USAID official orders documents to be shredded and burned, lawsuit filed
A senior official at USAID instructed employees to shred and burn documents, prompting legal action from Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group. They filed a motion for an emergency restraining order to preserve the documents under the Federal Records Act.
The directive came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced cuts to USAID programs.
Thousands of USAID staff have been laid off, and concerns are raised over the destruction of potentially important documents. A judge set a Wednesday morning deadline for briefs on the issue.
Carr thanked workers for their “assistance in clearing our classified safes and personnel documents.”
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Carr’s email states.
“Democracy Forward” and “Public Citizen Litigation Group” filed a motion for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop the agency from destroying documents.
“Federal records belong to the American people, not to any administration looking to cover its tracks. We are taking immediate legal action to stop this reckless purge before irreparable damage is done to an institution that plays a critical role in global stability and humanitarian aid,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement.
The motion seeks to preserve the documents under the Federal Records Act. “Defendants are destroying these records as this document is being written. Immediate relief from the court to maintain the status quo is required to prevent irreparable harm,” the motion states.
The directive came on Monday afternoon—the same day U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that, after a six-week review, the Trump administration would cancel 83% of USAID’s programs.
“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping (approximately 1,000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department,” Rubio said in a post on X.
In February, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency identified areas where USAID was spending taxpayer dollars.
“Through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that that organization has been spending money on. $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplaces. $70,000 for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland. $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia. $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru,” Leavitt told reporters on February 3. “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap, and I know the American people don’t either. That’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do.”
Proponents of the organization argue that USAID serves a vital role in combating deadly diseases, alleviating poverty, promoting democracy, and addressing humanitarian needs while advancing U.S. interests abroad.
Thousands of USAID staffers have been laid off.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a union representing some USAID workers, expressed concern that USAID has ordered the destruction of classified and sensitive documents potentially relevant to ongoing legal cases.
Judge Carl Nichols set a Wednesday morning deadline for the plaintiffs and government to submit briefs on the issue.
The Trump administration launches a new registry for undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and those who don’t register could face legal consequences. And a Southwest flight suddenly climbed back to 3,000 feet while attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
The Trump administration created a registry for undocumented immigrants. It will require migrants in the country illegally to submit their personal information or face fines or prison time.
The Department of Homeland Security said all undocumented immigrants 14 and older must submit their fingerprints and home addresses for the registry. Those who qualify but don’t register could be fined up to $5,000 or be sentenced to up to six months in prison.
The administration said the registry will be available online, though the web page has not yet launched.
In a statement, DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.”
The move to criminalize being in the U.S. illegally marks another significant policy change under the Trump administration. Until now, being in the country illegally was only considered a civil offense with the consequences of getting detained and deported if caught and processed.
In a post on X, DHS said America’s borders are now closed to lawbreakers and that this past weekend, crossings along the southern border were at their lowest in 15 years.
House Republicans pass budget resolution
In a big win for Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans passed a multitrillion-dollar plan to address defense, energy, immigration and tax policy with only two votes to spare on Tuesday night, Feb. 25.
The vote was a critical step toward unlocking reconciliation, a complicated legislative tool allowing Republicans to avoid a filibuster from Democrats in the Senate.
The Senate has already passed its own budget reconciliation plan. Now, the two chambers must pass the same bill to advance.
Straight Arrow News Political Correspondent Ray Bogan revealed what’s in the budget blueprint and what Republican holdouts said about the resolution here.
Zelenskyy will sign minerals deal Friday, Trump says
The U.S. and Ukraine have reportedly reached a deal that would give America access to the Eastern European nation’s rare minerals.
Trump insisted that Ukraine repay the billions of dollars in economic aid and military equipment it has received from the U.S. during its war against Russia over the past three years. One of those demands included U.S. access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine.
Ukrainian senior officials have confirmed to news outlets that the two nations reached an agreement on the framework of an economic deal. At the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 25, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would likely travel to Washington later this week to finalize the deal.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday,” Trump told reporters. “It’s okay by me if he would like to. We could sign it together. I understand that it’s a big deal, a very big deal, and I think if you look at the American people, they are very happy. You look at polling, Biden was throwing money around like it was cotton candy. And it’s a very big deal. It could be a trillion-dollar deal. It’s rare earth and other things.”
