Elon Musk’s DOGE are breaking things they can’t fix, warn IT experts– mashable.com Source Link Excerpt:
Elon Musk loves wearing his TECH SUPPORT T-shirt in the White House. He wore it to his Oval Office interview; he wore it to his first Cabinet meeting. “I actually just call myself Humble Tech Support here,” Musk told heads of departments whose computer systems he’d already accessed.
Which, in all probability like your company’s tech team, has a “god mode” level of access to many key computer systems. The kind of access that could do a lot of damage at any organization anywhere in our hyperconnected world, let alone inside the two million employee-strong U.S. government.
Accused Texas megachurch pastor to surrender on child sexual abuse charges– www.bostonherald.com Source Link Excerpt:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former pastor of a Texas megachurch is expected to turn himself into Oklahoma authorities Monday on child sexual abuse charges.
Robert Preston Morris, 63, is expected to surrender to officials in Osage County, where he was charged last week with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, his attorney, Mack Martin, told The Associated Press.
Martin declined to comment on the charges against Morris, but said he anticipated entering a not guilty plea on Morris’ behalf.
Court records show an Osage County judge set a $50,000 bond and ordered Morris to surrender his passport to the local sheriff.
Morris resigned last year as pastor of Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.
Trump’s Assault Demands a United Front– www.vanityfair.com Source Link Excerpt:
Donald Trump has been in office for only about two months, but his administration is on a supercharged march to exert complete control over both the media and academia. So much of this is right out of Project 2025, which involves concentrating executive power while castrating the judicial and legislative branches. I predicted last month that the latter two might be something of a bulwark, as they were last time, against Trump’s worst instincts. This time, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case: Congressional Republicans will seemingly rubber-stamp just about anything Trump wishes, while Democrats appear increasingly powerless against the GOP’s groupthink. Only the courts and the cratering financial markets have provided some checks on Trump—and he has unsurprisingly decided to ignore both.
That’s why I’ve spent so much time lately thinking about how we can protect the norms and institutions we still have. Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse appeared on my podcast last month to argue that Democrats should fight the “corruption” and “chaos” of “Trump and his creepy billionaires” by “hang[ing] together with persistent and relentless focus on the real danger we are facing.” That call for solidarity isn’t just applicable to Democrats; it also applies to the media and the university system, which Trump is targeting through a process of divide and conquer.
European leaders question whether Russia wants peace before Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine – Europe live | Ukraine– www.theguardian.com Source Link Excerpt:
US President Donald Trump said he plans to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about next steps in the peace process on Ukraine on Tuesday, after “a lot has been done over the weekend.”
His comments – particularly on “dividing up certain assets” – will make Europeans wonder what exactly he is planning to propose when he talks to Putin, and how this aligns with their views on what should happen in Ukraine.
On Saturday, “the coalition of the willing” discussed what they can do, as UK prime minister Keir Starmer talked the arrangement up as moving to “operational phase.”
But the very existence of the coalition appeared to be firmly opposed by Russia, as deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine must meet Moscow’s demands.
Russia seeks ‘ironclad’ vow that Ukraine kept out of NATO, foreign troops stay out– www.foxnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reportedly said that the Kremlin wants an “ironclad” guarantee that Ukraine will be prohibited from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as the Trump administration works to broker a deal to end the fighting.
“We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement,” Grushko was quoted by the Russian newspaper Izvestia as saying, according to Reuters. “Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it into the alliance.”
Grushko reportedly made no mention of the 30-day cease-fire proposal, which was accepted by Ukraine with U.S. negotiators in Saudi Arabia last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that any agreement must first meet crucial conditions.
Trump axes Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden– www.independent.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
The former president had extended the protection to July shortly before leaving office in January.
In a social media post, Trump expressed his disapproval of what he said were 18 agents assigned to Hunter Biden‘s security detail during his visit to South Africa this week. Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden is originally from South Africa.
“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous! He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned.
