Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will only agree to meet in person with Russian leader Vladimir Putin after a common plan is negotiated with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy also said he believes Trump is the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and said the U.S. president gave him his telephone number before Friday’s opening of the Munich Security Conference.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance will meet with Zelenskyy later on for talks about how to negotiate a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Here’s the latest:
Second federal judge pauses Trump’s order against gender-affirming care for youth
A second federal judge on Friday paused Trump’s executive order halting federal support for gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19.
U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King granted a temporary restraining order after the Democratic attorneys general of Washington state, Oregon and Minnesota sued the Trump administration last week. Three doctors joined as plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed in the Western District of Washington.
The decision came one day after a federal judge in Baltimore temporarily blocked the executive order in response to a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of families with transgender or nonbinary children.
Judge Brendan Hurson’s temporary restraining order will last 14 days but could be extended, and essentially puts Trump’s directive on hold while the case proceeds. Hurston and King were both appointed by former President Joe Biden.
▶ Read more on the Seattle lawsuit and what the ruling means
Veteran budget hawks give mixed reviews on Musk’s progress
The Associated Press interviewed four such conservatives about Musk’s effort to slash the federal workforce and disfavored programs.
Some point to early successes. Others see DOGE stoking outrage without targeting the biggest spending: defense spending and programs with bipartisan support like Medicare and Social Security.
The DOGE website claims at least $5.6 billion in savings so far — a tiny fraction of Musk’s initial goal of $2 trillion.
“This thing has paid for itself many times over now,” said Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Relief.
But Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jessica Riedl said: “So far, DOGE seems more about looking for symbolic culture war savings than truly reducing the budget deficit in any meaningful way.”
▶ Read more about how budget hawks view DOGE’s progress
New Ag secretary promises layoffs at her agency
“Clearly it’s a new day,” new Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters outside the White House.
She said Trump’s winning back the presidency shows the American people “believe that government was too big.”
Rollins said Elon Musk’s government efficiency team was working at her agency and that it had already canceled some contracts and nearly 1,000 employee trainings related to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Rollins also said she’d welcome input from the Department of Government Efficiency on the nation’s food stamp program.
Trump’s government layoffs could affect economic numbers
Trump’s mass layoffs of federal workers and spending freezes could come back to bite him in the economic data.
The monthly jobs reports could start to show a slowdown in hiring, if not go negative at some point after the February numbers are released. The last time the economy lost jobs during a month was in December 2020, when the United States was still muscling its way out of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Overall, it doesn’t seem that DOGE has managed to actually cut spending substantively yet — instead they’ve just created chaos,” said Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale University. She noted that employers that rely on government grants and contracts would also show declines in hiring, if not worse.
“Given everything that is happening in the federal government, it is very plausible that job growth could turn negative at some point,” Gimbel said. “But it may take a few more reports for the impact to show up.”
Trump’s new tariffs are being felt on Broadway
The Golden Theatre marquee for the new musical “Operation Mincemeat” is dark because special light bulbs ordered to spell out the show’s title are stuck in China, said Rick Miramontez, president of DKC/O&M and a spokesman for the show.
Thousands of the ceramic yellow LED bulbs by Satco were meant to arrive in early February, in time to install them for Saturday’s first preview. Now the show on the Great White Way, named after Broadway’s famous theater lights, will have to welcome theatergoers with a blank space.
On Feb. 1, Trump announced a 10% tariff on imports from China, which led the country to quickly implement retaliatory tariffs on select American imports.
The bulbs have apparently been caught in the contest. The ad agency in charge of the marquee was told March would be the earliest they’d arrive.
Ukraine wants ‘security guarantees’ as Trump seeks to end Ukraine-Russia war, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy made his remarks Friday during a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The two met at the Munich Security Conference.
Many observers, particularly in Europe, are hoping Vance will shed at least some light on U.S. President Donald Trump’s ideas for a negotiated settlement to the war.
European ministers hit back against Vance’s complaints about the state of their democracies
German defense minister Boris Pistorius said U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s comparison of Europe to “ugly Soviet-era” authoritarianism was unacceptable.
Vance lectured European governments about free speech nine days before Germany’s election, accusing them of hostility to the idea that “somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election.”
Pistorius countered that Germany’s right-wing AfD party can campaign completely normally, and “democracy doesn’t mean that the loud minority is automatically right.”