Reports indicated that the U.S. and Ukraine will jointly own a fund, with Ukraine contributing 50% of state-owned resources, which include minerals, oil and gas.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration named Amy Gleason acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The announcement comes after weeks of questions about billionaire Elon Musk’s role and authority as DOGE’s “chair.”
Gleason previously worked for the U.S. Digital Service, which the Trump administration turned into DOGE.
Meanwhile, more than 20 civil service employees resigned from DOGE on Tuesday, saying they refuse to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” The mass resignations included engineers, data scientists, designers and product managers.
The White House dismissed the move.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years.”
Musk posted to X that the story was “fake news” and that the staffers who resigned were “Dem political holdovers” who “would have been fired” anyway.
Passenger plane lands safely after close call with private jet on Chicago runway
A Southwest Airlines passenger jet aborted its landing at the last moment Tuesday to avoid colliding with a smaller plane at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. The Southwest flight landed safely after the flight crew performed what is known as a “go-around” to avoid the private business jet.
INCIDENT: Southwest #WN2504 (Boeing 737-800 N8517F) in near miss 1448UTC/0848CST today @ Chicago/Midway as FlexJet #LXJ560 (Challenger 350) crosses Runway 31C.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the private jet went onto the runway after its pilot misunderstood the instructions from air traffic control to hold short of it. This forced the Southwest plane to climb back to 3,000 feet, and the pilot asked the tower, “How’d that happen?”
Flight passengers traveling from Omaha to Chicago reported to news outlets that they were unaware anything had gone wrong until they later saw the video.
This is the latest close call in a long list of serious aircraft incidents in 2025, including at least five deadly crashes over the past few weeks.
Starbucks to cut 13 drinks from menu amid restructuring
Starbucks will remove some of its “less popular” items from the menu starting next Monday, March 4.
Among the 13 items pulled are several Frappuccino beverages, the Royal English Breakfast Latte and the White Hot Chocolate. The company announced the menu cuts along with plans to lay off more than 1,000 corporate employees.
Starbucks said these menu changes will reduce wait times and “make way for innovation,” and this is just the beginning. In the coming months, it will remove more drink and food choices from the menu in an effort to reduce it by 30%.
White House takes press pool assignment role from correspondents
The White House announced it will take over assigning reporters to cover pool events with the president. The White House Correspondents’ Association previously held the role. The move has sparked concerns about press independence.
The new policy allows White House officials to decide which media members can attend certain events and ask questions. The White House will still allow legacy media outlets to join and offer streaming services.
The WHCA criticized the move. They said it undermines press independence and suggests government control over which journalists cover the president. The WHCA signaled it as a threat to the freedom of the press.
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The White House on Tuesday, Feb. 25, announced it is taking over what reporters would be assigned to cover pool events with the president. Previously, that responsibility fell on the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which said the move “tears at the independence of the free press.”
The move comes after years of perceived favoritism by former President Joe Biden’s press team and sometimes-telegraphed questions from reporters.
The policy change means White House officials will decide which media members can attend events in locations like the Oval Office that cannot accommodate all members of the press and, most importantly, allow the reporters to ask questions at those events.
“For decades, a group of D.C.-based journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association, has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the president of the United States in these most intimate spaces. Not anymore,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
She added that legacy media outlets that have participated in the White House press pool can still join, but the White House press team will also offer streaming services.
The WHCA responded in a statement, saying they already rotate pool assignments to ensure including new and emerging outlets.
“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States,” said WHCA President Eugene Daniels. “It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders should not be able to choose their own press corps.”
The WHCA took a “noncommittal stance” on Biden’s removal of 442 accredited White House reporters when his press team changed the credential process in May 2023. The White House press corps was criticized in April 2023 when photographers captured a White House staff member with printouts of a pre-written question that a reporter was going to ask Biden during a news conference in the Rose Garden.
