'll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase.”
The president said he would be meeting with the head of the Japanese company next week and would be involved “to mediate and arbitrate.”
Previously, Trump said: “I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan.”
In separate remarks on Friday, Trump told reporters he had not changed his mind about his opposition to the deal.
United Steelworkers President David McCall said the union, which opposes the deal, has had no contact with either company or the administration regarding Nippon's investment in U.S. Steel.
“Our concerns regarding Nippon's continued interest in U.S. Steel remain unchanged,” he said in a statement.
A $14.9 billion bid for the American company was blocked last month, by former President Joe Biden.
On Thursday, Trump met U.S. Steel Chief Executive David Burritt at the White House to discuss the deal.
With reporting from Reuters
Watch: Trump agrees with Vance on DOGE staffer who quit over racist tweets
Friday 7 February 2025 22:10 , Oliver O'Connell
More US troops deploying to the southern border
Friday 7 February 2025 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell
The Pentagon will send approximately 1,500 more active-duty soldiers to the southern border to support Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration, a U.S. official said Friday. This would eventually increase the total to about 3,600 active-duty troops at the border, where they are expected to set up concertina wire barriers and provide transportation, intelligence, and other assistance to the Border Patrol.
The official stated that the order to deploy a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina had been approved. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced.
The Pentagon has been working swiftly to implement Trump’s executive orders. The first 1,600 active-duty troops are already stationed at the border, and nearly 500 more from the 10th Mountain Division will be arriving in the coming days. Some of the 500 Marines directed to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have already reached their destination to prepare for an influx of migrants.
With reporting from the Associated Press
Judge grants limited temporarily blocks purge of USAID staff
Friday 7 February 2025 21:49 , Alex Woodward
A judge in Washington, D.C., overseeing a lawsuit from government workers’ unions, is temporarily blocking the Trump administration from firing 2,200 USAID workers who were going to be placed on leave at midnight tonight.
An extremely skeptical District Judge Carl Nichols will grant a “limited” temporary restraining order that blocks the administration from moving ahead with that purge, but he seemed to be enormously frustrated with government lawyers.
“Frankly, there’s essentially zero harm to the government” in pausing its plans to place hundreds of workers on leave, he said.
Nichols could also possibly force Secretary of State Marco Rubio to recall the 500 workers who were already let go.
Trump signs executive order targeting South Africa
Friday 7 February 2025 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting South Africa, a White House official told Reuters on Friday, saying the order will tackle human rights issues in the African nation.
Trump has threatened to withdraw funding from the country. On Sunday, he claimed without evidence that “South Africa is confiscating land” and that “certain classes of people” were being treated “very badly.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa defended South Africa's land policy in response to Trump's threat, stating that the government had not confiscated any land and that the policy was intended to ensure equitable public access to land.
Trump postpones call with Panama leader
Friday 7 February 2025 21:34 , Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump postponed a call with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulin due to schedule changes.
Mulino has accused the U.S. of spreading “lies and falsehoods” with claims that its vessels would be able to pass through the Panama Canal without paying.
He also rejected accusations that China now controls the canal. Trump has said he wants to take the canal back for the U.S.
Here’s the latest:
Marco Rubio forced into embarrassing walk back on Panama Canal claim
DOGE staffer amplified white supremacists in social media posts
Friday 7 February 2025 21:28 , Oliver O'Connell
Reuters reports that one of the people working with billionaire Elon Musk in his efforts to overhaul the U.S. government is a Berkeley-educated computer scientist who has boosted white supremacists and misogynists online.
Gavin Kliger is listed on LinkedIn as “Special Advisor to the Director” at the Office of Personnel Management, which has been spearheading Musk's efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
A USAID email address in his name was copied on a message sent to agency staffers on Monday, which Reuters reviewed. The message urged them to stay home while the agency was shut down.
Kliger is one of about a dozen men identified by Reuters and other news outlets who have been recruited by Musk and his DOGE office to reshape the federal government. Reuters could not determine the importance of Kliger’s role at OPM.
In social media posts between October 2024 and January, Kliger has voiced controversial views and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate.
Another DOGE staffer, Marko Elez, quit on Thursday amid questions from The Wall Street Journal about links to a deleted social-media account that advocated for racism and eugenics.
Musk has since said he would reinstate him after Vice President JD Vance weighed in with support for Elez.
Friday 7 February 2025 21:21 , Oliver O'Connell
Full story: Trump says he’s bringing back plastic straws in new executive order
Friday 7 February 2025 21:16 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump said Friday that he would sign an executive order “ending the ridiculous Biden push for paper straws, which don’t work.”