“Democracy must be able to defend itself against the extremists who want to destroy it,” Pistorius said.
▶ Read more on European reaction to Vance’s lecture on democracy
Democrats tell White House that firing USAID’s top watchdog was illegal
Two senior Senate Democrats are asking President Donald Trump to reinstate the top watchdog for the U.S. Agency for International Development, calling his firing illegal.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the foreign affairs committee, and Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the homeland security committee, wrote Trump saying the firing of Inspector General Paul Martin without justification appeared to be an act of retaliation.
Martin’s office had released a report the day before warning that dismantling USAID had all but eliminated proper oversight for billions of dollars in unspent humanitarian funds.
Shaheen and Peters say the law requires 30 days notice to Congress and a reason.
Study: Excluding people in the US illegally from Census results wouldn’t impact party power
Republicans are trying again to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to portion out congressional seats among the states. But a new study suggests their inclusion has had little impact on presidential elections or control of Congress.
If residents lacking permanent legal status had been excluded from the apportionment process from 1980 to 2020, no more than two House seats and three Electoral College votes would have shifted between Democrats and Republicans, according to demographers from the University of Minnesota and the Center for Migration Studies of New York.
“This would have had no bearing on party control of the House or the outcome of presidential elections,” they wrote.
▶ Read more about the GOP push to change how Census numbers determine state representation
Viktor Orbán predicts Trump will bring Russia back into Western fold after end of Ukraine war
Hungary’s nationalist prime minister said Trump’s administration will reconnect Russia with Europe’s economies and energy networks if the war in Ukraine ends.
“The United States has initiated a change that puts the whole Western world’s system of arguments, value system, and way of thinking on a new track,” Orbán said on Hungary’s state radio. “This process is progressing much faster than many people thought. We call this the Trump tornado.”
Hungary, unlike most European countries, continues to rely on Russian oil and gas. Orbán predicted the European Union will “fall apart” if energy prices aren’t brought down.
▶ Read more on the Hungarian leader’s views of Trump
Zelenskyy says he will only agree to meet with Putin after common plan with Trump is negotiated
During the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said he would only agree to meet in person with Russian leader Vladimir Putin after a common plan is negotiated with U.S. President Trump.
He also said he believes Trump is the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and that the U.S. president had given him his cellphone number.
Trump envoy Richard Grenell says he might run for California governor if Kamala Harris runs
Grenell, currently working on special projects for Trump, suggested he’d be interested in the 2026 race to succeed Democrat Gavin Newsom if the former vice president throws her hat in the ring.
“If Kamala Harris runs for governor, I believe that she has such baggage … that it’s a new day in California, and that the Republican actually has a shot,” Grenell told reporters. “And I wouldn’t say no.”
Grenell spoke after taking part in Vice President JD Vance’s meetings with world leaders in Munich.
Harris hasn’t publicly expressed an interest in the governor’s race, but would be a heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination.
Federal workers rally against government-wide layoffs
A large group of federal workers and labor activists rallied in Washington Friday morning against the layoffs.
Many wore masks to protect their identities, for fear of reprisal from the administration. One carried an enormous silver spoon covered in aluminum foil, in reference to the “Fork in the Road” letter informing federal workers of government-wide buyouts.
One rally-goer who identified himself as Jeff, held a “No One Voted for Elon Musk” sign. He said Democrats should be more forceful, saying “We can’t fight illegality with legality.”
▶ Read more about layoffs of federal workers
Zelenskyy calls for US and Europe to band together to support Ukraine in war against Russia
Zelenskyy spoke Friday at the Munich Security Conference, saying that the United States, including the Biden administration, never saw Ukraine as a NATO member.
He is expected to meet later with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Trump has upended years of steadfast U.S. support for Ukraine. Many observers, particularly in Europe, hope Vance will shed at least some light on Trump’s ideas for a negotiated settlement to the war following a phone call between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week.
▶ Read more about Zelenskyy and Vance’s comments at the Munich Security Conference
CDC to lose one-tenth of workforce under Trump administration job cuts
Nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — roughly one-tenth of the agency’s workforce — are being forced out under the Trump administration’s move to get rid of all probationary employees.
