UN chief warns against ‘ethnic cleansing’ after Trump’s shocking threat to take over Gaza: Live updates

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sharply warned against “ethnic cleansing” a day after Donald Trump’s shocking remarks about America taking over Gaza and ejecting Palestinians.

Guterres raised the issue in remarks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People at the UN.

We must not make the problem worse,” Guterres warned Wednesday, without naming Trump. “It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

He added: “At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.”

The former real estate developer shocked the world Tuesday when he said the U.S. would “take over” Gaza and “own” the territory at a press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Palestinians could be resettled elsewhere, leaving the land to be developed into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Trump was busy Wednesday signing an executive order banning transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would also make it clear to the Olympic Committee that “America categorically rejects transgender lunacy,” he said.

The order directs federal law enforcement agencies to take “immediate action” against schools and associations that defy the order.

Key Points

• UN chief warns Trump against Gaza ‘ethnic cleansing’

• Trump’s HHS investigating medical schools for antisemitism because students wore keffiyehs: report

• How much might Trump’s tariffs cost typical U.S. households?

• Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t been elected yet but already thinks he’ll be a two-term governor

• Trump’s Gaza policy caught his closest advisers off guard

White House attempts to soften Trump’s ‘take over’ Gaza comments

04:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Andrew Feinberg writes:

[Karoline] Leavitt’s statement that any relocation of Palestinians currently in Gaza would not be a permanent displacement was a 180-degree reversal from what Trump had said during a press conference on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Read on…

White House attempts to soften Trump’s ‘take over’ Gaza comments

Trump has done the impossible and turned Canada patriotic

03:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Holly Baxter writes:

It was a scene few had ever witnessed. As the opening words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were sung by Elizabeth Irving in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena before a Tuesday night hockey game between the Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, the crowd erupted in boos. Those boos continued throughout the song, and only abated when she began her rendition of “O Canada.”

On the same night, a similar scene played out as the NBA’s only Canadian franchise — the Toronto Raptors — hosted the New York Knicks.

Continue reading…

Trump has done the impossible and turned Canada patriotic

Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘These are lies coming from Russian media’

03:00 , Kevin E G Perry

Ben Stiller has denied social media reports that his humanitarian trip to Ukraine was funded by USAID, dismissing the claims as Russian “lies.”

Over the weekend, the US Agency for International Development was targeted for dissolution by Elon Musk, who labeled it as a criminal enterprise on his social media platform X.

The site also hosted several viral posts related to the agency, including one that included a fake E! News video and claimed that US tax dollars had been spent sending celebrities to Ukraine. The post claimed Angelina Jolie’s visit had cost taxpayers $20 million, Sean Pean’s had cost $5 million and Ben Stiller’s cost $4 million.

In an X post from his own account, Stiller denied the claim.

Read more:

Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘Lies coming from Russian media’

Former top Democrat rips Chuck Schumer for ‘depressing’ video of him chanting during Musk protest

02:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, was mocked by a former Democratic lawmaker after holding a rally in protest of billionaire Elon Musk’s advisory team accessing Treasury Department information.

On Tuesday afternoon, Schumer led chants of “We will win!” in front of the Treasury building to display disapproval for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency which, despite being an unofficial organization, has rapidly amassed authority.

However, some people did not find Schumer’s chant to be an effective form of action. He was mocked online for chanting about “winning” just months after losing the presidential election and control of both houses of Congress. Tim Ryan, a former Democratic representative from Ohio, took note as well calling it “depressing.”

Ariana Baio reports.

Top Democrat rips Schumer for video of him chanting during Musk protest

Trump’s HHS investigating medical schools for antisemitism because students wore keffiyehs: report

02:00 , Josh Marcus

The federal department of Health and Human Services is investigating four top U.S. medical schools after receiving allegations of antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies, it announced this week.

“Every student deserves access to educational opportunities free from discrimination and harassment,” Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the department, said in a statement.

The investigation will reportedly target Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal reports, each institution among America’s most prestigious medical schools.

Read more:

HHS probing medical schools for antisemitism after students wore keffiyehs: report

How much might Trump’s tariffs cost typical U.S. households?

01:30 , Oliver O’Connell

According to the latest research by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals, if fully enacted, would be the largest tax increase in at least a generation (since 1993 or before).

The incoming Trump administration has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico (except Canadian energy, which faces a 10 percent tariff) and a 10 percent increase in tariffs on goods from China. The direct cost of these actions to the typical, or median, US household would be a tax increase of more than $1,200 a year.

The tariffs against Canada and Mexico have been postponed by 30 days to allow for negotiation over what each country and say or do to mollify Trump’s concerns about fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration across the northern and southern borders of the U.S.