White House can continue restricting AP’s press privileges, judge rules
A federal judge has denied The Associated Press’s request to immediately reinstate full press access, leaving its Oval Office and Air Force One privileges limited. The AP had sued after the White House imposed restrictions over a Gulf of America language dispute.
The judge ruled in favor of the White House, but cautioned that its actions might be considered “viewpoint discrimination” and could lose in court.
Around 40 news organizations, including Fox News and Newsmax, have expressed support for the AP’s right to access, urging the White House to reverse its decision.
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The Associated Press will continue to face limited access to the Oval Office and Air Force One after a federal judge denied the AP’s request for an emergency order to reinstate its press privileges.
The AP filed a lawsuit seeking to have its access restored after the White House restricted the organization from certain spaces. The restrictions were imposed due to the AP’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting.
Court sides with White House for now
In his ruling, the judge sided with the White House, stating that The Associated Press still has the ability to cover presidential events, even if not always in person. However, he issued a warning to the White House, suggesting that its actions may not withstand future legal scrutiny, calling the decision “clearly viewpoint discrimination.”
“It might be appropriate for the White House… to consider if what they’re doing is really appropriate given the case law.”
“The judge’s denial of The Associated Press reinforces what I said from the podium and what Trump has been saying,” Leavitt said. “Covering the presidency in the most intimate and limited spaces in the White House, in the Oval Office, Air Force One, is a privilege, not a legal right. We want all voices to have that opportunity, which is why we’ve expanded the briefing room to invite truly independent journalists and podcasters to cover this president with honesty and accuracy.”
News organizations rally behind the AP
Last week, 40 news organizations signed a joint letter to the White House in support of The Associated Press. Even some conservative outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax, urged the White House to restore the AP’s access.
Newsmax released a statement, saying, “We can understand President Trump’s frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax supports the AP’s right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting.”
As of this report, The Associated Press has not commented on the latest ruling.
AP sues Trump to force White House access following ‘Gulf of America’ row
The Associated Press is suing members of President Trump’s administration for blocking its reporters from “pool” access after it refused to use the term “Gulf of America.” The suit claims that blocking AP violates the First Amendment.
More specifically, the suit argues that the government’s content-based restrictions on press access amount to unconstitutional control and retaliation against speech.
AP has received support from various news outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax. They advocate for the AP’s right to use its own language in reporting without government interference.
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The Associated Press (AP) is suing members of President Donald Trump’s administration. The AP’s reporters were blocked from accessing the White House for refusing to use the “Gulf of America” designation ordered by the president.
Lawyers for AP filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., a little more than a week after members of the administration didn’t grant its reporters “pool” access to an executive order signing in the Oval Office. AP states in the lawsuit that the restrictions based on its content violate the First Amendment.
The case was assigned to Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump in 2017.
The suit names White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and Chief of Staff Susan Wiles.
“The Press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the suit states. “The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom.”
Trump made clear that the newswire service would be blocked from accessing pool areas until its coverage reflected his order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
“The Associated Press refuses to go with what the law is and what’s taken place. It’s called the Gulf of America now; it’s not called the Gulf of Mexico any longer,” Trump said.
“We can understand President Trump’s frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax supports the AP’s right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting,” Newsmax said in a statement. “We fear a future administration may not like something Newsmax writes and seek to ban us.”
Judge denies Democrat-led effort to block Musk, DOGE access
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency wins big in court. And President Donald Trump issues an executive order to make in vitro fertilization more accessible and affordable. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
Judge denies Democrat-led effort to block Musk, DOGE access
A federal judge has blocked an attempt by 14 states to deny Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing data systems or making personnel decisions at seven federal agencies. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said the “possibility” that DOGE could harm the states is “not enough” to halt its activities.
Chutkan, who presided over President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference criminal case before he was reelected, said the group of Democratic attorneys general that brought the lawsuit “legitimately call into question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual and an entity that was not created by congress and over which it has no oversight,” but added they had not linked any of DOGE’s actions to any “imminent harm” in their states.