The Atlanta-based agency’s leadership was notified of the decision on Friday morning. The verbal notice came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a meeting with CDC leaders, according to a federal official who was at the meeting. The official was not authorized to discuss it and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The affected employees are supposed to receive four weeks of paid administrative leave, the official said, adding that it wasn’t clear when individual workers would receive notice.
With a $9.2 billion core budget, the CDC is charged with protecting Americans from outbreaks and other public health threats. Before the cuts, the agency had about 13,000 employees, including more than 2,000 staff work in other countries.
JD Vance: ‘In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town’
The vice president warned Europe’s elected officials that they risk losing public support if they don’t quickly change course.
“If you’re running in fear of your own voters there’s nothing America can do for you,” he told the Munich security conference.
Vance’s speech made just a passing mention of the 3-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict at a time of intense concern and uncertainty over the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
▶ Read more on the Trump administration’s statements in Munich
Treasury watchdog begins audit of Musk DOGE team’s access to federal government’s payment system
The Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General said it was launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government’s payment system after Democratic senators raised red flags about the access provided to Trump aide Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team.
The audit will also review the past two years of the system’s transactions as it relates to Musk’s assertion of “alleged fraudulent payments,” according to a letter from Loren J. Sciurba, Treasury’s deputy inspector general, that was obtained by The Associated Press.
The audit marks part of the broader effort led by Democratic lawmakers and federal employee unions to provide transparency and accountability about DOGE’s activities under President Donald Trump’s Republican administration. The Musk team has pushed for access to the government’s computer systems and sought to remove tens of thousands of federal workers.
▶ Read more about the inspector general’s audit of US government payment system security
Education Department cuts over $300 million in contracts to help schools apply best practices
The Trump administration is cutting $336 million in contracts designed to help schools and states adopt best practices in the classroom.
An Education Department news release said officials uncovered “wasteful and ideologically driven spending” at 10 regional centers hired to help schools apply research such as “equity audits.”
The department said it plans to open new contracts to replace the Regional Educational Laboratories. They were ordered by Congress in 1965 and are still required under federal law, with a mission to support school policies that improve student outcomes.
Trump officials also cut four contracts for equity service centers totaling $33 million. Without providing evidence, the department said the centers supported “divisive training in DEI, Critical Race Theory and gender identity.”
‘Power of Europe and America in the world’ at stake in Russia-Ukraine talks
Vance met separately with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and said NATO members must spend more on their militaries.
Vance told Rutte that the Trump administration wants to ensure “that NATO does a little bit more burden sharing in Europe, so the United States can focus on some of our challenges in East Asia.”
Rutte agreed: “We have to grow up in that sense and spend much more.”
Steinmeier told the conference that how exactly the Russia-Ukraine war ends “will have a lasting influence on our security order and on the position of power of Europe and America in the world.”
▶ Read more on developments in Munich
Order to drop New York Mayor Adams’ case roils Justice Department as high-ranking officials resign
Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and five high-ranking Justice Department officials resigned Thursday after she refused an order to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a stunning escalation in a dayslong standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability.
Sassoon, a Republican who was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, accused the department of acceding to a “quid pro quo” — dropping the case to ensure Adams’ help with Trump’s immigration agenda — and said she was “confident” the Democratic mayor committed the crimes spelled out in his indictment, and even more.
Before the showdown, Sassoon said, prosecutors had been preparing to charge Adams with destroying evidence and instructing others to destroy evidence and provide false information to the FBI.
▶ Read more about developments in the case against NYC’s mayor
The case against NYC’s mayor stands — for now
The federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams remains active, for now.
As of Thursday night, no paperwork asking a judge to drop the charges had been filed in court. The acting deputy U.S. attorney general, former Trump personal lawyer Emil Bove, wrote in a letter obtained by the AP that the Justice Department in Washington would file a motion to drop Adams’ charges and bar “further targeting” of the mayor.
Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and five high-ranking Justice Department officials resigned Thursday rather than follow that order to drop the charges— a stunning escalation in a dayslong standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability.
▶ Read more about developments in the case against NYC’s mayor
US vice president urges Europe to stem illegal migration, says voters don’t want ‘floodgates’ open
JD Vance urged European officials to stem illegal migration on the continent during his speech before the Munich Security Conference.
Vance says the European electorate didn’t vote to open “floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants.”
The vice president also accused Europeans of squelching free speech, saying freedom is in danger.
