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White Home denies reporters from AP, Reuters and HuffPost entry to cupboard assembly
The White Home on Wednesday reportedly denied reporters from Reuters, the AP, and different information organizations entry to President Donald Trump’s first cupboard assembly consistent with the administration’s new coverage relating to media protection.
Reuters is reporting that the White Home denied entry to an Related Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and Der Tagesspiegel, a German newspaper.
TV crews from ABC and Newsmax, together with correspondents from Axios, the Blaze, Bloomberg Information and NPR have been permitted to cowl the occasion.
This comes as on Tuesday, the Trump administration introduced that it might take management of the White Home press pool, stripping the impartial White Home Correspondents’ Affiliation (WHCA) of its longstanding position in deciding which journalists have entry to the president in intimate settings.
Key occasions
New govt order requires authorities funds, journey to be justified and made public
A brand new govt order below the Trump administration is making each company create a centralized system to file all funds made below federal contracts and grants.
“This order commences a metamorphosis in Federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to make sure Authorities spending is clear and Authorities workers are accountable to the American public,” reads the order.
In keeping with the manager order, workers approving funds should present a written justification, which can be made public for transparency.
Businesses should additionally file all federally funded journey for non-essential functions, which would require written justifications earlier than approval.
Consultant Joe Morelle from New York has urged Donald Trump to reverse a latest govt order that might give the White Home direct management of impartial federal regulatory businesses together with the Federal Election Fee and the Securities and Change Fee.
Morelle, a rating member of the committee on home administration, referred to as Trump’s directive “an unprecedented violation of American rule of legislation” within the letter despatched Wednesday.
Morelle, a Democrat, mentioned Trump’s order ignores that Congress “particularly designed sure impartial regulatory businesses to exist exterior of White Home management”.
The USA Postal Service mentioned it might implement new service requirements anticipated to save lots of the company at the very least $36bn over the following decade.
Starting 1 April, the brand new USPS plan will step by step take impact, it mentioned. Whereas most mail will preserve present supply occasions, some companies will see barely sooner or slower requirements.
“The adjustments will improve service reliability nationwide whereas sustaining the prevailing five-day service normal day vary for First-Class Mail, whereas the day ranges for end-to-end Advertising Mail, Periodicals and Package deal Companies will probably be shortened,” in response to a press release.
The transfer comes days after Donald Trump mentioned he’s contemplating merging USPS with the commerce division, a proposal Democrats argue would violate federal legislation.
Democratic senator Gary Peters mentioned that any try by Trump to take management of the postal service, which employs about 650,000 folks, and take away its board of governors could be unlawful.
The pinnacle of the Environmental Safety Company has urged the Trump administration to strike down a key scientific discovering that has served as the muse for US local weather change coverage, the Washington Publish experiences.
In a report submitted to the White Home, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin really useful revising the company’s 2009 dedication that greenhouse gases pose a menace to public well being and welfare.
This report, established below the Clear Air Act, supplies the authorized foundation for varied local weather laws affecting motor automobiles, energy crops, and different main air pollution sources.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, the highest Democrat on the banking committee, urged Donald Trump’s nominee to steer the commerce division’s Bureau of Trade and Safety to undertake a agency method towards China, pointing to issues over Chinese language startup DeepSeek’s synthetic intelligence know-how, Reuters experiences.
Warren referred to as on nominee Jeffrey Kessler to strengthen AI chip laws launched by Joe Biden’s administration in January.
“In gentle of DeepSeek, we should reinforce our controls on (China),” Warren wrote, calling for a sequence of different actions on Chinese language tech efforts.
Lauren Gambino
A number of Democratic senators made dramatic returns to Washington to vote towards Republicans’ price range blueprint on Tuesday evening.
California Congressman Kevin Mullin, who had been absent whereas recovering from a blood clot and an infection following knee surgical procedure, went straight to the airport after being discharged from the hospital, whereas Colorado Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen returned to teh Home flooring together with her new child son, Sam, nestled in her arms.
Their dramatic – and shock – appearances have been a part of an effort by Democrats to dam Republicans’ plan to advance main items of Donald Trump’s tax lower and immigration agenda.
“I’ve a message for Donald Trump: no person fights more durable than a mother,” Petterson wrote on X. “Republican management might have denied my capacity to vote by proxy however that didn’t cease us from voting towards this disastrous price range that strips away well being care and meals for seniors, veterans, children and households throughout Colorado — all to offer tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk.”
Sadly, Republican Management denied my capacity to vote remotely after giving beginning to my son, Sam, however that’s not stopping us from exhibiting as much as vote NO on this disastrous price range proposal.
They need to rip away well being care from 400,000 CO children, take meals off the plates… pic.twitter.com/CcthHFFSNx
— U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen (@RepPettersen) February 26, 2025
The invoice finally handed in a 217-215 vote. Just one Democrat, Arizona congressman Raúl Grijalva, who has most cancers, returned for the vote. However up till the second the vote ended, Republicans have been working to beat unified Democratic opposition to the plan, which might doubtless end in steep cuts to social security internet applications, together with Medicaid.
“After three surgical procedures, a blood clot, an an infection and being hospitalized for over every week, the second I used to be discharged I instantly rushed to the airport so I may get on a aircraft to D.C. and vote NO on Republicans’ disastrous price range plan,” Mullin mentioned in a press release after the vote. “They’re attempting to take advantage of devastating cuts to Medicaid the nation has ever seen – $880 billion – all to allow them to give extra tax cuts to billionaires and companies.”
On board the flight, Mullin’s spouse, Jessica Stanfill-Mullin, helped administer IV antibiotics to him.