Trump declares pardons issued by Biden ‘void’ and issues new threat to Jan 6 investigators: Live– www.independent.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
Elsewhere on the president’s social media platform, he has been expressing sympathy over those impacted by terrible storms over the weekend and blaming Democrats for allowing “monsters” from Central America to enter the U.S. and engage in violent crime.
Trump rages ‘every shot fired by Houthis will be treated as fired by IRAN’ in furious threat after US warship attacked– www.thesun.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
DONALD Trump has threatened to hold Iran accountable for “every shot” the Houthis fire from now – just hours after a US warship was attacked in the Red Sea.
Trump threatens to put 200% tariff on French Champagne and other EU spirits– www.cnbc.com Source Link Excerpt:
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to put a 200% tariff on alcohol from France and other European nations in the latest escalation of global trade tensions.
The U.S. tariff comes after the European Union moved to reinstate an import tax on American whiskey.
“The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky. If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.,” Trump said on Truth Social.
ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests, attorney says – CNN Source Link Excerpt:
A federal judge in New York has blocked any efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at Columbia University who was arrested Saturday night, until a conference Wednesday, according to court documents.
It’s unclear whether he will appear in court on Wednesday.
“To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise,” the Monday filing said.
Khalil, who helped lead Columbia’s student protest movement demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration authorities who said they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card, according to his attorney.
His arrest is the latest escalation by Trump – in what he calls “the first arrest of many to come”–to crack down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses, and comes days after he vowed to deport foreign students and imprison “agitators” involved in “illegal protests.”
Pro-Palestinian activist’s arrest will be ‘first of many,’ vows Trump– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
US President Donald Trump has said the detention of a pro-Palestinian activist in New York last week will be the “first arrest of many”, as his administration cracks down on those who participated in university campus protests against Israel and the war in Gaza.
Mahmoud Khalil was arrested on Saturday over his role in the protest movement at Columbia University. The former graduate student is currently being held at an immigration facility in Louisiana.
Although he has not been accused of a crime related to his activism, the US government has indicated that it wants to deport Khalil, who is a legal US resident.
A federal judge in New York said the 30-year-old could not be deported while the court considers a legal challenge brought by his lawyers.
Democrats Defend Columbia Hamas Terrorist Mahmoud Khalil Who Was Probed as National Security Threat -as Leftwing Judge Holds Up Deportation– gellerreport.com Source Link Excerpt:
He’s Syrian and he’s a violent Hamas supporter. Legitimate protest involves peaceful assembly for the purpose of voicing the opinion(s) of the involved individuals not terrorism.
The Democrats have spoken out more for Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil than for Laken Riley. More than American hostages held in captivity under brutal condition by Hamas.
Mahmoud Khalil was the leader of a student group that openly put out a statement declaring that they were “fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization.”
Name one good reason he should be in this country. (X)
Bur a far left federal judge in Manhattan has halted the deportation of a male alumnus of Columbia University who was a leading Hamas agitator on campus and an architect of the Hamilton Hall building takeover,.
ICE Arrested Legal U.S. Resident for Protesting the Genocide of Palestinians at Columbia – Jezebel Source Link Excerpt:
On Saturday evening, following reports of ICE agents in Columbia University student housing, recent graduate Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in front of his wife, who is eight months pregnant. During Khalil’s time as a student at Columbia, he was a vocal pro-Palestine student activist and leading figure in organizing student encampments to protest Israel’s genocide in Gaza and Columbia’s ties to Israel. Khalil served as a key negotiator with the university during the encampment protests last spring, which drew horrific police violence sanctioned by the university.
ICE officers approached Khalil and his wife, who is an American citizen, at the entrance of their student housing building around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. The agents reportedly told Khalil, who is Palestinian and graduated in December, that the State Department had revoked his student visa, even though Khalil has a green card and is a legal resident. His wife went to their apartment to retrieve his green card, while Khalil put his lawyer, Amy Greer, on the phone and tried to have the agents speak to her. The agents claimed Khalil’s green card had been revoked, too. When Greer tried to ask why Khalil was being detained, if the agents had a warrant, and also repeated that he has a green card, the agents hung up.
