America in Focus

(The Center Square) – U.S. stocks soared Monday after the world's two largest economies reached a temporary trade deal to significantly lower tariffs while talks continue. The Dow gained 2.8% to close at 42,410, above where it closed on April 2 before President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs drove markets down. The S&P 500 gained 3.26% on the day while the Nasdaq was up 4.3%, entering a new bull market by closing 20% above its April low point. On Monday morning, China and the U.S. released details of a trade pact reached over the weekend after talks in Geneva. The U.S. and China said they will cut tariffs on imports from each other by May 14.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_700f445f-e11a-4496-9456-402a50f0b243.html

(The Center Square) – Federal authorities are investigating whether a message posted on social media by former FBI Director James Comey was meant to be a threat against President Donald Trump. Comey, who was fired by Trump in his first term, posted an image on Instagram Thursday of seashells in the sand spelling the numbers "8647." The number "86" often is used to refer to getting rid of something, including an individual. Trump is the 47th (and 45th) U.S. president. Accompanying the "8647" image was a message Comey captioned the post with: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk…" he wrote.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_03aa7dbe-e695-4f24-a8a2-20631e8d2442.html

(The Center Square) — Legislators rejected seven bills on Tuesday that would have greatly hindered the development of carbon capture and sequestration, a major blow to Louisiana constituents concerned about eminent domain and CO2 leaks. Only one bill moved through the House Natural Resources Committee. Senate Bill 73, from Sen. Mike Reese, R-Beauregard, passed without objection. The bill requires the commissioner of conservation to give significant weight to local government input when making decisions on carbon dioxide sequestration projects that involve public comments or hearings. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_79dd7e46-6b50-44d8-9bff-aee00cdf8232.htmlhttps://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_ae0d1f09-9b47-440c-8557-91b681b0471c.html

(The Center Square) – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that travelers without Real ID-compliant cards will still be able to board flights – for now – even when the law takes effect on Wednesday. "What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line, and [they] will issue their ID and show it," Noem told lawmakers on Tuesday. "If it's not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly." The requirement for REAL IDs comes from legislation passed by Congress in 2005 after the 9/11 attacks, and was intended to make IDs more difficult to fake. The REAL ID Act established minimum security standards for driver's licenses and other forms of state-issued identification.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_0e789f3f-1e67-414a-95cd-9dbe6d69a240.html

(The Center Square) – As the final House committees markup the lion's share of the budget reconciliation package, nearly three dozen fiscally conservative lawmakers are reminding party leaders to fulfill their spending reduction promises. The $5.8 trillion concurrent budget resolution, which gives congressional committees funding directions to pass President Donald Trump's tax and other policy goals, barely passed both chambers in April. Fiscal hardliners only backed it on the promise of deep spending cuts. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_11a46b34-0226-4161-bc11-85c4d3c1040e.html

(The Center Square) – The crypto company Ripple recently offered big money to purchase the company best known for issuing the USDC stablecoin. Ripple, best known for its XRP token, offered somewhere between $4 billion and $5 billion to take over Circle Internet Group Inc. However, its proposal was rejected by Circle, Bloomberg reports. The offer would have consolidated two prominent stablecoin companies had Circle accepted the deal. Although Ripple hasn't ruled out making another offer, the rejection baffled crypto experts. Some argue Circle will regret its decision.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_1d3ff64f-f956-46e9-a4c6-55538463ec2a.html

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended a Milwaukee judge facing two federal charges for allegedly trying to help a man illegally in the country escape from immigration officials. The order, released late Tuesday, said Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan faces two federal charges – one a felony and one a misdemeanor – and it is in the public interest to relieve her of her duties temporarily. “The court is charged in the Wisconsin Constitution with exercising superintending and administrative authority of the courts of this state. In the exercise of that constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public's confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,” the order reads. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_79fa734e-dc49-48b4-94e0-acebe1b68a6f.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump delivered remarks at a rally in Michigan Tuesday evening, his 100th day in office of his second term. Trump touted his progress cutting federal waste, “protecting workers, restoring the rule of law” and ending illegal immigration as part of “the most successful 100 days in the history of any administration.” “Instead of putting China first, I'm putting Michigan first and I'm putting America first,” Trump said at the Macomb County Rally.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_6a808be8-45e3-4fa5-97e0-554851cb0d33.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump's goals for the Department of Government Efficiency remain even as leader Elon Musk prepares to spend less time on government matters and more time with electric vehicle maker Tesla. When Trump first created DOGE, before taking office, he said it would be the government cost-cutting equivalent of the "Manhattan Project." Both Trump and Musk promised Americans would get a more efficient government after DOGE addressed government waste and cut regulations, but the final product – a streamlined government – isn't due until July 4, 2026, the nation's 250th birthday.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_6b6d3bd7-80e3-4c5e-8186-c4aaa8bf696e.html

