The ACTUAL NEWS: Friday, February 14th 2025 Recap

Feb 14

"Today in History" and the Latest National and Global News

TODAY IN HISTORY

1760: Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Philadelphia.

1779: Captain James Cook was killed by Hawaiians in a dispute over the theft of a cutter.

1876: Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone.

1920: With the establishment of women's suffrage in the United States, Carrie Chapman Catt formed the League of Women Voters in Chicago.

1929: Members of Al Capone's gang of bootleggers massacred a rival gang run by George Moran in Chicago during the Prohibition era.

1946: The first general-purpose high-speed electronic digital computer, the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was demonstrated to the public by its creators, J. Presper Eckert, Jr., and John W. Mauchly.

2005: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim registered YouTube, a website for sharing videos; it would become hugely popular, with more than one billion unique users visiting the site every month.

2018: Amid scandals and corruption allegations, South African President Jacob Zuma resigned and was later replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa.

QUICK ACTUAL NEWS

NATIONAL

President Donald Trump on Friday continued to emphasize his tariff threats, stating that automobile levies would be imposed as soon as April 2, the day after his cabinet members are scheduled to present him with options for a range of import duties, as he works to reshape global trade.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg will testify before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on April 2, according to Republican Senator Ted Cruz, the committee’s chair. The hearing will focus on the actions Boeing has taken to address its production and safety issues following an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident last year and a subsequent Federal Aviation Administration safety review.
A U.S. judge on Friday extended a temporary block on Elon Musk's government cost-cutting team, known as DOGE, from accessing Treasury Department systems responsible for trillions of dollars in payments.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is preparing to fire thousands of workers as soon as next week, according to the New York Times, citing sources familiar with the matter. These layoffs are part of broader job cuts across multiple federal agencies under the Trump administration.
Trump and his ally, billionaire Elon Musk, are now targeting the U.S. court system with a demand that the judiciary justify why the administration should not cancel leases for space it occupies at 160 locations nationwide.
Approximately 2,300 people have been laid off at the U.S. Interior Department as part of the Trump administration's sweeping government job cuts, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Newly confirmed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated on Friday morning that Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team has been operating within the agency for "a few weeks" and that she welcomed their efforts.
Trump’s administration has also fired probationary staff at two U.S. Department of Agriculture research agencies and its farm loan agency, according to sources familiar with the situation.
A federal prosecutor agreed on Friday to file a motion to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, to avoid firing other career staff who had refused to comply with the request, according to sources briefed on the matter.
The Treasury Department’s inspector general announced on Friday that it had begun an audit of security controls for the U.S. government’s payment system, following concerns raised by Democratic senators about the access granted to Elon Musk and his staff.
Trump's administration has laid off between 1,200 and 2,000 workers at the Department of Energy, including employees at the power grid office, the nuclear security administration, and the loans office, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Nearly half of the probationary workers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being let go as part of the administration’s ongoing overhaul of government agencies, a source familiar with the job cuts told Reuters.
The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to the worsening bird flu outbreak, causing confusion and concern among federal staff, state officials, veterinarians, and health experts, according to sources.
Ben & Jerry's has accused its parent company, Unilever, of demanding its silence on President Trump, as it prepares to spin off the ice cream brand later this year. In a filing Thursday night in Manhattan federal court, Ben & Jerry's stated that Unilever ice cream chief Peter ter Kulve had unilaterally banned it from "issuing any posts criticizing President Trump" pending further review.
As Musk expands his influence over more than a dozen federal agencies, frustration is growing among some senior aides to President Trump, who are calling for better coordination from Musk’s team as he enacts cuts across the U.S. government.
Trump and Musk’s campaign to radically reduce U.S. bureaucracy continued on Friday, with thousands of workers in charge of critical areas—from securing the nation’s nuclear weapons to caring for military veterans—losing their jobs.
As congressional Republicans try to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, some are considering a plan to make them permanent while avoiding the political fallout of massive spending cuts: arguing that the cuts will not worsen the federal deficit.
Days after Trump ended duty-free entry for inexpensive Chinese goods entering the U.S., his administration put the order on hold after more than a million packages piled up at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Trump’s expansive assertions of power appear to be advancing an aggressive version of the “unitary executive” theory, which envisions vast presidential authority, setting the stage for potential U.S. Supreme Court showdowns.
Parts of the U.S. military are preparing lists of weapons programs they have long sought to cancel in anticipation of what could be drastic cuts by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump’s transgender policy, which began with an executive order delegitimizing gender identity on Day One, has now extended to the U.S. National Park Service website, where the word “transgender” has been removed from the Stonewall National Monument page.
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia is joining Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to a Thursday report by the New York Times, citing a source familiar with the matter.
A federal judge has ordered Trump’s administration to restore funding for hundreds of foreign aid contractors who argued that they were adversely affected by a 90-day blanket freeze, a court filing revealed late Thursday.
The Trump administration has also halted funding for federal programs aimed at reducing wildfire risk in Western states and frozen the hiring of seasonal firefighters, as part of broader cuts to government spending, according to organizations affected by these moves.