These announcements mark the first wave of tariffs expected from the new Trump administration. Trump has threatened the entire world with tariffs. Governments abroad will retaliate; both Canada and Mexico have already announced retaliatory measures. Future waves of US tariffs and retaliation will increase these substantial consumer costs alongside the other economic harms of tariffs: reduced economic growth, a shrinking export sector, and supply chain disruption.

While movements in exchange rates or declines in exporter prices could reduce harm to consumers, prior evidence clearly shows that the effects of exchange rates only partially dampen this harm (with any relief coming at the expense of the export sector). A careful analysis of the 2018–19 trade war with China consistently found that foreign exporters to the United States did not lower their prices when faced with U.S. tariffs; instead, U.S. buyers of imports bore the burden of the tax.

There are additional factors to consider. First, domestic producers competing with the newly tariffed imports will raise their prices in accordance with the increases in import prices. This will further burden US consumers, causing their costs to exceed those illustrated in this figure. Overall, higher prices, coupled with recessionary effects from retaliation and supply chain disruptions, will adversely affect most US households.

Read more here

Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t been elected yet but already thinks he’ll be a two-term governor

01:00 , Mike Bedigan

Vivek Ramaswamy has suggested that he will seek a second term as governor of Ohio, despite not yet having been elected, or even officially announced his bid for office.

The biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate is expected to announce his campaign formally this month. Though it is currently a long road to the statehouse, he told the Wall Street Journal that if successful, he intends to be a two-term governor.

“Those eight years will go by quickly,” he told the outlet.

Read more:

Ramaswamy hasn’t been elected yet but already thinks he’ll be a two-term governor

Trump campaigned that Democrats ‘abandoned’ Catholics. His USAID crusade will decimate the Catholic relief agency

00:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump administration’s ongoing effort to shut down or massively cut the U.S. Agency for International Development is putting the future of a major Catholic relief agency at risk, despite the Republican portraying himself as an ally to Catholics on the campaign trail.

Catholic Relief Services, founded in 1943 by U.S. Catholic bishops, is the single largest recipient of funds from the development agency, which funds around half of the religious aid group’s $1.5 billion budget.

Leaders of the group, where layoffs have already begun, warned staff of major changes because of the political climate, according to an email obtained by the National Catholic Reporter.

Josh Marcus reports.

Trump campaigned as ally to Catholics. His USAID war will hobble their relief agency

Fox News gushes over Trump’s Gaza occupation plan

Wednesday 5 February 2025 23:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Several Fox News hosts on Wednesday heaped praise on Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and forcibly relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians to build the “Riviera of the Middle East,” saying the plan — that’s been labeled “ethnic cleansing” by many — shows the president is playing “four-dimensional chess.”

Justin Baragona has the story.

‘Ethnic cleansing’ or ‘Make Gaza Beautiful Again’?: Trump divides political figures

Scott Turner confirmed as Trump’s HUD secretary

Wednesday 5 February 2025 23:30 , AP

Scott Turner was confirmed Wednesday as the housing secretary, a role central to President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda at a time when most Americans say the cost of living around necessities are a top concern.

The former NFL player, Texas state representative and White House senior aide was confirmed in a 55-44 vote. Only two Democrats backed Turner—Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is tasked with enforcing and coordinating federal housing law. The vast majority of HUD’s budget goes toward housing assistance for lower-income families, the elderly and disabled as well as community development and homelessness programs. The department will be at the forefront of issues ranging from rising housing costs to spurring economic development in struggling cities and lowering homelessness rates, especially among veterans.

Turner will be the second professional football player to lead HUD, after former Rep. Jack Kemp served in the role under President George H. W. Bush. Turner is the only Black American member of Trump’s Cabinet; Ben Carson, who served as HUD secretary of Trump’s first term, was the only Black American member of that Cabinet.

Continue reading…

Full story: Trump signs executive order banning trans women and girls from women’s sports

Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:32 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order to force schools and athletic organizations to ban transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.

The order — which falsely categorizes trans women as “men” — fulfills the president’s campaign promise to end “the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women’s sports” by directing federal law enforcement agencies to take “immediate action” against schools and associations that “deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms,” according to a White House document shared with The Independent.

In remarks from the White House on Wednesday while surrounded by young girls, Trump claimed that the “radical left” has “waged an all-out campaign to erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with a militant transgender ideology.”

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump will sign executive order banning trans women and girls from women’s sports

Trump has ordered federal workers back to the office — but there’s a slight problem…

Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell

President Donald Trump’s order for all federal workers to return to the office could hit a road bump thanks to the policies of his own government.

On his first day in office, Trump ordered all agencies to end remote work and for employees to return to their in-person duty stations. A January 22 memo from the White House’s Office of Personnel Management gave agencies 30 days to comply with this order.

