Here's the latest:
Trump indicates he’ll unveil reciprocal tariffs on other countries next week
“I’ll be announcing that next week, reciprocal trade, so that we’re treated evenly with other countries,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The president pledged during his campaign to match tariffs with trading partners who impose tariffs on American exports. He didn't indicate Friday which countries might be next.
Trump also said he wants to work with Japan on reducing the U.S. trade deficit, which stands at about $68 billion.
A Tennessee Republican raised the idea at Duffy’s confirmation
Duffy’s directive also would prohibit governments that get transportation funds from imposing vaccine and mask mandates, and require their cooperation with immigration enforcement efforts.
With hundreds of billions of dollars in transportation money still unspent from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, such changes could be a boon for projects in Republican-majority states, where birthrates, correlating with lower education rates, tend to be higher.
According to CDC numbers on fertility, the 14 states with the highest rates backed Trump in the November election while the bottom 11 plus the District of Columbia supported Democrat Kamala Harris.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn had questioned Duffy about tying transportation funding to population growth.
“People are leaving some of these blue states and coming to places like Tennessee,” she said. “And this means that we need to look at where those federal highway dollars are spent.”
Transportation secretary’s directive tying grants to birth rates favors red states
Sean Duffy circulated a memo shortly after he was confirmed instructing his department to prioritize families by, among other things, giving preference to funding places with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.
Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray called the directive “disturbingly dystopian.”
“Bizarre and a little creepy,” said Kevin DeGood, senior director of infrastructure and housing policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “States and regions with aging populations tend, on average, to have lower birth rates ... Are they somehow not deserving of transportation investment?”
The Department of Transportation has not responded to questions about the memo.
▶ Read more about Duffy's directive
The Justice Department agrees not to publicly identify FBI agents
The agents said exposure could threaten their lives and families as the Trump administration examines the investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.
After agents sued to block the exposure, the department promised in a court filing Friday not to release the list either "directly or indirectly" before the judge rules.
Many within the FBI fear the list will be used to justify mass firings. Thousands of FBI employees who worked on Jan. 6 cases were asked to complete in-depth questionnaires so Trump administration officials could determine if they should be disciplined.
“The risk to these agents is horrendous,” their attorney Norman Eisen said, noting that other federal employees are being harassed as their identities spread on social media.
Government lawyers responded that the list’s purpose is to conduct an internal review, “not expose dedicated special agents to public insult or ridicule.”
▶ Read more about the Justice Department probe of FBI agents
Democrats want Treasury to investigate DOGE’s access to federal payment systems
Democratic lawmakers are seeking a Treasury Department investigation of the access that Elon Musk’s team was given to the government’s payment system.
They're citing “threats to the economy and national security, and the potential violation of laws protecting Americans’ privacy and tax data.”
The lawmakers, led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, sent letters Friday to Treasury’s deputy inspector general and the acting inspector general for tax administration, as well as to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The letters laid out their concerns over a lack of transparency and public accountability about the access being granted to the federal government’s financial plumbing.
▶ Read more about the Democrats' request for an investigation
Federal judge schedules hearing on USAID lawsuit
A federal judge scheduled a hearing Friday afternoon as employees sue to block the agency’s shutdown.
Outside its Washington headquarters, meanwhile, crews used duct tape to cover the USAID name on signs.
The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees asked the court in Washington to compel the reopening of USAID’s buildings, return its staffers to work and restore funding.
Trump administration officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests,” the lawsuit says.
▶ Read more about the fight over USAID
Federal agencies ordered to provide lists of ‘poor performing’ employees
The Trump administration has ordered all federal departments and agencies to provide lists of every employee who has received less than a “fully successful” performance rating in the past three years.
The memo sent Thursday from the Office of Personnel Management comes as the Trump administration awaits a court ruling on its deferred resignation offers.
The memo, seen by The Associated Press, gives agencies a March 7 deadline. It also directs agencies to note whether any worker has been on a performance plan, and requires agencies to report any obstacles to their “ability to swiftly terminate poor performing employees who cannot or will not improve.”
Trump floats meetings with Zelenskyy and Putin
President Trump said Friday he will "probably" meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week and may also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he’d have JD Vance meet with Zelenskyy next week while the vice president travels to France and Germany.
“I will probably be meeting with President Zelenskyy next week and I’ll probably be talking with President Putin,” Trump replied. “I’d like to see that war end.”