Trump has declined Georgia's request to extend the deadline for federal disaster assistance applications related to Hurricane Helene. Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper had urged the president to consider an extension, citing ongoing recovery challenges.

GLOBAL

South Korea will conduct a thorough review of non-tariff barriers and other vulnerabilities in response to a U.S. plan to introduce reciprocal tariffs, the country's acting president said on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump tasked his economics team on Thursday with developing plans for reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. imports, potentially targeting South Korea, China, Japan, and the European Union.
The United States has warned U.N. organizations UNICEF and UN Women against focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender ideology, as a U.N. food official sought to avoid angering Washington by advising staff to tone down their language.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday criticized European governments for what he described as their “censorship of free speech and political opponents,” largely citing pro-Russian points and complaining about Elon Musk’s platform X facing consequences for promoting disinformation across Europe. He also discussed increased migration prior to Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine, but failed to mention Putin's support of Assad's assault on his own people. Vance also complained about large-scale migration since 2022, without acknowledging the reasons behind it. He did not condemn Russia, instead supporting its standpoint, citing conspiracies, and criticizing the ban on pro-Nazi far-right voices in Germany. Overall, his speech provided European leaders with a taste of what the United States faces on a daily basis.
On Friday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed support for a German far-right party as a potential political partner, a stance rebuffed by Berlin as unwelcome interference in an upcoming election. The anti-immigration AfD, currently polling at about 20% ahead of the February 23 general election, is largely ostracized by other major political parties due to Germany's taboo on far-right politics stemming from its Nazi past.
Vice President JD Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on Friday during his visit to Germany, an official in Vance's office confirmed.
Germany's defense minister on Friday rejected criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance of German and European political powers, calling it unacceptable, amid a debate over the influence of anti-immigrant groups in the region.
Germany's defense minister also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to remove Ukrainian NATO membership and territorial concessions from the negotiating table ahead of potential talks to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated on Friday at the start of the Munich Security Conference that there must be no peace in Ukraine without the consent of Ukrainians and Europeans.
Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday that the international community must address the new U.S. administration's disregard for established diplomatic rules. "The new American administration has a very different world view from ours, one that ignores established rules, partnerships, and trusted relationships," Steinmeier said.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas invited foreign ministers from the bloc attending the Munich Security Conference to meet on Sunday to discuss relations with the Trump administration and the war in Ukraine. She commented that listening to Vice President JD Vance’s speech felt as if the U.S. was "trying to pick a fight" with Europe.
The European Union can negotiate reciprocal tariffs with the United States but will not relinquish its right to regulate areas such as taxation and digital platforms, the chair of the European Parliament's trade committee said on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he had spoken with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer the day before and agreed to meet with him, potentially in the coming weeks.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy said on Friday that he and Vice President JD Vance agreed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy must be included in any peace talks to end the war with Russia.

