U.S. and Russia hold talks
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the war Russia started when it invaded Ukraine. The talks lasted about four hours. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, who was not invited to take part said Ukraine will never agree to a settlement that was negotiated without Ukraine. Rubio said Russia and the U.S. agreed to four basic principles: ending the Ukraine war; enhancing diplomatic relations; discuss the economic cooperation, including ending U.S. sanctions against Russia, that could follow an end to the war; and making sure the process moves forward.
Trump continues firings at Federal Aviation Administration
The Trump Administration continues firing workers at the FAA, the agency responsible for aviation safety in the U.S. Fired employees were locked out from FAA buildings this morning. The fired workers included engineers and technicians who maintain equipment. The Trump Administration’s firings at the FAA come after five major aviation accidents since Donald Trump assumed the presidency, including yesterday’s crash of a Delta Airlines flight that originated in Minneapolis.
Acting Social Security administrator quits rather than open computer files to Musk
The acting head of the Social Security Administration quit over the weekend rather than give in to demands from the Trump Administration that Elon Musk and his computer people be given access to Social Security computer files. The files have personal information on Americans and businesses including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, salaries and more. Michelle King had been with the Social Security Administration for 30 years. Elon Musk had made a false claim that there is widespread Social Security fraud because people who are 150-years-old have been receiving Social Security benefits.
Protests mark Presidents Day holiday
Tens of thousands of people turned out in all 50 states and the District of Columbia yesterday to protest the dismantling of the U.S. government that is underway by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The grassroots movement known as 50501 organized many of the demonstrations. In the nation’s capitol, there was a demonstration near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Demonstrators called for more action from Congress to uphold the Constitution and stop President Trump from what demonstrators saw as replacing democracy with autocracy.
Administration works to undo its firing of nuclear security workers
The Trump Administration spent the weekend scrambling to reverse its firing of about 300 workers for the National Nuclear Security Administration. It had trouble contacting the fired workers since it cut off their government email accounts and disabled their government computers. As the name implies, the National Nuclear Security Administration is responsible for ensuring the security of the country’s nuclear weapons and overseeing contractors who build the bombs. The Trump Administration fired the workers in a move to shut down the department apparently without realizing what it does.
Republicans planning cuts to Medicaid
Various sources including the Associated Press and ABC News report that Republicans in Congress are developing plans that would cut Medicaid and add work requirements as a condition for receiving benefits. The AP cited House Speaker Mike Johnson as being a proponent of the work requirements. The reports say the Medicaid cuts would be part of the Republican budget proposal. Republicans have said they need to cut from $1.5 to $2 trillion from federal spending. It’s expected the savings would be devoted to covering the cost of new tax cuts that would include substantial cuts for corporations as well the wealthiest Americans.