(The Center Square) – Americans aren't thrilled with how President Donald Trump is handling the economy, despite the economy and immigration being his top-performing issues in polls leading up to the election. The president's overall job approval ratings are barely distinguishable from how he's polling on the economy, according to The Center Square Voters' Voice poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights. Among the more than 2,500 registered voters surveyed, 44% indicated they approved of how the president is doing his job and 43% approved of how he's handling the economy. More than half – 53% and 54%, respectively – indicated they were unhappy with his economic and overall job performance.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_28b1e47e-6a55-4086-8f1c-599050340d34.html

(The Center Square) – A nonprofit public-interest litigation firm filed a lawsuit Monday alleging President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs require congressional approval. The Liberty Justice Center, based in Texas, challenged the administration's reciprocal tariffs, which Trump announced on April 2 and suspended on April 9, hours after they went into effect. The Liberty Justice Center filing argues that the administration has no authority to issue across-the-board worldwide tariffs without congressional approval. The nonprofits lawsuit alleges Trump has broadly overstepped his authority by claiming "the authority to unilaterally levy tariffs on goods imported from any and every country in the world, at any rate, calculated via any methodology – or mere caprice – immediately, with no notice, or public comment, or phase-in, or delay in implementation, despite massive economic impacts that are likely to do severe damage to the global economy."Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_e9db5f3b-3417-4d53-981e-08253316dbcb.html

(The Center Square) – As Americans file their taxes at the last minute this April 15, the federal debt – and Americans' federal debt burden – continues to grow. While the federal government reports a national debt nearing $37 trillion, one budget watchdog says the figure is actually much higher: $158.6 trillion, amounting to $974,000 for each federal taxpayer. Truth in Accounting, a nonprofit budget accountability group that emphasizes a different approach to government accounting, released those figures, arguing that they more accurately represent the fiscal situation of the federal government.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_9fe2aaac-eba8-45ac-be32-67be2d90fb35.html

(The Center Square) − A Louisiana jury's decision last week to award $745 million in damages against Chevron has become the latest flashpoint in the national legal battle over climate accountability, drawing fierce reactions from industry allies, legal reform advocates, and watchdog groups warning of broader implications. The verdict, issued by the 25th Judicial District Court in Plaquemines Parish, marks the first jury trial result from a slate of more than 40 lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes since 2013. The suits claim that oil and gas operations contributed significantly to coastal erosion and environmental degradation. But critics say the lawsuits could imperil the state's economic prospects while doing little to directly restore coastal lands.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_07e37e27-e291-446e-a2b6-64607a475fca.html

(The Center Square) – The massive crackdown on illegal immigration at the southern border is making the U.S. safer, but there's more work to do, border czar Tom Homan told Arizona lawmakers during a joint session of the Legislature Tuesday. “In a matter of weeks, we've had illegal border crossings down 94%. President (Donald) Trump did in five weeks what Joe Biden wouldn't do in four years,” said Homan, who advises Trump on border issues. Lawmakers in the Legislature, which has a Republican majority in both houses, applauded regularly during Homan's speech. Members of the Democratic minority walked out at the start of the speech to protest the Trump administration policies.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_af427476-9bcf-41db-952d-6b3d695a4efb.html

(The Center Square) – As Senate Republicans work on the floor to pass a compromise budget resolution, fiscal watchdogs are warning that permanently extending President Donald Trump's tax cuts will have dire consequences. The Senate's amendment to the House's $4.5 trillion budget resolution would theoretically subtract $3.8 trillion from the price tag by adopting a current policy baseline, which treats renewing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a continuation of current law rather than new policy. The unconventional tactic would also allow the TCJA to become permanent since it puts the costs of extension at zero. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_501c956b-b50d-4fe9-8972-1b1f8d3a7f14.html

