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Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
White House defends “chainsaw” approach to gov’t layoffs
Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 7:05 am
The Trump administration is defending its “chainsaw” approach to eliminating federal jobs. Trump adviser and billionaire Elon Musk created a buzz waving a chainsaw in the air at this week’s CPAC conference. He told the crowd it’s “the chainsaw for democracy.” Musk has led the administration’s crusade to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce. Asked about the chainsaw approach, a White House spokesperson insisted there is public support for the administration, and it is committed to cutting “waste, fraud and abuse.”
Listen DownloadWhite House expects Ukraine to agree to rare earth deal
Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 7:01 am
A Trump adviser expects Ukraine to agree to a deal allowing American access to the country’s rare earth minerals. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is optimistic that Ukrainian President Zelensky will agree to exchange critical minerals for continued American military aid. He told the Conservative Political Action Conference that “Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal,” though he didn’t offer a timeline. The Ukrainian leader has rebuffed the offer, so far, angering Donald Trump, who called Zelensky a “dictator.”
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Supreme Court won’t allow Trump to immediately fire head of whistleblower office
Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 6:40 pm
The U-S Supreme Court has weighed in on President Trump’s firing of the agency chief dedicated to protecting whistleblowers. In an unsigned order, justices on the high court said that Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, could remain in his job at least until next Wednesday. That’s when a lower-court order protecting him expires. Dellinger is the head of the federal agency that protects government whistleblowers. The Supreme Court neither granted nor rejected the administration’s plea to immediately remove him.
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Trump spars with Maine’s governor over transgender athletes
Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 6:00 pm
President Trump and Maine’s governor got in a verbal spat over transgender athletes. During a meeting with visiting governors, the president chastised Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills for allowing transgender athletes to continue competing in women’s sports.
You’d better comply, otherwise, you’re not getting any federal funding.”
“We’ll see you in court,” the governor replied.
“Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one,” Trump said.
Such bipartisan meetings with public officials are typically courteous and respectful, but Donald Trump told the governor, “and enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
AP sues White House officials, citing freedom of speech
Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 5:35 pm
The Associated Press is suing three Trump officials over media access to presidential events. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to stop the White House from blocking AP journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other presidential events. The news agency contends that the restrictions are an unconstitutional effort to control speech — after the AP refused to change from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, as renamed by President Trump. According to the AP, the “targeted attack… strikes at the very core of the First Amendment.”
Listen DownloadWhite House seeks $500 billion mineral wealth deal with Ukraine
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 2:48 pm
The Trump administration is demanding 500 billion dollars in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime assistance. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz says President Trump is “frustrated” that Ukrainian President Zelensky is not accepting the U-S offer. He said Zelensky needs to “come back to the table.” Meanwhile, at the same White House briefing, Waltz twice refused to answer if Russia was responsible for the invasion or if Vladimir Putin is a dictator.”
White House touts Trump’s first month actions
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 2:33 pm
The Trump White House is touting its accomplishments after one month. Marking one month in office, press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed an “historic start” to the second Trump administration. Among the signed executive orders are efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship, gain more presidential control over the federal bureaucracy and workforce, and eliminate diversity measures. Some of the actions face legal challenges.
US-Ukraine relations sour as Trump, Zelensky trade barbs
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Relations between the United States and Ukraine have taken a turn for the worse. President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky are engaged in a bitter public feud, which is souring relations between the two countries. Zelensky, unhappy that he was left out of talks to end the Ukraine-Russia war, said Donald Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space” and wanted the White House team “to be more truthful.” The president snapped back, calling Zelensky “a dictator without elections” who better “move fast” before losing his country.
Trump favors House’s “one big beautiful bill” budget strategy
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 10:47 am
President Trump is telling Congress to move forward on the House plan that puts his in priorities in one bill. Late last month, the president said Republican leaders in Congress could use any legislative strategy they want to pass his agenda. But now, he’s siding with the House plan, which puts the entire Trump agenda in one bill, instead of two bills favored by the Senate. Writing on social media, the president said he favors the House budget, which he described as “one big beautiful bill.”
Trump dismisses Ukraine’s concerns about US-Russia talks
Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 5:58 pm
President Trump is dismissing Ukraine’s objections to being excluded from US-Russia talks aimed at ending the war. Ukrainian President Zelensky is unhappy being kept out of talks between top U-S and Russian officials. But Donald Trump criticized Ukraine for not resolving the conflict sooner — and even appeared to blame Kiev for the Russian invasion. The president said after Tuesday’s talks with Russia he’s more “confident” a deal can be reached.
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Judge refuses to block Musk’s accessing government data
Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 5:43 pm
A federal judge has refused to immediately block Elon Musk’s office from accessing government data or firing employees. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan found that there are legitimate questions about Musk’s authority and that his “actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion.” But she but said there isn’t evidence of the kind of grave legal harm that would justify a temporary restraining order. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic states challenging DOGE’s authority to access sensitive government data.
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Trump not budging on decision to punish Associated Press
Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 5:17 pm
President Trump isn’t budging on his decision to punish the Associated Press for its continued use of the “Gulf of Mexico.” For the past week, AP journalists have been barred from presidential news coverage including in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. The president says he won’t back down until the news organization changes its policy. The AP says the body of water lies partially outside U.S. territory and it will continue to refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico given its global customers.