Zelenskyy's office: Ukraine's president is ready to meet with Putin only under clear security guarantees and after preparing a joint plan with Trump. The Ukrainian side does not plan any contacts with Russia at international events.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday during a visit to Warsaw that European countries need to invest now in defense because "it is not possible to assume that the United States' presence on the continent will last forever."
A new report from experts monitoring Belarus, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, said on Friday that authorities have been committing widespread human rights violations, some of which may amount to crimes against humanity, as part of a systematic campaign to silence political opposition.
Russia's Federal Customs Service confirmed on Friday that a 28-year-old U.S. citizen had been detained after customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his luggage, according to the Interfax news agency. Russian police have initiated criminal proceedings against the individual for "smuggling drugs in a significant amount," and he faces 10-15 years in a Russian colony.
A Russian court on Friday extended the pre-trial detention of U.S. citizen Joseph Tater by one month. Tater, who was detained in August last year, faces accusations of abusing staff at a Moscow hotel, which he denies.
The Kremlin expressed on Friday that it hoped the U.S. would clarify remarks made by Vice President JD Vance, stating that Washington had military and economic levers to pressure Russia into agreeing to a favorable peace deal with Ukraine.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is assembling a team of individuals with decades of experience in diplomacy and intelligence services for potential negotiations with the Donald Trump administration to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing its own sources, UNN reports. The team includes Yuri Ushakov, Sergey Naryshkin and Kirill Dmitriev.
Ukraine reported 99 combat engagements on the frontline over the past day. The enemy continues to apply the greatest pressure in the Pokrovsk sector, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as reported by UNN.
The Kremlin also said on Friday that the Group of Seven (G7) nations no longer represent the world’s fastest-growing economies and have thus lost much of their relevance, following U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about wanting Russia to return to the group.
Saudi Arabia praised the phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and expressed support for the idea of them meeting in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is leading urgent Arab efforts to develop a plan for Gaza's future as a counter to U.S. President Donald Trump's ambition for a Middle East Riviera, cleared of its Palestinian inhabitants, according to ten sources familiar with the matter.
Dozens of non-governmental groups monitoring dissent, human and labor rights in China have laid off staff after being forced to suspend work due to a freeze on foreign aid imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the groups say.
Moves by President Donald Trump’s administration to cut U.S. foreign aid funding are risking the destabilization of two camps in northeastern Syria that are holding tens of thousands of people accused of affiliation with the Islamic State, aid officials, local authorities, and diplomats say.
The Vatican's lead diplomat criticized President Donald Trump's plan for the U.S. to displace Palestinians from Gaza and "take over" the territory, marking the second rebuke of a Trump policy by a top Catholic official this week.
China has urged the Philippines to withdraw the United States' "Typhon" intermediate-range missile, accusing the Southeast Asian nation of breaking its "promises" by introducing the missile system, according to the Philippine defense ministry.

CARTOONS OF THE DAY

POSTS OF THE DAY

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance ended in Munich on Friday without an announcement of a "critical minerals deal". In fact, Zelenskyy declined to sign a "paper" that would have offered to give up control of 50% of Ukraine's national resources to the Trump administration.

The atmosphere of the meeting is best described in photos.

Please tap a photo to open the gallery view, then swipe left.

Photos provided by the President Zelenskyy's office.

VIDEO QUICK NEWS

Ukrainian MP asked a very valid question to bipartisan members of US Congress in Munich

CNN politicizes International Space Station

NOTE: The astronauts will leave on the Crew Dragon "Freedom" that arrived at the ISS carrying the Crew-9 mission in September; that ship has been docked on station since then. If there were an emergency, or they needed to leave for any reason they could do so. It was their decision to extend the stay.

JD Vance promotes pro-Russian voices within Europe

RFK Jr: God sent me President Trump

Hegseth: Putin will declare victory no matter what

President Trump insults Canada…again.

Trump Administration Eyes Currency Manipulation in Trade Strategy

The Trump administration is expanding its trade strategy to include currency manipulation, as it prepares to address this issue by an April deadline.

