Hours after the Senate approved a spending framework, President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that he’s open to approving the spending plan in multiple bills “as long as we get to the same point.”
Here’s the latest:
Judge adjourns trial for New York City Mayor Eric Adams but appoints counsel to advise on next steps
A federal judge has adjourned the corruption trial for New York City Mayor Eric Adams and appointed counsel to advise him on how to handle the Justice Department’s request to drop charges against the Democrat.
The ruling Friday by Judge Dale E. Ho will delay by at least a couple weeks when he will decide whether to grant the request to drop charges against the embattled mayor of the country’s largest city.
A government lawyer cited an executive order by President Donald Trump as he defended the request to drop charges during a hearing Wednesday.
Adams confirmed at the hearing that he accepted that charges could later be reinstated.
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Mayor sidesteps Trump’s talk of a Washington, DC, federal ‘takeover’
Mayor Muriel Bowser is keeping things diplomatic regarding President Donald Trump’s call for a federal “takeover” of the District of Columbia.
Earlier this week, Trump repeated his longstanding call for a federal takeover — citing crime rates, homelessness and graffiti among the city’s failings.
In an extended Q&A at the National Press Club Friday, Bowser sidestepped chances to push back and focused on common ground.
“The president is very focused on making our nation’s capital the most beautiful capital in the world,” she said. “It turns out that’s our focus as well.”
When asked about threats to the 1973 Home Rule Act, Bowser focused on “some people in the Congress” as the most imminent danger.
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There are currently no migrants being held at Guantanamo Bay, US official says
There were no immigrants being held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station as of Friday morning, U.S. military authorities said a day after 177 Venezuelan migrants were flown from the U.S. military base to their home country.
The naval base on the eastern end of Cuba has served as a way station for Venezuelan immigrants with final orders of deportation from the U.S. since military transport flights began arriving with migrants on a near-daily basis from Texas on Feb. 4.
“At the moment, there are no illegal migrants being held at Guantanamo Bay,” the U.S. Southern Command of the Department of Defense said Friday in an email.
Juan Agudelo, an emergency removal operations supervisor in Miami for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Guantanamo Bay is being used as a temporary staging facility for immigrants as they are repatriated abroad.
Immigrants rights groups are suing U.S. authorities to establish direct access to immigrant detainees at Guantanamo.
?Read more about migrants being sent back to Venezuela
Trump tells governors he’s had ‘very good talks with Putin’ and praises North Carolina’s Stein
Trump continued speaking about Russia and Ukraine as he addressed Republican and Democratic governors gathered at the White House for a meeting Friday morning.
The president told the governors that he has “had very good talks with Putin” and “not such good talks with Ukraine.”
He also had some rare praise for a Democrat, telling the room that he’s been working well with North Carolina’s new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, whose state is still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
Trump signals he’s open to multiple budget bills, backing away from preference for ‘one big beautiful bill’
Hours after the Senate approved a spending framework, the president said in a Fox News interview that he’s open to approving the spending plan in multiple bills “as long as we get to the same point.”
Trump temporarily derailed the Senate’s spending push this week when he publicly bashed the approach from the Senate Budget Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Trump said he favored the “big beautiful bill” from House Republicans, a more politically fraught package that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts but slashes government programs and services.
Senators want to address those priorities later, in a second package.
“Now, what they approved yesterday is one part of it and then they approve another part of it,” Trump said Friday.
“I guess you could make the case you could do three. You could do 10,” he added. “As long as we get along, you know as long as we get them all added up and it’s the same thing.”
He said it’s “a very good signal” that senators got the first bill passed and that Republicans have “fantastic” unity.
Maine Democrats vow to fight Trump on pulling funding over trans athletes
High-ranking Democrats in Maine said Friday they will fight back against Trump’s vow to deny the state federal funding due to the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ sports.
Trump addressed a group of governors on Thursday and said he “heard men are still playing in Maine” and that he would pull funding because of it under the terms of an executive order he signed this month.
“So we’re not going to give them any federal funding. None, whatsoever, until they clean that up,” Trump said.
Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey said he will “defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us.”
Gov. Janet Mills also said the state “will not be intimidated” by Trump’s threats.
“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,” Mills said.
Trump adviser says he expects Ukraine to agree to deal allowing US access to the country’s rare earth minerals
Trump’s national security adviser says he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will accept a deal letting the U.S. access his country’s rare earth minerals.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mike Waltz said, “Here’s the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal,” though it wasn’t clear on what timeline he meant.