Trade between the world's two largest economies could soon come to a standstill as the U.S. and China dig in on trade war. President Donald Trump hit China with 145% tariffs on imports from the globe's second-largest economy. China hit back with 125% tariffs, but said there's no point in going higher.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_aab635ed-5fc1-41e7-a68e-26c5acd95a37.html

(The Center Square) – Susan Crawford won the highly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court race Tuesday night as both CNN and The Associated Press called the race. Crawford held 55.9% of the vote compared to 44.1% for Brad Schimel as of 9:25 p.m. central time on Tuesday on an Election Day where seven locations in Milwaukee ran out of ballots, causing voting delays. Schimel conceded the race shortly after 9:30 p.m. central time. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_55d9c57d-e77c-4692-b5cc-c77a7589d8bb.html

(The Center Square) – A flurry of lawsuits have been filed around the country in recent years attempting to make oil and gas companies pay for the costs of climate change. But critics of these lawsuits say that they are on tenuous legal ground because of a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court case, and proving direct causation is difficult. One such case is underway in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a moderate state known for its energy industry and that is inevitably at the center of presidential politics each election cycle. The Bucks County government – like many other local and state governments around the country – has filed a lawsuit against the largest and most recognizable oil companies in the U.S., demanding huge payouts for their alleged role in causing climate change.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_ffa94fbd-c64e-4bdf-ab27-3a25faaa1af3.html

(The Center Square) – U.S. markets took their steepest dive Thursday since the pandemic hit in March 2020 as investors worry about how the U.S. economy will handle President Donald Trump's latest tariffs. The Dow industrials dropped 1,679 points, or 4%. The tech-focused Nasdaq slumped 6%. The S&P 500 fell 4.8%. The dollar slipped to its lowest level of the year. It was the sharpest one-day decline since March 2020, when many states shut down large parts of the U.S. economy to slow the spread of COVID-19. U.S. markets plummeted after Trump's "Liberation Day" for U.S. trade on Wednesday, when he announced a 10% baseline tariff on all countries that will take effect Saturday. Trump also put higher individualized reciprocal tariffs on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits, including China, India and Vietnam, among others.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_20573298-9c41-45a7-8b5d-2615ba81229b.html

(The Center Square) – A North Dakota jury of nine on Wednesday found environmental activist group Greenpeace liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a years-long lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer, the company that built the Dakota Access Pipeline that became the subject of sometimes violent protests and international attention. Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace for $300 million over the protests that delayed the pipeline's completion by five months, but jurors awarded the energy infrastructure giant and its subsidiary, Dakota Access LLC, a total of more than $660 million.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_dakota/article_03f0a15d-8797-472f-b419-08eff6e7f891.html

(The Center Square) – Boeing earned a contract to build the U.S. Air Force's top air dominance fighter, the F-47 and the service has plenty of options to base operational squadrons both in the U.S. and overseas. The sixth-generation aircraft is intended to replace the Air Force's existing top fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and will work with uncrewed aerial vehicles. The service says the aircraft will fly by the end of the decade. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_4e604ad8-703e-4914-9cba-5eca6b07fdea.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump Thursday called for defunding National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service, two partially federally funded groups under scrutiny in the DOGE era. Trump's comments come after heads of both NPR and PBS defended their work at a Wednesday Congressional hearing. At the Wednesday hearing, Republican critics honed in on aggressively anti-Trump coverage, inclusion of trans content in children's programming, and a former senior editor at NPR who uncovered that 87 registered Democrats and not a single registered Republican worked in NPR's D.C. office.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_0989e03e-2a2a-47d5-8972-a1ed9867b3af.html

(The Center Square) – Nearly two weeks after a reporter was erroneously looped into a Signal messaging chat between top national security officials, the White House said it is "making changes" to address the issue. “We have never denied that this was a mistake, and the national security adviser took responsibility for that and we have said we are making changes," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday morning. "We are looking into the matter to ensure it can never happen again." On Monday, The Atlantic broke the news of how its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, had mistakenly been included on a text thread between a number of cabinet members and administration higher-ups in the encrypted Signal messaging app.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_0a2e4eee-d6c2-4bee-af6c-1e6474da3a41.html

(The Center Square) – U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts criticized President Donald Trump's move to impeach judges who have ruled against the president's policies, saying that the court system should be left to resolve legal disputes. "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said Tuesday in a statement. "The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose." The Chief Justice's rare public comments came after Trump demanded the impeachment of a federal judge overseeing a legal challenge to the removal of alleged Venezuelan gang members using the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th century statute.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_26572a26-042d-11f0-8b61-03f8126e1de8.html

