Trump scraps paper straws, kills penny production

1 Kings 8:14-21

Trump sets Musk’s DOGE on Defense, Education departments
Reviewing Pentagon spending would amount to a major undertaking for the $800-plus billion agency that has never managed to pass its own financial audits.

Trump expects Elon Musk to find billions in Pentagon waste
“I’m going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education. ... Then I’m going to go, go to the military. Let’s check the military,” Trump said in a Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Brett Baier.

Elon Musk alleges $50B in fraud at Treasury after judge blocks DOGE audit
"[Friday], I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number," Musk wrote hours after the ruling.
- Related: Full text of Elon's Post on X

WaPo: Elon Musk’s agents have gained access to FEMA’s sensitive disaster data
FEMA officials raised concerns that Trump could soon follow through on his pledge to dismantle the agency responsible for funding disaster relief.

A new directive for NEA’s federal arts funding: The spirit of ’76
The National Endowment for the Arts is redirecting funding from its DEI initiatives to a general Grants for Arts Projects budget, prioritizing projects celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

NIH Slashes Indirect Costs, Says Move Will Save Billions Per Year
The National Institutes of Health is putting a 15% ceiling on what research institutions can charge the government for some costs.

DOGE kills $168K Fauci shrine at NIH
The Department of Government Efficiency shut down 62 wasteful HHS contracts totaling $182 million, including $168,000 for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the NIH Museum.

Trump directs Treasury to stop making pennies
"For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it's a penny at a time."

Trump to sign executive order to stop push for paper straws
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said he will be signing an executive order next week “ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!”

Trump says he’ll announce yet another new tariff Monday
Trump also said he planned to hold a separate news conference Tuesday or Wednesday to announce massive new reciprocal tariffs, which could match other countries’ tariffs on U.S. goods dollar for dollar. “Very simply, it’s if they charge us, we charge them,” Trump said.

Trump says Nippon will invest heavily in US Steel rather than purchase the company
“They’ll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase,” Trump said at a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. “They’ve agreed to invest heavily in U.S. Steel, as opposed to own it.”

Trump revokes Biden's security clearance, cites 'poor memory'
"He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents."

Trump revokes the security clearances of former Biden officials, other Democrats
New York Attorney General Letitia James, former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, who served as Biden’s deputy attorney general, had their clearances revoked.

Trump wipes out ‘environmental justice’ offices at EPA, DOJ
President Trump has shut down the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and a similar DOJ division. Over 160 employees have been placed on leave, with more cuts expected.

Trump declares Feb. 9 ‘Gulf of America Day’
During his flight to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, Trump signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 “the first ever Gulf of America Day” as Air Force One flew over the body of water.

Trump used decoy plane amid Iranian assassination threat, new book reveals
Iran’s plot to kill Trump was so serious that his team used a decoy plane during the 2024 campaign to avoid a surface-to-air missile attack. The Secret Service also deployed a fake motorcade and disabled a drone tracking his convoy.

Trump, Musk, and the Deep State: The Battle over Transparency Begins
Trump and Musk are unraveling the deep state’s secrets at record speed, and the left is panicking — wielding emergency orders, judicial overreach, and legal theatrics to stop the exposure.

Trump Is Right to Shutter USAID, and Its Founder JFK Would Likely Agree
Trump’s moves echo JFK’s original vision of aid as temporary — not a taxpayer-funded globalist slush fund.

I am a USAID whistleblower. I've got to admit, Musk is mostly right about agency's waste
It would be fair to say that USAID is a baby suffering in filthy bathwater that hasn’t been cleaned for decades.

Alex Soros admits he’s more powerful than elected officials
Soros’ dark money empire keeps radical leftist policies alive by embedding activists in federal agencies and funding groups that shape government rules.

Turley: Elon Musk is the left’s new monster
The same Democrats who shrieked about “saving democracy” are now panicking over Musk doing exactly what he promised — slashing waste, axing bureaucrats, and making government work.

It’s easy to conclude the era of DEI is over — but it’s not
Major corporations are quietly keeping DEI policies in place. With upcoming Supreme Court cases on corporate hiring preferences, some executives believe the conservative-leaning court may uphold race-based hiring if framed as a business necessity.

Amish volunteers built 150 bridges to restore access in storm-hit North Carolina
Partnering with Mennonite Disaster Service, the volunteers worked for weeks installing temporary culverts and repairing vital infrastructure damaged by the storm’s destruction.

Trump just had his best poll ever: 53% approval, 70% say he’s delivering
In the CBS/YouGov poll, 53% said that when it comes to “the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president,” they support it. Other findings included Trump being referred to as “effective” by 58% and “competent” by 55%. Data is from Feb. 5-7.

70% of Americans believe Trump is following through on his campaign promises
Following up on that same CBS poll, 59% approve of his deportation efforts and 64% backed his decision to dispatch troops to the border. The poll also found that a majority of Americans want Elon Musk to have influence on government spending.

Daily Beast: Trump Voters Angry at ‘Chaos’: ‘Not What We Signed Up For’
They're referencing a WSJ article that literally quotes a single person who claims to be a Trump voter.

'We are figuring it out': Democrats struggle to keep up with Trump's dizzying pace
Trump's actions are coming at so dizzying a pace that it can be tough to track what Trump has done and what he's turned around and undone.

Democrats threaten government shutdown over Trump’s actions
So to protest Trump shrinking government and cutting waste ... they’re going to shut down the government? Bold strategy.

Trump fires Democratic FEC commissioner who repeatedly attacked him. Now she's refusing to leave.
Weintraub, whose term expired in 2007, appears desperate to hold onto power.