Asked where he’d meet with Zelenskyy, Trump said it “could be Washington — well I’m not going there.”
He didn’t offer details on plans to speak with Putin.
Hungary’s PM, praising ‘Trump tornado,’ says democracy and rights groups will be swept away
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced legal action Friday to eliminate non-governmental organizations and media outlets that received U.S. funds. Any recipients of USAID funding should be identified and sanctioned, he said.
The Trump ally praised the agency’s shutdown, saying “now is the moment when these international networks have to be taken down, they have to be swept away.”
Orbán's Sovereignty Protection Office has cracked down on NGOs and independent media. Critics say it seeks to silence any critics, much like Russia's "foreign agent" law does. Violators face prison terms of up to three years.
The European Union has withheld billions in funding to Hungary over its violations of rule-of-law and democracy standards, abuse of minorities and systemic public corruption and political patronage.
▶ Read more on Orban's praise for the USAID shutdown
Trump calls his Gaza proposal a ‘real estate transaction’
Trump says his suggestions that Gaza’s residents could be resettled, and the area redeveloped for tourism potential, has “been very well received” around the globe.
The idea has actually been roundly criticized. But Trump insisted Friday that it was a “real estate transaction,” and that the U.S. is in “no rush to do anything.”
The president has suggested that resettlement of Gaza’s residents could be permanent — something that even top members of his own administration have contradicted him on.
But Trump said at the White House Friday that “We don’t want to see everybody move back and then move out in 10 years” because of continued unrest.
Vance tasked for TikTok deal
Trump has tasked Vice President JD Vance with overseeing the potential sale of TikTok, according to a person familiar the decision who wasn't authorized to speak publicly.
TikTok’s China-based parent-company is seeking to find an approved buyer to avoid being banned in the U.S.
— Michelle Price
Senate Budget Committee would cut billions, spend more on military and border
“Help is on the way” for voters favoring border security and a stronger defense, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman.
The committee’s blueprint envisions more than $340 billion in new spending over four years to wall off the Mexican border, increase the number of Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, grow the U.S. Navy and build an integrated air and defense missile system.
A committee press release said cuts elsewhere in federal spending would offset the $85.5 billion annual cost.
House Republicans also are working overtime on a big budget package.
Lebanon’s presidency ‘not concerned’ after US envoy sets ‘red lines’ on Hezbollah
Trump's new special envoy for Middle East peace expressed hope Friday that Lebanese authorities are committed to ensuring the Hezbollah militant group isn't a part of the new government in any form.
Morgan Ortagus replaced Amos Hochstein, who helped broker the ceasefire that ended Israel's 14-month war with Hezbollah.
"We have set clear red lines from the United States that (Hezbollah) won't be able to terrorize the Lebanese people and that includes by being a part of the government," she told a news conference after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
In response, Lebanon’s presidency said on X that some of what Ortagus said “expresses her point of view, and the Presidency is not concerned with it.”
▶ Read more about the US envoy in Lebanon
Unions ask judge to protect Labor Department info from Musk
A federal judge will consider Friday whether to block Elon Musk 's team from accessing systems at the Labor Department, which has investigated SpaceX and Tesla.
Three unions asked Judge John Bates, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, to keep DOGE workers out of systems that also contain sensitive information about workers who've filed complaints and about Musk’s corporate rivals.
“DOGE is violating multiple laws, from constitutional limits on executive power, to laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action, to crucial protections for government data collected and stored on hundreds of millions of Americans,” wrote labor union lawyers represented by the advocacy group Democracy Forward.
The Justice Department said the unions are just speculating and haven’t shown that the three DOGE employees detailed to cut the Department’s costs will have such access.
▶ Read more on the Labor Department case
Hegseth’s Pentagon feed cut off before troops could hear him questioned
Defense Secretary Hegseth said at the Pentagon that “deterrence” begins with the southern border. Most troops missed any questions and answers that followed.
Hegseth’s opening remarks were broadcast over the Pentagon’s television and internet channels, but it then cut off.
So the longer Q&A portion he did was only seen by those in the room, and wasn't available for the 2.1 million troops and hundreds of thousands of civilians who serve in other states and nations around the world.
Musk’s team at the Education Department gains access to student loan database
Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has gained access to an Education Department database of personal information on millions of students and parents with federal student loans, according to two people with knowledge of the issue.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Democrats in Congress are raising concerns about DOGE’s access to student records. In a letter to the acting education secretary, a group of Democrats demanded details about DOGE’s work and vowed to fight any attempt to close the Education Department.