(The Center Square) – In a move that will undoubtedly incite legal challenges, President Donald Trump dismantled the U.S. Department of Education via executive order Thursday, sending education policy back to the state level. The long-promised, controversial order preserves and redistributes the Education department's responsibilities to other federal agencies and departments. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will facilitate the closure process.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_632f6ec9-869e-4ad9-b6b2-860ded687230.html

(The Center Square) – The cost to bring home a pair of stranded astronauts that have spent most of a year in space aboard the International Space Station could be as much as $150 million. Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, boarded a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and splashed down in the Gulf of America near the Big Bend region of Florida late Tuesday afternoon. Williams and Wilmore arrived on the Space Station on June 6 and had spent 286 days in space, stranded because of issues with the Boeing Dreamliner spacecraft, which later returned without them in September.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_c0d9606e-04c8-11f0-9fa1-cba34c98f87b.html

(The Center Square) – Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday he would suspend the province's 25% tariff on U.S.-bound electricity after getting a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and hours after President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canada. Ford previously said Tuesday he wouldn't budge on the electricity surtax until Trump dropped his tariff threats. Hours later, he changed course after scheduling a meeting Thursday with Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. "I'm not out to hurt the American people,” Ford told reporters in Toronto. "Sometimes you have to play your cards, and this is one of the cards we played, and hopefully we're going to have a very good constructive conversation." Ford reversed course hours after Trump said that he would double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in response to the 25% tariffs Ontario put on electricity going to the U.S. Trump said the tariffs would cripple Canada's auto industry.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_89c85228-fea7-11ef-a8f0-1320f3e7e4bc.html

(The Center Square) – With just a day before the potential for a government shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., switched course Thursday night and said he would vote to approve House Republicans' Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through the end of the fiscal year. “I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. Just a day earlier, Schumer said Democrats would not support the House bill unless a Democratic amendment was added to shorten the stopgap budget to one month. The measure passed by the Republican majority in the House funds the government for more than six months, through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_133f8fbc-00c4-11f0-afa4-0b2a3148f126.html

(The Center Square) – Four sanctuary city mayors who spent millions of state and federal taxpayer dollars to accommodate illegal immigrants denied that blocking federal agents from deporting criminal migrants violated federal law at a committee hearing Wednesday. Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform committee grilled Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a hearing Wednesday. The mayors defended restrictions they approved that prevented local authorities from cooperating with detainer and deportation requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for illegal immigrants that committed crimes. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_9014c7d6-f9e5-11ef-a88b-8bea5954dcc1.html

(The Center Square) – Stocks sunk Thursday afternoon despite President Donald Trump's decision to grant major exceptions to the 25% tariffs he put on Mexico and Canada earlier this week. All three major U.S. market indexes were in the red by the time of Trump's afternoon bill signing. Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office that steel and aluminum tariffs were on track for next week without modifications. Trump shrugged off the stock losses, blaming the decline on "globalists."Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_d7e727b0-facc-11ef-934d-33617745799c.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump addressed both the House and Senate Tuesday evening in a wide-ranging speech at about the six week-mark into his second term in office. Trump's remarks come amidst a series of executive orders, a successful border crackdown, new tariffs, tumultuous foreign policy, and some lawsuits threatening to halt part of his progress. The president began his speech by touting his ambitious pace since taking office.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_97039e66-f970-11ef-be0f-1f24d99e301d.html

(The Center Square) – While expert witnesses gave divided views on the shuttering of the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), lawmakers sparred Wednesday during a  House Oversight subcommittee hearing over the alleged corruption within the independent agency. Democrats on the Subcommittee on Delivery on Government Efficiency argued that the closing of USAID's operations by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has politicized and jeopardized vital humanitarian work globally. Republicans, on the other hand, insisted that politicization is already endemic within USAID and necessitates either drastic reforms or abolishing the agency entirely and placing foreign aid under the purview of the State department.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_7b0e95e2-f481-11ef-8f4f-cb0e8b093366.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump's tax cuts, border, defense, and energy promises are one step closer to enactment after the U.S. House narrowly passed its $4.5 trillion budget resolution Tuesday night, officially kickstarting the budget reconciliation process. Following hours of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., convincing Republican holdouts to commit, a brief cancellation of the vote, and then an abrupt recalling of all House members, the resolution passed 217-215 and now heads to the Senate. Republicans have a majority in the upper chamber with 53 members to the Democrats' 45 and two independents caucusing with them.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_e934e594-f3eb-11ef-b32d-13db8e438b27.html

