New poll shows what Americans think of Trump’s performance in second term
President Donald Trump has started his second stint in the White House by earning positive reviews from Americans, with especially high marks given for the president keeping campaign promises. A large majority of Americans, 70%, believe Trump is doing “what he promised” during the campaign, while just 30% believe the president’s agenda has been “different from promised,” according to the results of a CBS/YouGov poll released on Sunday. The poll found that Trump’s overall approval on the job so far is 53%, with 47% of respondents indicating they disapprove. Voters also used positive words to describe the president, with 69% describing him as tough, 63% energetic, 60% focused, and 58% effective. Many Americans also approve of the job Trump has done so far on key issues, with 59% saying they approve of his program to deport illegal immigrants, while 41% said they do not approve. A larger majority, 64%, indicated they approve of the president’s plan to send U.S. troops to the U.S-Mexico border, while 36% disapprove. ELON MUSK OUTLINES ‘SUPER OBVIOUS’ CHANGES DOGE AND TREASURY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE A majority also responded that they approve of Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with 54% of Americans saying they approve, compared with 46% who disapprove. However, Americans are less sure about the president’s proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza following the war, with just 13% responding that it is a “good idea,” while 47% say it is a “bad idea” and 40% marked that they were not sure. A slimmer majority approved of Elon Musk and DOGE, with 23% of Americans indicating that they believe the new agency should have “a lot” of influence over government spending and 28% answering that it should have “some,” for a total of 51%. Meanwhile, 18% replied that DOGE should have “not much” influence over government spending and 31% said it should have “none,” for a total of 49%. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN But Trump did score some lower marks when it came to his economic agenda, most notably on his efforts to tackle inflation, with 66% indicating the president has not committed enough attention to lowering prices, while 31% believe Trump has focused on the issue the “right amount” and 3% indicated the president has focused “too much” on the issue. Americans were split when it comes to tariffs, with 56% offering approval of such levies to China, while only 44%, 40%, and 38% felt similarly about tariffs on Mexico, Europe and Canada, respectively. The CBS/YouGov poll was conducted between Feb. 5-7, surveying 2,175 U.S. adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
‘Put down the bong’: Senator smokes UK prime minister on Senate floor
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., launched a unique attack against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a plan to relinquish a military base in the Indian Ocean, cautioning the British leader to “put down the bong.” “The United Kingdom is our friend. I went to school there for a while. I love them and I want to see the prime minister do well, but he needs to put down the bong. He needs to put down the bong,” Kennedy said during remarks on the floor of the Senate. “This makes absolutely no sense, and it’s going to be a big part of his legacy if he gives away this island and our military base to, in effect, what will eventually be China.” At issue is the fate of the Chagos Islands, a British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean that currently hosts a U.S.-U.K. joint naval base at Diego Garcia. UN DEMANDS BRITAIN END RULE OF CHAGOS ISLANDS IN 6 MONTHS But a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2019 that was backed by the United Nations found that the U.K. had no claim to the islands, spurring an October announcement that the U.K. had cut a deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. While the deal calls for the base to remain under American and British control for another 99 years, the plan to hand over the territory has received pushback in both the U.K and the United States. Kennedy let it be known that he was one of those critics, calling the plan to give up control of the islands “bone deep down to the marrow stupid.” UN COURT TO RULE ON BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY OVER CHAGOS ISLANDS “Because the United Nations wants the United Kingdom to feel guilty, they want to give our military base and their military base to Mauritius,” Kennedy said. “Now, the prime minister of the United Kingdom can stop this, and Marco Rubio, our new secretary of state, is against it. And I haven’t talked to him directly, but I think President Trump is against it.” But the Louisiana senator changed gears later in his remarks, arguing that he did not “mean any disrespect,” while still urging Starmer to reconsider. “I shouldn’t have said the bong part, I take it back,” Kennedy said. “Please Mr. Prime Minister, don’t do this. Don’t do this. We’ll stand with you in telling the United Nations, who’s so upset with you, to go fill out a hurt feelings report because we’re not doing it. We’ll stand with you.” The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Saudi Arabia slams Netanyahu’s suggestion it should host Palestinian state
The kingdom reiterated that ‘the Palestinian people have a right to their land’ and cannot be ‘expelled’. Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that the kingdom’s land be used to establish a Palestinian state. In a statement on Sunday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry accused Netanyahu of attempting to “divert attention” from Israel’s ongoing “crimes” in Gaza, including “ethnic cleansing”. “The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes,” said the Foreign Ministry. #Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciates the condemnation, disapproval and total rejection announced by the brotherly countries towards what Benjamin Netanyahu stated regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land and the Kingdom values the… pic.twitter.com/ebj2sVHx4w — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 9, 2025 On Thursday, Netanyahu responded to an interviewer on Israel’s Channel 14 who misspoke by saying “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state”. Advertisement “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said. The