Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media (Mar. 5, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQMKP2cSdIk
Crazy Vibes
@CrazyVibes_1
This is the Democrat Senator who gave the rebuttal to Trump‘s speech reading an LGBTQ book to children about how kids can be transgender.
https://x.com/CrazyVibes_1/status/1897274394059350163
France divided over Ukraine as parliamentary debate sparks tensions
While French politicians across the spectrum are united in their support for Ukraine, a debate in parliament has highlighted the divide between pro-Europeans and nationalists when it comes to the best approach, reigniting tensions in the country's fractured political landscape.
During Monday's debate in the National Assembly on how best to back Ukraine and protect European security, French MPs from all sides expressed their support for Kyiv and saluted the country’s ambassador to France, Omelchenko Vadym, who was in attendance.
However, MPs from the far right refrained from applauding Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's denunciation of US President Donald Trump’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week.
The debate, which did not lead to a vote, was symbolic and allowed parties to position themselves on European and French security, but also to reiterate support – or opposition – to Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic efforts towards European solutions.
Bayrou addressed the Assembly to lay out the government's "vision" on a need for European countries to come together, as the US pulls away from its traditional alliance, declaring: "It is up to us, Europeans, to guarantee the security and defence of Europe."
The alliances created after the Second World War are "finished," he said, adding that the European Union is the "only path and the only possible strategy," with France playing a "central role in building this new world".
The head of each political group in the Assembly then presented their position. Former prime minister Gabriel Attal, head of the Ensemble pour la republique group, which allies itself with Macron, called for an "acceleration" of the process of admitting Ukraine into the EU.
"It is the solution that will enable us to stand up to future exchanges," he said, adding that there should be "safeguarding clauses" to protect agriculture from Ukrainian competition – a concern raised by the far-right National Rally (RN).
For their part, the RN's leader, Marine Le Pen, called for "realism" in France’s support for Ukraine, "keeping in mind our own national interests".
She praised the "heroism" of the Ukrainian people against the "indefensible Russian aggression," but reiterated her opposition to Ukraine’s joining either the EU or NATO.
Throwing out a barb to the government, she added that there should be concern about "France’s gradual abandoning of its unique role as a balancing power" and blamed what she called "the consolidation of a Russia-China axis" on "Western intransigence towards Russia in recent years".
Throwing back the barb, Attal denounced what he called the RN’s "capitulatory instinct, saying: "Ukraine is burning, and you are still looking the other way."
He called for France to reconsider its position on frozen Russian assets and use them to "help Ukraine" – a move supported by Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialists in the Assembly.
"France's position is that these Russian assets… belong notably to the Russian central bank," finance minister Eric Lombard told France Info on Tuesday, adding that to use them to aid Ukraine "would be contrary to international agreements that France and Europe have signed up to".
The question of European defence is crucial, now that the US has cut off military aid to Ukraine, and the French right would like to see higher spending in this area.
Michel Herbillon, head of the Republicans (LR) in the Assembly, agreed with Attal that the defence budget should be exempt from the 3 percent deficit limit. He also called for a "massive reorientation" towards European military equipment, as "nearly two-thirds of European defence purchases are made from American manufacturers".
At the other end of the political spectrum, Cyrielle Chatelain, leader of the Ecologist MPs, echoed this, saying she wants the EU to become "a political and military force" and to commit to supplying equipment, training soldiers and to "the reinforcement of European troops in countries bordering Ukraine".
For their part, Socialist leader Vallaud called for "a major joint loan of €500 billion".
The disagreement on spending came from the political extremes – on the left and right.
"These discussions of abstract figures are absurd," said Aurélien Saintoul of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who criticised France's joining of NATO's integrated command in 2008.
He agreed that France was too "critically dependent on the United States" but said the solution was not to outspend it. Instead, he called on a France to "reverse the logic of competition and predation on the planet".
He also added that international law requires "the same support to the Palestinian people" be given as to Ukraine – an idea backed by Chatelain.
Le Pen said that European security should come not from a European defence, "but from the concerted reinforcement of each of Europe's defences" and argued strongly against France sharing its nuclear arsenal.
While Macron has opened the idea of sharing France’s nuclear deterrence with other countries, as a so-called "nuclear umbrella", he has said that France would remain "totally sovereign" when it comes to any decision to use the weapons.
