Federal employees who have been affected by Trump’s DEI orders express their opinions. A glance The part played by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the aftermath of a fatal vaccine mishap in Samoa. In addition, four NFL teams will compete for a Super Bowl berth and their conference title.
What to know today is as follows.
Anger and fear among federal workers placed on leave
A woman of color who works for the federal government was ready to lose her job months before the presidential election. Last summer, she began purchasing clothes for her kids in larger sizes. There weren’t many gifts beneath the Christmas tree. In order to prevent them from asking you for a lot of things that you can’t afford, she also claimed that she stopped taking her children to Target.
She was one of the employees put on paid leave this week when President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating federal agencies’ diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She had been prepared, but the speed with which the order was carried out still shocked and infuriated her. The woman remarked, “It’s depressing that we’ve been reduced to pawns in this struggle for power.”
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She and other people impacted by Trump’s order expressed their anger at losing their employment and their anxiety of what lies ahead. Another employee who had been with the same organization for over 20 years stated, “I have dedicated 23 years of blood, sweat, and tears to this agency.” “My group helped create an internal policy for employees who transition genders,” a third employee of a Cabinet-level department told NBC News. The once-public policy had vanished from the agency’s website by Wednesday night.
Trump signed a number of DEI-related orders this week. Separate directives repealed a 1965 decree that forbade discrimination in hiring by federal contractors and instructed the Federal Aviation Administration to cease DEI initiatives. DEI programs have been branded as discriminatory by Trump and his supporters.
Employees who were not put on paid leave also experienced the effects of Trump’s executive order. According to a worker, there is a lot of fear at the moment. We have the impression of being in Cuba.
Go here to read the entire story.
More coverage of Trump s first week in office:
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A federal district court judge
temporarily blocked Trump s executive order
aimed at limiting birthright citizenship. The judge, a Ronald Reagan appointee, said in his ruling, This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.
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Trump said he wants Saudi Arabia to
increase its U.S. investment to $1 trillion
and decrease the price of oil in a wide-ranging virtual address during the World Economic Forum.
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Trump has ordered his administration to evaluate
whether to create a national digital asset stockpile.
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Trump signed an executive order
pardoning 23 anti-abortion-rights activists
, one day before he is expected to address thousands at the annual March for Life in Washington.
-
A descendant of President William McKinley
proposed a compromise
after Trump signed an order to rename Denali, North America s tallest peak, to McKinley.
-
Thousands died in constructing the Panama Canal, and gaining control of the critical waterway was no easy feat. Not to mention, training an engineer to run it takes 12 years.
Here s what else Panamanians had to say
about Trump s threats to retake the canal.
Trump to visit fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles
In his first presidential trip since taking office again, Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to California today to observe the destruction caused by the flames that have ravaged the Los Angeles region. During his preview of the trip, Trump assured reporters, “We’re going to take care of Los Angeles.”However, he has frequently accused the Democratic leaders of the state of being responsible for the ongoing fires and implied that federal funding for California would be cut off due to state initiatives to save the Delta smelt, a little endangered fish. While on the ground, it’s unknown if Trump would meet with Governor Gavin Newsom.
The president’s visit coincides with efforts to limit the Hughes Fire, which started on Wednesday and is currently raging north of Los Angeles. As of Sunday night, the 10,396-acre fire, which hasn’t harmed any buildings, was 36% contained.
This weekend is expected to bring much-needed rain to Southern California, but it also carries the potential of hazardous runoff, flash flooding, and mudslides.
Experts saw Samoa s plunging vaccination rates as a crisis. RFK Jr. saw an opportunity.
Samoa was on the verge of disaster in June 2019 when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paid a visit. The previous year, two infants were murdered by a poorly manufactured measles vaccine, prompting the government to halt vaccinations. Thousands of people were left unprotected against a very contagious disease that was reemerging all over the world because many parents were not convinced that the immunizations were safe, even though they resumed months later.
Officials and scientists were concerned about Samoa since less than one-third of its infants had received vaccinations. Kennedy, however, recognized a chance and became the head of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization opposed to vaccines. Months later, 83 people—mostly young children—were killed in a nationwide measles outbreak.
