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Category: News
February 28, 2025
William Upton
War

Sen. Graham Urges Zelensky to Resign or Change Following Tense Trump Meeting.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)—an outspoken war hawk and supporter of Ukraine—says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky either needs to resign or change his behavior if he wants further assistance from President Donald J. Trump. The South Carolina Republican’s comments come shortly after the Ukrainian leader instigated a tense exchange with President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance during a public meeting in the Oval Office on Friday as the leaders sought to finalize a deal over rare earth minerals.

“So, what I think? Complete, utter disaster,” Sen. Graham said after leaving the White House. “At the end of the day, I was hoping that this minerals deal—which would be transformative in the relationship—would go over well. I talked to Zelensky this morning, ‘Don’t take the bait.’ President Trump was in a very good mood last night. Somebody asked me, am I embarrassed about Trump? I have never been more proud of the President. I was very proud of J.D. Vance for standing up for our country.”

“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” the South Carolina Senator stated bluntly. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”

Zelensky snapped at Vice President Vance after the latter suggested Ukraine needed to redouble its diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire with Russia, prompting President Trump to intervene and chastise the Ukrainian leader’s “very disrespectful” behavior. Following the meeting, President Trump issued a statement, declaring: “President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved.”

WATCH:

Image by European Union 2023– Source: EP.

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U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)—an outspoken war hawk and supporter of Ukraine—says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky either needs to resign or change his behavior if he wants further assistance from President Donald J. Trump. The South Carolina Republican's comments come shortly after the Ukrainian leader instigated a tense exchange with President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance during a public meeting in the Oval Office on Friday as the leaders sought to finalize a deal over rare earth minerals. show more
February 28, 2025
Media

Washington Post Shake-Up by Bezos Sparks Another Wave of Cancellations.

The Washington Post has seen more than 75,000 digital subscription cancellations since billionaire owner Jeff Bezos announced Wednesday that the newspaper’s editorial page would focus on promoting “personal liberties and free markets.” According to sources, Opinion Editor David Shipley resigned immediately after the announcement, having unsuccessfully attempted to convince Bezos to abandon the plan.

For the second time in less than six months, The Washington Post has experienced a significant exodus of subscribers as the newspaper continues to suffer revenue issues. In October, over 300,000 digital readers canceled their subscriptions after Bezos allegedly blocked the newspaper’s editorial board from endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.

Over the past two years, the newspaper has undergone several rounds of layoffs. In November 2023, The Washington Post saw over 100 employees depart through layoffs and buyouts as it struggled to retain readership. Meanwhile, Bezos indicated further layoffs will likely be necessary in January of this year. Over the course of 2024, The Washington Post lost an estimated $100 million in revenue.

According to Bezos, the shift in editorial agenda is part of a larger effort to restore public trust in the nearly 150-year-old publication. In an editorial published last October, Bezos argued: “Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose.”

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The Washington Post has seen more than 75,000 digital subscription cancellations since billionaire owner Jeff Bezos announced Wednesday that the newspaper's editorial page would focus on promoting “personal liberties and free markets.” According to sources, Opinion Editor David Shipley resigned immediately after the announcement, having unsuccessfully attempted to convince Bezos to abandon the plan. show more
February 28, 2025
News

Trump Reveals Biden Believes Obama & Pelosi Engineered His Exit from the 2024 Presidential Race.

President Donald J. Trump disclosed a conversation he had with his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, in which the octagenarian Democrat allegedly pointed fingers at former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as being responsible for his removal from the Democratic ticket during the 2024 election. The revelation came during a recent interview President Trump gave, stating that Biden relayed the details leading to his dropping out of the race during a post-election Oval Office meeting between the two.

According to President Trump, Biden—speaking softly at first—recalled some of the events that led to his exit from the presidential race, eventually becoming more emotive and blaming Obama and Pelosi for engineering it. When prompted by Trump about the role of former Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden reportedly did not attribute any responsibility to her.

“But I asked him, you know, I went to the White House a few months before this all happened… But I went there and he asked for a meeting, and I went and we talked for a little while… He talked so low,” President Trump said, adding: “And then he started getting more [emotive]. And I asked him, I said, ‘So who do you blame?’ Because he was very angry, you know, he was a very angry guy, actually. And he said, ‘I blame Barack.’ And I never think of him as ‘Barack.’ You know, you always hear ‘Obama.’ … And he said, ‘And I also blame Nancy Pelosi.’”

Both Obama and Pelosi are believed to have pressed White House aides close to Biden to pressure the 82-year-old Democrat to end his reelection bid following his disastrous June presidential debate performance.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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President Donald J. Trump disclosed a conversation he had with his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, in which the octagenarian Democrat allegedly pointed fingers at former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as being responsible for his removal from the Democratic ticket during the 2024 election. The revelation came during a recent interview President Trump gave, stating that Biden relayed the details leading to his dropping out of the race during a post-election Oval Office meeting between the two. show more
February 28, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News
War

BREAKING: Zelensky Starts Row with Vance, Trump Warns Him, ‘You’re Gambling with World War III.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky started a blazing row with Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office during a press conference on a pending minerals deal, prompting President Donald J. Trump to intervene strongly against the Ukrainian leader’s “very disrespectful” behavior.