And with the clock ticking, federal agencies — nor the administration itself — have any idea how they will enforce this due to the lack of space available, The Washington Post reports.

Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington, D.C.

Trump has ordered federal workers back to the office. There isn’t enough space

Watch: Trump says Rubio will tell Olympic Committee that America rejects ‘transgender lunacy’

Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:15 , Oliver O’Connell

After Trump executive order, West Point disbands clubs related to gender, race and ethnicity

Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:10 , Oliver O’Connell

West Point Military Academy is getting rid of clubs identifying with gender, race and ethnicity in the wake of President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.

Michelle Del Rey has the details.

West Point disbands clubs after Trump executive order

Can Trump actually carry out his bombshell plan to seize Gaza Strip?

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:50 , Oliver O’Connell

President Donald Trump’s bombshell plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip has sparked worldwide condemnation.

At a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening, Trump said that Palestinians could be resettled away from their homes in the war-torn enclave and said he wouldn’t rule out potentially deploying American troops. His plan to transform Gaza “from a hell hole” to the “Riviera of the Middle East” has even divided his MAGA faithful.

But, now questions swirl about whether he can actually follow through with his plans and whether he can “take over” the disputed land in the Middle East on his own.

Rhian Lubin looks at the realities of the situation.

Can Trump actually carry out his bombshell plan to seize Gaza Strip?

FCC releases unredacted ’60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:41 , Oliver O’Connell

The Federal Communications Commission will open a public docket into its review of a complaint over CBS News’ 60 Minutes broadcast of an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

Watch LIVE: Trump signs anti-trans athletes executive order

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:36 , Oliver O’Connell

Stephen A. Smith throws Hannity’s DEI rant back in his face with Hegseth dig

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:30 , Oliver O’Connell

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith threw Sean Hannity’s complaints about diversity, equity and inclusion back into his face on Tuesday night by wondering how exactly Hannity’s former Fox News colleague Pete Hegseth was “qualified” to run the massive Department of Defense.

Justin Baragona watched the exchange.

Stephen A. Smith throws Hannity’s DEI rant back in his face with Hegseth dig

UN head warns Trump against ethnic cleansing in Gaza

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:21 , Reuters

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told President Donald Trump on Wednesday to avoid ethnic cleansing in Gaza after the U.S. leader proposed Palestinians resettle elsewhere and the United States take over the war-torn enclave.

“In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing,” Guterres told a previously planned meeting of a U.N. committee.

“We must reaffirm the two-state solution,” he said.

While Guterres did not mention Trump or his Gaza proposal during his address to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters earlier that it would be a “fair assumption” to view Guterres’ remarks as a response.

CIA offers ‘buyouts’ to every spy as it works to remake agency in Trump’s vision

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:15 , Oliver O’Connell

The Central Intelligence Agency offered its entire workforce a buyout this week, as President Donald Trump seeks to overhaul the federal government in his vision.

In exchange for resigning or taking early retirement, CIA officers can obtain roughly eight months of pay and benefits, those familiar with the report said – an offer similar to the one the Office of Personnel Management sent to federal employees last week.

It is unclear how many CIA employees have accepted the buyout. The exact number of CIA employees is not public information.

Ariana Baio has the story.

CIA offers ‘buyouts’ to every spy as it works to remake agency in Trump’s vision

Full story: White House offers few answers on Trump’s shocking Gaza proposal

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:08 , Oliver O’Connell

Less than a day after President Donald Trump sent heads spinning around the world by saying that the United States could take control of the Gaza Strip and potentially use American troops to do it, the White House had little in the way of detail on how such an audacious undertaking would be carried out.

During his press conference on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.S. will “take over” Gaza, displacing the 2.1 million Palestinians living there while the territory is rebuilt as “the Riviera of the Middle East.” Pressed on those comments on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to clarify his shocking proposal by stating that there is currently no plan to put American boots on the ground there, nor would American taxpayers foot the bill for reconstructing the territory he has described as “a demolition site.”

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.

White House offers few answers on Trump’s shocking Gaza proposal

About those deferred resignation agreements…

Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:03 , Oliver O’Connell

Jeff Stein of The Washington Post reports that he was sent audio of a call between federal workers and their Human Resources team to discuss the terms of the “deferred resignation” agreements offered by DOGE.

According to the recording, an employee asks if the agreement were to be rescinded after they accept, would they would have any recourse.

In short, no, they would not.

Guatemala to accept increased number of deportation flights US

Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:52 , Reuters

Guatemala will accept 40 percent more deportation flights from the U.S., including both Guatemalan deportees and those of other nationalities, President Bernardo Arevalo said after a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Rubio, speaking at a press conference alongside Arevalo following their meeting in Guatemala City, pledged U.S. support for the Central American country’s efforts to return people not from Guatemala to their homeland.