"To share deterrence is to abolish it," Le Pen told the Assembly. "Triggering the use of nuclear weapons is inextricably linked to national and popular legitimacy."
https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20250304-france-divided-over-ukraine-as-parliamentary-debate-sarks-tensions
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon signals presidential bid with new slogan: 'KOGA'
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has unveiled the regulatory reform slogan "KOGA" — "Korea Growth Again" — presenting it as both his governance philosophy and national vision, in an implicit signal of his presidential ambitions.
During a city government-led forum Tuesday, Oh brought up the KOGA concept, suggesting fundamental systemic changes to the country.
"(KOGA) is not just about individual policies; it's about a unified philosophy and direction. Ultimately, it aims to present solutions for economic prosperity and national sustainability," he said in a keynote speech.
"Politics should not be a source of concern for the people. Without constitutional reform, political turmoil will continue to repeat itself. Instead of focusing on short-term political advantages, we must focus on fundamental changes. Otherwise, there will be strong public resistance," Oh said during the event, addressing the current political turmoil involving impeached and suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Later in the afternoon, Oh also met with former President Lee Myung-bak for a closed-door meeting.
Before serving as a president from 2008 to 2013, Lee was Seoul Mayor from 2002 to 2006.
"Regulatory reform is essential for growth. We have too many regulations. While the world is adapting to the digital age, politics remains stuck in the analog era. Global competition is evolving to a whole new level, and the people must be feeling frustrated. I see that the Seoul mayor is addressing this issue, but politics needs to go beyond that. Without economic growth, we cannot earn global recognition," Lee told Oh in front of reporters, prior to their meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Lee, 83, also commented on Oh's new slogan "KOGA," encouraging the idea.
"This is the most relevant slogan for our time. … Seoul functions almost like a nation in itself, so it should be managed well based on experience," Lee added.
Oh, reelected as Seoul mayor in July 2022, has long argued that the nation's economy has been trapped in a cycle of declining growth. Industries worldwide have rapidly evolved with artificial intelligence, biotechnology, financial technology and robotics, while Korea has remained reliant on its traditional industries for the past 20 to 30 years, according to Oh.
The mayor said he believes that the country's economic growth is being hindered by unreasonable tax structures like the inheritance tax and high regulatory barriers that could restrict even top 100 global companies and startups from conducting business here.
Stressing the need for bold industrial policies, Oh also proposed ways to keep a 5 percent real growth rate — a combination of the economic growth rate and inflation rate — such as through active fiscal investment in infrastructure, future talent development and tax and labor market reforms, as well as deregulation led by the private sector.
Details of Oh's envisioned regulatory reform are to be published in a book to be released by the city government, titled with the slogan he unveiled Tuesday. "KOGA: Oh Se-hoon’s Five Pillars of Partnership Become the Future” is set for release later this month.
The book will also reflect Oh’s administrative philosophy, incorporating insights from his leadership experience and Seoul’s policy achievements.
Kim Byung-min, Seoul’s deputy mayor for political affairs, told reporters that the book aims to identify new growth drivers for South Korea.
"South Korea is at a critical juncture where people are concerned about whether the country can sustain its growth momentum. … Through this book, Mayor Oh will stress the need for innovation and national confidence.”
Emphasizing that the book is not like a conventional memoir or a collection of personal opinions, the city government said the book was “a strategic blueprint” for South Korea’s future.
https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10433111
New Zealand to allow citizens to arrest shoplifters
The Government will amend the Crimes Act to give all New Zealanders greater ability to detain people stealing from retail stores, in a bid to tackle an increase in shoplifting and retail crime.
But a top Auckland law professor tells The Detail he is not convinced by the change in legislation, highlighting the risks associated with untrained individuals attempting to detain offenders.
“It’s empowering people to do things without any safety net,” says Professor Mark Henaghan.
“It’s like walking a tight rope without a safety net and I don’t think you and I would try that, even if we were drunk.”
The current legislation does not protect retailers or security guards from liability if they try to detain an offender during the day and if the stolen goods are worth less than $1,000.
Under the new law, citizens will be able to intervene to stop any Crimes Act offence at any time of the day, provided they contact the police promptly and follow their instructions. The law says that reasonable force, including restraints, can be used when making an arrest.
But critics have been hot on what counts as reasonable force when making a citizen’s arrest. The Government says this will be made clear, but Henaghan tells The Detail it always depends on the circumstances.
“It depends very much on the degree of force being applied to you. If someone is standing mildly and agreeing with your detention, you can’t physically grab them and push them around or shake them, but if someone is attacking you, quite physically, you can use the same degree of force to protect yourself. So, it depends on the force being applied to you … any excess is assault.”
