Headline Update
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https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2025-02-04/us-approves-potential-sale-of-lockheed-northrop-grumman-systems-to-egypt
US Approves Potential Sale of Lockheed, Northrop Grumman Systems to Egypt
By Reuters • February 4, 2025
The State Department has approved the possible sale of Lockheed's fast missile craft modernization estimated at $625 million and the potential sale of Northrop Grumman's AN/TPS-78 Long Range Radar and related support estimated at $304 million, the agency said in two separate statements.
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https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/g-s1-46361/syrias-new-leader-denounces-iran-calling-its-proxies-a-regional-threat
Syria's new leader denounces Iran, calling its proxies a regional threat
FEBRUARY 4, 2025
"We're not involved in Syria. Syria is in its own mess. They've got enough messes over there. They don't need us involved," Trump said recently.
Some officials suspected of abuses under Assad have been arrested. However, Assad and his family fled to Russia. Other top officials either left the country, or may still be in hiding inside Syria.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/us/politics/trump-gaza-takeover.html
Inside Trump’s Hastily Written Proposal to ‘Own’ Gaza
But nobody — not in the White House, not the Israelis — expected Mr. Trump to roll out the idea on Tuesday until shortly before he did so. The idea was met with immediate opposition from the Arab world, including from Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.
“The fact that nobody has a realistic solution, and he puts some very bold, fresh new ideas out on the table, I don’t think should be criticized in any way,” Mr. Waltz said. “I think it’s going to bring the entire region to come with their own solutions if they don’t like Mr. Trump’s solution.”
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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/100-indian-immigrants-deported-lands-india-rcna190661
U.S. military plane carrying about 100 undocumented immigrants lands in India
The flight is among the latest deportation operations that involve the use of military planes.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/west-point-disbands-student-clubs-related-gender-race/story?id=118493041
West Point disbands student clubs related to gender and race
The National Society of Black Engineers and Latin Cultural Club were among them.
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/04/politics/education-department-trump-executive-order/index.html
Trump administration drafting executive order to initiate Department of Education’s elimination
“We spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, and we’re ranked at the bottom of the list,” Trump said, adding that he wants to “let the states run schools.”
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/callumbooth/2025/02/04/trump-launches-sovereign-wealth-fund-and-the-internets-angry/
Trump’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Sparks Online Backlash Over Funding And Politics
In simple terms, a sovereign wealth fund is an investment fund owned by the state. Often run by a central bank, they invest in an array of assets, including stocks, bonds and precious metals.
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https://www.politico.eu/article/kremlin-russia-slams-us-donald-trump-ukraine-exchange-rare-earth-resources/
Russia to Trump: Back off Ukraine’s rare earths
The Kremlin delivers a warning to the U.S. president over his military aid proposal for Kyiv.
Trump announced Monday that he was “looking to do a deal with Ukraine” in which the U.S. would provide military aid for the war against Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for Ukraine’s "rare earths."
"We’re investing hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earths, and I want security of the rare earths," he said in Washington, adding that Ukraine is "willing to do it."
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg93nn1e6go
How does fentanyl get into the US?
China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl.
Almost all (98%) was intercepted at the southwest border with Mexico.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Mexican criminal organisations - including the Sinaloa Cartel - play a key role in producing and delivering fentanyl, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs into the US.
The Trump administration has accused the Mexican government of colluding with the drug cartels. Mexico's President Sheinbaum says the claims are "slander."
China said it had some of the strictest drugs laws in the world and had conducted joint operations with the US in the past.
"The US needs to view and solve its own fentanyl issue," it said.
And while China remains the main source of the chemicals used to make fentanyl, the DEA has also identified India as an emerging major source for these chemicals.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly7gyvyveeo
South Africa's president calls Musk to calm Trump land row
On Sunday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: "I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!"
He later said, in a briefing with journalists, that South Africa's "leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things".
"So that's under investigation right now. We'll make a determination, and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing — they're taking away land and confiscating land, and actually they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that."
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Transcript
https://www.state.gov/secretary-marco-rubio-with-rich-edson-of-fox-news/
Secretary Marco Rubio with Rich Edson of Fox News
INTERVIEW
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE
CHIEF OF MISSION RESIDENCE
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
FEBRUARY 3, 2025
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https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4052328/defense-secretary-says-full-control-of-southern-border-equals-mission-accomplis/
Defense Secretary Says Full Control of Southern Border Equals 'Mission Accomplishment'
Feb. 3, 2025 | By Matthew Olay, DOD News
On Jan. 29, 2025, Hegseth affirmed that DOD intends to house up to 30,000 criminal migrants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following the president's announcement that he would sign an executive order directing DOD to do so.
"I'm incredibly proud of the warriors we have in the Defense Department and their commitment to this mission."
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/uncategorized/2025/02/president-trump-is-delivering-on-his-commitment-to-protect-our-kids/
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DELIVERING ON HIS COMMITMENT TO PROTECT OUR KIDS
February 3, 2025
Last week, President Donald J. Trump took executive action to protect American children from irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation.
It’s already having its intended effect — preventing children from being maimed and sterilized by adults perpetuating a radical, false claim that they can somehow change a child’s sex. Hospitals around the country are taking action to downsize or eliminate their so-called “gender-affirming care” programs:
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/03/climate/trump-california-water-dams-reservoirs/index.html
2.2 billion gallons of water flowed out of California reservoirs because of Trump’s order to open dams
By Ella Nilsen, CNN
Published 6:50 PM EST, Mon February 3, 2025
On Friday, Trump posted that 1.6 billion gallons was being released adding that “in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons.”
About 2.2 billion gallons were released from Friday to Sunday, local water districts said in a statement released Monday. That water was discharged into the dry lakebed of Tulare Lake, according to a letter from Sen. Alex Padilla to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The US Army Corps of Engineers and the White House did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-confirms-trumps-nominee-pam-bondi-attorney-general-2025-02-05/
US Senate confirms Trump's nominee Pam Bondi as attorney general
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/americas/argentina-says-leaving-who-intl/index.html
Argentina says it will pull out of World Health Organization, mirroring Trump’s move last month
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-maximum-pressure-on-iran/
FACT SHEET: PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP RESTORES MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON IRAN
February 4, 2025
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-withdraws-from-anti-american-un-organizations/
FACT SHEET: PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP PROTECTS SAFETY, FAIRNESS, AND DIGNITY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
February 4, 2025