"We're also looking at currency manipulation," Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network. "The U.S. has a strong dollar policy, but because we have a strong dollar policy, it doesn't mean that other countries get to have a weak currency policy."

This announcement comes after President Donald Trump directed his economic team on Thursday to develop plans for reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes U.S. imports, a move that raises the possibility of a global trade war. While the memo did not immediately impose additional tariffs, it instructed the administration to calculate duties that match the tariffs other countries charge and to counteract non-tariff barriers by April 1.

Bessent explained the administration's broader approach, stating, "We're going to come up with what is the equivalent of ... what I would call a reciprocal index: country by country, the outstanding tariffs, non-tariff, the trade barriers and currency manipulation."

He also highlighted that Trump's planned tariffs could be significant if trading partners do not reduce their tariffs. The final tariff policies will depend on how other countries respond to these potential measures.

U.S. Disaster Response Teams Struggle Due to Trump Administration’s Cuts to Foreign Aid

A vital U.S. program for international disaster and crisis assistance is now unable to deploy in the event of a major emergency due to the dismantling of the U.S. foreign aid agency by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) are a crucial part of the U.S. government's humanitarian efforts, consisting of highly trained staff that can mobilize within 24 to 48 hours of a disaster to lead humanitarian responses on the ground. These teams have been instrumental in responding to some of the worst emergencies in recent history, including the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and wars in Iraq and Syria.

However, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s freeze on funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), DARTs have been unable to function normally in critical regions like Afghanistan, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. According to current USAID employees, some DART staff members have been ordered to return to Washington, while others have lost access to their email and essential electronic systems. The DARTs typically consist of 10 to over 50 personnel, but their ability to respond rapidly is now compromised.

"We've been completely cut off from the tools we once had," said one USAID employee, describing how support teams based in Washington, which help relay critical information from the field, are unable to access the headquarters due to current restrictions.

The Trump administration has plans to merge USAID into the State Department and cut back most of its staff, but the future of the DART program remains uncertain.

Marcia Wong, former deputy head of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), emphasized the significance of the DART teams, stating, "The new administration is cutting into the muscle of a unique civilian capacity that our government has. The DARTs are the highly visible, effective projection of the U.S. interest in saving lives and helping people get out of crisis."

The BHA, which oversees the DARTs, has yet to be informed about how many of its 1,300 staff members will be retained. Last week, a notice was sent out stating that only about 600 essential workers out of a total of 10,000 USAID staff would remain, but the notice did not specify which personnel would be affected.

DARTs operate on the principle that "minutes matter" when it comes to saving lives. USAID staff have "go-bags" ready at home and work so they can leave within hours of a disaster. The teams are known to use all forms of transportation to reach hard-to-reach areas, including helicopters, canoes, donkeys, and camels.

"I've used helicopters in Turkey, canoes in South Sudan, donkeys in Nepal and camels in Ethiopia to get aid to hard-to-reach communities," said a USAID staffer who has worked on numerous DART missions.

DART teams are known for their strong collaboration with military counterparts and experts from other federal agencies to deploy rapidly overseas and manage the delivery of emergency relief efficiently. For instance, officials from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission were part of the DART sent to Fukushima to prevent a nuclear disaster, and health experts joined a 2014 mission to control an Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

"DART teams have put their lives on the line from Afghanistan to DR Congo to Somalia. They have prevented the spread of pandemics and stopped famines," said a senior Western government aid official with extensive experience working with DARTs in Africa and the Middle East.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of the DART system leaves many questioning who will take the lead when the next global crisis arises, with no clear answer in sight.

MOMENT OF DECENCY

Happy Valentine's Day!

TODAY'S COVER PHOTO

Oval Office, The White House

The press pool has spotted a newly framed photo of the President's mug shot.

That's all from me for now. Thank you for reading. Have a peaceful weekend.

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

ONEST Network is an independent media company that relies solely on your support. We value independence, enabling us to report ACTUAL NEWS while keeping your data secure. Your donation would be greatly appreciated to help us continue our operations.

DONATE