He warns one punch can kill.
“When people are enraged, they lose their mind, they are dangerous, it’s like a wild animal … unless you are trained, they only have to hit you in the wrong place; one blow can kill you.”
He is worried about an increase in vigilante behaviour and racial profiling. “Those are the risks we run, some people are targeted more than others, that’s already a problem.”
He says the Government should “go back and think about this very deeply” because getting the balance right between empowering citizens and ensuring public safety is crucial.
“It has so many fishhooks in it, I think it’s been thought through for the wrong reasons,” says Henaghan. “I think it was a promotion … after an increase in retail crime, I think there was a think tank that got together and said ‘This is the answer, let’s get all these burly people, these great hulks in retail and people will be too terrified to take anything’ … I think its intention was wrongly aimed, it’s not [the retail workers’] job.
“The police have to take quite severe training in that – even security guards don’t really train in that properly; they don’t really have the authority either.
“So, I think it’s had a bad reaction because it hasn’t been thought through.”
Henaghan also says that allowing for citizen’s arrests could make violence worse, because criminals may start to carry weapons.
“People might say ‘Well if they think they’re going to stop us, we’ll be ready for it’.
“I just don’t think we want a society where people feel they have to do that. We’ll get like America where people want to have guns on them to protect themselves, and that leads to all sorts of deaths and crazy killings.”
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/03/04/citizens-arrest-laws-raise-red-flags-for-experts/
Maserati sets new speed record, without driver
Italian automobile brand Maserati has set a new land speed record with its driverless MC20 Coupe, which reached 197.7 miles per hour without a driver at the helm during a racing event at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
The self-driving Maserati set the record as part of last week's The Indy Autonomous Challenge, billed as the world's only active autonomous racing car event, at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) in NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Reaching 197.7 miles (318 kilometres) per hour, the autonomous racing car overtook the previous world record of 192.2 miles per hour, set by an IAC AV-21 driverless racing car in April 2022 at the same location.
The Maserati MC20 Coupe is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) developed by a team at Italy's largest technical university, Politecnico di Milano.
Combined with its mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, which can reach 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, this allowed the car to complete the 2.8-mile runway at record-breaking speed, with no human in the driving seat.
Testing the AI under extreme conditions will ultimately allow the team to make the system safer for everyday use in cities, according to Sergio Matteo Savaresi, the project's scientific director and professor at Politecnico di Milano.
"The goal of high-speed tests is to evaluate the behaviour of robo-drivers in extreme conditions," Matteo said.
"Conducted in controlled environments without a human driver, the test assesses the AI's stability, robustness, and reaction time, ultimately enhancing safety for low-speed urban mobility situations."
Known as the Nettuno, the Italian word for Neptune, the engine's name is a nod to Maserati's recognisable trident logo.
In 2023, the car brand's CEO Davide Grasso told Dezeen how Maserati is seeking to ensure its electric vehicles are just as fun to drive as those with combustion engines.
More recently, former footballer David Beckham designed a pair of Maserati sports cars informed by his "passion for classic cars".
https://www.dezeen.com/2025/03/05/maserati-driverless-racing-car-world-record/
Italian prime minister rejects proposal by Paris, UK to send soldiers to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday rejected a plan by France and the United Kingdom to support Ukraine’s war against Russia by sending Italian soldiers.
France and the UK are part of a group of European countries that are fighting to drum up support for Ukraine in the wake of a disastrous meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After tensions sparked arguments in the meeting, Trump cut all U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Meloni in an interview with Italian television outlet Rai1 TV said her country would not support the efforts of France and the UK.
Italy has expressed doubts regarding the proposal of France and the UK on sending European troops,” reads a translation of her comments by Italy’s Telegrafi. “I think it is very difficult to implement, I am not sure about its effectiveness, that’s why we announced that we will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday appeared to try to make amends with Trump, writing via X his visit to the White House was “regrettable.”
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” he wrote. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” he added.
Trump on Tuesday shared a letter from Zelenskyy which included “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”
“Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,” it continues.
Trump had condemned Zelenskyy for predicting the end of the war is “very, very far away.”
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote via Truth Social. “It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S.”
https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/italian-prime-minister-rejects-proposal-by-paris-uk-to-send-soldiers-to-ukraine
Iran's Zarif was told to 'resign or get fired'
In a significant blow to Iran's newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, Javad Zarif, the influential deputy president for strategic affairs, has once again submitted his resignation.
This time, however, his resignation has fuelled speculations that Iran's top diplomat was forced to resign.