Trump said this week that he believed the U.S. had a deal on accessing Ukraine’s critical minerals when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv last week.
Zelenskyy said previously that he’d directed his ministers not to sign off on a proposed agreement.
Vice President JD Vance also discussed the deal with Zelenskyy in Munich days after the Bessent meeting.
Trump said Bessent’s visit to Ukraine was ‘a wasted trip,’ continues criticism of Zelenskyy
Trump continued his criticism of Zelenskyy on Friday and said that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s trip to Kyiv last week to try to secure a deal to access Ukraine’s minerals was “a wasted trip.”
“Frankly I wish he didn’t go there, waste all of his time like that,” Trump said on an interview on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox Radio.
He started to criticize Zelenskyy for his leadership as his country was destroyed by war. Host Brian Kilmeade said, “That’s Putin’s fault,” and Trump said. “I get tired of listening to it, I’ll tell you what.”
Trump continued complaining about Zelenskyy and said he “doesn’t think he’s very important to be at meetings” and that he’s been negotiating “with no cards, and you get sick of it.”
He said Putin wants to make a deal and added, “He doesn’t have to make a deal. Because if he wanted, he would get the whole country.”
Social Security Administration ends cooperative agreements with researchers focused on equity in benefits
The Social Security Administration terminated its cooperative agreements with its Retirement and Disability Research Consortium – which includes research relationships with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Brandeis University, University of Baltimore, and Westat.
The agency cites President Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”
“Terminating our RDRC cooperative agreements aligns with President Trump’s priorities to end fraudulent and wasteful initiatives and contracts,” said Social Security’s Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek.
The center’s website states that its research agenda focuses on equity in access to Social Security retirement for under-recognized and underserved segments of society, the intersection of health and access to healthcare and equitable disability program participation and disparities in disability program access and participation.
Social Security says ending the cooperative agreements will bring about $15 million dollars in cost savings.
US envoy praises Zelenskyy after Trump’s censure of the Ukrainian leader
President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia said on Friday that he held “extensive and positive discussions” with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the three-year war with Russia and praised the Ukrainian leader as an “embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war.”
Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg — who traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday and whose planned news conference with Zelenskyy on Thursday was changed at the last minute to a simple photo opportunity — struck a positive tone after what he said on the social platform X was “a long and intense day” of talks with Ukraine’s senior leadership.
His comments marked a departure from recent rebukes of Zelenskyy by Trump and other senior U.S. officials that appeared to indicate an abrupt deterioration of relations.
Economic vibes not looking so great for Trump
Consumer confidence fell nearly 10% on a monthly basis in February, a sharp plunge that suggests President Donald Trump’s tariff plans have given his administration a potentially short honeymoon with voters.
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment came in Friday at a reading of 64.7, down 9.8% on a monthly basis and 15.9% on a yearly basis. The Trump administration has touted other measures of confidence such as the National Federation of Independent Business’ index to suggest there is newfound optimism because of Trump’s return to the White House.
But during President Joe Biden’s tenure, the Michigan numbers often tracked with his loss of public approval. The latest Michigan figures have people expecting on average that inflation will increase 4.3% over the next year, a sharp increase from the January reading. Tariffs are taxes on imports that can raise prices for consumers.
Confidence among Republicans has held steady in the index, but it has fallen sharply among Democrats and political independents.
White House defends DOGE cuts amid complaints about ‘chainsaw’ approach
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration’s sweeping measures when asked about complaints Friday that DOGE is using a “chainsaw” approach to cutting the government’s size and spending, Leavitt told reporters at the White House that there is public support for the administration, and it is “committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse.”
“The president campaigned on that promise. Americans elected him on that promise, and he’s actually delivering on it. And this is something that Democrats promised they would do for decades. President Trump is just the first president to get it done,” she said.
Treasury raises concerns with China’s Vice Premier over fentanyl
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed concerns about China’s counternarcotics efforts, according to a Treasury readout of his first call Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
President Donald Trump, who signed an order imposing 10% tariffs against China earlier this month, is aiming at combating the illicit flow of fentanyl into the U.S., where the opioid is blamed for some 70,000 overdose deaths annually.
China is a major supplier of precursor chemicals used for the manufacturing of fentanyl.