Washington’s top diplomat, who is touring Central America to discuss migration in his first trip abroad as secretary of State, said Arevalo’s offer to increase the number of flights Guatemala accepts was “very important for us in terms of the migratory situation that we’re facing.”

“His willingness to accept not just nationals but those from other nationalities as they seek to ultimately return to their own homelands is also important, and we’ve pledged our support with those efforts,” Rubio said.

The details of the increase in flights will be discussed in working groups to be established, Arevalo said.

LONGER READ: Is Trump nuts? Or is he deploying the ‘madman theory’?

Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:25 , Oliver O’Connell

Is it really wise to simulate a wild persona with crazy ideas to get what you want? Guy Walters looks at what history tells us…

Is Trump nuts? Or is he deploying the ‘madman theory’?

Watch: Trump mocks Biden for signing with Hollywood talent agency

Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump mocks Biden for signing with Hollywood talent agency: ‘You got to be kidding’

Nancy Mace repeatedly shouts anti-trans slur in House hearing

Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:08 , Oliver O’Connell

A House hearing descended into chaos when MAGA firebrand Nancy Mace, a lawmaker from South Carolina, repeatedly shouted an anti-trans slur.

During a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mace listed off a slew of government expenditures, when Ranking Member Gerald Connolly took issue with her use of the word “t*****.’

Mace’s position on the LGBTQ+ community has radically shifted in recent years.

Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report from Washington, D.C.

Nancy Mace repeatedly shouts anti-trans slur in House hearing: ‘I don’t really care‘

Trump revokes Esper’s security detail, report says

Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:04 , Reuters

President Donald Trump has revoked federal security protection for former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.

Esper, who served during Trump’s first term in office, joins his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, his former national security adviser John Bolton and former Iran envoy Brian Hook in having his security detail withdrawn since Trump took office on January 20.

Mitch McConnell, 82, fell twice in Senate Chamber, report says

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:58 , Oliver O’Connell

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell suffered two falls while near the Senate chamber on Wednesday, according to reports.

According to Punchbowl News, the Kentucky Republican, 82, fell down a small set of stairs on as he was exiting the chamber after a confirmation vote for Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Scott Turner.

Mike Bedigan has the story.

Mitch McConnell, 82, fell twice in Senate Chamber: report

Report: Bondi gets to work with ‘Weaponization Working Group’ and ending freeze on federal executions

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:55 , Oliver O’Connell

According to reporting by CBS News, newly sworn-in attorney general Pam Bondi will get straight to work today signing memoranda directing the Department of Justice to start a “Weaponization Working Group” that will review the prosecutions of Donald Trump in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and state attorney general Letitia James, as well as special counsel Jack Smith in Florida and Washington, D.C.

Bondi will also end the moratorium on federal executions.

Full story: Trump dealt another blow after judge blocks birthright citizenship executive order

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Another federal judge has temporarily struck down Donald Trump’s executive order that seeks to unilaterally redefine the 14th Amendment’s clause on birthright citizenship.

Maryland District Judge Deborah L. Boardman granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday after a group of 16 pregnant women sued the Trump administration in the hours after the president signed an order that seeks to deny citizenship to certain American-born children of immigrants.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump dealt another blow after judge blocks birthright citizenship executive order

Amnesty International calls Trump statement on Gaza ‘inflammatory, outrageous and shameful’

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:43 , Oliver O’Connell

Rights advocacy group Amnesty International said U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians from Gaza was “inflammatory, outrageous and shameful” and amounted to a “flagrant violation of international law.”

“Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime,” Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard told Reuters.

Read the full statement here

Less than a quarter of Americans are happy with public education as Trump’s plans to overhaul system loom

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Almost three-quarters of U.S. citizens say they are dissatisfied with the state of public education, according to a new poll.

Just 24 percent of respondents to Gallup’s latest Mood of the Nation survey expressed satisfaction with the nation’s schooling while 73 percent said they were dissatisfied, the lowest score since the research was first conducted in 2001.

Joe Sommerlad breaks down the numbers.

Less than a quarter of Americans are happy with public education: poll

Trump press secretary appears to walk back president’s shocking comment on Gaza

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:24 , Oliver O’Connell

Asked about how “owning Gaza” helps with the America First project, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to walk back Donald Trump’s comments about a U.S. takeover of the Palestinian territory.

She said at today’s press briefing: “The President has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza. He has also said that the United States is not going to pay for the rebuilding of Gaza. His administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this region.”