Although Zarif publicly announced his resignation, Pezeshkian has yet to accept it. The announcement came just hours after the impeachment in parliament of Abdolnaser Hemmati, the economy minister.
The simultaneous impeachment of Hemmati and Zarif’s resignation - two key figures in Pezeshkian’s administration - within a span of less than 24 hours has been met with widespread reactions in Iran.
Zarif, who served as Iran’s top diplomat from 2013 to 2021 under the moderate president Hassan Rouhani, played a pivotal role in Pezeshkian’s electoral campaign and was integral to his victory.
A highly respected figure, Zarif gained international recognition during the intensive negotiations leading to the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
In a post on X, Zarif explained his decision to step down: "Yesterday, I was invited to meet with the esteemed head of the judiciary. He advised me, given the current state of the country, to return to academia to prevent further pressure on the government."
Zarif described his resignation as a result of being "pushed out" and lamented that, since the start of the new administration, he had endured “the most degrading insults, slander and threats” and had experienced “the most bitter period of my forty years in public service, even within the government itself.”
Since Pezeshkian's election, principlists - many of whom oppose nuclear negotiations with the US - have targeted Zarif, citing a law that prohibits individuals with children holding foreign passports from occupying certain government positions. This law was enacted in 2022 during Ebrahim Raisi’s administration.
Zarif has been under constant criticism for his children allegedly being dual Iranian-American citizens, as they were born in the United States when he was serving in Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York.
Amirhossein Sabati, a member of parliament representing Tehran, commented on Telegram: “After months of follow-ups and repeated warnings from MPs to the heads of the three branches of government, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the president’s unlawful deputy, was finally forced to resign.”
The Iranian government has recently proposed amendments to the law, however, conservative lawmakers - many of whom are affiliated with the ultra-conservative Paydari Front - dismissed the move as “offensive” and specifically tailored to benefit Zarif.
The debate has centered around different types of nationality, including "automatic nationality," granted by birth in countries with a jus soli (birthright citizenship) policy, and "acquired nationality", which results from an individual’s application and legal process.
Supporters of amending the law argue that Zarif’s children automatically received US nationality by birth, which, under current Iranian law, disqualifies him from holding a high-level government position.
Meanwhile, a source close to the government told Middle East Eye: "In a recent meeting of the heads of the branches of power, it was decided that Zarif should no longer remain in office."
"Pezeshkian says, 'I'm not saying it' and tells (Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni) Ejei to do the job. Ejei then instructs Zarif to 'resign'. Initially, Zarif responds, 'I won't resign. If they want me out, they must fire me.' But in the end, he is persuaded to step down."
Another source in the government told MEE that Zarif "was told to resign or get fired", and he ultimately agreed.
Hamid Rasai, a hardliner and one of Zarif's staunchest opponents, wrote: "Someone whose presence is illegal cannot resign; rather, after being informed of the charges, they should be dismissed."
Meanwhile, the second source revealed that three of Pezeshkian's deputies - including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Executive Vice President Mohammad Jafar Qaem-Panah and the Deputy President for Parliament Affairs Sharam Dabiri - were among Zarif's enemies in this dispute.
The source added that Dabiri had even suggested to some MPs that "the government does not support Zarif."
This was not Zarif’s first resignation over the controversial law. In August, he stepped down shortly after joining Pezeshkian’s administration without providing a reason, only to return after the president rejected his resignation.
Moderate conservative Farhikhtegan newspaper wrote, "The removal of these figures, who some critics consider pro-western thinkers within the government, leaves no room for criticism of the administration. This is because there would no longer be a reason for criticism, and, essentially, no one would be left to criticise except the president himself."
However, reformists believe this is all rooted in Pezeshkian’s policy of "consensus", which, they say, has led to the removal of reformists from the government and the embrace of hardliners.
Since coming to power, Pezeshkian has said that through a national consensus approach he seeks to persuade conservatives into accepting his policies, instead of clashing with them. Critics have however said that the president has gone too far with this approach, arguing that his government is rather bowing to conservative demands.
"If Pezeshkian continues with his policy of consensus - which some interpret as a form of political shareholding - the approach will become problematic," a reformist political activist told MEE.
"Radical factions will gradually advance with the goal of complete control over the government. They have shown that they are not satisfied with less and will demand total power. In this situation, the government will lose its essence and it will no longer be possible to consider its structure and decision-making based on moderation.