Addressing a question from the press, Vance said that engaging in diplomacy may be “the path to peace and the path to prosperity” before Zelensky cut in to recall the beginnings of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia in 2014 and sarcastically ask him, “What kind of ‘diplomacy,’ J.D., you are speaking about [sic]? What do you mean?”

Vance responded in strong terms, saying it was “disrespectful” to attack the Trump administration in front of the media in this way, while Zelensky continued to snipe at him about his understanding of Ukraine’s problems. President Trump lost patience when Zelensky began lecturing Vance on the negative consequences he would feel if the conflict crossed his “nice ocean.”

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Trump warned.

“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” the President continued.

Zelensky shot back, saying that he was “not playing cards,” with Trump responding, “You’re playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.”

“In this entire meeting, have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked, recalling how Zelensky campaigned for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania in 2024.

President Trump told Zelensky in no uncertain terms he was “not winning” without American support, praising the bravery of Ukraine’s soldiers but stressing their reliance on American equipment. “Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers… And then you say, ‘I don’t want a ceasefire, I don’t want a ceasefire,'” he continued.

“I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States,” Trump added bluntly. “Your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out.”

WATCH:

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky started a blazing row with Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office during a press conference on a pending minerals deal, prompting President Donald J. Trump to intervene strongly against the Ukrainian leader's "very disrespectful" behavior. show more
February 28, 2025
Health
News

USAID Freeze Forces Closure of India’s First Transgender Clinics.

India’s first transgender surgery clinics are closing down after President Donald J. Trump gutted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), halting American taxpayer cash from funding woke projects across the globe. The closures will impact around 5,000 people who used the three clinics affected in the South Asian country.

The shutdown occurred after a stop-work order from the USAID, which initially funded the clinics, as part of a broader pause on foreign aid instituted by U.S. President Trump. The Mitr Clinics, located in Hyderabad, Kalyan, and Pune, each required an annual budget of approximately three million rupees (~$35,000) and employed around eight staff members.

Despite the halt in funds, organizers received a waiver from USAID permitting them to continue providing certain life-saving services, notably antiretroviral treatment for individuals with HIV. About 10 percent of the clinics’ clientele are infected with HIV. The Indian government announced an investigation into the funding stoppage last week.

The clinics are just the latest woke project to see their funding affected by the USAID freeze as the American public has become informed of the billions spent by the agency overseas. Some projects have included a transgender opera in Colombia and even a food program in Syria for al-Qaeda fighters.

Some foreign lawmakers, including Alternative for Germany (AfD) member of the European Parliament Petr Bystron, have vowed to investigate the extend of USAID’s activities in funding leftist NGOs in their countries.

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India's first transgender surgery clinics are closing down after President Donald J. Trump gutted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), halting American taxpayer cash from funding woke projects across the globe. The closures will impact around 5,000 people who used the three clinics affected in the South Asian country. show more
Migrant Crime
February 28, 2025
Immigration

ICE Opens First New Detention Center Under Trump, in Blue State Sanctuary City.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently declared that the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey, will soon reopen. This processing and detention center, which can hold up to 1,000 individuals, will be the first new facility to open under President Donald J. Trump’s second administration, according to acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello.

The strategically located facility, near an international airport in a Democrat-run sanctuary city, is intended to accelerate the processing and deportation of illegal aliens. The reopening is part of a broader effort to enhance ICE’s capabilities in the Northeast, addressing the increasing demands of enforcement actions in the region.

Interior ICE arrests have surged compared to the Biden-Harris government. Between January 20 and February 8, 2025, ICE made 11,791 arrests, compared to 4,969 arrests in the equivalent period in 2024—a 137 percent increase. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem reports that more than 20,000 illegals have been detained within a single month under the present administration.

Recent policy shifts have removed many restrictions previously placed on ICE. Additionally, the administration is negotiating with other countries to accept deportees and bolster their border security. Guatemala has agreed to take deportees from third countries, and El Salvador has agreed to host foreign criminals—and potentially some U.S. citizens—in its CECOT super-prison.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently declared that the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey, will soon reopen. This processing and detention center, which can hold up to 1,000 individuals, will be the first new facility to open under President Donald J. Trump's second administration, according to acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello. show more
February 28, 2025
Lawfare

Judge Rules Trump’s Mass Firing of Federal Probationary Employees Likely Illegal, Halts Terminations.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, is ordering the reinstatement of non-union organizational employees to agencies such as the National Parks Service (NPS), Department of Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). Thousands of probationary and non-union government workers have been dismissed by the Trump administration under the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in recent weeks, though Judge Alsup’s ruling undoes those terminations for now.

The ruling provides relief in a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and several other unions representing government employees, who contend their dismissals from various agencies were unlawfully directed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) based on purported performance issues.

Judge Alsup also halted the OPM’s orders amid concerns that additional federal employees might face unwarranted termination. He ruled that union-represented employees must resolve their cases through administrative channels like the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the National Labor Relations Authority (NLRA).

