U.S. and world news for Jan. 29
Trump moves to dismantle the federal government by getting rid of employees
The Trump Administration is trying to get two million federal employees to leave the government by offering buyouts. The far-right’s Project 2025 plan for a second Trump Administration called for dismantling the federal government by getting rid of current employees, as have some right-wing podcasters who advocate replacing the current government with a dictatorship. A Jan. 28 email told the current federal workers they would be given up to eight months of salary if they quit by the end of next week.
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s government funding shutdown
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s shutdown of federal funding of grants, loans and other programs. Trump signed an executive order to halt government spending yesterday, in what opponents say was an illegal move that ignored the Constitutional authority of Congress to determine government spending. While Trump’s order called for government spending to be crippled as of 5 p.m. yesterday, there were reports that the system that is used by states to receive Medicaid funding had been shut down early in the day, with the administration blaming the inability of states to receive funding they were owed on a computer glitch.
Caroline Kennedy urges senators to reject RFK Jr. as Trump’s HHS chief
Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, has urged senators to reject her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr. was nominated by Donald Trump to head up health care in the U.S. and senators were questioning him today. Caroline Kennedy told the senators that RFK Jr. is a predator, had been a drug user and got Kennedy family members hooked on drugs. She also said that he is a liar and while he was telling other people not to vaccinate their children he made sure that his children were vaccinated.
Trump’s new defense secretary launches attack on General Mark Milley
Trump’s newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has moved against Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley, who had called Donald Trump a fascist to the core and the most dangerous person in the country. Hegseth has cancelled Milley’s security protection, cancelled his security clearance to view government secrets, called for an investigation of Milley and proposed taking away his stars as general. One of Trump’s first acts after being inaugurated was to order that Milley’s portrait be removed from the Pentagon.
Colombia says that none of the immigrants the U.S. deported were criminals
The government of Colombia says that none of the 200 immigrants the Trump Administration deported and sent on Colombian military aircraft back to Colombia were criminals. Donald Trump had claimed that the people all were criminals. The immigrants described being treated as criminals by the U.S. The Trump Administration had initially tried to fly them to Colombia on U.S. military aircraft, but the Colombians refused to allow the U.S. planes to land and after negotiations agreed to send their own planes to pick up the immigrants.
Ukraine stages drone attacks on several targets in Russia
Ukraine said today its drones have struck a Russian oil refinery in the Russian town of Kstovo. Ukraine said four drones were used in the attack on the facility operated by the Russian company Lukoil. It apparently was part of widespread Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia. A Russian official said that a Ukrainian drone was shot down before it could hit a Russian nuclear power facility. Russia said it shot down about 100 drones in the latest round of attacks.