(The Center Square) – The month-old Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk has saved American taxpayers $55 billion, according to the latest update from the group. Its ‘Wall of Receipts' on its new website catalogues where the department has made cuts and how much those cuts are worth. The biggest line item on ‘the wall' is one from the Department of Homeland Security for $8 billion. The U.S. Agency for International Development appears the most in DOGE's records and so far, shows more than $6.5 billion slashed from its budget, according to the site, though it is still being updated. USAID and the Department of Education top DOGE's list for 'total contract savings' for government agencies. The DHS is sixth. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3af14946-ee3c-11ef-975d-537cdefa30fb.html

(The Center Square) – In the first 10 days of the Trump administration, apprehensions dropped by 85% between ports of entry at the southwest border, according to new data published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, 2025, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped by 85% compared to the same period in 2024. The number of inadmissible illegal border crossers using a CBP One phone app arriving at ports of entry at the southwest border dropped 93% in 11 days compared to the same time period one year prior.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx  Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_f8084f54-eef3-11ef-b021-8b3a654452eb.html 

(The Center Square) – Billionaire Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump in the oval office Tuesday as the president signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to work with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. The order will require federal agencies to work with DOGE to significantly reduce their labor force. A White House fact sheet, first reported by Semafor, says the order requires agencies hire “no more than one employee for every four employees” that are fired, with some exceptions, including for public safety and law enforcement. DOGE and Musk have dominated the news cycle since Trump took office by exposing an onslaught of controversial federal spending, most notably as USAID, an agency that has been all but destroyed since Trump took office.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_d333eb96-e8bf-11ef-8bdb-db2d3091b469.html

(The Center Square) – Prices rose more than expected last month, newly released inflation data shows. The Consumer Price Index, a leading marker of inflation, rose 0.5% in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The January increase contributed to a 3% increase in the last 12 months, the highest level since June. The rising cost of shelter drove much of the increase.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story:Inflation rises in latest dataWATCH: Can Trump really lower gas prices?

(The Center Square) – Foreign aid has become the newest target of the Department of Government Efficiency, with President Donald Trump reportedly planning to merge the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the State department. Trump has already made Secretary of State Marco Rubio the acting administrator of USAID and halted the agency's work via a foreign funding freeze, moves Democratic lawmakers say amount to an “illegal takeover.” The changes follow DOGE leader Elon Musk's social media announcements over the weekend that Trump is planning on dismantling USAID entirely, a claim that Rubio dismissed Monday when he told reporters that the goal is “not about ending the programs that USAID does per se,” but rather ensuring it operates in a responsible, America-centric way.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx  Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_a2810fa0-e25d-11ef-ae2b-7be3a0f08321.html

(The Center Square) – Major markets pared some losses after President Donald Trump paused his plans for 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada while starting talks with China on a 10% additional tariff over fentanyl smuggling. Trump on Saturday ended decades of duty-free trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada with a 25% tariff on imported goods from the two countries with a lower 10% tariff on Canadian energy resources. Trump said he'd keep the tariffs in place until the illegal fentanyl trade subsided. He also added a 10% tariff on imports from China over that country's role in producing the chemicals needed to make fentanyl, a powerful opioid blamed for the majority of U.S. overdose deaths.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_46270660-e27b-11ef-a8c5-e3d4b5a180a5.html

The White House took steps to make good on its promise to cut the federal government down to size by giving federal workers a choice: return to the office full-time or leave with eight months of pay. The Office of Personnel Management told federal workers Tuesday night that they have until Feb. 6 to decide to stay or go. If they step down, they will continue getting all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work requirements until Sept. 30. However, the Trump administration said that even government employees who stay on could still eventually lose their jobs as the president reshapes the federal government and its workforce.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_750b1a5c-de57-11ef-8ce1-0fe0a983828f.html

Within a week of President Donald Trump being sworn into office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers working with multiple federal agencies are arresting nearly 1,000 people every day set to be deported. On Jan. 26, federal agents arrested 956 illegal border crossers and made 554 detainer requests with local jails, ICE reported. On Jan. 27, they arrested 1,179 foreign nationals in the country illegally and made 853 detainer requests. The agency is publishing daily updates on social media. Those working with ICE include agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Marshals Service.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_82223158-dcfe-11ef-a6d0-6b06908f30be.html