The court filing described Musk as a White House employee serving as a “senior advisor to the president,” not an employee of DOGE. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced that position when asked by reporters on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
“President Trump is the ultimate decision-maker for this entire administration,” Leavitt said. “Elon Musk, just like everybody else across the federal government, works at the direction of President Trump.”
She added, “DOGE does not have statutory authority. We’ve been very clear about that. Again, DOGE is advising these agencies. It’s ultimately up to the discretion of these secretaries to make these hirings and these firings.”
Leavitt said Trump’s cabinet members ultimately have the power to fire federal employees; DOGE just makes recommendations.
Late last week, a different U.S. district judge also rejected a request to block DOGE from accessing the records of three government agencies.
Trump signs executive order aimed at advancing IVF treatments
Trump signed another executive order to fulfill one of his campaign promises. The order directs the assistant to the president for domestic policy to provide Trump with a list of policy recommendations within 90 days to protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and “aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.”
Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Taylor looks at how this could impact thousands of American families here.
IVF became a big issue during the 2024 presidential campaign after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, and those who destroy or damage them, including IVF providers, could be held liable for wrongful death. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey later signed a bill giving civil and criminal immunity to providers and patients.
Barbara Collura, President and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, said the White House action looks extremely promising.
Without Ukraine, US and Russia agree to work toward ending war
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, continuing his tour of the Middle East. On Tuesday, he met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. After that meeting, Rubio said the U.S. and Russia had agreed to start working toward ending the war and improving their diplomatic and economic ties.
Rubio told the Associated Press that the two countries have agreed on three goals: restoring staffing at their respective embassies in Washington, D.C., and Moscow, creating a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and exploring closer relations and economic cooperation.
The U.S. and Russia excluded Ukraine from Tuesday’s discussions to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his country would not accept any outcomes from those talks. He also postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, while speaking with reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump directed controversial remarks toward Ukraine.
“Today I heard, ‘Well, we weren’t invited,’” Trump said. “Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it three years — you should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Zelenskyy and military commanders. Zelenskyy has said any settlement ending the three-year war will require American security commitments to keep Russia at bay.
Arctic air brings dangerous cold to large parts of US
The latest round of winter storms is taking direct aim at the east coast Wednesday, spreading across the Tennessee and Ohio valleys and threatening to dump heavy snow with possible ice build-up in several states. That included Kentucky, where at least 14 people died due to the weekend storm that brought devastating flooding.
The National Weather Service said severe weather could bring up to 10 inches of snow along the Atlantic coast in Virginia and forecasted significant ice accumulations in eastern North Carolina.
NWS meteorologists said the most bitter cold is still to come, with record frigid temperatures likely to hit parts of the country early Thursday and Friday.
This all comes on the heels of a polar vortex that took over from Montana to southern Texas on Tuesday.
Judge to hold hearing over DOJ’s move to drop Eric Adams case
Federal Judge Dale Ho will hold a hearing in New York on Wednesday regarding Trump’s DOJ move to dismiss the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
This comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met with other Democrats on Tuesday to discuss using her powers to remove Adams, a fellow Democrat. The governor decided to wait to see what the federal judge decided before proceeding and possibly ousting Adams.
Four New York City deputy mayors resigned en masse on Monday, Feb. 17, to protest Adams remaining in office.
The federal judge will request that the Justice Department clarify its reasoning for seeking to terminate the public corruption case against Adams. The DOJ’s action occurred as prosecutors in the Southern District of New York were preparing a broader indictment that would have charged Adams with destroying evidence and lying to the FBI
Adams’ supporters believe Democrats are targeting him because he is helping the Trump administration in its push to remove illegal immigrants from New York City.
Egypt announces first discovery of a royal tomb in more than a century
Egyptian officials announced that searchers had discovered the last of the lost tombs belonging to the kings of Ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty
A joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission discovered Thutmose II’s tomb in the Thebes region, west of Luxor and the famous Valley of the Kings. Archaeologists uncovered the entrance and central passage into the tomb, previously known only as “tomb No. C4,” in 2022, and excavation efforts have continued since then.
Scientists previously discovered he mummy of King Thutmose II at a different location during the 19th century. Experts said tomb raiders likely moved it after looting it.