“BACK TO PLASTIC!” he posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
Last summer, the Biden administration announced an initiative to reduce single-use plastics in federal operations.
Julia Musto has the story.
Trump says he’s bringing back plastic straws in new executive order
In pictures: Trump and Japanese PM hold press conference
Friday 7 February 2025 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell
Trump says Musk will be targeting military and education next
Friday 7 February 2025 20:58 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Friday said he’s letting the Elon Musk-helmed Department of Government Efficiency dig into the budgets of the Pentagon and the federal Department of Education to find wasteful spending in need of cutting.
Trump told reporters at a joint press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that the billionaire’s cost-cutting initiative, which has rampaged through multiple federal agencies, would be taking a look at the $842 billion defense department ledger along with the 4,000-person Department of Education, which Trump has said he would like to eliminate from the executive branch.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.
Trump says Musk will be targeting military and education next: ‘Everything’s fertile’
Musk says he will bring back DOGE staffer who resigned over racist tweets scandal
Friday 7 February 2025 20:54 , Oliver O'Connell
🫡
He will be brought back.
To err is human, to forgive divine. https://t.co/TV6SJIb5P6— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2025
After Trump sanctions, dozens of countries vow support for International Criminal Court
Friday 7 February 2025 20:39 , Oliver O'Connell
Dozens of countries have expressed their “unwavering support” for the International Criminal Court (ICC) a day after Donald Trump signed off sanctions against the court’s staff.
“We reaffirm our continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the ICC,” a group of almost 80 countries said in a joint statement.
Chris Stevenson reports.
Dozens of countries vow ‘unwavering’ support for ICC in wake of Trump sanctions
Trump DOJ reverses government position on Supreme Court trans youth case
Friday 7 February 2025 20:15 , Alex Woodward
After the United States went to the Supreme Court in the legal fight against Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth, a case that is now in the hands of the justices after December’s oral arguments, the Trump administration wrote to the court to say that its position is reversed. Trump’s Justice Department is now telling the court that it does not believe the state’s ban violates equal protections. But the administration is not asking to dismiss the appeal, and a decision is expected within the coming weeks and months.
The court’s ruling will have national impact, and could defy Trump’s executive order.
Trump plans to 'quickly and very surgically' remove 'corrupt' FBI agents from bureau
Friday 7 February 2025 20:02 , Alex Woodward
After the Justice Department earlier today agreed not to publish the names of FBI agents involved in January 6 cases, Donald Trump said he plans to “quickly and very surgically” purge many of them from the bureau.
“Some of them were corrupt, no doubt about that,” he said. “Those people are gone, or they will be gone.”
Collins: Are you planning on firing FBI Agents who worked on January 6th cases?
Trump: Some of them because some of them were corrupt. I got know a lot about that world. We had some corrupt agents. pic.twitter.com/mu8dmD0z72— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2025
Watch: Trump says DOGE can get Americans' personal information because of of poor security
Friday 7 February 2025 19:58 , Oliver O'Connell
Trump on DOGE obtaining Americans' personal information, including social security numbers and bank numbers: "They get it very easily. We don't have very good security in our country." pic.twitter.com/LAcWQ6YQoE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 7, 2025
Full story: Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’ as he previews new tariffs
Friday 7 February 2025 19:55 , Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Friday continued to push his plan for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and threatened a host of new tariffs against American allies to be rolled out at a press conference next week.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump said he’d be announcing the trade actions — which amount to a unilateral tax increase on Americans — as part of his program for ensuring what he has called “reciprocal” trade with American allies.
Andrew Feinberg reports from the White House.
Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’ as he previews new tariffs
Ishiba says being able to import U.S. LNG 'wonderful'
Friday 7 February 2025 19:55 , Oliver O'Connell
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it was “unfortunate” that the previous Biden administration didn’t allow Japan to buy liquified natural gas, during the White House press conference alongside President Donald Trump.
He says the Trump administration allowing them to import LNG again is “wonderful.”
They also want to buy bioethanol, ammonia, and other energy items “at a reasonable price.”
Watch: Trump says he agrees with Vance on DOGE staffer who resigned over racist posts
Friday 7 February 2025 19:42 , Oliver O'Connell
Trump says he agrees with Vance that a DOGE staffer fired after being outed for making extremely racist posts should be brought back pic.twitter.com/sLSOGxRpms
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 7, 2025