"On the other hand, the government's social capital will decrease, voters will become disillusioned with Pezeshkian, and even on a larger scale, public distrust will spread widely."
Abbas Abdi, a political analyst with close ties to the government, noted in a post on X that not only has there been no consensus with the Iranian people, but new individuals have neither joined nor trusted the movement or government. Furthermore, he added, the trust that existed in the first few months has significantly declined.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-zarif-told-resign-or-get-fired
China to increase defense budget by 7.2% in 2025, marking single-digit growth for 10th year
China on Wednesday announced a 7.2-percent increase in its 2025 national defense budget, marking the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth.
The country's planned defense expenditure this year will be 1.784665 trillion yuan (US$249 billion), according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation.
The 7.2-percent increase is the same as the previous two years.
China's defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP has been below 1.5 percent for many years, lower than the world average, Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, told reporters Tuesday.
Amid prolonged conflicts as well as rising international and regional tensions, global defense spending in 2024 surged to an all-time high of about US$2.43 trillion.
The United States, which possesses the world's largest nuclear arsenal, remained the world's top military spender in 2024, accounting for 40 percent of the total.
Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, recently accused the high military outlay of the United States of being "concerning" to the international community.
"I believe that the United States should be the first to cut its nuclear arsenal and military expenditure, and put into practice 'America First' in this regard," Wu said.
China's military spending has long been a focal point of Western scrutiny, with the so-called "China threat" narrative being amplified almost every year.
However, the United States has pledged to spend no less than 3 percent of its GDP on national defense, and pushed all NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP.
In per-capita terms, China's defense spending has been far less than that of Washington, too.
China upholds a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, with its military spending mainly focusing on protecting its sovereignty, security and development interests. China's development strengthens the world's forces for peace, and the country will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism no matter what stage of development it reaches.
As China continues to play an increasingly important role on the global stage, its military has taken on greater responsibility in providing the international community with more public security goods.
Over the years, Chinese military personnel have frequently joined in international humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts, contributing significantly to global stability.
Moreover, China has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide over the past 30-plus years, contributing the largest number of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
https://www.shine.cn/news/nation/2503051373/
Trump: Congress should cancel the CHIPS act.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1897471163166523460
Driverless Uber now available in Austin
Need an Uber? How about one without a driver?
Beginning Tuesday, rideshare hailers on Uber in Austin, Texas, can call a driverless Waymo, from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, for the first time. Travelers will be able to book rides across 37 square miles in Austin, the backyard of competitor Tesla, and in the Lone Star State that has long been a testing ground for driverless vehicles.
“We’re true believers in the technology, and so personally, I believe autonomous vehicles coming to market is a good thing for the world… we’re happy and genuinely excited to see autonomy coming to market and starting to scale,” said Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of mobility and business operations, in an interview with CNN. “When you have a supportive city, when you have a supportive local government, it encourages competition, it encourages innovation, and that ends up being a good thing for consumers.”
It appears there’s no bad blood between the two companies. Uber and Waymo, who were once embroiled in a lawsuit over self-driving technology, are now partners.
“Our partnership with Uber in Austin is an exciting step toward further scaling our safe, convenient, and sustainable autonomous technology,” said Nicole Gavel, Waymo’s head of business development and strategic partnerships, in a statement.
Riders in Austin who request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric could be matched with a Waymo fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicle, at no additional cost, for up to four people.
Uber users can also boost their chances of getting a Waymo by adjusting their rider preferences. But if you don’t want to go driverless, the request will ask beforehand if you’d rather a different car, Macdonald said.
Uber has made attempts at entering the driverless market before, but not to this scale. In 2023, the company piloted a similar driverless launch in Phoenix, Arizona.
The launch between Austin and soon-to-come later this year Atlanta will scale to hundreds of vehicles in both cities over the next few years. Employees at Uber are already taking autonomous trips in Atlanta.
“It is something new,” Macdonald said. “It takes supportive local government as well as a willing consumer to bring it to market. We’ve got that in both of these markets.”
Uber also previously owned and operated its own autonomous vehicle fleet before the pandemic but later sold that fleet to another autonomous vehicle company, Aurora.
The news comes as Tesla, headquartered in Austin, has begun the process of seeking approval to offer ride-hailing services in California. The city has long been a testing ground for new technology, attracting startups and new firms, and home to a Tesla pant making Model Y and Cybertrucks.
Now, Uber and Waymo are coming in.
It doesn’t cost extra to book a Waymo in Uber’s app, and of course, no tip is required, though passengers can rate their experience.
