Elon Musk’s budget-slashing hits political reality of suffering Americans
Nearly everyone agrees that the federal government has become this bloated monster that needs to be cut down to size. The massive bureaucracy, attacked by some as evil, is absurdly overstaffed and wastes massive amounts of money. What President Trump is doing in trying to shrink the size of government is popular – even if his billionaire budget-slasher, Elon Musk, is not – and many of the court battles are likely to be resolved in his favor. But the equation is turned on its head when actual people feel the impact. And the media start highlighting sad cases of devastated folks. And Republican lawmakers start objecting to the cutbacks that hit home. WHAT HAS DOGE CUT SO FAR? That’s why it’s so hard to cut the federal budget. It’s not like going into SpaceX and firing a bunch of software engineers. The political pressures can be intense. Virtually every program in the federal budget is there because some group, at some time, convinced Congress it was a good idea. There are noble-sounding causes – cancer research, aid to veterans, subsidies for farmers. In fact, farmers are threatened by the near-abolition of USAID – while most people hate foreign aid, food programs provide a crucial market for American farmers, many of whom are now stuck with spoiling surpluses or loans they can’t repay. Now there’s plenty of game-playing that goes on with government programs. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that agencies could cut one of every 10 employees without damaging their core functions. Anyone who’s looked at the endless cycle of conferences, conventions, training confabs, office renovations and the like knows how much fat there is in these budgets. When you throw in lucrative payments to well-connected contractors, that figure skyrockets. But when agency officials come under fire, they immediately insist that any cutbacks will instantly hurt the poor and downtrodden, or working-class folks living paycheck to paycheck. It used to be called the Washington Monument defense, the notion that any attempt to reduce funding for the Interior Department would cause the memorial’s immediate shutdown. DOGE SAYS IT FOUND NEARLY UNTRACEABLE BUDGET LINE ITEM RESPONSIBLE FOR $4.7T IN PAYMENTS NIH, for instance, does world-class research that benefits the country. But the battle between Musk’s DOGE and the institute centers on how much is spent on indirect costs. Musk says his aim is “dropping the overhead charged on NIH grants from the outrageous 60 percent to a far more reasonable 15 percent.” But an NBC story is headlined: “NIH Cuts Could Stall Medical Progress for Lifesaving Treatments, Experts Say.” The piece quotes Theodore Iwashyna, a physician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as saying his “father had pancreatic cancer, and the care plan developed for him existed only because of research funded through organizations like the NIH.” Iwashyna says the overhead is needed for “computers, whiteboards, microscopes, electricity, and janitors and staff who keep labs clean and organized.” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, whose state is getting $518 million in NIH grants, mainly to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is raising objections. The conservative Republican told a reporter she wants the administration to take a “smart, targeted approach” so as not to endanger “groundbreaking, lifesaving research.” DOGE NEEDS TO ‘CUT DEEPER’ AND MUST ‘KEEP SLASHING’ TO SUCCEED, SAYS KEVIN O’LEARY The examples are legion. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has asked the administration not to restrict funding for diversity programs among American Indian tribes. As the New York Times puts it, “some Republicans” have sought “carve outs and special consideration for agriculture programs, scientific research and more, even as they cheered on Mr. Trump’s overall approach.” Musk’s DOGE team seems to be using a meat-ax method. Why lay off hundreds of FAA technicians and engineers just weeks after the fatal plane crash at Reagan National Airport, when there’s already a major shortage of air traffic controllers? FEMA, which is already stretched thin after the Los Angeles wildfires and the Kentucky flooding, is preparing to fire hundreds of probationary workers, reports the Washington Post. Such workers, who have been with the government for one or two years, basically have no rights. But there has been zero effort to assess them. Some were told their performance was the issue, but showed the Post their evaluations. “Above fully successful,” said one, for a fired GSA worker. “An outstanding year, consistently exceeding expectations,” said the review for a fired NIH staffer. But viewed from a different angle, the hometown paper and other outlets buy into the notion that federal employees should have tenure for life. Everyone in Washington knows that before Trump it was virtually impossible to fire such employees, even for cause. SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES By contrast, Southwest Airlines just announced a 15% cut of its corporate workforce. No one is rushing to interview those laid off, because this sort of downsizing is routine in the private sector. But the Beltway ethos is that federal workers are entitled to their jobs. Now intellectual honesty requires the observation that even radical cuts to the federal payroll won’t have much impact on the $840 billion budget deficit or the $36 trillion federal debt. The bulk of the budget consists of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending and interest on the debt. Can Elon Musk and DOGE at least make progress on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse? Maybe. But the level of pain being inflicted on ordinary Americans, including in red states, and the natural tendency of politicians to shield local residents from that pain, and the media’s relentless spotlight on those suffering, are going to be a giant obstacle.
