Author: Robert Jones
WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s the executive in a U.S. supply-chain company whose voice breaks while facing the next round of calls telling employees they no longer have jobs.And a farmer in Missouri who grew up knowing that a world with more hungry people is a world that’s more dangerous. And a Maryland-based philanthropy, founded by Jews who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe, is shutting down much of its more than 120-year-old mission.Beyond the impact of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, some 14,000 agency employees and foreign contractors as well as hundreds of thousands of…
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The…
The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff. DonaldTrump’s baseless accusations surrounding the Washington, DC, plane crash made headlines, but we promised you we’d focus on what he does that matters most, so today’s edition is about Trump’s plan to send detainees to Guantánamo.What just happened? Trump on Wednesday ordered the expansion of an immigrant detention facility at the naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, saying it could be used to house up to 30,000 migrants. According to the Washington…
When termination letters were sent to employees across the federal government last week, the Trump administration affected an agency charged with the readiness of America’s nuclear arsenal.The move also shined a spotlight on the agency, the National Nuclear Security Administration, which few Americans likely think of often, if ever, but has a monumental responsibility.Here’s a rundown of what the obscure agency does and the potential reasons that the Trump administration had to quickly adjust some of the firings:What is the agency’s mission?The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains, refurbishes and keeps safe the United States’ more than 3,000 nuclear warheads. It…
Gold prices on Tuesday rose 1.2 percent to $2,931.75 an ounce, and Goldman Sachs forecasted gold to reach as high as $3,100 per ounce by the end of the year, up from $2,890.The increase has been partly attributed to President Donald Trump’s tariff plans, which have stirred economic uncertainty and boosted gold’s appeal as a safe investment.Factors such as increased demand from central banks and growth in investments in gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are also significant contributors to the price of gold.Why It MattersGold prices often rise when investors are worried about the economy and turn to gold as a…
The Trump administration has already begun carrying out its plans to close parts or all of the Department of Education, which is responsible for underwriting student loans, disbursing college aid and ensuring equal access to education.President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to “find and remove the radicals who have infiltrated the federal Department of Education,” and suggested that Linda McMahon, his nominee for Education secretary, would help gut the department.McMahon’s Senate confirmation hearing began Thursday morning.”I want Linda to put herself out of a job,” Trump said at a White House press conference Feb. 4.Linda McMahon, former administrator of the US Small Business Administration…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday decried what he called “irresponsible decisions in Washington” and “needless chaos,” saying his new two-year spending proposal was designed to prepare for drastic cuts from the federal government.Evers released his budget as he considers seeking a third term in the battleground state that President Donald Trump narrowly won in November.Evers’ budget is more of a wish list than a roadmap of what will actually become law. Republicans who control the Legislature promised to kill most of his proposals, as they have done on his three previous budgets, before passing…
United States President Donald Trump has said he will “probably” meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this month while launching a broadside effectively accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being to blame for Moscow’s invasion. Addressing reporters after US and Russian officials met for their first round of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump dismissed complaints that Kyiv had been denied a seat at negotiations to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it’s going very well. But today, I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’…
A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. CNN — Before President Donald Trump started mass layoffs of federal workers, he demonized them, arguing, despite evidence to the contrary, that most never went into the office. As he moved to cut foreign aid, he and Elon Musk alleged widespread waste and abuse, although they offered little evidence to back up their claims and may simply disagree with how the money was being spent. With that in mind, consider what the Trump administration is now doing to…
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The…