Since President Donald Trump announced his candidacy as secretary of health and human services, there has been a fresh focus on Kennedy’s time in Samoa and his impact there. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee next week is likely to touch on the topic.
Brandy Zadrozny, a senior correspondent, covers the nation’s health problems, Kennedy’s visit, and his conversations with its officials.Go here to read the entire story.
More on Trump s Cabinet picks:
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A confirmation vote for Pete Hegseth to be Trump s defense secretary
is expected today
after the Senate voted yesterday to advance his nomination, despite opposition from two Republicans.
-
John Ratcliffe was
confirmed as the next CIA director
in a 74-25 Senate vote.
In the battle for a Super Bowl spot, which teams have the edge?
By the conclusion of the weekend, the 2025 Super Bowl contenders will be revealed. However, the AFC championship game will pit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, while the NFC championship game will pit Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.Rohan Nadkarni, a sports reporter, examines the top players and plot points to look out for in Sunday’s games:
The four quarterbacks should be ranked.1. Mahomes, Patrick. 2. Allen, Josh. 3. Daniels, Jayden. 4. Jalen is in pain.
When it comes to having doubts about Mahomes, I would like to be behind the curve. Despite the Chiefs’ comparatively lackluster offensive performance this season, I am certain that I would choose Mahomes in the most crucial moments of the game.
This season, Allen has excelled, particularly in terms of football protection. Not making any forced throws or poor laterals was one of his better plays in the Bills’ victory over the Ravens last weekend. He’s my clear second choice when you combine his improved ability to avoid risks with his running and throwing prowess.
The interesting part is Daniels versus Hurts. In general, I would pick the Eagles’ offense, but what about Hurts alone? In the end, I would have greater faith in Daniels in instances that are purely incidental.
What are some lesser-known plotlines to keep an eye on, aside from the major players?Although the Commanders’ aggressiveness on fourth down is undoubtedly noticeable, I believe their coaching approach has been spot on during the postseason. Washington attempted four additional fourth-down conversions against the Detroit Lions in the divisional round after making five attempts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card game. Against the Eagles, whose rushing assault can quickly skew time of possession, that tactic will be crucial. Maintaining a daring fourth-down approach will be crucial if the Commanders are to pull off an upset this week.
Aside from Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, which non-quarterback will be most influential this weekend?Chiefs defensive tackle, don’t be fooled by the absence of insurance ads or podcasts. Chris Jones is just as crucial to the Chiefs’ victory as the Mahomes-to-Kelce relationship. Jones is ready to put on a spectacular show against the Bills’ formidable offensive line on Sunday. Jones needs to help slow down the run, and if he s able to generate pressure lined up over the middle, that could neutralize some of Allen s scrambling ability.
Who do you think makes the Super Bowl?Chiefs and Eagles. Mahomes stays the king of the AFC, and Philly s experience in big games will finally catch up to the Commanders.
NBC Sports Patrick Daughtery and contributor Andrew Greif also shared their thoughts ahead of this weekend s games.Go here to read the entire story.
Read All About It
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Members of the Sackler family and OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have
agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion
in a new settlement.
-
An AI-powered weapon detection system
failed to pick up the handgun
a 17-year-old Nashville student used in a school shooting this week, school officials said. Authorities also revealed the shooter
livestreamed part of the incident
and was influenced by harmful and objectionable internet content.
-
Ichiro Suzuki
has an invitation
for the one person who didn t vote in favor of his Baseball Hall of Fame selection.
Staff Pick:
Israelis brace to hear the fate of Hamas youngest hostage
Clutching his pink elephant and beaming, Kfir Bibas is the picture of innocence. Today he is the youngest hostage yet to be freed by Hamas. He was just nine-months-old when he was taken captive along with his 5-year-old brother and his parentson Oct. 7. Since then, Kfir has spent his first and second birthday in captivity, but when NBC New s Raf Sanchez and Shira Pinson spoke to his aunt, Ofri Bibas-Levy, she said she was hopeful he would be freed as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal struck between Israel and Hamas.Henry Austin,Senior Editor
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Whether you want to watch the big game or your favorite movie, our editors broke downwhich TV brands to considerif you are looking to upgrade your home entertainment setup. And for when you want to get outside, we tested multiple Hoka s to findthe brand s best walking shoe.
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