If a safety issue occurs, drivers have access to 24/7 human support on the Uber app. As a passenger is following along in the app, Macdonald explained, at the push of a button, they can request help. The vehicle can also sense if there’s been an accident or any sort of incident.
Safety was a paramount concern during General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi operation, which GM ultimately pulled the plug on in December. The robotaxis had a string of incidents, including one in October 2023 in which one of its self-driving taxis in San Francisco hit a pedestrian and dragged the woman along the road for 20 feet.
Cruise said it would refocus on driver-assistance features rather than fully autonomous vehicles.
It doesn’t stop here. Uber has plans to continue and cast its net wider to other cities, Macdonald said. For now, it’s setting its focus on Austin and Atlanta and what can change for the average consumer.
“We expect this is going to grow the market overall” Macdonald said. “This is going to really expand the opportunities to both for both human driven vehicles in Austin, as well as autonomous vehicles. The market will grow. The opportunities for overall expansion of rideshare and people doing away with individual car ownership are really compelling here.”
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/business/self-driving-uber-waymo-texas/index.html
GOP senators pitch Musk on using 1974 budget law to cut spending
Senate Republicans called on the Trump administration Wednesday to use the formal rescissions process to claw back money already appropriated by Congress that the “Department of Government Efficiency” has identified as wasteful.
It’s also a way to avoid legal setbacks that have befallen the White House in its push to freeze agency budgets and programs, including foreign aid accounts.
One day after President Donald Trump singled out small-dollar examples of waste in his joint address to Congress, the de facto leader of the DOGE effort, Elon Musk, came to the Capitol to soothe concerns over how some of the cuts have been implemented. Many lawmakers have expressed alarm at the wholesale gutting of agencies and the firing of thousands of federal employees.
Hoping to regain some of their power of the purse, senators asked Musk at a private lunch to have the White House submit a rescissions package for congressional approval for any funding it deems fraudulent or wasteful. Congress would then have 45 days to approve the request, or else the money must be spent as appropriated once the clock runs out.
“What we got to do as Republicans is capture their work product, put it in a bill and vote on it,” Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters. “So the White House, I’m urging them to come up with a rescission package.”
Graham said Musk was receptive to the idea and hadn’t known about the rescissions process as an available tool to cut spending.
“He was doing like this,” Graham said of Musk, while raising his arms in the air in a triumphant gesture. “So it’s time for the White House now to go on offense. We’re losing altitude here. … And the way you can regain altitude is to take the work product, get away from the personalities and the drama, take the work product and vote on it.”
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he asked Musk to consider a rescissions bill of at least $100 billion and perhaps a series of such bills that could ultimately claw back as much as $500 billion of already appropriated funds.
He said such a move might also “make those of us who are skeptical about reconciliation, adding to the debt, might be a little bit more open to it if we’re actually going to … make the spending cuts real and permanent.”
The rescissions process also holds appeal for Republicans because it requires only a simple majority vote in the Senate for approval, not the typical 60-vote threshold that would require Democratic buy-in.
Paul and Graham said the rescission process, and potential further clawbacks as part of the separate budget reconciliation process Republicans are undertaking, could avoid the messy legal fight over the 1974 budget law that restricts a president’s ability to “impound,” or freeze, appropriated funds.
Trump and his budget director, Russ Vought, have said they regard that law as unconstitutional. Efforts to freeze funding in various agencies have already triggered court challenges.
“So, you know, if we lose in court … we’re bound by it,” Graham told reporters after the lunch Wednesday. “You don’t need to use the Impoundment Control Act. You have rescission and reconciliation. … Take these two tools and use them.”
Paul said Wednesday morning’s Supreme Court ruling that lifted the administration’s hold on roughly $2 billion in foreign aid spending was an indication that the administration wasn’t on solidly legal ground.
“We had a ruling this morning from the Supreme Court that seems to be pushing towards that there needs to be rescission, that they’re not going to be able to impound. I thought the court would actually let them impound it until Sept. 30, until the end of the year. They’re already saying, ‘No, it’s going back to the lower court,'” Paul said. “So my message to Elon was, let’s get over the impoundment idea. Let’s send it back as a rescission package, because then we’ll get … 51 senators, or 50 senators to cut the spending.”
The last time an all-GOP Washington tried to claw back funding with a rescissions bill was in 2018, during Trump’s first term.
That $15 billion cuts package — vastly smaller than what Paul’s talking about — barely passed the House, 210-206, with a much larger Republican majority allowing them to lose 19 votes on their side. But it couldn’t get through the 51-49 Senate, after two Republicans voted with the Democrats to block the measure on a procedural vote.