JD Vance rips protesters for ‘chasing’ him, 3-year-old daughter– www.theblaze.com Source Link Excerpt:
Vice President JD Vance was confronted near his Ohio home by a group of protesters over the weekend who questioned him about the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a Saturday post on X, Vance slammed the demonstrators for “chasing” him while he was with his 3-year-old daughter.
‘Selling them out!’
“Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance wrote. “I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone. (Nearly all of them agreed.)”
He added, “It was a mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s*** person.”
Video: JD Vance Speaks With Ukraine Supporting Protesters Who Harassed Him and His Young Daughter Near His Cincinnati Home | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Video has surfaced of Vice President J.D. Vance speaking with protesters supporting Ukraine who Vance said harassed him and his three-year-old daughter while they were out for a walk on Saturday near his Cincinnati home.
The video shows Vance and the protesters having a civil, but contentious discussion about the Trump administration’s push for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
Vance’s little three-year-old daughter Mirabel stood next to Vance during the debate while he kept a protective arm around her, but was obstructed from the camera’s view by a Secret Service agent.
Vice President J.D. Vance speaks with protesters supporting Ukraine while on a walk near his Cincinnati home with his three-year-old daughter, screen image via WCPO-TV, March 8, 2025
The video was posted by WCPO-TV with this caption, “WCPO has obtained a video showing protesters speaking with Vice President JD Vance near his Cincinnati residence. Vance claimed on X that the protesters were following him and his daughter before he decided to confront them. The protester who shared this video with us says that’s a fabrication. (Video courtesy of Ann Henry)”
House Rules Committee advances GOP’s stopgap ahead of shutdown deadline– thehill.com Source Link Excerpt:
The House Rules Committee voted Monday night to advance the GOP’s bill to avert a government shutdown, dispatching the measure to the full chamber for consideration ahead of Friday’s deadline.
The panel voted 9-3 to adopt the rule, which governs debate on the legislation. The successful vote sends the measure to the House floor for debate and a final vote.
“This legislation helps avoid the government shutting down and allows us to continue our work in service to the American people,” House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said in her opening remarks of the hearing. “The House must act to avoid a needless shutdown that serves no purpose — by doing so, this body can put its focus and attention on the next appropriations process.”
The continuing resolution, unveiled by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over the weekend, would keep the government funded through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, while boosting defense funding and imposing cuts for some nondefense programs.
The House is expected to vote on the legislation on Monday. It remains unclear, however, if it has the votes to pass since Democrats are expected to oppose it in droves — their leadership is voting “no” — and a handful of Republicans are withholding support from the measure.
USDA Rolls Out $1 Billion Plan To Combat Bird Flu After Egg Prices Rise – Aberdeen Insider Source Link Excerpt:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it plans to spend up to $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to try to reduce the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.
The virus, also known as bird flu or H5N1, has disrupted the work of poultry farmers for years and began infecting dairy herds last year. But a recent spike in egg prices has led to renewed public attention to the disease.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the new five-point plan would implement increased biosecurity measures for poultry farms to help reduce interactions between domestic flocks and wild birds, provide funding for farmers to quickly repopulate after having to cull infected flocks, remove some regulations, import eggs from other countries and research a vaccine.
“As we look to streamline and make more efficient the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will we have the resources needed to address the plan I just laid out?” she said. “We are convinced that we will, as we realign and evaluate where USDA has been spending money, where our employees are spending their time.”
Pope Francis shows remarkable recovery, may leave hospital soon: Vatican – The News International Source Link Excerpt:
Pope Francis has shown a remarkable recovery from pneumonia, the Vatican announced on Monday, saying that his health has significantly improved and he could be discharged in the coming days as his condition continues to stabilise.
The 88-year-old leader of the world’s Catholics was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 14 February with bronchitis, which became pneumonia in both lungs.
The Argentine suffered a series of breathing crises that sparked worldwide concern for his life, most recently on 3 March.
But after a week of steady improvements, the Holy See said on Monday evening that his prognosis was no longer considered “reserved”, or uncertain.
“The clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable,” it said in a statement.