interviewer replied that it was an idea worth exploring. The exchange drew angry reactions from Arab states, including Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “These dangerous and irresponsible statements confirm the approach of the Israeli occupation forces in their disrespect for international and UN laws and treaties and the sovereignty of states,” said GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. The Saudi Foreign Ministry thanked the “brotherly countries” for denouncing Netanyahu’s remarks. Discussions of the fate of Palestinians in Gaza had already been upended by an earlier shock proposal from United States President Donald Trump for the US to “take over” and “own” Gaza, resettling Palestinians elsewhere in a move that would amount to ethnic cleansing. That suggestion, amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has also been roundly condemned by Arab leaders. Trump has also said Saudi Arabia would not require the formation of a Palestinian state as a precondition to normalise ties with Israel, a claim Riyadh has repeatedly denied. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 61,700 Palestinians including about 18,000 children, and wrecked much of the enclave’s infrastructure. More than 14,000 more people are missing and are presumed to be dead. The Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 that sparked the war killed 1,139 people and seized more than 250 captives, dozens of whom are still believed to be in the enclave. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Libya finds two mass graves with bodies of nearly 50 migrants, refugees
Rights groups and UN agencies have documented systematic abuse against migrants, refugees in Libya including torture, rape and extortion. Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the North African country. The security directorate said in a statement on Sunday that one mass grave found on Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra contained 19 bodies. The remains were taken for autopsy. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said a second mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in the city after authorities raided a migrant detention centre. He added that according to survivor accounts, nearly 70 people were buried in that site and authorities were still searching the area. Al-Abreen, a charity that helps migrants and refugees in eastern and southern Libya, said that some of the people found in the mass graves had been shot and killed before they were buried. Mass graves containing the bodies of asylum seekers have previously been discovered in Libya, the main transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. Advertisement Last year, authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, south of the capital Tripoli. Human traffickers have benefited from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants and refugees across the country’s borders with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Rights groups and United Nations agencies have for years documented systematic abuse of asylum seekers in Libya including forced labour, beatings, rapes and torture. The abuse often accompanies efforts to extort money from families before they are allowed to leave Libya on traffickers’ boats. Those who are intercepted and returned to Libya are held in government-run detention centres where they suffer from abuse, including torture, rape and extortion, according to rights groups and UN experts. The country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments. Adblock test (Why?)
Here’s how Israel is repeatedly violating the Lebanon ceasefire
Under the initial terms of the agreement that brought about a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah in November, the former was to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon by January 26. That date came and went, but Israel has refused to pull back its military, and the deadline has instead been pushed to February 18. Israel has also continued to sporadically bomb areas in Lebanon – to mass denunciations from the latter – claiming that it is targeting Hezbollah for violations of the ceasefire. The Israeli presence in southern Lebanon means that thousands of people still cannot return to their homes in border villages, with Israeli troops shooting at people who get too close. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – a Shia group that is the strongest military force in Lebanon – began on October 8, as the Lebanese group launched strikes in solidarity with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, which was coming under Israeli attack. Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon in September and killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. Advertisement Israel has killed around 4,000 people across Lebanon since October 2023. Why is Israel still occupying southern Lebanon? How is this a “ceasefire”? And what exactly is Israel’s end game? Here’s all you need to know. The date for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was extended from January 26 to February 18 [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] Did the ‘ceasefire’ stop the war? While Hezbollah has stopped its attacks, Israel has not. Israel’s bombing is nowhere near the same intensity as it was before the ceasefire began on November 27, and nightly bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs has stopped. However, Israel is still carrying out attacks on occasion, some of which are north of the Litani River – which Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of, as per the ceasefire agreement. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a data collection group, has recorded 330 air strike and shelling incidents carried out by Israel between November 27 and January 10, as well as 260 property destruction events. What about Hezbollah? Israel claims Hezbollah has also failed to meet the terms of the ceasefire. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah has not withdrawn north of the Litani River, which lies in southern Lebanon. “If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement and Israel will be forced to act on its own to ensure the safe return of residents of the north to their homes,” Katz said in January. Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem said in a speech in late January that Hezbollah had adhered to the ceasefire agreement but didn’t say specifically whether or not his group had completely withdrawn from the south. Advertisement ACLED has recorded one attack carried out by Hezbollah since the ceasefire began. “Hezbollah has largely refrained from violence – there have been no direct attacks on Israeli soil since the ceasefire took effect, aside from a single attack on December 2 against the Israeli Rwayset Al Alam site in the occupied territories that we code as Syria,” ACLED’s Ameneh Mehvar told Al Jazeera. Qassem said the group would remain patient despite the repeated attacks against it. Israeli tanks are still in Lebanese villages, blocking some residents from returning home [Avi Ohayon/Reuters] What has the international reaction been? Lebanon has filed a complaint with the United Nations against Israel for its ceasefire violations. France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to meet the first ceasefire deadline to withdraw its troops, to little effect. France and the United States were the agreement’s original brokers. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group abided by the terms of the ceasefire, while Israel claims Hezbollah is violating the agreement [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters] Is there any recourse for violations? According to diplomatic sources, the US – a strong ally of Israel – gave assurances that the deal would be adhered to. But there was no other recourse – and no suggested penalties – should the ceasefire be violated. Israel has yet to be held accountable for repeated ceasefire violations or extending the ceasefire period until February 18. What happens if Israel refuses to leave Lebanon? It’s unclear. Advertisement Hezbollah’s Qassem said in a speech in January that his group’s patience might run out with Israel’s violations. But in a more recent speech, he seemed to lay the responsibility to oppose Israel on the Lebanese state. “The Lebanese state is fully responsible for following up, pressuring and trying to prevent as much as it can, through sponsors and international pressure, this violation and this Israeli aggression,” Qassem said in a televised address last week. The Lebanese army is supposed to move into southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire agreement. Any Hezbollah response will be limited by the weakened position it finds itself in. The fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria cut off Hezbollah’s land route to receive weapons from its primary backer, Iran. Its military capabilities also took a heavy beating during the two-month escalation from September until November, during which Israel invaded Lebanon. And it has lost most of its upper military leadership. For these reasons, Hezbollah appears reluctant to take any action that will give Israel a reason to intensify its attacks. Adblock test (Why?)
Father of Shraddha Walker, who was chopped up by her live-in partner, dies of heart attack; kept waiting for…
Vikas Walkar, the father of Shraddha Walkar whose brutal killing in 2022 by her live-in partner had caused a nationwide outrage, died of a heart attack at his residence in Maharashtra’s Palghar, NDTV reported citing the police.
Speaker Johnson says House will match Trump’s pace as Democrats are left ‘flailing’
House Speaker Mike Johnson poked fun at “flailing” Democrats on Sunday and vowed that the House of Representatives would be just as aggressive in pushing legislation as President Donald Trump has been with executive orders. Johnson made the statement during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. Johnson said House Republicans are working to compile the massive legislative package Trump has requested. “We’re going to secure the border, we’re going to make sure that American communities are safe. We’re going to get American energy dominance going again in the economy and restore common sense,” Johnson said. “But to do all that in one big bill takes a little bit of time. So we’re working through that process very productively. We’ve been building on this for a year, Shannon. All through last year, we had our committees of jurisdiction working on the ideas to put it together,” he added. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN “We were going to do a budget committee markup next week. We might push it a little bit further because the details really matter. Remember that I have the smallest margin in history, about a two vote margin currently. So I’ve got to make sure everyone agrees before we bring the project forward, that final product, and we’ve got a few more boxes to check, but we’re getting very, very close,” he continued. NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS The budget bill process has not been without its share of in-fighting, however. Republican spending hawks are pushing leaders to include at least $2.5 trillion in spending cuts in the massive legislative package. One GOP lawmaker said that tension bubbled up in a closed-door meeting last week with several “heated exchanges,” with conservatives demanding a concrete plan and minimum spending cuts at significantly higher levels than what was initially proposed. “I think there’s a lot of frustration right now,” the lawmaker told Fox News Digital. “They’ve been trying to be inclusive, but not every open forum they’ve offered is giving members the ability to say, ‘I feel like people are listening to me,’ because I don’t know that’s the case right now.” Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., two conservative members of the House Budget Committee, both told reporters they wanted to see the baseline for spending cuts set at roughly $2.5 trillion. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Fed up GOP congressman dispels liberal ‘lies’ against DOGE in letter to constituents