One of those Republicans is still in the Senate: current Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine. Even that effort, which was specifically authorized under the 1974 law Congress passed, she viewed as eroding too much of lawmakers’ power over the purse.
“I see this as an institutional issue,” Collins said at the time.
This time there are 53 GOP senators, giving rescission proponents more of a cushion. But the cuts under consideration could be much larger.
Paul said Trump needs to “expend his energy” to make it happen, as opposed to in 2018 when it didn’t appear the White House’s heart was in it.
“We lost that battle. But I don’t think they tried very hard. I don’t think they came and lobbied us. I don’t think they came and talked to us,” he said.
Senators also expressed some frustration about being kept in the dark as departments and agencies fire workers.
Graham said Musk told them that “they’re going to try to create a system so members of Congress can call some central group and get that fixed quickly” when there are layoffs that are counterproductive, such as layoffs of officials who “permit fishing boats,” resulting in lost government revenue.
Later on Wednesday, Musk met with House Republicans — some of whom have been criticized over DOGE cuts at town hall meetings back in their districts — in an attempt to address concerns about the speed and scale of his cost-cutting effort.
“Most people said thank you for what you’re doing,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the arch-conservative Freedom Caucus, in describing the tone of the meeting. He said Musk described his efforts to expose waste and fraud but mostly answered questions from House members.
“His message to us was, you all do what you want to with it. I’m going to uncover it,” Norman said, referring to cases of fraud.
But another GOP member, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said concerns still remain about how Musk’s organization is implementing cuts, even if they decline to say so publicly.
“Republican members may be reticent to criticize Elon publicly because they understand that you praise in public and … you criticize behind closed doors,” the member said.
https://rollcall.com/2025/03/05/gop-senators-pitch-musk-on-using-1974-budget-law-to-cut-spending/
Elon Musk wants to privatize the Postal Service and Amtrak
Elon Musk says that he believes the US Postal Service and Amtrak need to be privatized and that “we should privatize anything that can reasonably be privatized.”
Speaking virtually at the Morgan Stanley Technology Media & Telecom conference, Musk said it’s “kind of embarrassing” how other countries have “way better passenger rail than we do,” giving the example of bullet trains in China.
“Amtrak is a sad situation. It’s like, if you’re coming from another country, please don’t use our national rail. It can leave you with a very bad impression of America,” Musk said.
“I think we should privatize anything that can be privatized, just so you’ve got a feedback loop for improvement, is what happens when something’s privatized,” Musk said. “Basically something’s got to have some chance of going bankrupt or there’s not a good feedback loop for improvement.”
But Musk acknowledged that “a bunch of these things require actions for Congress.”
Musk has tried to quash government-funded high-speed rail projects in the past. Ashlee Vance reported in his Musk biography that in 2013, the Tesla CEO’s “Hyperloop” proposal originated out of his “hatred for California’s proposed high-speed rail system” because the train would allegedly “be the slowest” bullet train yet “at the highest cost per mile.”
While the Hyperloop project did end up launching (before being eventually shuttered), it was “more that he wanted to show people that more creative ideas were out there” and “with any luck, the high-speed rail would be canceled.”
Shortly after the 2024 election, the X account associated with the Department of Government Efficiency posted a list of what it said were flaws in California’s delayed high-speed rail project.
Musk did not expand on privatizing the postal service, although it’s something Trump has long mused about.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/business/musk-usps-amtrak-privatization/index.html
Mayor Michelle Wu has no clue how much Boston spent on Illegals (Video)
Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds rebuked Democratic mayors on Wednesday for seeming to be unaware of the specific amount of funds their cities have allocated toward illegal immigration.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appeared for a House Oversight Committee hearing, during which Donalds took turns asking each mayor what their cities have spent. Two were able to provide numbers, while the other two appeared unable to do so, prompting Donalds to accuse them of being poor stewards of their cities.
“How much did your city spend on illegal immigration? Do you have a round number?” Donalds asked Johnston.
Johnston asserted Denver spent about $79 million since 2022 “on all newcomers,” regardless of their immigration status.
Donalds then asked Johnson the same question.
“If you’re referring to the 2022 up to 2024 of the buses coming from Texas, roughly the same percentage of the state of Texas,” the Chicago mayor answered. “About 1% of our overall budget.”
Donalds asked for a more specific number but Johnson did not provide one, instead repeating his claim.