Delhi traffic advisory issued for CM oath-taking ceremony on February 20; check restrictions, routes to avoid
Traffic restrictions will be imposed from 7 am to 4 pm on key roads to manage the huge traffic during the oath-taking ceremony.
Delhi CM oath-taking ceremony on February 20 at Ramlila Ground: Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani among invitees
The BJP MLAs will meet on February 19 to elect the new Delhi CM, and the oath-taking ceremony will be held on February 20 at 4:30 pm party top source told ANI. BJP leaders and police personnel will inspect the final arrangements tomorrow.
Future of Pilot Ejection: Martin-Baker’s advanced technology comes to India
Martin-Baker is currently supplying 108 ejection seats for 83 Tejas LCA Mk-1A fighter jets built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Senate advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director
The Senate voted Tuesday along party lines to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, clearing a procedural hurdle to set up a final vote on the controversial Trump ally to lead the federal law enforcement agency. Lawmakers in the Upper Chamber voted 48-45 to advance Patel’s nomination, as Democrats hold concerns that he would operate as a loyalist for the president and target the administration’s political enemies. This sets up a final confirmation vote later in the week. Some of Trump’s other more controversial picks — including new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — have received enough support from Republican lawmakers seeking to fall in line to push the president’s agenda. KASH PATEL’S NOMINATION TO LEAD FBI CLEARS FIRST MAJOR SENATE HURDLE A former intelligence and Defense Department official in Trump’s first term, Patel has supported reshaping the FBI, including by expanding its role to carry out Trump’s mission targeting immigration. He has been a vocal critic of past FBI investigations into Trump, including on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents, his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and debunked allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Patel has been panned for his lack of management experience compared to past FBI directors and for his many incendiary past statements, including calling investigators who probed Trump “government gangsters” and claiming that at least some defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot were “political prisoners.” Democrats have also criticized Patel for supporting false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election and his refusal to affirm that former President Joe Biden defeated Trump in that year’s election. But Patel has still received support from many Republicans, including moderates. “I’ve spoken to multiple people I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—both for and against. The ones who worked closely with Kash vouched for him. I will vote for his confirmation,” Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy said Tuesday on X. PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION Patel said at his confirmation hearing last month that Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding his point, including when he proposed shutting down the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. and turning it into a museum for the “deep state.” Patel also denied the accusation that his book’s inclusion of a list of government officials who he claimed were part of the “deep state” constituted an “enemies list,” pushing back on that allegation as a “total mischaracterization.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines last week to advance his nomination to the full Senate. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US condemns ‘dangerous’ moves by Chinese navy helicopter in South China Sea
Manila says it will lodge a diplomatic protest after a Chinese helicopter flew deliberately within 3 metres (10 feet) of a Philippine aircraft. The United States ambassador to Manila has condemned “dangerous” manoeuvres by a Chinese navy helicopter that threatened the safety of a Philippine government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. In a post on social media on Wednesday, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson condemned the actions of the Chinese helicopter and called on Beijing “to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law”. The Philippines said late on Tuesday that it was “deeply disturbed” by the Chinese navy’s “unprofessional and reckless” flight actions and that it would make a diplomatic protest. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that the Chinese helicopter had flown within 3 metres (10 feet) of a surveillance flight carrying a group of journalists. The plane had been flying about 213 metres (700 feet) above the water on a mission to observe Chinese vessels around the contested Scarborough Shoal when it was intercepted by the naval helicopter. Advertisement Journalists and other invited foreign media onboard the plane witnessed the tense 30-minute standoff as the Philippine aircraft pressed on with its low-altitude patrol around Scarborough, with the Chinese navy helicopter hovering close above it or flying to its left in cloudy weather. The risky moves prompted the Filipino pilot to warn the Chinese pilot by radio: “You are flying too close; you are very dangerous and endangering the lives of our crew and passengers”. “Keep away and distance your aircraft from us. You are violating the safety standard,” the Philippine pilot said. WATCH: A Chinese Navy helicopter came as close as 3 meters to a Philippine fisheries bureau plane over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, making dangerous maneuvers and shadowing the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane for about 40 minutes. The Inquirer was onboard the BFAR… pic.twitter.com/VcVfs8MpTN — Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) February 18, 2025 Philippine media outlet Inquirer.Net said that during the flight, the pilot of the aircraft operated by the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources issued at least 19 radio challenges to the Chinese helicopter and Chinese ships in the disputed area. The media outlet described a dangerous game of “hide-and-seek in the sky” with the helicopter suddenly emerging and manoeuvring to place itself as close as 3 metres (9.8 feet) above the plane – a 12-seater Cessna Caravan. China has disputed the Philippines’s account, saying on Tuesday that Manila’s aircraft had “illegally intruded” into China’s airspace and accused the Philippines of “spreading false narratives”. Advertisement The Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries said in a statement that they remain “committed to asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, despite the aggressive and escalatory actions of China”. Named after a British ship that was grounded on the atoll nearly three centuries ago, the Scarborough Shoal is one of the most contested maritime features in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway that puts Beijing at odds with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam who all have maritime claims in the area. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s expansive claim but Beijing does not recognise the decision. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump, Musk lavish each other with praise as they defend cost-cutting drive
US president claims DOGE will save hundreds of billions of dollars without cutting healthcare and welfare benefits. United States President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk have defended their sweeping cost-cutting drive in a joint interview in which the two men lavished each other with praise. In an interview with Fox News that aired on Tuesday, Trump said he had tapped Musk to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as he wanted someone “really smart” to work with. “I respect him; I have always respected him. I never knew that he was right on certain things, and I am usually pretty good at this stuff. He did Starlink, he did things that were so advanced and nobody knew what the hell they were,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity, referring to Musk’s satellite internet service. Trump said that Musk and his “100 geniuses” were ensuring his executive orders got implemented to avoid the experience of past administrations that were frustrated by bureaucracy. “He has got some very brilliant young people working for him that dress much worse than him actually. They dress in just t-shirts; you wouldn’t know they have 180 IQ,” Trump said, praising Musk as a “leader” who “gets it done”. Advertisement Musk, in turn, showered Trump with praise. “I love the president. I want to be clear about that,” Musk said. “I think that President Trump is a good man.” “The president has been so unfairly attacked in the media – it’s really outrageous,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO continued. “At this point, I have spent a lot of time with the president, and not once have I seen him do something that was mean or cruel or wrong. Not once.” The two men also mocked suggestions by some critics that Musk had usurped Trump’s authority as president. “Actually, Elon called me. He said, ‘You know they are trying to drive us apart.’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Trump said. “You know, they said, ‘We have breaking news. Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will be attending a Cabinet meeting tonight at eight o’clock.’ And I said, ‘It’s just so obvious.’ People are smart, they get it.” Musk’s DOGE has overseen the laying off of about 20,000 federal government employees so far and earmarked some 200,000 more for dismissal. Critics have accused Musk of acting without legal authority, cutting government functions haphazardly without proper consideration and jeopardising Americans’ privacy by seeking access to sensitive data such as taxpayer information. Concerns have also been raised about the South African-born billionaire’s influence over the government given that he does not hold elected office. In Tuesday’s interview, Trump claimed that DOGE would be able to find “hundreds of billions” of dollars in savings without making cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits despite those programmes making up nearly half of government spending. Advertisement “It’s going to be strengthened – but won’t be touched. Medicare, Medicaid – none of that stuff is going to be touched,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Can new Africa Energy Bank power a continent while protecting the planet?
A group of African countries is set to launch a bank to fund oil and gas projects amid growing reluctance by Western institutions to further invest in fossil fuels. The long-planned “Africa Energy Bank” that is expected to take off soon was announced last June as a joint initiative by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) – a group of 18 oil-exporting nations. The bank aims to lift growth by boosting Africa’s energy supply. Its founders consider it a lifeline in a continent rich with natural resources, but where millions of people still lack access to electricity. However, climate activists have questioned the logic of doubling down on fossil fuels. In addition, oil and gas projects built today have a high probability of becoming unusable “stranded assets”, leading to costly debt on countries’ balance sheets in the future as the world transitions to low-carbon alternatives. To provide for the material power needs of Africans while also protecting the planet, experts say a balance is needed. Climate activists hold placards as they demonstrate, calling for climate justice resistance against oil and gas drilling off the South African coastlines [File: Esa Alexander/Reuters] Caught between a rock and a hard place Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, hundreds of countries pledged to hold global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Since then, governments and companies – including in Africa – have faced increased pressure to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Advertisement The World Bank stopped financing oil and gas extraction in 2019. In 2022, Shell suspended marine exploration activity off the coast of South Africa after a High Court ordered it to pause work due to successful legal challenges from environmental campaigners. At the time, Happy Khambule, a senior campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, said, “We must do everything we can to undo the destructive colonial legacy of extractivism, until we live in a world where people and the planet come before the profits of toxic fossil fuel companies.” For his part, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, secretary-general of APPO, has said there is a “need to strike the right balance between the imperatives of