The Treasury said the finance ministers also spoke about “economic imbalances, and unfair policies, and stressed the Administration’s commitment to pursue trade and economic policies that protect the American economy, the American worker, and our national security.”
The pair agreed to remain in communication.
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Sinn Féin leaders won’t attend St. Patrick’s event at White House to protest US stance on Gaza
Sinn Féin’s President Mary Lou McDonald addresses the media in Dublin, as Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane looks on, in Dublin, Ireland, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Ireland braced for weeks of political uncertainty Monday after an earth-shaking election that saw the Irish Republican Army-linked party Sinn Fein — long shunned by its bigger rivals — take the largest share of votes. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
The Irish party’s leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Trump’s administration’s position was “catastrophically” wrong and she was taking “a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza.”
Trump has proposed removing about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the idea, but it’s been universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, caused concern from other world leaders and thrown a ceasefire into doubt.
She was joined in the boycott by Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, the party’s vice president, who said she was standing “on the side of humanity.”
? Read more about the Irish party’s boycott
Chinese Vice Premier expresses ‘solemn concern’ over tariffs in video call with US Treasury Secretary
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has expressed “solemn concerns” to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the Trump administration’s imposition of an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.
The comments came in a video call that was Bessent’s first contact with a senior Chinese official since assuming his post. Trump said he imposed the tariff because China needs to do more to control the fentanyl trade. China responded with tariffs on select American products and other targeted measures.
Ahead of the call, Bessent told Bloomberg that the first thing he wanted to talk about was curbing fentanyl precursor chemicals coming from China
Federal judge will consider further blocking Trump administration from freezing funds
The judge will consider a request to further block the Trump administration from freezing trillions of dollars of grants and loans that fund everything from clean energy programs to bridge repairs to emergency shelters.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, who already approved a temporary restraining order on the funding freeze, is hearing a request for a permanent injunction from nearly two dozen Democrat states. If approved, it would be the first order since the Trump administration announced a sweeping pause on federal aid, stirring up a wave of confusion and anxiety across the United States.
A second lawsuit over the funding freeze by groups representing thousands of nonprofits and small businesses is being heard by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C. AliKhan is also considering a request to issue a preliminary injunction.
? Read more about the lawsuits over funding freezes
Macron says he plans to tell Trump not to “be weak” in the face of Putin amid negotiation talks
Macron is to travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said.
In a one-hour question and answer session on his social media Thursday, Macron said he’ll tell Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President Putin. It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”
Trump’s recent statements that echo Putin’s narrative and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried. But Macron suggested Trump’s strategy to create “uncertainty” in talks with Russia could actually make Western allies stronger in these talks.
Macron added he would seek to persuade Trump that U.S. interests and Europeans’ interests are the same, telling him: “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”
That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Macron reaffirmed.
? Read more about Macron’s comments
Trump holds Black History Month event as some agencies skip recognition after anti-DEI order
President Donald Trump speaks as golfer Tiger Woods listens during a reception for Black History Month in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday by making an appearance at a celebratory reception with a surprise guest, golf legend Tiger Woods, while calling out other athletes in attendance and marveling at the size of the crowd.
Trump also announced he planned to bring Alice Johnson, a prison reform advocate whom he pardoned in 2020, into his administration to work on clemency issues.
The White House’s Black History Month reception preserved a tradition, but it comes in the wake of Trump issuing a wide-ranging executive order ending the federal government’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.
Trump didn’t mention his anti-DEI crusade as he addressed hundreds of guests in a reception in the East Room, though he did make a brief reference to the The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which highlights the lasting consequences of slavery in America.
? Read more about the Black History Month reception at the White House
How Trump’s mass layoffs raise the risk of wildfires in the US West, according to fired workers
The Forest Service firings — on the heels of deadly blazes that ripped through Los Angeles last month — are part of a wave of federal worker layoffs, as Trump’s cost-cutting measures reverberate nationwide.
Workers who maintained trails, removed combustible debris from forests, supported firefighters and secured funds for wildfire mitigation say staffing cuts threaten public safety, especially in the West, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires.
“This is 100% a safety thing,” said Tanya Torst, who was fired from her position as a U.S. Forest Service partnership coordinator in Chico, California. She recalled the deadly Paradise blaze that killed 85 people east of Chico in 2018. “That’s why I’m speaking out.”
? Read more about how the mass firings of federal workers will increase risk of wildfires