Trump won't say what Russia should give up when asked about negotiations with Ukraine
At this evening's news conference with Modi, Trump offered a meandering response to a reporter's question about what Russia should give up after his administration recently said Ukraine may have to cede territory to end the war between the two countries.
"Russia has gotten themselves into something that I think they wish they didn't," Trump said.
Without providing specifics, he said it "is too early to say what’s going to happen. Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t, and it’s all dependent on what is going to happen."
Trump also said negotiation "really hasn’t started" but defended his administration's comments that it was unlikely that Ukraine would become a NATO member.
"I’ve heard that Russia would never accept that, and I think Ukraine knew that," he said.
“So that’s the way it is, and I think that’s the way it’s going to have to be," he added.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that it was "unrealistic" that Ukraine's borders would be returned to what they were before 2014.
Modi says he aims to 'Make India Great Again'
At a joint news conference this evening, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, saying, “Borrowing an expression from America, our vision for a developed India is to 'Make India Great Again,' or 'MIGA.'”
Modi suggested that the two countries’ adopting nation-specific offshoots of the motto gives rise to a "mega partnership for prosperity."
14 states file a lawsuit arguing Elon Musk’s authority at DOGE is unconstitutional
A group of 14 states sued Musk and Trump today, arguing that the authority the White House granted to Musk and DOGE is unconstitutional.
The suit, filed by Democratic attorneys general from states like Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, takes aim at the magnitude and scale of Musk’s power, noting that DOGE has led the Trump administration’s efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce, dismantle entire agencies and access sensitive data.
“The founders of this country would be outraged that, 250 years after our nation overthrew a king, the people of this country—many of whom have fought and died to protect our freedoms—are now subject to the whims of a single unelected billionaire,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement.
Forest Service plans to dismiss at least 3,400 workers, union says
The U.S. Forest Service plans to terminate at least 3,400 positions, a union official said today.
Dennis Lapcewich, communications chair for the National Federation of Federal Employees' Forest Service Council, said the agency sent a list of affected employees to the union today.
"We're hearing conflicting reports that notices are going out today. We're hearing reports that some notices have already gone out," he said this afternoon after a meeting of the union's leadership.
The Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, employs more than 30,000 people, according to its website.
Lapcewich, who is also a vice president of the Forest Service Council’s Washington locals, said the union expects the agency to notify the affected employees over the next two days.
The Forest Service did not respond to a request for comment.
Bloomberg first reported on the agency's dismissal plans.
Trump says there will be meeting next week in Saudi Arabia about ending the war in Ukraine
Trump referred to a meeting next week about the war in Ukraine.
“Next week there’s a meeting in Saudi Arabia, not with myself, or President Putin, but with top officials, and Ukraine will be a part of it, too, and we’re going to see if we can end that war," Trump said in remarks alongside Modi.
He did not say which top officials would be at the meeting.
‘YOLO McConnell’: Former Senate leader emerges as lone GOP voice against key Trump nominees
As the longest-serving Senate leader in history, Republican Mitch McConnell had a reputation for keeping his rank-and-file members in line and frustrating Democrats by relentlessly using procedural tactics to block their agenda.
Now out of leadership and wrapping up what is likely to be his last term in office, McConnell, 82, of Kentucky, is free from the constraints of leadership and the prospect of facing voters again. He has now voted against three of Trump’s high-profile nominees and publicly criticized the tariffs at the center of his economic agenda.
After Kennedy’s confirmation, Trump establishes ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission
Kennedy, the recently confirmed health and human services secretary, will chair a new commission focused on addressing chronic disease.
Trump established the commission today with an executive order he issued just hours after the Senate confirmed Kennedy. The Make America Healthy Again Commission, as it’s called, will consist of several high-ranking federal officials, including the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and the directors of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Education Department fired at least 60 employees this week
The Education Department began terminating dozens of probationary employees across several divisions yesterday.
At least 60 probationary employees — those who have worked for less than a year — were fired this week, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing Education Department staff members.
A department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment today.
Staff members were terminated in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Office of Communications and Outreach, the Office for Civil Rights and the Federal Student Aid office, according to current and former staff members and copies of termination letters obtained by NBC News. The staff members asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.
Three terminated employees said they were informed through email. They had not yet received additional paperwork that would be necessary to file for unemployment, nor had they been presented anything to sign for severance terms or information about how long benefits like health insurance will continue.
Trump told reporters yesterday he wanted to close the Education Department, and a federal judge lifted a pause on the so-called Fork in the Road buyout offer presented to much of the government workforce. Three department employees said they received notices last night that the offer — which leadership said required them to waive legal rights to take it — was no longer available.
Linda McMahon appeared before a Senate committee today to be considered for education secretary and said that the Trump administration would present a plan to Congress on changing the department but that there were some aspects that could be eliminated without lawmakers’ approval.
The terminations were devastating for employees.
“I’m someone who really believes in education,” a terminated employee said. “I attended Title I schools. I received a Pell Grant. I received public student loan forgiveness after years of working as a teacher — the department has given me so much.”
Another person fired yesterday said they depleted their savings to move across the country with their spouse for the job at the department. They considered it their “dream job” and worried that the terminations will hobble the agency.
Meanwhile, some staff members still at the department said they have been instructed not to communicate with outside organizations that they normally correspond with, such as education trade groups, schools or people seeking updates on civil rights complaints they filed, effectively bringing the work of some employees to a halt.
“We’re all just sitting here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for the department to disappear,” a current employee said.
Vance, Rubio and bipartisan delegation of lawmakers to attend Munich Security Conference this weekend
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a bipartisan group of lawmakers will take part in the Munich Security Conference this weekend.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., will lead a congressional delegation of 16 other lawmakers at the conference, which is a forum for international security policy.
The other lawmakers are: Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Andy Kim, D-N.J.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Chris Coons, D-Del.; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; as well as Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C.
Lisa Murkowski introduces legislation to officially designate North America's highest mountain as 'Denali'
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation today to officially designate the country's highest peak as Denali.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to revert the name of the mountain in Alaska back to Mount McKinley in honor of President William McKinley.
"This isn’t a political issue — Alaskans from every walk of life have long been advocating for this mountain to be recognized by its true name," Murkowski said in a news release. "That’s why today I once again introduced legislation that would officially keep this mountain’s quintessential name, 'Denali.'"
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, also co-sponsored the bill.