A federal lawsuit filed Friday seeks to block DOGE's access, saying it violates privacy rights of federal student loan borrowers.
▶ Read more about the lawsuit seeking to protect financial aid information
— Collin Binkley and Bianca Vázquez Toness
Trump’s most special employee will file a secret financial report
As a special government employee, Elon Musk will have to file a report on his financial assets — but it won’t be made public.
The plan was described by a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose personnel matters.
Musk is the world’s richest person with vast business interests, including Tesla, SpaceX and X. His financial report, if completed, would likely be among the most extensive ever filed.
The White House official said Musk also received a briefing on ethics rules earlier this week. Trump, who put Musk in charge of overhauling the federal government, has said the billionaire entrepreneur would steer clear of conflicts of interest.
— Chris Megerian
Defense secretary tells Pentagon workers he plans to disrupt the status quo
Pete Hegseth is telling his troops and workforce that he plans to take unconventional approaches and “be disruptive on purpose.”
Speaking to a crowd of military and civilian workers in a Pentagon conference center Friday, Hegseth said he's committed to rebuilding the defense industrial base, increasing deterrence and restoring the military’s laser focus on lethality and readiness while ridding it of diversity initiatives.
“President Trump asked me to not maintain the status quo,” he said. “We’re going to move fast. I’ll think outside the box, be disruptive on purpose, to create a sense of urgency that I want to make sure exists inside this department.”
US importers stockpile Prosecco, fearing Trump tariffs
Wine industry data shows American importers have been stockpiling the Italian bubbly as a hedge against possible tariffs.
U.S. imports of Italian sparkling wine — 90% of that Prosecco — skyrocketed by 41% after Trump’s election, far exceeding consumer demand as importers filled the pipeline for future sales.
Union of Italian Wines trade association president Lamberto Frescobaldi says this made sense given the likelihood that consumers will cut back on luxuries if tariffs make them too pricey.
Italian wines were not hit by tariffs during the first Trump presidency, and no tariffs have been announced to date against European partners. But Italy exports nearly one-quarter of its wine, worth 1.9 billion euros ($1.97 billion), exposing the sector to potential price shocks.
▶ Read more about the Prosecco pipeline
Immigrant advocacy groups want access to Gitmo
Their letter Friday demands “immediate access” to the people being held there, saying the U.S. naval station in Cuba should not be used as a “legal black hole.”
Two military flights have carried people who were in the U.S. illegally to the base so far.
The Trump administration has broadly described them as criminals and gang members but has not given specific information such as their names, whether they’ve been convicted or when they entered the country.
Inflation is looking like a problem for Trump
Americans are thinking inflation is going to get much worse now. It’s a problem for a Republican who won election on the specific promise of lowering prices.
The University of Michigan’s survey of consumers showed Friday that people expect inflation to be 4.3% for the year ahead, up a full percentage point from the prior month. The preliminary finding for February is the highest reading since November 2023, when public exhaustion with inflation was crushing President Joe Biden’s approval ratings.
Another possible warning sign for Trump: Broader consumer sentiment among Republicans slipped to 83.2 from 86 in January.
Trump has almost sparked a broad trade war with Canada and Mexico, threatened tariffs that economists say would increase inflation and placed a 10% tariff on imports from China.
White House press secretary blames unsettled economy on Biden
Karoline Leavitt said the jobs report shows “the necessity of President Trump’s pro-growth policies.”
Her statement Friday cited Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency, his pledges to cut regulations and his plan to “deliver the largest tax cut in history for hardworking Americans.”
“President Trump is delivering on his promise to restore our broken economy, revive small business optimism, create jobs, and ignite a new Golden Age for America,” she said.
Trump sues Chicago over ‘sanctuary’ policies
Trump’s opponents aren’t the only ones seeking help from the courts.
An administration lawsuit accuses the nation's third-largest city of using 'sanctuary' laws to "thwart" federal enforcement of immigration laws. It also names the state of Illinois. It's the latest effort to crack down on places that limit cooperation between federal immigration agents and local police and follows threats of criminal charges and cuts to federal funding.
The lawsuit filed Thursday says Chicago and Illinois have allowed “countless criminals” to be released when they should have been held for immigration removal.
▶ Read more about Trump's case against sanctuary laws
FBI director nominee’s potential conflicts of interest draw scrutiny
Kash Patel entered Trump’s orbit as a congressional staffer of modest means, then got rich consulting for foreign clients whose interests may clash with the law enforcement agency he hopes to lead.