Leavitt added: “The president has been thinking about this for quite some time… He expects our partners in the region to accept Palestinian refugees temporarily… The president made this decision with a humanitarian heart.”

Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, given her own show by Fox News

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:22 , Oliver O’Connell

In a precedent-setting move, Fox News will announce on Wednesday that the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump will host her own weekend show, which will debut later this month.

Justin Barangoa reports on this developing story.

Fox News gives Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, her own show

Watch LIVE: White House briefing with Karoline Leavitt

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:16 , Oliver O’Connell

All the times Project 2025 has appeared in Trump’s executive orders

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Five months ago, President Donald Trump stood on a debate stage with Kamala Harris and told voters he had “nothing to do with Project 2025,” that he hadn’t read it, and that he did not want to.

Two months earlier, he made a similar claim about Project 2025 at a rally: “I don’t know what the hell it is.”

However, a new report by Politico outlines 37 examples of the language of Project 2025 appearing in Trump’s orders.

Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington, D.C.

All the times Project 2025 has appeared in Trump’s executive orders

DOJ official: FBI agents who ‘simply followed orders’ in Jan 6 probes won’t be fired

Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:02 , Oliver O’Connell

FBI agents “who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner” while investigating the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol are not in danger of being fired, a senior Justice Department official stated in a memo to the bureau’s workforce obtained by media outlets today.

However, the memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove offers no reassurances for any agents found to have “acted with corrupt or partisan intent.”

Thousands of FBI employees involved in investigations connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol have been required to complete detailed questionnaires regarding their roles in the inquiries as the Trump administration’s Justice Department considered disciplinary actions.

The memo is reportedly not going over well at the FBI.

Senate confirms Scott Tuner as Housing & Urban Development Secretary

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:56 , Oliver O’Connell

Scott Jennings dismisses outrage over Trump’s Gaza plan as ‘dramatic’

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:50 , Oliver O’Connell

CNN’s resident MAGA defender Scott Jennings once again sparked backlash on Tuesday night when he dismissed his fellow panelists’ concerns over President Donald Trump’s plan to permanently relocate Palestinians from Gaza as “dramatic,” claiming that the president was merely “musing.”

During his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump sent shockwaves through the international community when he announced that the United States would “take over Gaza” and “own” the territory, adding that he wanted to make the war-torn strip the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Justin Baragona reports.

CNN’s Scott Jennings dismisses outrage over Trump’s Gaza plan as ‘dramatic’

Trump confirmation hearings: Lutnick and Loeffler nominations move forward

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:48 , Oliver O’Connell

The Senate Commerce Committee has approved Donald Trump’s nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Commerce Secretary on a near party-line 16-12 vote, sending it to the full Senate.

Senator John Fetterman (PA) was the only Democrat to vote Yes with all Republicans.

The Senate Small Business Committee has also approved President Trump’s nomination of former Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler to serve as SBA Administrator on a 12-7 vote.

Democrats Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire joined all Republicans in voting Yes.

National Labor Relations Board member sues Trump for firing her, setting up test case on presidential power

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board who was fired by Donald Trump, has filed a lawsuit contesting her removal. The president is named alongside Marvin Kaplan, the new chairman of the NLRB.

This suit sets up an explosive test case about the president’s power over independent federal agencies.

The suit alleges that Trump’s late-night dismissal of Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the board and as its chair, violated the law that permits removing board members only for “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.”

The law stipulates that removal can only happen after notice and a hearing. The lawsuit argued that Trump’s dismissal lacked justification for his action and was carried out without notice or a hearing.

A sitting NLRB board member has never been removed by a president in the agency’s 90-year history.

Wilcox’s removal leaves the NLRB without the quorum necessary to conduct business enforcing the nation’s labor laws.

Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is in court seeking to have the agency declared unconstitutional.

Arab world swiftly rejects Trump’s Gaza vision

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump has been accused of promoting the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinian people after he said the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip, relocate its inhabitants and turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The remarks, made alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, which is the first in-person visit by a foreign leader since Mr Trump’s return to office, sparked controversy in the region, being swiftly rejected by Palestinian leaders and leaders of the Arab world

Sweta Sharma and Tom Watling look at reactions around the region.

Arab world rejects Trump’s plan for US to ‘take over’ Gaza and relocate Palestinians

Republicans rally behind Tulsi Gabbard as nomination moves ahead

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Tulsi Gabbard cleared an important hurdle to become President Donald Trump’s director of National Intelligence when the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance her nomination to the full Senate floor on Tuesday.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, D.C.