Folks protest in Capitol over cuts to USAid funding
Listed here are some images coming in from the wires exhibiting demonstrators gathered on the ground of the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, protesting towards cuts to USAid funding.
Organized by ActUp’s Well being International Entry Challenge, the protesters quickly occupied the rotunda earlier than Capitol Police arrested 21 of them.
The day thus far
One of many huge moments of at this time got here from Donald Trump’s first officers cupboard assembly. Right here have been a number of the key moments through the public portion of Trump’s first official cupboard assembly of his second time period:
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Trump introduced that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will go to Washington DC to signal the uncommon earth minerals settlement. He praised Doge, claiming, with out proof, that it has saved billions.
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Elon Musk additionally delivered remarks and warned that with out cost-cutting, the nation may go “bankrupt” describing himself as “tech assist”. He acknowledged errors made by Doge, resembling once they by accident cancelled an Ebola prevention effort, however he mentioned, they “restored it instantly and there was no interruption”.
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Trump additionally talked about that the Environmental Safety Company would possibly lower as much as 65% of its workers and declined to remark in response to a query about whether or not he would ever enable China to take management of Taiwan by drive.
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Trump mentioned that tariffs on Canada and Mexico will proceed, and {that a} 25% tariff on the European Union was coming quickly.
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Well being secretary Robert F Kennedy mentioned that two folks had died from a measles outbreak, however didn’t present particulars in regards to the deaths. Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that one little one had died of measles.
Different information that occurred at this time:
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UK prime minister Keir Starmer left for Washington at this time previous to his assembly with Donald Trump set for Thursday in what will probably be his largest diplomatic take a look at to this point.
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US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins mentioned that the US will make investments as much as $1bn to fight the unfold of fowl flu, together with rising imports of eggs.
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Donald Trump threatened to sue journalists and authors who use “nameless” sources of their reporting.
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Minnesota governor Tim Walz is not going to run for Minnesota’s newly open US Senate seat, in response to his spokesperson.
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The US abstained from World Commerce Group condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
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California governor Gavin Newsom introduced that he’s launching his personal podcast.
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The US supreme court docket heard oral arguments in a case that might radically remodel office discrimination claims.
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New York Metropolis mayor Eric Adams requested a federal choose to toss out the corruption case towards him.
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A gathering between EU overseas coverage chief and US secretary of state Marco Rubio was cancelled, with either side citing scheduling conflicts.
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Trump urged Apple to finish its variety, fairness and inclusion insurance policies.
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The Trump administration issued a memo directing federal businesses to plan for sweeping layoffs of presidency workers, in response to the Related Press and different information businesses.
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A US choose has briefly prolonged an order reinstating the top of a federal watchdog company accountable for defending whistleblowers who had challenged his firing by Trump.
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The Trump administration mentioned that New York Metropolis should finish its congestion pricing program by 21 March, in response to Reuters.
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Trump introduced that his administration is reversing concessions given to Venezuela on an oil transaction settlement by former president Joe Biden.
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The Trump administration would require undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older to register with the federal authorities or face doable fines or prosecution.
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The Senate confirmed Trump’s choose for US commerce consultant, Jamieson Greer.
The US Securities and Change Fee has advised unionized workers they should return to the workplace in mid-April, until they’ve sure exemptions, per a memo seen by Reuters.
Within the memo, SEC chief working officer Ken Johnson advised employees that they are going to be required to work on-site starting 14 April 2025 and mentioned that the return-to-work directive would “greatest place the SEC to fulfil the company’s mission”.
In response, the Nationwide Treasury Workers Union chapter 239, which represents SEC workers, mentioned in an e mail to members seen by Reuters, that the SEC’s motion “plainly violates” the union contract and referred to as the order unlawful.
“Such as you, the union solely obtained discover of this order by the SEC administration moments in the past,” the e-mail reportedly mentioned. Reuters is reporting that the union’s 2023 collective bargaining settlement outlines telework choices for accepted workers and that the settlement lasts three years.
This comes as comparable efforts have occurred on the company with non-unionized employees, and throughout the federal workforce, in response to a mandate by Donald Trump that officers hearth distant or hybrid work preparations.
Choose extends order reinstating head of federal watchdog fired by Trump – report
A US choose has briefly prolonged an order reinstating the top of a federal watchdog company accountable for defending whistleblowers who had challenged his firing by Donald Trump.
In keeping with Reuters, US district choose Amy Berman Jackson in Washington mentioned Hampton Dellinger, the top of the workplace of particular counsel, may stay in his publish by at the very least Saturday.
Jackson mentioned the extension would give her time to draft a everlasting ruling within the case.
Final week, the US supreme court docket quickly saved Dellinger on the job as the top of the federal company that protects authorities whistleblowers, in its first phrase on the numerous authorized fights over the agenda of Trump’s second presidency.
The justices mentioned in an unsigned order that Dellinger may stay in his job at the very least till Wednesday. And now, that has been prolonged to at the very least Saturday, per Reuters.
The Trump administration says in a letter made public on Wednesday that New York Metropolis should finish its congestion pricing program by 21 March, in response to Reuters.
Final week, the transportation division introduced that it intends to rescind federal approval of New York Metropolis’s congestion pricing program, that’s designed to scale back site visitors and lift cash to improve ageing subway and bus methods.
Two New York Metropolis transit businesses have filed swimsuit to dam the choice.
The letter at this time comes as this week it was reported by the New York Instances that New York’s congestion pricing plan raised $48.6m in tolls throughout its first month and that it has exceeded expectations and is on monitor to boost billions of {dollars} for the New York’s transit system.
The income numbers have been the newest signal that the tolling plan was working.