USAID says it will put nearly its entire staff on administrative leave starting Friday at midnight
USAID offices in Washington DC. The US Agency for International Development is set to place nearly all of its direct-hire workforce on administrative leave starting Friday at midnight, said an email sent to staff on Tuesday evening and posted on the agency’s website. “On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct…
Some members of Elon Musk’s DOGE squad aren’t sharing their last names as they attempt to remake the federal workforce
Elon Musk is giving $1 million away to a different Pennsylvania voter every day. It may not be legal. Elon Musk’s federal efficiency team is shielding the identities of some of its members during meetings with federal workers, according to two federal employees. DOGE representatives didn’t provide their last names during recent interactions with workers…
Trump’s threatened tariffs on Mexico and Canada could inflate home prices — even if he never imposes them
Home construction industry leaders say the typical US home could be tens of thousands of dollars higher if Trump implements tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. In order to set prices and plan for the future, businesses need clarity on trade policy. That’s why even the threat of President Donald Trump’s tariffs could increase US…
Mike Johnson says there’s a ‘gross overreaction’ over Elon Musk’s efforts to cut government spending: ‘Not a power grab’
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana defended the work of Elon Musk in probing government spending. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday defended the role of Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk in scrutinizing government spending, arguing that the executive branch is acting “within the scope of their authority.” During a press briefing at…
The Democratic resistance is reawakening — and Elon Musk is its new villain
Democratic lawmakers flocked to the Treasury building on Tuesday to attend a raucous rally protesting Elon Musk and DOGE. Two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term, roughly two dozen Democratic lawmakers flocked to a rally just steps from the White House to protest an unpredictable billionaire’s reshaping of the federal government. They weren’t there,…
China’s rapid tariff response shows Beijing is ready for Trump
China’s response to tariffs was “clearly premeditated,” one economist said. Beijing’s announcement of retaliatory tariffs on US goods arrived on Tuesday. The news came fast but with less punch than expected. “China’s tariffs are relatively measured and not symmetrical in scale, touching only an estimated $20 billion in US exports, compared with the more than…
Pfizer’s CEO says he’s had dinner with Trump’s health secretary pick, RFK Jr.
Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla said he had dinner with RFK Jr., Trump’s health secretary pick. Pfizer’s CEO said that he had dinner with President Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In a Tuesday earnings call, CEO Albert Bourla said Trump had introduced him to Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, and the…
Trump wants a US sovereign wealth fund. Here’s what that could mean.
President Donald Trump signing an executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund. Let’s compare two countries. One is known for splashy investments in electric cars, video-game makers, sports franchises, and a fund run by a mercurial technology investor whose eyebrow-raising proclamations and stunts include threatening self-immolation. The other garners few headlines, primarily putting its…
A US Navy pilot narrowly avoided crashing into the sea by as little as 16 feet after a ‘catastrophic’ failure aboard his aircraft carrier
An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 83 approaches an aircraft carrier for landing. A US Navy pilot’s quick reaction saved himself and his aircraft from a crash in the Indian Ocean after a “catastrophic failure” occurred aboard his aircraft carrier during landing, documents show. The Super Hornet pilot was barreling back onto…
