News From Around the Web
#10 USAID to Put Nearly All Staff on Leave Friday; Overseas Missions Shuttering - Sara Cook and Caitlin Yilek for CBS News, Libs of TikTok, Charlie Kirk/Stephen Miller, and R A W A L E R T S on X
Nearly all staff for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, will be placed on leave Friday night, the agency announced on its website Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, all overseas missions for USAID had been ordered to shut down, and all staff recalled by Friday, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News. The statement notes that all "direct-hire personnel" will be placed on leave with exceptions for those on "mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs." Those considered exceptions will be notified by USAID leadership by 3 p.m. ET Thursday, and further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming, the email said...
#9 DOGE Reveals Next Target for Nerd Army Audit... And Americans Are Thrilled - Will Potter for Dailymail.com, Elon Musk, The Vigilant Fox, Dinesh D'Souza, and Elon Musk/World Hall of Fun on X
Elon Musk teased the next target for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) crackdown may be the Internal Revenue Service. The world's richest man asked his army of X followers in an informal poll whether they would like to see the IRS audited by DOGE, which received a staggering 94.3 percent support. Musk's post comes days after Donald Trump vowed to terminate almost 90,000 IRS workers who had been hired under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, a pledge that received huge cheers as he spoke at a rally in Las Vegas... Hundreds of protesters and a contingent of Democratic lawmakers rallied outside the Department of the Treasury in Washington on Tuesday, denouncing what they called Elon Musk’s “hostile takeover” of federal financial systems, as demonstrations spilled on to, and took over, the street outside the building. The protests targeted reports of the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) team’s reported access to sensitive government financial data, including information related to social security payments, Medicare reimbursements, and tax refunds – systems that process trillions of dollars in annual transactions.
The U. S. Postal Service has temporarily stopped accepting international packages from China and Hong Kong until further notice, per a post to its website Tuesday night. The big picture: It wasn't immediately clear whether the action was due to counter-tariffs that China's government announced earlier Tuesday in response to 10% tariffs on Chinese products imposed by President Trump's administration. The move could delay or block shipments from e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein, which were already expected to be affected by a recent rule change following Trump's tariff announcement... President Donald Trump appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Bessent announced Monday in a CFPB statement. Former Director Rohit Chopra posted a letter to Trump on social media platform X on Saturday confirming that his term at the agency had “concluded.” Bessent, a former hedge-fund manager who was confirmed as head of the U.S. Treasury on Jan. 27, will presumably lead the CFPB until a permanent pick is named. “I look forward to working with the CFPB to advance President Trump’s agenda to lower costs for the American people and accelerate economic growth,” Bessent said in the statement Monday... Daniel Penny landed a cushy job at a powerhouse Silicon Valley venture capital firm less than two months after he was acquitted in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely. The Marine veteran was hired by Andreesen Horowitz to work in Manhattan as a deal partner on the firm’s American Dynamism team, which invests in government and defense tech, according to the company’s website. Penny was lauded for his “courage” in an internal memo sent to all employees Tuesday afternoon... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for inviting him to be the first foreign leader to visit the US in his oath-taking ceremony during his second term and called him the "greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House." While addressing the joint press conference with Trump on Tuesday (local time), Netanyahu stated, "I'm honored that you (US President Donald Trump) invited me to be the first foreign leader to visit the White House in your second term. This is a testament to your friendship and support for the Jewish state and the Jewish people." President Donald Trump says he wants an investigation into California's controversial high-speed rail project. “The train that's being built between Los Angeles and San Francisco is the worst managed project I think I've ever seen,” Trump said. The California High-Speed Rail Authority wrote on X they're entering the track-laying phase, with 171 miles of it under active construction. They've finished 50 major structures along with 60 miles of guideway... US President Donald Trump's cabinet nominees have gained momentum, as Robert F Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard cleared a key hurdle in the Senate, and Pam Bondi was confirmed. The full Senate voted to approve Bondi as the next US attorney general, tasked with running the Department of Justice. Kennedy picked to be the next US health secretary, was advanced by the Senate Finance Committee in a 14-13 vote that split along party lines. Only Republicans voted in favor of him...
#8 Democrats Join Protest Against Musk’s ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Federal Payment Systems - Joseph Gedeon for The Guardian, Anastasia Moran, Libs of TikTok, Catturd/Daily Caller, Lauren Burke, and Wid Lyman on X
#7 USPS Temporarily Suspend Some Inbound Parcels From China Amid Trump Trade War - Sareen Habeshian and Rebecca Falconer for AXIOS, R A W A L E R T S, PopBase, AJ Huber, Jennifer Griffin, and Jeff Jarvis on X
#6 Melatonin is Crucial for Proper Sleep and Disease Management, Including Cancer - Tracy Beanz and Michelle Edwards for The HighWire, Diet and Nutrition, and Jack on X
Melatonin—a hormone essential for regulating the body’s circadian rhythm, or internal 24-hour clock—is crucial for healthy sleep-wake cycles and seasonal biological changes. Produced by the brain in response to darkness, it largely impacts sleep patterns by signaling when it’s time to rest. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brains of vertebrates and invertebrates, with levels rising at night to promote sleepiness while lowering during daylight hours. Since nature is simply amazing, it is no shock that melatonin is also found in plants, bacteria, and algae. Exposure to light at night can block melatonin production, leading to myriad potential adverse health consequences for all. Moreover, in humans, melatonin aids in disease management through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immune-modulating properties. Without question, melatonin, identified by scientists over 60 years ago, is connected to sound health...
#5 Trump Names Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Acting Director of CFPB, as Former Head Chopra Confirms He Is Out - Hugh Son for CNBC, Hank, Wall Street Journal Opinion, john jackson, Jennifer Van Laar, and Rohit Chopra on X
#4 Daniel Penny Lands Job at Powerhouse Venture Capital Firm Andreesen Horowitz Less Than 2 Months After Acquittal in Jordan Neely’s Death: ‘Acted With Courage’ - Anna Young for New York Post, Collin Rugg, Bari Weiss, and Autism Capital on X
#3 Netanyahu Hails Trump as “Greatest Friend Israel Has Ever Had in White House” - Economic Times, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Johnson, Autism Capital, Kayleigh McEnany and Awesome Jew on X
#2 President Trump Wants Investigation Into California’s High-Speed Rail Project - ABC 10 Staff, George, Joel Pollak, Retro Coast, and Save California on X
#1 Top Trump Nominees Advance as Senate Confirms Attorney General - Mike Wendling and Nadine Yousif for BBC News, George, NIAPAC ITALIA, The Censored K9, Rich, Right Angle News Network, The Vigilant Fox, Tracy Beanz, Jack Poso/Real America's Voice, Tom Cotton, Fox News, and Gateway Pundit on X
Pam Bondi :
RFK Jr:
Tulsi Gabbard:
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