Republicans rally behind Tulsi Gabbard as Senate panel approves her nomination

Watch LIVE: Protesters gather in DC against Trump administration’s actions against USAID

Wednesday 5 February 2025 17:07 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump congratulates ‘unbelievably fair’ AG Bondi at swearing-in

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:55 , Oliver O’Connell

President Donald Trump congratulated his new attorney general, Pam Bondi, calling her “unbelievably fair and unbelievably good.”

“I know I’m supposed to say, ‘she’s going to be totally impartial with respect to Democrats,’ and I think she will be as impartial as a person can be.”

Bondi was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Among her 25 guests at the swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office were her mother and her husband, who stood beside her holding the Bible as she took the oath of office.

Asked what Attorney General Bondi’s top priority will be, the presdient said: “Very simple, Make America Great Again. That’s what we’re going to do… She’s going to take crime out of the system. As much as anybody can do that, she’s going to do. We’re going to make America safe again.”

Trump’s Gaza plan — is it legal?

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:50 , Reuters Correspondents

US President Donald Trump has proposed that the United States “take over” the Gaza Strip and permanently relocate the nearly two million Palestinians living in the war-torn territory to neighbouring countries.

Trump has previously called on Egypt and Jordan to resettle Palestinians from Gaza – a proposal that both countries have firmly rejected.

His latest astonishing proposal – and the possibility of a US takeover of a sovereign territory – have immediately been met with criticism and questions about the legality of such a move.

When asked what authority would allow the US to “take over” Gaza, Trump did not have an answer. He only said it would be a “long-term ownership position”. He also did not rule out using US troops.

So, what does international law say about this idea?

Read on…

Trump wants the US to ‘take over’ Gaza. Is this legal?

Watch: Pam Bondi sworn in as Trump’s attorney general by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:40 , Oliver O’Connell

US military plane with Indian migrants lands in Punjab ahead of Modi-Trump meet

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:30 , Oliver O’Connell

A US military plane deporting over a hundred Indian immigrants landed in India’s northern state of Punjab on Wednesday, the first such flight as Donald Trump’s key policies during his second term in office takes shape.

The C-17 plane which took off from Texas on Tuesday landed at Amritsar’s Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

It comes as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Mr Trump in the White House next week after he agreed his country would “do what’s right” in accepting US deportations. During the phone call, Mr Trump stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and fair bilateral trade.

Shweta Sharma reports.

US military plane with Indian immigrants lands in Punjab ahead of Modi-Trump meet

Second federal judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:26 , Oliver O’Connell

A federal judge in Maryland today became the second nationally to block Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing the Republican president’s executive order that limits birthright citizenship in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt sided with two immigrant rights groups and five pregnant women who argued that their children were at risk of being unconstitutionally denied U.S. citizenship due to their parents’ immigration status.

The judge, an appointee of Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, issued a nationwide preliminary injunction preventing Trump’s order from taking effect nationwide as planned on February 19.

Here’s Alex Woodward with some background to the legal challenges to Trump’s order:

The latest order striking down Trump’s attempt to unilaterally redefine the 14th Amendment follows a lawsuit from 16 pregnant women represented by CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project.

“The executive order caused a lot of confusion for families like mine,” plaintiff Monica, who was 12 weeks pregnant, told reporters in Spanish on last month. “It’s left us with more uncertainty than ever before … Will my child be a U.S. citizen? Will he be nothing? We don’t know what to do.”

Adelina, another plaintiff in the lawsuit, has been living in the United States for seven years and is currently six months pregnant. She has one other 5-year-old child, who was born in the United States and is a citizen.

“It pains her to think that one of her children will have more benefits than the other, even though they were both born here,” according to the complaint. “She is concerned that if her unborn child is not considered a United States citizen, they will experience significant hardship and not have the same opportunity as their sibling.”

And here’s our earlier reporting on the plaintiffs in that case:

Pregnant women are ‘sad, anxious and confused’ after Trump’s citizenship order

Here we go again? Democrat lawmaker to file articles of impeachment against Trump

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:22 , Oliver O’Connell

On February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump, concluding the third presidential trial in American history. Though a majority of senators expressed unease with Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles of impeachment, just one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, broke with the GOP and voted to convict.

Now, here we are five years later (and one other impeachment of Trump), and Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green says he will file articles of impeachment against President Trump over his plan for Gaza.

“The movement to impeach the President has begun. I rise to announce that I will bring articles of impeachment against the President for dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done,” said Green on the House floor.

Hearing scheduled over blocking releases of FBI agent names

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:17 , Alex Woodward

A judge has scheduled a hearing tomorrow morning on a motion for a temporary restraining order that would block the release of FBI agent names targeted for retaliatory purges because of their work on January 6 cases and investigations into Donald Trump.