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump Monday night declared a national emergency at the U.S. southwest border and issued multiple directives to implement border security. Former President Joe Biden “allowed millions of people to pour through our borders from jails, prisons, mental institutions, insane asylums, gang members to be taken off the streets of Venezuela and deposited in our country and not just Venezuela … through an open border policy," Trump said. "All over the world, they're emptying their prisons into our country, they're emptying their mental institutions into our country. It stopped as of one o'clock this afternoon.” After returning to the Oval Office, Trump signed a series of proclamations and executive orders to implement border security measures.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more:Trump issues series of border security orders 'to protect America from invasion'Trump declares national energy emergency 

(The Center Square) – As President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President on Monday, his supporters made a pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. to show their support. The Center Square joined them in the blistering cold streets of the nation's capital to get a sense of what Trump's base is hoping for in this administration. Per conversations on inauguration day, one theme rang loud and clear: securing the southern border.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_b5a04eec-d764-11ef-8ec9-0fa6f1a6efef.html

(The Center Square)- President-elect Donald Trump is expected to take a wide range of actions on his first day in office. They include potentially signing executive orders related to border security and immigration issues, energy and education. He also vowed to institute a range of tariffs on foreign goods shipped into the country. He also could issue pardons to some convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

(The Center Square) – For more than four hours Tuesday, Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth fielded questions regarding both his professional qualifications and personal character during a heated hearing before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. Pam Bondi, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, and other nominees also began their confirmation hearings in the Senate this week.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: Hegseth grilled on sexual assault allegations, nonprofits at confirmation hearingRubio: U.S. foreign policy must serve national interestsWATCH: Both sides raise concern of weaponized Justice Department at Bondi hearing

(The Center Square) — The nation's first congestion pricing system got underway in New York over the weekend after a last-ditch legal challenge failed to block the controversial new tolling program. New York's new toll for drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street began just after midnight on Sunday after a U.S. District Court judge late Friday denied New Jersey's push to keep the plan from going into effect. Under the program, passenger cars will pay a $9 toll between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. New York officials say the toll will reduce tailpipe pollution and provide more funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the public transit system.

(The Center Square) – President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. economic security depends on controlling Greenland and the Panama Canal. Trump's comments came the same day his son, Don Jr., landed on the arctic island. "Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," the president-elect wrote on Truth Social. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" As Trump prepares to return to the White House for a second term, he has once again brought up the idea of buying or otherwise taking control of the autonomous territory, which is part of Denmark.

(The Center Square) – Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga. Carter on Oct. 1, 2024, became the first U.S. president to live to be 100. Commander in chief for four years after winning election in 1976 in the aftermath of President Richard Nixon's resignation followed by two years of President Gerald Ford, the Democrat is remembered for negotiating a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, the Camp David Accords, and his post-presidential work for free elections, human rights and building homes for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. Carter also was president during the Iran hostage crisis, when a group of armed Iranian college students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 53 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. The hostages were finally released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.

(The Center Square) – The FBI has identified the driver of a truck that plowed into a crowd of people celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street early Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring 35. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen and U.S. Army veteran from Houston, rented the F-150 Lightning truck, the FBI said. Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's New Orleans field office, said the agency doesn't believe he acted alone. The law enforcement agency said in a news release that he had improvised explosive devices that were found in both the truck and in two different locations in the French Quarter, body armor and an ISIS flag hanging from the tailgate.

The Center Square's 2024 Year in Review including the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, his ensuing political comeback, wars abroad, & more. Keep up with all of the national news in 2025 at The Center Square: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/

(The Center Square) – Federal officials said Tuesday that drones spotted along the East Coast over the past month do not pose a threat to national security or public safety. Four federal agencies – the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Defense – issued a statement Tuesday after weeks of reports about drone activity. In some cases, airports have been closed as a result of the drones. The Pentagon statement said that the majority of the more than 1 million drones registered with the FAA are used legally for commercial, recreational or governmental purposes. The agencies noted that the recent sightings likely involve a combination of these legal activities and misidentifications of manned aircraft, helicopters, or even celestial objects such as stars.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull stories: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3d054918-bc9f-11ef-90d3-b7e9c91886d9.html