▶ Read more on Vance’s statements in Munich
Ukraine and NATO membership
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Zelenskyy Friday that Ukraine must be allowed to join NATO.
Both Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week undercut Ukraine’s hopes of joining, a process that the alliance said was “irreversible” less than a year ago, or of recovering its territory captured by Russia, which currently occupies close to 20% including Crimea.
“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow … them to join NATO,” Trump said Thursday. “I don’t see that happening.”
Trump’s musings have left Europeans wondering how — or even if — they can maintain the post-WWII security that NATO afforded them, or fill the gap in the billions of dollars of security assistance that the Democratic Biden administration provided to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
▶ Read more about developments at the Munich conference
Rubio rerouted
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was supposed to join Vance in the U.S. meeting with Zelenskyy Friday but was delayed when his Air Force plane had to return to Washington after developing a mechanical problem en route to Munich.
He took a different aircraft, but it was unclear whether he would arrive in time for the meeting.
Zelenskyy sees a Russian message in Chernobyl drone strike
Hours ahead of the Vance and Zelenskyy meeting, the Ukrainian president said a Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the protective confinement shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Kyiv region.
Radiation levels have not increased, Zelenskyy and the U.N. atomic agency said.
The strike is a “very clear greeting from Putin and Russian Federation to the security conference,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
The Kremlin denied this, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the Munich organizers of making a “strange and politicized” decision not to invite Russia.
▶ Read more about developments at the Munich conference
Vance will meet Zelenskyy as Europe is rocked by Trump’s US-Russia talks on Ukraine
Vice President JD Vance is appearing at the Munich Security Conference at a time of intense concern and uncertainty over the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
The future of Ukraine is top on the agenda following President Donald Trump’s lengthy phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, when they pledged to work together to end the 3-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Vance is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later Friday for talks that many observers, particularly in Europe, hope will shed at least some light on Trump’s ideas for a negotiated settlement to the war.
▶ Read more about developments at the Munich conference
McConnell tests the strengths and limits of his power by opposing a trio of Trump’s Cabinet nominees
No longer in charge, Sen. Mitch McConnell has been speaking his mind, the long-serving GOP leader rejecting President Donald Trump’s more high-profile Cabinet nominees — alone at times, among the Republicans, casting his no votes.
When it came to Pete Hegseth, now the defense secretary, who faced allegations of excessive drinking and aggressive behavior toward women, McConnell said the combat veteran had “failed, as yet, to demonstrate” he was ready for the job.
On Tulsi Gabbard, who was sworn in this week as director of national intelligence, he said she has displayed “a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” citing in particular her views toward Russia, China and the security breach by former government contractor Edward Snowden.
And as Senate Republicans confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, McConnell, a survivor of childhood polio who used a wheelchair during the vote, opposed.
“A record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts,” the Kentucky senator said.
This is McConnell unplugged, three weeks into the Trump administration, and his new role as no longer the Senate GOP leader but one of 100 senators. It is testing the strength, but also the limits, of his influence on the institution, where he has been a monumental presence for nearly 40 years.
▶ Read more about McConnell’s opposition to Trump’s cabinet picks
Takeaways from Trump’s meeting with Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump spoke about easing tariffs, resolving trade issues and shoring up defense ties in a meeting at the White House on Thursday.
Even though Trump threatened to impose tariffs, he meeting signaled New Delhi and Washington could offer concessions to strengthen economic ties at a time when Trump has been imposing strong tariffs on other trade partners.
Trump called Modi a “much better negotiator than me,” while Modi played on Trump’s “MAGA,” or “Make America Great Again,” catchphrase, saying he was determined to “Make India Great Again.”
Trump said the U.S. will increase its military sales to India and eventually provide F-35 stealth fighter jets. Meanwhile, Modi offered to double bilateral trade with Washington to $500 billion by 2030.
▶ Read more about Trump’s talks with India’s prime minister
What’s happening with potential denuclearization talks with Russia and China?
Trump said Thursday that he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China and that eventually, he hopes all three countries could agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump lamented the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in rebuilding the nation’s nuclear deterrent. He also said he hopes to gain commitments from the U.S. adversaries to cut their spending.
“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”
“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully much more productive,” Trump said.
▶ Read more about Trump’s proposed denuclearization talks