The plaintiffs argued that the terminations were the result of directives from Charles Ezell, OPM’s acting head, rather than independent agency decisions. Conversely, the government attorneys contended that the OPM’s communications to agency heads were merely advisory, urging them to assess employee performance. They emphasized that agency heads had the discretion to decide on employment status.

During the proceedings, Judge Alsup expressed skepticism about the defense’s position, pointing to sworn statements from agency heads suggesting OPM-directed terminations. Acknowledging the lack of records from a critical February 13 phone call between OPM and agency heads, Alsup scheduled an evidentiary hearing for March 13 to examine the call, requiring Ezell’s testimony.

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Senior U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, is ordering the reinstatement of non-union organizational employees to agencies such as the National Parks Service (NPS), Department of Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). Thousands of probationary and non-union government workers have been dismissed by the Trump administration under the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in recent weeks, though Judge Alsup's ruling undoes those terminations for now. show more
February 28, 2025
Crime
News

Drug Lords Extradited to U.S. for Maximum Prosecution.

The United States Justice Department (DOJ) has taken custody of 29 alleged drug traffickers from Mexico, including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. All face serious charges such as murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses, which could result in life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Among those extradited are reputed members of major Mexican cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo.

The cartels have funneled enormous quantities of drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, into the United States and perpetrated violence against American law enforcement. Cartel-smuggled fentanyl has led to the deaths of many Americans in recent years, with Border Patrol seizing enough fentanyl to kill 250 million Americans last August.

Kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero allegedly tortured and killed a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent in 1985. His release from Mexican prison in 2013 followed a legal decision overturning his murder conviction.

Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed determination to dismantle powerful drug cartels, labeled terrorist groups under a directive signed by President Donald J. Trump. This order facilitated the U.S.’s requests for extradition, which Mexico honored amid ongoing trade discussions with the Trump administration concerning impending tariffs.

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The United States Justice Department (DOJ) has taken custody of 29 alleged drug traffickers from Mexico, including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. All face serious charges such as murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses, which could result in life imprisonment or the death penalty. show more
February 28, 2025
William Upton
Culture
Immigration
Politics

President Trump to Issue Executive Order Declaring English the Official Language of the U.S.

President Donald J. Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States. The order will rescind a directive by former President Bill Clinton mandating federal agencies and entities receiving federal funding provide alternatives for non-English speakers.

Since its founding, the United States has never had an official language at the federal level. However, surveys consistently show elevating English to official status is politically popular and that most Americans believe those residing in the country should speak the predominantly native language. According to Pew Research, just over eight in ten American adults say speaking English is very or somewhat important to “truly be American.”

While President Trump’s executive order rescinds the Clinton-era directive, it does not bar federal agencies from continuing to provide language assistance for non-English speakers. The Trump White House contends the President’s order will help to establish greater civic cohesion, promote national unity, and streamline government services.

Individuals seeking to become naturalized U.S. citizens already have to demonstrate an ability to speak, read, and write in English—which nearly 80 percent of Americans speak at home. Around 30 states have also passed laws making English the official language at the state level.

Notably, during his time in the U.S. Senate, Vice President J.D. Vance introduced legislation along with Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) that directed the federal government to conduct all official business in English.

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President Donald J. Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States. The order will rescind a directive by former President Bill Clinton mandating federal agencies and entities receiving federal funding provide alternatives for non-English speakers. show more
February 28, 2025
News

DATA: Even Democrat Voters Support the DOGE ‘Dividend Checks’ Initiative.

President Donald J. Trump‘s proposal to distribute $5,000 “dividend checks” to Americans through savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has significant public support, according to a new poll. Conducted by J.L. Partners on February 24-25, the survey found that 67 percent of the 1,001 registered voters surveyed favor the one-time payment. Of these, 46 percent expressed strong support, while 21 percent were somewhat supportive.Only 12 percent opposed the proposal.

The poll indicates robust cross-party backing for the dividend. Notably, 79 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of Democrats support the measure, revealing potential bipartisan appeal. Additionally, the proposal could sway voting behavior, with 29 percent of independents and 24 percent of Democrats indicating the payout might influence them to vote Republican.

Despite public enthusiasm, the proposal’s success depends on DOGE‘s ability to significantly reduce federal spending. DOGE frontman Elon Musk has acknowledged the challenge, describing the $2 trillion savings goal as ambitious. During an interview with strategist Mark Penn, Musk admitted that achieving even half of the target would be deemed a success.

“It’s money taken away from the things that are destructive to the country, and from organizations that hate you, to you. That’s awesome—that’s, like, glorious. The spoils of battle,” Musk said of the dividend check concept while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week.

James Fishback—a DOGE adviser and the originator of the dividend check idea—remains optimistic, crediting the proposal’s momentum to President Trump’s support.

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President Donald J. Trump's proposal to distribute $5,000 "dividend checks" to Americans through savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has significant public support, according to a new poll. Conducted by J.L. Partners on February 24-25, the survey found that 67 percent of the 1,001 registered voters surveyed favor the one-time payment. Of these, 46 percent expressed strong support, while 21 percent were somewhat supportive.Only 12 percent opposed the proposal. show more