Trump expected to sign more executive orders today

President Donald Trump is expected to sign more executive orders on Tuesday.

The signings will take place in the Oval Office at 3 p.m. ET, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is also set to hold a press briefing at 1 p.m. ET.

House speaker faces uphill battle to pass Republican budget blueprint

House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing forward with a Republican budget blueprint this week, aiming to advance former President Donald Trump’s proposed $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending reductions. However, the plan faces strong opposition from Democrats and resistance within Johnson’s own party.

With only a slim GOP majority, Johnson must navigate concerns from skeptical Senate Republicans and hesitant House members. The votes, set for Tuesday evening, remain uncertain as divisions within the party threaten to derail the effort.

More than 20 staffers quit Musk’s DOGE, rebuke Trump admin government cuts

More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency, citing their refusal to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” Musk, a billionaire and adviser to former President Trump, faced backlash as the departing staffers voiced concerns over the department’s mission.

“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”

The employees also warned that many of those recruited by Musk to shrink the federal government under President Donald Trump were political ideologues lacking the necessary skills or experience for the task ahead.

The mass resignation of engineers, data scientists, and product managers marks a temporary setback for Musk and the Republican president’s tech-driven effort to overhaul the federal workforce. Their departures come amid a series of court challenges aimed at halting or reversing attempts to fire or pressure thousands of government employees out of their jobs.

Read in full from Gabe Whisnant and Jesus Mesa on Newsweek.

DOGE bill targets billions of dollars in overpayments

Representative Dan Meuser, a Republican and a member of the House DOGE caucus, introduced a new bill that aims to tackle overpayments made by the federal government on Monday.

The Payment Integrity Information Reform will “ensure stronger oversight, enforce real consequences for noncompliance, and prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted through fraud and bureaucratic negligence,” Meuser said in a statement provided to Newsweek.

In a news release, his office said the legislation “strengthens oversight, imposes penalties for noncompliance, and demands greater accountability from federal agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent as intended.

Billionaire Elon Musk is leading President Donald Trump‘s efforts to downsize the federal government and reduce spending. However, it has come under fire and is facing legal challenges over firing thousands of government workers and dismantling federal agencies.

The new bill follows Trump and Musk’s claims that millions of dead people are fraudulently receiving Social Security, which has been debunked.

Read in full from Khaleda Rahman on Newsweek.

Gov. Kathy Hochul offers state job opportunities to laid-off federal workers

Gov. Kathy Hochul extended an invitation to recently laid-off federal workers on Tuesday, encouraging them to apply for state jobs through a dedicated online portal.

In a videotaped statement, Hochul assured displaced workers that New York State is eager to welcome them. “The federal government might say, ‘You’re fired,’ but here in New York, we say, ‘You’re hired.’ In fact, we love federal workers,” she said.

The recent federal job cuts are part of a broader initiative led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at reducing government bureaucracy. While the exact number of workers affected remains unclear, the move has sparked concerns over its impact on services and the workforce.

House Republicans plan vote on budget blueprint despite concerns over support

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise confirmed that House Republicans are still planning to vote tonight on their budget blueprint to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Speaking ahead of a House GOP Conference meeting, Scalise said the vote would follow a “robust debate.” Passage of the budget blueprint is essential for Republicans to pass Trump’s legislative agenda later without needing Democratic support in the Senate.

However, there is tension within the party as key Republicans have expressed concerns. Some are hesitant to approve the steep cuts proposed across federal agencies, particularly without guarantees that critical aid programs like Medicaid, food assistance, and Pell grants will be protected.

Dan Bishop, Trump’s pick for deputy OMB director, to influence federal reproductive health funding

Dan Bishop, Trump’s pick for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is set for his confirmation hearing Tuesday. If confirmed, Bishop would help guide the office’s decisions on funding related to federal reproductive health programs. This includes programs like Title X family planning, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, and the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, as well as funding for crisis pregnancy centers, often affiliated with religious organizations and opposed to abortion.

Bishop, a staunch opponent of abortion rights, has a long history of supporting anti-abortion legislation. As a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, he backed bills banning nearly all abortions without exceptions for rape or incest. During his tenure in Congress from 2019 to 2025, he voted consistently in favor of abortion restrictions and co-sponsored a bill seeking constitutional protection for embryos nationwide.

Federal employees return to offices under Trump’s mandate, with some agencies unprepared

Trump’s return-to-office mandate, federal employees across the country, many of whom have worked remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic, reported back to their agency offices on Monday. Elon Musk, meanwhile, issued a warning on his platform X, stating that those who fail to return will face administrative leave.

