Posts by Amelia Frost
Senate Confirms Russell Vought as Office of Management and Budget Director
The Senate voted along party lines on Thursday to confirm Russell T. Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, putting in place one of the most powerful architects of President Trump’s agenda to upend the federal bureaucracy and slash spending that the administration thinks is wasteful. The 53-to-47 vote returns Mr. Vought to…
Read MoreBig Tech’s AI Spending Rattles Markets
E-commerce giant Amazon reported strong earnings Thursday but, like its big tech peers Microsoft and Google, saw its stock price fall on concerns over high AI investment costs. The mounting expenses of data-intensive artificial intelligence and its infrastructure have cast a shadow over this earnings season, with only Facebook owner Meta winning Wall Street’s approval.…
Read MoreKenya Deploys Additional 144 Police To Haiti
A new contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Thursday to bolster a UN-backed security mission, AFP journalists observed, as the United States reiterated its support but called for a “new direction.” The police contingent, which Kenya’s interior ministry said earlier included 144 officers, was greeted at the international airport in Port-au-Prince by…
Read MorePam Bondi Disbands DOJ’s Anti-Corruption Task Force, Will Use Seized Fund to Build Detention Centers: Report
The Trump administration closed the DOJ’s anti-corruption task force on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images A report found that newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi disbanded the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) anti-corruption task force and the Trump administration will use the seized fund to build detention centers in Texas and Guantanamo Bay. Bondi sent an email…
Read MoreAirline Pilots in the DC Plane Crash Acted as Expected, Experts Say
Just after 8:43 p.m. on Jan. 29, an air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, posed a question to the pilots of American Airlines Flight 5342: Could they land at a different runway? There was nothing unusual about the request or the pilots’ assent to it. But the decision to switch runways…
Read MoreTrump Amplifies Conspiracy Over U.S. Payments to Politico
President Trump amplified unfounded claims on Thursday that the government had been paying news media outlets to generate positive coverage of Democrats. The conspiracy theories appear to have been generated by records showing payments for something much more innocuous: subscriptions. Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social site that “billions of dollars” from U.S.A.I.D. and…
Read MoreElon Musk’s DOGE Blocked from Accessing Labor Department Data in Stunning Win for Unions
A federal judge temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Labor Department data, marking a major win for unions. AP Photo A federal judge delivered a major victory for labor unions Thursday by temporarily blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive Department of Labor (DOL) data. The ruling…
Read MoreDOGE Workers Accused of Dumping Sensitive Data into AI, Asking Software to Slash Education Department Budget
Members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly fed sensitive government data into artificial intelligence tools, relying on AI to recommend drastic budget cuts—particularly targeting the Department of Education. According to multiple U.S. officials, DOGE agents, mostly in their twenties with little prior government experience, have gained administrative access to highly restricted personnel…
Read MoreMark Zuckerberg Only Person With An Unfavorable Rating Worse Than Elon Musk In New Poll
Mark Zuckerberg’s unfavorable rating tops Elon Musk‘s and President Donald Trump‘s, according to a new poll. The Meta CEO, who has taken very public steps to curry favor with the Trump administration, has a 56% unfavorable rating, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Economist/You Gov. Musk, who’s been rampaging through the federal bureaucracy…
Read MoreVolvo Cars Anticipates Bumpy 2025 As Demand Slows
Volvo said the outlook for 2025 isn’t rosy with analysts expecting minimal growth amid uncertainty on several fronts AFP Sweden’s Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Geely Group, said Thursday that annual profits rose in 2024 despite a final quarter slowdown but that the outlook for this year is tougher. The group turned in a 13…
Read MoreTrump Trade Envoy Pick Says Universal Tariffs Should Be ‘Considered’
US President Donald Trump’s trade envoy nominee Jamieson Greer told his confirmation hearing Thursday that universal tariffs should be “studied and considered” as a potential way to reverse offshoring and deficits. On the campaign trail, Trump had floated the idea of across-the-board tariffs on all US imports and Greer would be a crucial figure in…
Read MoreTaco Bell Value Meals Drive Sales As Yum Brands Reports Earnings
Yum Brands reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year results, fueled by Taco Bell’s value-driven menu. The fast food giant made $885 million in company sales in Q4, up from $647 million in 2023. Yum Brand made over $9 billion in digital system sales last year, the company’s quarterly earnings report. “2024 was marked with exceptional core…
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