Here’s what you need to know about the case:

FBI agents file class action suit against Trump’s DOJ over ‘retribution’

What to expect from Trump’s executive order on trans participation in sports

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:13 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump administration will implement a series of actions on Wednesday targeting the participation of transgender girls and women in school sports, according to a White House official.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order instructing federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Education, to interpret Title IX, a law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, as banning the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports, the official stated.

The White House will also instruct the State Department to scrutinize visa applications from transgender individuals for “fraud,” and plans to raise the issue internationally, including at the United Nations and within the private sector, the official added.

The official said the U.S. intends to use “all of our authority and our ability” to enforce the order concerning International Olympic Committee events taking place on U.S. soil.

According to the official, the order aims to protect girls and women in schools, citing what they described as thousands of complaints from individuals worried about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports.

It represents a restrictive interpretation of Title IX, claiming that it is a sex-based law that only protects people born as women, not those born as males who undergo surgery or hormone treatments, the official noted.

With reporting by Reuters

RFK Jr had dinner with Pfizer CEO as he prepares to become health secretary, report says

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has revealed that he recently dined with health secretary nominee and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – and vaccine talk was apparently not on the menu.

The $150 billion company CEO revealed the pair conversed over a meal after being introduced by President Trump, as revealed in an earnings call Tuesday, heard by Business Insider.

While the exact date of the meeting was not disclosed, Bourla said he and the health secretary nominee chatted civilly, conversing on topics they agreed on rather than straying to more divisive topics like “vaccines”.

Madeline Sherratt has the story.

Robert F. Kennedy had dinner with Pfizer CEO

Displacing Palestinians would be moral abomination, says Human Rights Watch

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:06 , Reuters

Displacing Palestinians would be a moral abomination, Human Rights Watch Israel and Palestine director said on Wednesday in response to a proposal from President Donald Trump for the United States to take over Gaza.

“It would be a moral abomination,” Omar Shakir, from the international non-government organization that advocates for human rights, told Reuters.

“International humanitarian law forbids the forced displacement of the population of an occupied territory. When such forced displacement is widespread, it can amount to a war crime or a crime against humanity,” added Shakir.

Full story: USPS reverses order suspending packages from Hong Kong and China

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:04 , Oliver O’Connell

The U.S. Postal Service has reversed its ban on suspended parcels from China and Hong Kong, which was issued just a day ago.

The USPS initially issued the suspension notice on Tuesday before changing course on Wednesday morning. Now, parcels from China and Hong Kong will still be processed, and the USPS will work with Customs and Border Protection to implement a Chinese tariff collection process to limit delivery disruptions, the agency said in a statement.

Katie Hawkinson and James Liddell report.

USPS reverses order suspending packages from Hong Kong and China amid Trump trade war

Inside USAID as Elon Musk works to dismantle humanitarian agency

Wednesday 5 February 2025 16:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Richard Hall writes:

The emails began arriving soon after Inauguration Day, and the intention was clear.

Jason Gray, an acting administrator installed by Donald Trump atop the U.S. Agency for International Development, delivered a flurry of orders to staff in late January aimed at radically overhauling the agency in the president’s image.

“We were inundated with a barrage of hostile, threatening messages,” one staffer told The Independent. “I think they were designed to instill fear.”

Continue reading…

‘Shock and fear’: Inside USAID as Elon Musk works to dismantle humanitarian agency

If forced out by Trump, where could Palestinians from Gaza go?

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump believes neighboring countries — already home to millions of Palestinian refugees — would take people from Gaza.

Tom Watling looks at the likelihood of that happening…

Mapped: Where could Palestinians forced from Gaza go?

What’s on Trump’s schedule today?

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Today, President Donald Trump will meet with Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, at 2:30 p.m. in the Oval Office.

At 3 p.m. the president will sign the “No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order” into law.

And at 4 p.m., he will meet with Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, also in the Oval Office.

USAID staff place on leave from Friday and told to return to U.S.

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:44 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump administration on Tuesday revealed plans to place all directly hired employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development worldwide on leave and to recall thousands of personnel stationed abroad.

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally,” said an announcement on the USAID website, which has been down since the weekend.

Some personnel “responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs” were excepted from the move, it said.

According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), USAID has a workforce of more than 10,000, with about two-thirds of that staff serving overseas. The agency has more than 60 country and regional missions.

The announcement said that Washington, in coordination with the State Department, was preparing a plan for USAID staff overseas and would pay for their return travel to the United States within 30 days. It added that USAID leadership would consider case-by-case exceptions based on personal hardship or concerns over mobility and safety.

“Thank you for your service,” the announcement finished.

The shocking overhaul, which threatens to upend the lives of thousands of staff and their families, comes as President Donald Trump moves to merge USAID, Washington’s main humanitarian agency that distributes billions of dollars in aid abroad, with the State Department, effectively dismantling the agency as an independent entity.