Thutmose II’s tomb was the first royal Egyptian tomb discovered since King Tutankhamun’s final resting place was found in 1922.
President Donald Trump started his new term with a flurry of executive orders, some of which are now facing lawsuits. And as crews remove more wreckage from the Potomac River after the deadly plane and helicopter crash last week, investigators are getting some answers. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
Legal battles brew over Trump executive orders
It’s been just over two weeks since President Donald Trump took office, and he has already signed more than 50 executive orders to reshape the federal government. Now, many of them are facing legal pushback.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s offer to buy out federal workers. The workers were told to return to the office while court proceedings over its legalization played out.
Initially, federal employees had until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to decide whether to take the buyout offer. That deadline has now been extended to Monday, Feb. 10, and it might be pushed back even further.
The buyout would allow federal workers to leave their jobs while still receiving benefits through the end of September. Federal unions have strongly urged members not to accept the package, questioning its legality and the Trump administration’s ability to follow through on its promises.
The White House said at least 40,000 federal employees have already opted into the deferred resignation program.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of U.S. government workers, has filed a lawsuit seeking a federal court to stop the shutdown of USAID. The union argues that the president cannot shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation. This comes after the Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to cut USAID staffing worldwide to dismantle the agency dramatically.
The plan would employ fewer than 300 USAID workers out of thousands. The administration believes that USAID is fraught with unnecessary spending on projects and causes that Americans are unaware of.
Meanwhile, another lawsuit is brewing over the Treasury Department’s decision to allow Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers access to the federal government’s massive payment and collections system. A group of retirees and union members said the move violates federal privacy laws because it gives DOGE access to the data stored in the system.
Those challenging the Trump administration’s decision want an order barring DOGE from accessing the data and requiring the return of any harvested data.
Another executive order facing pushback is Trump’s decision to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. Birthright citizenship occurs when a child is born in the United States and automatically becomes an American citizen regardless of the child’s or parents’ nationality or because at least one of their parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth.
Several lawsuits are now on the books, challenging the order. This week, federal judges in Maryland and Washington state issued nationwide preliminary injunctions blocking the order from taking effect. The Department of Justice has appealed the Washington decision.
A pair of federal judges have also temporarily blocked a federal aid funding freeze, which the Trump administration directed in response to his executive orders.
Additionally, two judges blocked the transfer of three transgender women prisoners to a male prison after a Trump executive order affecting transgender inmates. It said the federal Bureau of Prisons is now required to ensure that “males are not detained in women’s prisons.”
Trump sanctions International Criminal Court over Israel investigation
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was at the White House this week, for alleged war crimes over his military response in Gaza after the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023.
The attack left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and around 250 taken hostage in Gaza. Israel then unleashed a ground and air response, which the Hamas-run health ministry said has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel are members of or recognize the ICC.
Trump’s order said the U.S. would impose “tangible and significant consequences” on those responsible for the ICC’s “transgressions.” These could include blocking property and assets and not allowing ICC officials, employees and their families to enter the U.S.
FBI turns over list of Jan. 6 investigators to Justice Department
Acting Director Brian Driscoll emailed employees Thursday to inform them that the FBI has given the Justice Department the names of employees who worked on cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. This follows a back-and-forth between bureau leaders who sought to protect identities and the DOJ. The FBI complied by providing the names through a classified system to protect employees from being publicly identified.
Earlier this week, the bureau withheld the names of thousands of workers and identified them based only on their employee ID numbers, job titles and roles in the Jan. 6 investigations.
Several FBI employees and the agency’s union sued the Justice Department, asking a judge to ensure their names were not released outside the DOJ. They said they fear for their safety if their identities are made public.
Search underway in Alaska for missing plane carrying 10 people
The search continues in Alaska for a Cessna aircraft carrying 10 people that went missing Thursday afternoon.
Alaska state troopers said the plane, operated by Bering Air, was headed from Unalakleet to Nome. The Norton Sound Inlet separates both cities in western Alaska. Crews are conducting ground and air searches as weather and visibility permit to find the missing aircraft.