However, some federal agencies are unprepared for the full return. In an email to employees of the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid division, it was revealed that several regional offices in cities like Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco were not ready for staff to return. The message also mentioned that employees living over 50 miles from certain offices would not be required to report immediately. Additionally, some employees will return in phases through April and beyond.

Trump’s ‘favorite dictator’ sends warning over his Gaza plan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has sent a warning over proposals by U.S. President Donald Trump for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip so that it could be rebuilt after Israel’s war with Hamas.

Trump said in January that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians, an idea that was rejected by both countries at the time along with much of the Arab world.

Egypt’s role is key as one of the most important powers in the Middle East and one which has a peace deal with Israel and neighbors the Gaza Strip, which it ruled until the territory was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Along with the United States and Qatar, Egypt is also a key mediator of the current shaky ceasefire in the Gaza Strip under which Hamas is due to hand back hostages it seized in the October 2023 attack on Israel that started the most intense round of conflict in a region that has seen decades of war. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching protocol over the hostage releases.

Read the full article by Amira El-Fekki on Newsweek.

FDA reverses mass firings, reinstates probationary staffers after pushback

Less than a week after mass firings at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some probationary employees were notified over the weekend that they were being reinstated. This move marks the latest in a series of chaotic cost-cutting efforts led by Trump and Musk, which have seen several government agencies, including those overseeing nuclear weapons and national parks, fire staff only to scramble to rehire them.

The reinstatements came after lobbying by the medical device industry, which invests heavily in the FDA. The industry’s trade group confirmed that a “sizable number” of product reviewers, who are crucial in evaluating medical devices, would be returning to the agency.

Dan Bongino to leave podcast for role as deputy FBI director

Right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino, known for his outspoken criticism of the media, Democrats, and the federal government, has announced he will leave his daily show to take on a new role as deputy FBI director under FBI Director Kash Patel. The 50-year-old former New York police officer and U.S. Secret Service agent will soon join the bureau, despite not having prior experience in federal law enforcement.

Bongino, a vocal critic of the FBI, has expressed strong opinions about how the agency should be run. He has previously called for sweeping changes, including purging what he considers political influence within the bureau and shifting its focus away from domestic extremism. His move to the FBI marks a dramatic turn for someone who has frequently targeted the very government agency he is now set to lead.

UK PM commits to increase in defense spending ahead of Trump meeting

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the country’s defense spending will increase to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027.

He announced the £13.4 billion ($17 billion) uplift just days ahead of a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long questioned the role of NATO and its members’ contributions to Europe’s defense.

The U.K. currently spends 2.3 percent of GDP on defense. Starmer said he wanted defense spending to rise to 3 percent of GDP by 2035, with overseas development aid being cut to pay for the increase.

The government had previously set a 2.5 percent target, without committing to a date to achieve that goal.

Starmer is due to be in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to meet with Trump as Europe scrambles to respond to the U.S. president’s shift in foreign policy as he looks to end the war in Ukraine.

“The U.S. is our most important bilateral alliance,” Starmer said. “It’s survived countless external challenges in the past. We fought wars together.”

“I want this relationship to go from strength to strength,” he added.

Read the full story by Daniel Orton on Newsweek.

Rep. Nikki Budzinski voices concerns over federal workforce cuts and veteran care

During a CNN interview, Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) raised concerns about the ongoing cuts to the federal workforce, particularly within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Budzinski, who serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, pointed out that recent layoffs at the VA—adding 1,400 more job cuts—could harm efforts to address veteran suicide rates.

“When you’re cutting jobs for folks that are answering suicide hotlines, how is that in the service of our veterans?” she asked.

Budzinski also highlighted the panic and confusion these cuts are causing in her district, where 9,300 federal workers live. She stressed that much of the federal workforce resides outside of Washington, D.C., and these workers play a vital role in services like mail delivery and veteran healthcare.

She criticized the lack of clear communication and the “bullying” of federal workers, which has left her constituency feeling uncertain about their futures.

Homeland Security reports record low border encounters

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the U.S. has broken a 15-year record for the lowest number of encounters at the southern border during an interview this morning.

Noem reported just 200 encounters in a single day.

Trump to sign more executive orders in Oval Office today

Trump is set to sign additional executive orders in the Oval Office at 3 p.m. today, according to the White House.

Details on the number and subject of the orders remain unclear.

Since taking office last month, Trump has signed 73 executive orders.

