Elon Musk reinstated Marko Elez, a former DOGE employee who resigned after being linked to a racist social media account. A poll conducted on Musk's platform, X, showed 78% in favor of rehiring him. US vice president JD Vance supported Elez's return and Musk cited forgiveness in his decision.
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Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, the head of the US military’s health agency, retired under the Trump administration. Her retirement follows the ousting of six senior military officials. The Pentagon is phasing out diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, arguing they harm unit cohesion.
A federal appeals court overturned a previous ruling that had blocked cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which were influenced by Elon Musk's department. The court found Musk acted as an advisor to President Trump, not making the final decisions himself.
Philippine security officials said on Monday they had arrested a Chinese software engineer suspected of spying on Filipino military and police camps. Brawner said it was the second arrest of a suspected Chinese spy since last year and that forensic analysis of equipment seized in the earlier arrest also revealed images of military and police camps in Manila.
A midair collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport resulted in 60 deaths, prompting scrutiny of Trump's directive to eliminate diversity programs in the FAA. The timing raises safety concerns as the FAA investigates and implements new hiring policies, with critics warning of potential risks to aviation safety and federal workforce stability.
American farmers, particularly in North Dakota, face severe financial strains due to plummeting crop prices and skyrocketing input costs. Seed prices, for instance, have surged from $150 to $230 per bag. President-elect Trump acknowledges the crisis, planning tariffs on some Canadian and Mexican agricultural imports to alleviate the issue.
In his first month, FBI Director Kash Patel has aggressively tackled key law enforcement concerns, resulting in high-profile arrests, progress in counterterrorism, and major drug trafficking busts. Notable achievements include arrests of MS-13 leaders and disrupting a Hamas-linked cryptocurrency scheme. Patel’s actions have garnered praise for their transparency and impact on national security.
Four female Israeli soldiers are set to be released by Hamas this weekend, under a ceasefire deal that pauses fighting in Gaza for six weeks. In return, Israel will release 200 Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire also aims to aid civilians in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli operations in the West Bank have resulted in more casualties.
Musk has never shied away from controversy, but his relationship with drugs has long been a topic of public scrutiny. His 2018 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience—where he took a single puff of a cannabis joint—was enough to shake Tesla’s stock and trigger a NASA investigation.
Turkish police detained 10 senior officials from Istanbul’s opposition-held municipalities, including deputy mayors and council members, over alleged links to Kurdish militants. The officials, all from the Republican People's Party (CHP), are accused of appointing individuals connected to the banned PKK. Critics see this as a government attempt to discredit Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a potential rival to President Erdogan. CHP leaders condemned the arrests as politically motivated.
Phoebe Dong has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for running a birth tourism scheme. The scheme helped pregnant Chinese women give birth in the United States to secure citizenship for their children. Dong and her husband charged up to $40,000 for their services. Dong expressed remorse during her sentencing hearing. Her husband was previously sentenced to 41 months in December.