A Republican congressman who is “fed up” with the “scripted outrage” promoted by the left over the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk’s investigations of federal agencies published a letter to constituents dispelling the “lies about DOGE.” Virginia Republican Rep. Ben Cline published an open letter to constituents last week who are furious over Musk’s role leading DOGE as the Musk team parsed through agencies such as the Treasury Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to find fraud and cut government spending fat. The investigations have led to an apparent dismantling of USAID as DOGE and Republican lawmakers and think tanks publish reports showing the independent government agency has bankrolled foreign programs such as creating an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and provided funds to extremist groups connected to designated terror organizations. ELON MUSK OUTLINES ‘SUPER OBVIOUS’ CHANGES DOGE AND TREASURY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE Democratic lawmakers, voters, as well as employees of the agency, have staged protests across the country over Musk’s work, slamming him as a billionaire “fascist” who has no right to investigate the federal government as he is not an elected official. USAID HAS ‘DEMONSTRATED PATTERN OF OBSTRUCTIONISM,’ CLAIMS TOP DOGE REPUBLICAN IN LETTER TO RUBIO “I’m fed up with the scripted outrage of the Left & their lies about DOGE. @realDonaldTrump campaigned on using @elonmusk’s expertise to make government more efficient. Trump won & he’s keeping that promise,” Cline posted on X, linking to a letter to his constituents. Cline hit back in his letter that Musk has long held some of the highest security clearances in the nation through his work leading Space X. “Musk is not a private citizen being given ‘unprecedented access to personal or sensitive information,’ as the extreme left would lead you to believe. Mr. Musk holds some of the highest-level security clearances as a key defense contractor and his work is integral to ensuring U.S. military superiority,” Cline wrote in his letter addressed to “Jane Doe” constituents on Thursday. “As you are aware, the rocket systems and satellites his companies produce are used across the federal government, including in the Department of Defense, and his Starlink system has been critical in supporting U.S. allies abroad. There are few, if any, private individuals who have done more to advance America’s technological and defense capabilities in modern history. If there is anyone qualified to bring the federal government into the 21st century and improve its efficiency, it is Elon Musk,” he continued. Cline added that President Donald Trump “has Article II constitutional authority to appoint individuals who can help execute their vision for the federal government.” ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM “Most recently, President Trump designated Elon Musk as a ‘special government employee,’ which is defined by Section 202 of Title 18 of the United States Code. President Trump’s decision to enlist Mr. Musk is a bold step toward strengthening America’s technological leadership and eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies. This appointment is fully within the President’s discretion and is no different from past administrations appointing industry experts to key cabinet, advisory, and operational roles,” Cline explained. “For over 20 years, Mr. Musk has undoubtedly showcased to the American people his unparalleled ability to drive innovation, develop world-leading technologies, and ensure America is the world leader in energy, Artificial Intelligence, rocketry, transportation, and healthcare, among other fields,” he continued. Musk reportedly gained access to the Treasury’s payment system last weekend, sparking widespread outrage that he had access to private information related to Social Security, payments to government contractors, Medicare benefits and other data. The outrage soon spilled into Musk and DOGE’s work investigating USAID last week, which crescendoed on Friday when a federal judge paused the Trump administration’s order to place thousands of USAID employees on leave while signage for the agency was removed or covered on the building’s headquarters and surrounding area. MUSK RIPS ‘FRAUDULENT’ TREASURY HANDOUTS AS REPORTS MOUNT DOGE HAS ACCESS TO FEDERAL PAYMENT SYSTEM “There is no evidence to support the allegation that Elon Musk or his team has unlawfully accessed or seized the sensitive data. Any access to citizen data is strictly regulated, and the role of DOGE is focused on modernizing outdated systems, not compiling private information. The real threat to Americans’ privacy has come from an unchecked bureaucracy that has mismanaged data security for decades. The reforms proposed by President Trump and implemented by individuals like Mr. Musk are designed to prevent government overreach, not expand it,” Cline wrote. Also on Friday, House Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters of Califorrnia, attempted to gain entry to the Department of Education’s headquarters to meet with acting Education Secretary Denise L. Carter. But they were seen clashing with a security guard as the DOGE team reportedly prepares to recommend major spending cuts to the department. Trump had repeatedly advocated and campaigned on shutting the Department of Education down in favor of giving states power over their respective education systems. ELON MUSK SLAMS ‘MEAN’ PODCAST HOSTS FOR CALLING DOGE EMPLOYEES ‘ARROGANT LITTLE PR—S’ AMONG OTHER THINGS “The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an essential initiative to reduce wasteful spending, cut bureaucratic red tape, and modernize government technology. On his first day in office, President Trump legally integrated DOGE into the federal government by way of an executive order renaming the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service (USDS),” he wrote. “Fully authorized under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), USDS will enhance government productivity and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. Each executive agency’s DOGE Team works in coordination with agency heads in order to ensure the implementation of President Trump’s DOGE agenda. Treasury Secretary Scott [Bessent] has already approved DOGE’s lawful access to unclassified records and systems to facilitate this integration,” he wrote. Cline continued in his letter to constituents that he serves on the DOGE Caucus in Congress and “will work alongside President Trump to introduce reforms that streamline government operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and
India gains, Pakistan struggles: Forex reserves rise to Rs 55300044 crore, Pak’s decline continues
India’s forex reserves rose for the second week to USD 630.6 billion, while Pakistan’s reserves declined to USD 16.04 billion.
‘Mounting public pressure, SC investigation and…’: LoP Gandhi after N Biren Singh quits as Manipur CM
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh resigned amid mounting pressure from public, Supreme Court and Congress.