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US, Russian officials hold talks on Ukraine, improving ties
Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 10:11 am
Tuesday’s meeting between American and Russian officials represented a big change in U-S foreign policy. In the nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States and Europe have worked to isolate Moscow and stand up against Russian aggression. But President Trump said he trusts Russia’s Vladimir Putin, which paved the way for this week’s high-level, face-to-face talks. The Trump administration’s policy shift has rattled Ukraine and Europe, with long-time American allies hoping to have a seat at the table.
Judge to rule soon on DOGE access to sensitive data
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 5:30 pm
A federal judge will rule quickly on efforts to block Elon Musk’s office from accessing sensitive data. Fourteen states are seeking a temporary restraining order to limit Musk’s power in President Trump’s quest to downsize the federal government. In a court hearing on Monday, U-S District Judge Tanya Chutkan questioned the authority of Musk and his government efficiency office, but was skeptical of a request to block DOGE from accessing sensitive data and firing employees at half a dozen federal agencies. Chutkan said she would rule within 24 hours.
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Trump appeals to Supreme Court over whistleblower head firing
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 12:00 pm
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow the firing of a whistleblower agency chief. Last week, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s removal of the head of the Office of Special Counsel. It’s an independent agency that protects government whistleblowers. In response, the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court to intervene. The case could offer a preview of how the high court will view the president’s aggressive moves to remake the federal government, including by removing heads of independent agencies.
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Poll: Trump policies have strong support, opposition
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 10:56 am
President Trump enjoys strong support for some of his policies and strong opposition for others. A recent Marquette Law School poll finds that nearly two-thirds of Americans support the government recognizing only two sexes and 60 percent favor expanding oil and gas production. There’s also strong support for declaring a national emergency at the southern border. However, 57 percent of Americans oppose deporting immigrants who have jobs and no criminal record. And 65 percent oppose the president’s pardoning of January 6th rioters charged for their assault on the U-S Capitol.
Trump’s federal workforce slashing hits FDA, other agencies
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 6:55 am
President Trump’s slashing of the federal workforce continues — and more jobs will be cut this week.
Efforts to shrink the size of the government payroll reached the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend. Sources say recently hired employees who review the safety of food ingredients, medical devices and other products were fired on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, there are reports that the IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers as soon as this week.
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U.S. and Russian officials to hold Ukraine war talks in Saudi Arabia
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 6:50 am
Trump administration officials will soon have high-level talks in Saudi Arabia on how to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. The U-S delegation includes Secretary of State Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The upcoming talks are meant to precede a meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin. Ukrainian leaders have said they were not invited to the meeting. They and officials in other European countries have publicly expressed frustration that U-S officials are excluding them.
Trump signs plan to impose reciprocal tariffs
Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 7:05 am
President Trump has put the world on notice with his plan to impose reciprocal tariffs. The president has directed his administration’s top trade officials to outline a new series of tariffs — calling it a matter of fairness. He predicted the tariffs would lead to more U-S jobs, but acknowledged prices could go higher in the short term. The reciprocal tariffs aren’t scheduled to take effect until at least April.
White House continues to punish AP over Gulf of Mexico dispute
Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 7:01 am
The White House says it has the right to punish AP reporters over the Gulf of Mexico naming dispute.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says there’s no disputing Donald Trump’s new name for the Gulf of Mexico. And she says news organizations that refuse to use that name are not telling the truth. The White House is barring Associated Press journalists from presidential events because the widely used AP Stylebook continues to use the Gulf of Mexico.
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Zelensky views Trump as key to ending Ukraine-Russia war
Sat, Feb 15, 2025 at 7:07 am
Ukrainian President Zelensky views President Trump as key to ending the Ukraine-Russia war, but has some concerns. Zelensky welcomed a phone call from President Trump, but later said it was “not pleasant” that Trump first called Russia’s Vladimir Putin about negotiations. Zelensky also said he would not accept any agreements that do not include his country in the talks. The Ukrainian leader reportedly told the White House that Putin doesn’t want peace, and he said will only agree to meet in person with the Russian leader after a common plan is negotiated by Donald Trump.
Christian relief groups hurt by Trump’s USAID slashing
Sat, Feb 15, 2025 at 7:02 am
Christian relief groups are feeling the pain of President Trump’s dismantling of the U-S Agency of International Development. The Trump administration’s plan to gut USAID is directly affecting the work and ministry of many faith-based organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, World Relief, and Catholic Relief Services. As Christianity Today reports, most of USAID’s budget goes to grants for projects, including local Christian health clinics and orphan care. On its website, World Relief says the federal funding cuts are putting its refugee outreach and lifesaving programs at risk.
Listen DownloadJudge extends pause on USAID dismantling another week
Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 6:55 am
A federal judge has paused the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle USAID for another week. After a three-hour hearing, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said he was blocking plans to put thousands of USAID workers on leave until next Friday. He said he would need the additional time as he considers a lawsuit by government employee unions. The judge questioned the government about the impact on workers, but also said federal employees typically must go through an administrative process rather than suing in federal court.
Trump discusses tariffs with India’s PM at White House
Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 7:03 pm
President Trump discussed raising tariffs on India after talks with that country’s prime minister. At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi, the president hailed the strong ties between the U-S and India. But he complained about India’s high tariffs on American goods. The president also announced additional military sales to India, as well as oil and liquified natural gas.