The plane’s disappearance comes as investigations continue into two recent deadly U.S. aviation incidents. A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia last Friday, Jan. 31, killing the six people on board and another person on the ground, and last Wednesday, Jan. 29, a passenger plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair, killing 67 people.
Black Hawk wreckage from deadly midair collision removed from Potomac River
Workers pulled the wreckage of the Black Hawk involved in last week’s deadly midair collision with a passenger jet from the Potomac River on Thursday. Crews also removed additional parts of the American Airlines plane, most of which was pulled from the river earlier this week.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the cause of the crash, said it is still looking for the helicopter’s right engine and tail rotor.
NTSB, in coordination with SUPSALV, recovered the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk today. Additional information in today's investigative update for the Jan. 29 mid-air collision near DCA: https://t.co/C01PwrsmIFpic.twitter.com/gfsgRh7lgN
After a closed-door briefing by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that the helicopter was flying with its safety system turned off. Cruz chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the airline industry.
He said senators were told the helicopter’s automatic dependent surveillance broadcast system was turned off. The system provides detailed information to track airplane locations.
Military aircraft are allowed to fly with that system off. However, since the crash involved a training flight, Cruz said, “Unless there was a compelling national security reason for turning it off, that does not seem justified.”
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters investigators had not confirmed whether the helicopter was equipped with that technology.
Americans gear up for Super Bowl weekend
It is Super Bowl weekend. Come Sunday, Feb. 9, millions of Americans will gather with friends, family members and neighbors to watch the biggest NFL game of the year — along with all the commercials and the Kendrick Lamar halftime show.
As for Super Bowl LIX itself, AFC champions the Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be going for their third straight Super Bowl championship. They’ll face off against the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley and NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kickoff is around 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday in New Orleans.
For those making it an all-day event, the annual Puppy Bowl is back.
The three-hour made-for-TV event is a miniature football game dogs play on a 20 by 30-foot field. The pups, all between three and six months old, score touchdowns when they cross the goal-line with a toy in their mouth.
The goal of the show is to encourage pet adoption. This year’s Puppy Bowl pits Team Ruff against Team Fluff and will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states.
Judge blocks Trumps buyout offer to 2 million federal employees
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s offer to buy out 2 million federal employees. A hearing on the offer’s legality is scheduled for Monday.
The White House is still encouraging employees to take the deal, and it said more than 40,000 have.
Democrats in Congress are warning employees not to take it — they say they can’t guarantee employees will be paid as promised.
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A federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s offer to buy out nearly 2 million federal employees. The judge’s order requires the administration to extend the deadline to take the deal from Thursday, Feb. 6, until after Monday, Feb. 10, when a hearing is scheduled on the offers’ legality.
According to The Associated Press, District Judge George O’Toole Jr. did not say whether he thinks the Trump administration has the authority to move forward with the plan, saying he would weigh those arguments next week.
Three labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, sued the Trump administration, arguing that the buyouts violate federal law and are “arbitrary and capricious.”
What is Trump’s team saying?
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said more than 40,000 federal workers agreed to take the deal. That’s just a fifth of the 200,000 the White House expected.
The offer allows federal workers to resign and keep their pay and benefits until Sept. 30.
“We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer,” Leavitt said. “If they don’t want to show up to the office, if they want to rip the American people off, then they’re welcome to take this buyout, and we’ll find highly competent individuals who want to fill these roles.”
The Office of Personnel Management said employees will get paid after they leave, even if there’s a government shutdown after March 14.
Should employees take the deal?
Democrats on Capitol Hill are warning employees not to take the offer because they don’t think the president has the authority to pay people who aren’t working without approval from Congress.
“I’ve been saying to all the federal employees, ‘Beware of this offer.’ I don’t believe it’s been funded,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. “I don’t believe Donald Trump has any history of ever paying his bills. And I fear that federal employees may be marked for later RIF-ing, potentially without any compensation.”
“RIF-ing” is a reference to the government term — reduction in force.
The contract workers must sign to resign, stating that they waive their right to sue the government or their agency regarding their employment.