With reporting from Reuters

COMMENT: Trump’s colonisation of Gaza is doomed, deranged and dangerous for Americans

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Sam Kiley, The Independent’s world affairs editor, writes that the president’s proposal for Gaza would pitch his troops directly against Hamas and make America the focus of extremist hatred.

Is that what Trump really wants, he asks.

Trump’s colonisation of Gaza is doomed, deranged and dangerous for Americans 

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:34 , Oliver O’Connell

Daniel Penny is hired by top Silicon Valley investment firm

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The Marine veteran who strangled a fellow New York City subway passenger to death has been hired by a premier Silicon Valley investment firm – two months after he was staring at a 20-year prison sentence.

Daniel Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter in December 2024 after he grappled Jordan Neely, 30, to the ground and held him around the neck for about six minutes in a chokehold during a frantic subway ride in 2023.

Now, the 26-year-old is working as a deal partner for Andreessen Horowitz in Manhattan on the firm’s American Dynamism team – a department that invests in aerospace, defense, public safety, and education, amongst other sectors, states their website.

Madeline Sherratt reports.

Daniel Penny has a new gig following manslaughter acquittal

ICYMI: Trump congratulates Pam Bondi and says reports of blowing Iran ‘into smithereens’ are exaggerated

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:16 , Oliver O’Connell

In a pair of morning posts on Truth Social, Donald Trump kicked off his day by congratulating his new attorney general on her confirmation and said reports of the U.S. working with Israel to “blow Iran into smithereens” are “GREATLY EXAGGERATED.”

Here’s what the president wrote about Pam Bondi being sworn in today:

Congratulations to our wonderful and very talented United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, who gets sworn in today amid tremendous support, and the respect of ALL! I know Pam well, it was an honor to appoint her, and my prediction is that she will go down as one of the best and most consequential Attorney Generals in the history of our Country. Congratulations Pam, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

And here’s the full post about his plan for Iran and a nuclear peace agreement:

I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens,” ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED. I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!

Trump’s Middle East decree divides MAGA faithful

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump left Republicans and Democrats divided after announcing his brazen plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and, in doing so, transform it from a “hell hole” to the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The president has been met with a mixture of support, dissent and outright confusion after Tuesday’s remarks in a White House press conference that even surprised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

James Liddell looks at key reactions to Trump’s divisive comments from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.

‘Ethnic cleansing’ or ‘Make Gaza Beautiful Again’?: Trump divides political figures

Lawmakers introduce act to make September 11 a federal holiday

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:07 , Oliver O’Connell

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York have introduced the “Patriot Day Act” in Congress to formally designate September 11th as a federal holiday.

14 state AGs vow to challenge Trump’s order on gender affirming healthcare for under-19s

Wednesday 5 February 2025 15:01 , Alex Woodward

The attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont have issued a joint statement promising to file any legal challenges if necessary against Donald Trump’s executive order taking aim at gender-affirming healthcare for trans people under 19.

As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of health care policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves.

The Trump administration’s recent Executive Order is wrong on the science and the law. Despite what the Trump administration has suggested, there is no connection between ‘female genital mutilation’ and gender-affirming care, and no federal law makes gender-affirming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by Executive Order.

Last week, attorneys general secured a critical win from a federal court that directed the federal government to resume funding that had been frozen by the Trump administration. In response to the court’s order, the Department of Justice has sent a notice stating that ‘federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.’ This means that federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care continues to be available, irrespective of President Trump’s recent Executive Order. If the federal administration takes additional action to impede this critical funding, we will not hesitate to take further legal action.

State attorneys general will continue to enforce state laws that provide access to gender-affirming care in states where such enforcement authority exists, and we will challenge any unlawful effort by the Trump administration to restrict access to it in our jurisdictions.

Rand Paul rejects Trump’s Gaza vision

Wednesday 5 February 2025 14:57 , Oliver O’Connell

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has spoken out against Donald Trump’s vision of the future for Gaza — being taken over and redeveloped by the U.S.

The senator wrote in response to a tweet from Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The pursuit for peace should be that of the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

“I thought we voted for America First,” he continued. “We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood.”

Trump wants US oil producers to ‘drill, baby, drill’. They’re not interested

Wednesday 5 February 2025 14:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s mantra during his campaign for the presidency was: “Drill, baby, drill.”

The problem? Oil producers aren’t interested.

That’s the conclusion of industry experts, who point out that oil producers are wooed far more by profitability than in pumping as much oil as possible out of the ground.

Mary Papenfuss reports.

Trump wants US oil producers to ‘drill, baby, drill. They’re not interested: Report