“That’s why you’re a failing mayor,” Donalds said as the mayor continued to keep repeating his claim.
“Mayor Johnson, I already asked you. You don’t have a hard number,” the congressman added. “And if you don’t have a hard number, you’re not running your city well.”
When Donalds asked Adams the same question, the mayor answered that his city has spent $6.9 billion on illegal immigration.
Wu told Donalds her city doesn’t “ask about immigration status” when the congressman asked her the identical query.
“Are you out of your mind?” Donalds asked in response.
He then asked Wu if she manages her budget, to which she answered affirmatively while touting her budgeting record.
“So to the city of Boston, just understand that your mayor does not care how much of your resources she has spent on people who are not citizens of the city of Boston,” Donalds said.
Earlier in the hearing, Wu and Johnson also could not explicitly tell Chairman James Comer whether they would hand over illegal immigrant criminals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County and Illinois in February for their respective sanctuary policies. It also filed a lawsuit against New York for its laws limiting cooperation between local police and ICE agents.
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2025/03/05/byron-donalds-democratic-mayors-illegal-immigration/
Jonathan Turley: There’s still hope for Supreme Court to rule in Trump’s favor in USAID case
In an interesting 5-4 split, the Supreme Court has denied the Trump Administration’s application for a stay of a district court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Administration’s effort to freeze $2 billion in funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Administration is down by one vote but hardly out in the fight with lower courts over the control of this funding.
The unsigned order in Department of State v. AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition refuses to stay the temporary restraining order of U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to force the payment of the money frozen by the Administration.
However, there is more than meets the eye in this short, unsigned opinion.
While unsigned, it is clear that Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices. The reason is the dissent of Associate Justice Samuel Alito, who was joined by Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh.
The dissent has sharp elbows for both Judge Ali and the five justices in the majority:
Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer dollars? The answer to that question should be an emphatic “No,” but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise. I am stunned.
Alito acknowledged the lower court’s “frustration with the Government” as well as the “serious concerns about nonpayment for completed work.” However, he noted that this is “quite simply, too extreme a response. A federal court has many tools to address a party’s supposed nonfeasance. Self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction is not one of them.”
The key here is that this was a controversial move to review a TRO, which is generally not reviewable. What is clear is that there are four justices who were still prepared to do so and would obviously be likely to grant review in the next round.
That next round would come after the hearing on the preliminary injunction, which is scheduled for March 6th.
It can then be appealed to these awaiting justices. Only four are needed to grant review, so you do the math.
https://jonathanturley.org/2025/03/05/down-but-not-out-supreme-court-rules-5-4-against-the-administration-over-hold-on-2-billion-in-usaid-funds/
Yes, Biden Spent Millions on Transgender Animal Experiments
Last night, President Donald J. Trump highlighted many of the egregious examples of waste, fraud, and abuse funded by American taxpayers, including $8 million spent by the Biden Administration “for making mice transgender.”
The Fake News losers at CNN immediately tried to fact check it, but President Trump was right (as usual).
FACT: Under the Biden Administration, the National Institutes of Health doled out millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants for institutions across the country to perform transgender experiments on mice.
-$455,000: “A Mouse Model to Test the Effects of Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy on HIV Vaccine-induced Immune Responses”
-$2,500,000: “Reproductive Consequences of Steroid Hormone Administration”
“These mice manifest defects in ovarian architecture and have altered folliculogenesis.”
-$299,940: “Gender-Affirming Testosterone Therapy on Breast Cancer Risk and Treatment Outcomes”
“We will compare the incidences and tumor specific survival in female mice (intact) and oophorectomized female mice receiving TT with their respective counterparts that do not receive TT.”
-$735,113: “Microbiome mediated effects of gender affirming hormone therapy in mice”
-$1,200,000: “Androgen effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis”
“Aim 2 utilizes transgenic mice to test whether male-level androgens acting via AR specifically in kisspeptin neurons are necessary and/or sufficient for androgen inhibition of in vivo LH pulse parameters, including pulse frequency, and the estrogen-induced LH surge.”
-$3,100,000: “Gonadal hormones as mediators of sex and gender influences in asthma”
“We will study the contributions of estrogens to HDM-induced asthma outcomes using male and female gonadectomized mice treated with estradiol…”
TOTAL: $8,290,053
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/yes-biden-spent-millions-on-transgender-animal-experiments/
Democrats waving a church fan that says “Elon steals” while Nancy Pelosi is right there with her long documented insider trading history is wild.