Donald Trump declines to call Putin dictator

President Donald Trump refused to label his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a dictator on Monday, despite having called the Ukrainian leader one in a post on his social-media platform, Truth Social, last week.

Newsweek has contacted Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

Trump escalated a public feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week when he labeled him a “dictator.” The White House leader urged Ukraine to hold elections—despite the fact that these were suspended in February 2022 under martial law, imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The U.S. president’s remarks drew widespread criticism, including from The New York Post, a newspaper Trump once called his “favorite.” The publication ran a front-page cover featuring Vladimir Putin alongside the headline: “THIS IS A DICTATOR.”

At a press conference on Monday alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump was asked whether he would label Putin a “dictator,” as he did Zelensky.

“I don’t use those words lightly … I think we’re going to see how it all works out,” Trump said.

Read the full story by Isabel van Brugen on Newsweek.

Macron pushes back on Trump’s Ukraine claims during U.S. visit

French President Emmanuel Macron used his visit to Washington to challenge Trump’s assertions about European aid to Ukraine, correcting him in real-time during a joint Oval Office appearance Monday.

When Trump claimed Europe was being repaid for 60% of its contributions to Kyiv, Macron interjected, clarifying that Europe had covered 60% of the total aid effort through loans, guarantees, and grants. Trump responded with a smile, saying, “If you believe that, it’s okay with me.”

In a Fox News interview the same day, Macron urged Trump to be cautious in negotiations with Russia, warning that any peace deal must provide “something substantial for Ukraine.” Trump’s push for Ukraine to repay U.S. aid and grant access to its mineral resources has strained relations with Kyiv and European allies.

Will Philadelphia Eagles meet with Trump at White House? What we know

Following the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory at this year’s Super Bowl, conflicting reports have emerged over whether the team has been invited to the White House.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative for the Philadelphia Eagles outside of regular working hours via email for comment.

President Donald Trump was the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl game this year.

It is tradition for the winning Super Bowl team to visit the White House. Eagles captain Lane Johnson said it would be an honor to go, but the decision to meet with the president, if invited, will be left up to a team vote. The Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018 while Trump was president, and did not attend the customary meeting with him following their victory.

On Sunday, February 23, The U.S. Sun reported that the Philadelphia Eagles had decided to skip a visit to the White House. The outlet reported that when asked if they would accept an invitation, the response from the Eagles was a “massive no.”

This report quickly sparked backlash online, particularly from MAGA supporters who have criticized the Eagles, with some saying they will no longer support the team.

Now, amidst this backlash, a conflicting report has emerged.

Read the full story by Marni Rose McFall on Newsweek.

Johnson fights to pass GOP budget with tax cuts, deep spending cuts

House Speaker Mike Johnson is working to push through a Republican budget plan this week, aiming to pass a $4.5 trillion tax cut package alongside $2 trillion in spending reductions. The plan faces opposition from Democrats and some Republicans, making its passage uncertain.

Johnson’s slim GOP majority leaves little room for dissent, as lawmakers on both sides question the sweeping cuts, which would target healthcare, food assistance, and other federal programs. Senate Republicans have proposed a smaller $340 billion package instead.

With Trump backing the larger bill, Johnson is rallying support, but divisions within the party threaten the effort.

A Trump administration move to suspend WHO funding halts $46 million for Gaza

A decision by the Trump administration to freeze funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) has put $46 million earmarked for Gaza on hold, a WHO official said Tuesday.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the funding suspension would impact six key areas, including Emergency Medical Teams, health facility rehabilitation, medical evacuations, and coordination with partner organizations.

Nearly 40% of Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts not expected to save any money

The Donald Trump administration’s push to slash federal contracts as part of its cost-cutting initiative may not yield the savings officials have touted, according to newly released government data.

Nearly 40 percent of the contracts canceled so far by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, are expected to result in no financial benefit to the government, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the program.

Newsweek has contacted DOGE via X, formerly Twitter, for comment.

Trump has consistently supported and praised Musk’s efforts, stating in a recent Fox News interview alongside the multibillionaire that the cost-cutting measures undertaken by DOGE could be the most significant achievement of Musk’s career, surpassing his work with companies like Tesla and SpaceX.

Additionally, Trump and Musk have discussed the possibility of allocating a portion of the savings achieved by DOGE directly to American citizens. The president has indicated that the administration is considering a plan where 20 percent of the savings would be distributed as dividends to the public, while another 20 percent would go toward reducing the national debt.

Read the full story by Daniel Orton on Newsweek.