climate change mitigation and the need to avoid social upheaval that could result from difficult economic and financial conditions in Africa”. Indeed, Africa’s energy needs are immense. The number of sub-Saharan Africans without access to electricity has risen in recent years. As population growth outpaced new energy supply in 2023, 600 million people (43 percent of the continent) were left in the dark, according to the International Energy Agency. While estimates vary, electricity supply would need to increase fivefold to support large-scale industrial activity and help lift the majority of Africans – one-third of whom live on less than $1.90 a day – out of poverty. On a per capita basis, Africa has the lowest level of modern energy usage in the world. At an economy-wide level, it also lags behind. Globally, manufacturing makes up 42.2 percent of total power consumption. In Africa, it’s just 16.8 percent. Advertisement APPO head Ibrahim says the Africa Energy Bank is the result of Western countries’ “abandon[ing] hydrocarbons” so that “the leaders of the continent have no choice but to look within to raise the required funds to sustain and grow the [energy] industry”. Employees drive past Africa’s largest methanol plant at Punta Europa in Equatorial Guinea [File: Pascal Fletcher/Reuters] The Africa Energy Bank will be headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. On February 11, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri told reporters that “the building is ready, and we are only putting finishing touches to it, by the end of this quarter [end of March], this bank will take off.” Countries involved in the Africa Energy Bank include Nigeria, Angola and Libya, among others. Planned projects are expected to range from offshore oil exploration to new gas-fired power plants. Each country has pledged $83m and to raise a total amount of $1.5bn. That will be complemented by $14bn from the Afreximbank, a trade credit organisation. Over the next five years, Lokpobiri said that the Africa Energy Bank is hoping to secure $120bn in assets. Additional funding will likely come from sovereign wealth funds, commodity traders and international banks interested in acquiring equity. Africa’s context is ‘different’ Many African leaders recognise the need for rapid industrial development and balk at restrictions from Western financial backers, whose rules increasingly bar them from traditional energy projects. Advertisement Arkebe Oqubay, a former adviser to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, insists that “Africa’s context is totally different from elsewhere because its economic resources have not been fully developed. At the same time, it’s made a minimal contribution to climate change.” Africa is responsible for just 4 percent of global carbon emissions and even less on a historical basis. It also suffers disproportionately from the effects of extreme weather events. “The moral imperative to cut emissions is not as present in Africa,” said Oqubay. He told Al Jazeera that, “[these] are countries at a development stage where you cannot suddenly move into the green transition … You cannot just say funding is cut and they cannot commit to oil and gas”. The African Energy Chamber, an advocacy group, has also argued that Africa has a “sovereign right” to develop its natural resources, which, according to the group, includes 125 billion barrels of oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. “Until [renewable energy] funding becomes more readily available, African countries are entitled to expand their oil and gas capabilities … and the international community does not have the right to say we cannot do this,” said Oqubay. “But to be clear, fossil fuels are not the future,” he said. ‘Huge’ renewable energy potential Africa’s energy shortages are a “development constraint”, said Fadhel Kaboub, an associate professor of economics at Denison University in the United States. Africa’s subdued power sector limits the production of fertiliser, steel and cement – hallmarks of economic development. Advertisement The continent’s inability to
This is India’s first airport, played key role during World War II, has THIS Tata connection, is located in…
India’s very first airport, the Juhu Aerodome, was established in Mumbai in 1928 – 97 years ago. It is also known as the Vile Parle Aviation Club. It was started as a private airstrip and later turned into a public airport.
Musk opens up about dinner party that soured when Trump’s name was invoked: ‘Like methamphetamine and rabies’
DOGE’s Elon Musk opened up in an interview alongside President Trump with Fox News Sean Hannity about a dinner party where he said he realized how “real” Democratic animosity toward Trump can be. “I happened to mention the president’s name and it was like they got shot with a dart in the jugular that contained like methamphetamine and rabies,” Musk said in the Tuesday night interview while recounting a situation where he mentioned Trump’s name at a dinner party and quickly received pushback. Musk imitated people at the party going crazy and questioned why they couldn’t have a normal conversation. “It’s like they’ve become completely irrational,” Musk said, adding in the interview that he didn’t realize the severity of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” was until he attended that dinner party. ELON MUSK SAYS MILLIONS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DATABASE ARE BETWEEN AGES OF 100 AND 159 During another point in the interview, Hannity asked if Musk would recuse himself from DOGE efforts if there was ever a conflict of interest. “If there’s a conflict he won’t be involved,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t want that and he won’t want it.” EXPERT REVEALS MASSIVE LEVELS OF WASTE DOGE CAN SLASH FROM ENTITLEMENTS, PET PROJECTS: ‘A LOT OF FAT’ “Right, and also I’m getting sort of a daily proctology exam,” Musk added. “It’s not like I’ll be getting away for something in the dead of night.” Musk and Trump sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Hannity where they discussed the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) work, the first 100 days of the Trump administration and more. It marks the duo’s first joint television interview. “He’s been so unfairly attacked,” Musk said of Trump during the interview. “It’s really outrageous.” “I’ve spent a lot of time with the President, and not once have I seen him do anything mean or cruel or wrong.”