Federal workers demand answers at congressman’s town hall
More than 200 people flooded the Loudoun County government center to find out what their congressman, U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, could do to help federal workers facing unprecedented uncertainty amid the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the government.

Feds preparing ‘large scale’ immigration raid in Los Angeles by end of month: Report
The operation will be led by ICE but is expected to be so large that agents with the FBI and DEA are being called in to help, the L.A. Times reported.

DHS Secretary Noem appears to accuse 'corrupt' FBI of leaking LA ICE raids
Noem says, "The FBI is so corrupt," adding she will work with every agency to stop leaks and prosecute "crooked deep state agents."

Trump rules out deporting Prince Harry
“I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”

Musk warns US military must change course or face failure
"American weapons programs need to be completely redone. The current strategy is to build a small number of weapons at a high price to fight yesterday’s war. Unless there are immediate and dramatic changes made, America will lose the next war very badly."

'We need to recoup those costs' — Mike Waltz on future of US aid to Ukraine
United States National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Feb. 9 that U.S. officials will discuss the future of Washington's financial support for Ukraine during meetings in Europe this week.

China's retaliatory tariffs on $14 billion worth of US goods now in effect
In tit for tat to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, China has imposed retaliatory tariffs on approximately $14 billion worth of U.S. goods, escalating the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, the Financial Times reported.

Trudeau warns Trump isn’t joking about annexing Canada, source says
Trudeau says Trump’s threat to make Canada the 51st state is a “real thing,” in part due to his desire to gain access to Canada’s critical minerals.

Politico: Looking at Trump, Europe’s far right vows to ‘reconquer’ the continent
"Far-right" leaders from across Europe gathered in Madrid, vowing to dismantle the EU’s Green Deal, curb immigration, and restore traditional values. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán praised Trump’s return, calling it the end of an era for globalists.

EU to offer lower tariffs on US cars, cut from 10% to 2.5%
The bloc hopes the olive branch will help to shield Europe’s ailing car industry from Donald Trump’s trade measures.

Central African Republic’s meme coin sparks suspicion amid deep fake and scam allegations
The meme coin, $CAR, surged in value but faced scrutiny after AI tools flagged the president’s launch video as a deep fake. The project’s website was suspended, and social media accounts were taken down, fueling fears of a scam.

Richard Gere Calls Trump a ‘Bully and a Thug’ at Spain’s Goya Awards: ‘We Are in a Very Dark Place in America’
I'm legally obligated to mention a gerbil here — which seems fitting, given his deep concern about things ending up in very dark places.

Imprisoned 'Chrisley Knows Best' couple to seek pardons from Trump
Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to federal prison in 2022 after being convicted of defrauding banks out of millions of dollars.

Wikileaks: USAID funneled nearly $500M to secretive media group tied to censorship, Clinton Global Initiative
Internews Network, a NGO funded almost entirely by the U.S. government, has used nearly half a billion taxpayer dollars to influence global media, train thousands of journalists, and push censorship. Its leadership has deep Democrat ties, including a Clinton-backed $10M initiative.

News outlets reject Trump accusations of USAID media 'payoff'
Major news outlets denied receiving USAID money but acknowledged that affiliated entities — such as charity arms, subscription services, or separate divisions — did take funding.

Elon: Tens of millions in paid subscriptions show zero use
"There are tens of millions of media & software subscriptions paid by the federal government — your tax dollars — that show ZERO usage!!"

‘We’ve Already Won’: Podcasters and Influencers Gain New Standing in Trump’s White House
The administration has gotten more than 11,000 applications for a "new media" seat.

Pentagon boots legacy media, brings in conservative outlets
The Pentagon is shaking up its press access, kicking out left-wing outlets like the New York Times, CNN, and NPR while bringing in OAN, Newsmax, New York Post, and Breitbart.

Energy experts blast failed billion-dollar DOE project as ‘financial boondoggle,’ ‘disaster’
Another green energy project bites the dust — California’s Ivanpah solar plant, backed by Obama with $1.6 billion in federal loans, is shutting down early after underperforming for a decade.

Ford lost nearly $49,000 on each electric vehicle it sold in 2024
Ford's electric vehicle business lost $5.1 billion in 2024.

TSA Bars Transgender Officers From Airport Pat Downs
As part of government-wide efforts to comply with Trump's new policies, men will no longer be permitted to conduct pat downs of women.

Doctor compares Democrats’ reaction to Trump to America’s shock after 9/11 attacks: ‘It is affecting their lives’
“I was a physician during 9/11, and it was like this then. But it was everybody. This is just about as intense, but it’s not everybody. And people are having real crises.”

OpenAI looks across US for sites to build its Trump-backed Stargate AI data centers
Data centers consumed about 4.4% of all U.S. electricity in 2023 and that’s expected to increase to 6.7% to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.

I let ChatGPT’s new ‘agent’ manage my life. It spent $31 on a dozen eggs.
Operator, the new AI that can reach into the real world, wants to act like your personal intern. Here’s what it’s good at, bad at — and when it went rogue.

UK orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts
Security officials in the United Kingdom have demanded that Apple create a back door allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, people familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.

Taylor Swift hears loud boos at Super Bowl LIX after Trump gets raucous cheer
Swift didn't look as if she were too familiar or comfortable being booed by a large crowd.

Kendrick Lamar slammed for 'worst halftime show ever'
At one point, a man with a Palestinian flag tried to storm the halftime show but was intercepted by security. Fans inside the stadium saw the drama unfold but TV cameras didn't show it to viewers.