An Associated Press review of his financial disclosures shows Patel is now worth as much as $15 million. He hasn’t responded to requests for comment as he awaits Senate confirmation. But ethics experts, Democrats and even a future vice president questioned his private-sector work.
Patel’s consulting for The Czechoslovak Group came as the foreign arms conglomerate pushed to buy Vista Outdoor, which makes the famous American ammo brands Federal and Remington. Senate Republicans blasted the purchase last year as a threat to national security. Then-Sen. JD Vance wrote the Treasury Department accusing CSG of having “ties to the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
The company denied Vance’s claims and the sale went through in November.
▶ Read more about Patel's potential ethical conflicts
Trump, by executive order, wants plastic straws
He announced on his Truth social media network Friday that he plans to sign an executive order next week unwinding his predecessor’s push to move away from plastic straws, declaring that paper straws “don’t work.”
The president has railed against paper straws in the past and in 2019 his reelection campaign sought to use the issue to galvanize supporters, mocking efforts to use paper straws and selling Trump-branded plastic straws for $15.
The Biden administration in 2024 gave the federal government another quarter-century to phase out single-use plastics, including straws, that are polluting the environment and the oceans.
Another deportation flight to Gitmo
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says another planeload of people in the U.S. illegally has gone to Guantanamo Bay.
Noem said Friday on X that the flight took off Thursday, and that they were all “known gang members from Venezuela.”
President Trump says he's using the U.S. military's detention center in Cuba to house as many as 30,000 of the "worst criminal aliens."
Migrant rights groups say Gitmo is not equipped to handle such an influx and there’s no oversight for people held there.
Iran’s supreme leader criticizes US nuke talks proposal
Iran’s supreme leader said Friday that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said “there should be no negotiations with such a government.”
Khamenei stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage with Washington, but his remarks upended months of signals from Tehran to the United States that it wanted to negotiate over its rapidly advancing nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of crushing economic sanctions worth billions of dollars.
The Iranian rial then sunk to a record low of 872,000 rials to $1 in aftermarket trading.
What happens next remains unclear. Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian had promised Thursday to begin a dialogue with the West.
▶ Read more about potential talks between the U.S. and Iran
It’s the first full day on the job for bureaucracy-busting Russ Vought
Writing in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, Vought described the White House budget director’s job “as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind.”
The Office of Management and Budget, he declared, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.”
Vought has pushed to enable mass dismissals by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal workers. He supports the president using "impoundment" to override the legislative branch on spending. And he's unabashedly advanced " Christian nationalism. "
▶ Read more about Russ Vought's powers
Forced leaves start for thousands as Trump guts USAID
They began in Washington and worldwide Friday for most employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, even as workers went to courts to try to block Trump from dismantling the agency and U.S.- funded aid programs around the world.
The administration plans to leave USAID with fewer than 300 workers, out of more than 8,000 direct hires and contractors, and thousands more locally hired employees abroad. That’s according to two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
They said the numbers were presented to the agency’s remaining senior officials on Thursday. A Trump administration order forbids USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.
— Paul Wiseman
▶ Read more about the dismantling of USAID
Trump impact: Not a great time to be job-hunting
The first job report of Trump’s second presidency — just 143,000 jobs added last month — suggests he inherited a solid but unspectacular labor market.
Although Trump's plan to push out federal workers is temporarily blocked, a federal hiring freeze Trump imposed is a "negative for employment growth,'' according to economist Bradley Saunders. Economists also worry about Trump's threat to wage a trade war against other countries and the 10% tax he imposed on Chinese imports.
The tariffs are paid by U.S. importers, generally increasing costs for U.S. consumers, which could rekindle inflation. That could lead the Fed to cancel or postpone the two interest-rate cuts it had forecast, which would be bad for economic growth and job creation.
▶ Read more about Trump's effect on the U.S. economy
More federal workers agree to resign, White House says
The number of federal workers agreeing to resign has spiked to 65,000, according to a White House official.
The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the latest figures.
The workers have opted into the deferred resignation program, which is being challenged in court. A federal judge scheduled a hearing for Monday afternoon to consider arguments over whether the plan can proceed.
▶ Read more on Trump's worker resignation push
— Chris Megerian
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An item has been corrected to show Trump said “a real estate transaction,” not a simple transaction, or a transition.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP