The ACTUAL NEWS: Wednesday, January 29th 2025 Recap

3 days ago

Today in History; Lunar New Year, Europe's Resistance, "Migrant Center" in Guantanamo Bay, "Condom Bombs", More EOs and Other National and Global News

TODAY IN HISTORY

1819 British East India Company administrator Sir Stamford Raffles established the port of Singapore.

1886 German mechanical engineer Karl Benz patented the first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine.

1900 The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs was organized in Philadelphia.

1919 The Prohibition (Eighteenth) Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified and went into effect the following year.

1924 The first machine for rolling ice cream cones was patented by Carl Rutherford Taylor of Cleveland.

1936 Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb were among the first players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

2002 U.S. President George W. Bush, delivering a State of the Union address, described Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as an “axis of evil” for their attempts to develop nuclear, chemical, or biological weaponry.

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NATIONAL

The White House Office of Management and Budget announced on Wednesday that it has reversed a Trump administration directive that had paused federal loans, grants, and other financial assistance.

Kansas is currently facing a major tuberculosis outbreak, with dozens of cases reported in the Kansas City, Kansas area, according to officials.

President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a detention center at Guantanamo Bay capable of holding up to 30,000 migrants currently in the U.S. illegally.

The Trump administration has rescinded an extension of deportation protections that had been granted by the previous administration to over 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the United States.

The largest U.S. government employees’ union filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump’s proposal to reclassify up to 50,000 federal workers, making it easier to terminate their employment.

Following Trump’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid, hundreds of contractors working for the U.S. Agency for International Development have been placed on unpaid leave, with some being let go.

On Wednesday, crypto exchange Coinbase announced the addition of four prominent figures to its global advisory council, including former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Chris LaCivita, co-campaign manager for President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, controlled by Republicans, advanced President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, on Wednesday, clearing the way for a full Senate vote, which could happen as early as this week.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 56-42 to confirm former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, tasked with rolling back climate rules from former President Joe Biden that were aimed at slashing emissions from vehicles, power plants and factories.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, faced sharp criticism for his anti-vaccine stance during a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. A senior Democrat condemned Kennedy for promoting conspiracy theories and dissuading the use of life-saving vaccines.

President Trump signed an Executive Order on school choice, which includes provisions to eliminate funding for public schools that teach critical race theory and other "divisive content".

A three-day meeting of U.S. House Republicans aimed at advancing Trump’s $4 trillion tax cut proposal concluded without a deal on Wednesday, as fiscal conservatives within the party insisted that the plan must reduce the $1.8 trillion federal deficit.

Senior Justice Department officials and federal prosecutors in Manhattan have held talks about dropping the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

President Trump has refused to pay £290,000 ($360,000) in legal fees following the dismissal of his lawsuit against a private investigations firm in a London court, the court heard on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Trump’s legal team formally notified a New York state court of his intention to appeal his criminal conviction related to hush money payments made to a porn star.

U.S. prosecutors moved to drop criminal charges against two associates of President Trump on Wednesday, as part of an effort to end the obstruction probe related to Trump’s handling of classified documents.

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday aimed at combating antisemitism, which will also include provisions to deport non-citizen college students and others who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, a White House official confirmed.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced an agreement with grid operator PJM Interconnection to settle his complaint over power market rules. The deal is expected to save consumers over $21 billion in energy costs over the next two years.

GLOBAL

Denmark's sovereignty is a key issue for the EU, European Council President said in an interview on Wednesday, amid ongoing interest from U.S. President Donald Trump in acquiring Greenland.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Wednesday that she doesn’t believe the U.S. will impose tariffs on February 1, despite the White House reaffirming President Trump’s pledge to do so.
In Germany, election frontrunner Friedrich Merz succeeded on Wednesday in passing a parliamentary motion calling for a crackdown on migration, including the rejection of asylum seekers at the country’s land borders.
Serbia's ruling coalition began discussions on forming a new government on Wednesday, following Prime Minister Milos Vucevic’s resignation amid ongoing protests. President Aleksandar Vucic also hinted at the possibility of holding a snap election in April.
Health and humanitarian organizations remained uncertain on Wednesday regarding the resumption of their operations after the U.S. issued a waiver for "life-saving" assistance following President Trump’s freeze on foreign aid.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced on Wednesday that Egypt would not participate in the displacement of Palestinians, calling it an “act of injustice” that would jeopardize Egyptian security. This was his first public response to President Trump’s call for Egypt to take in residents from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Wednesday that Israeli troops would remain in the Jenin refugee camp in Palestine even after completing their large-scale raid last week, as the crackdown in the occupied West Bank continued into its second week.
Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, seven hostages have been released. According to Netanyahu’s office and the Hostage Families Forum, three more hostages, including a civilian woman, an elderly man, and a female conscript soldier, are set to be released on Thursday. Israel has also pledged to free 110 Palestinian prisoners, with five Thai citizens kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack potentially being freed as well.
The first phase of a long-awaited rail project connecting China, Laos, and Thailand is now 36% complete, with the full project expected to be finished by 2030, a Thai government spokesperson said. The rail line is seen as crucial for enhancing trade with China.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds hospitals along the Thai-Myanmar border with U.S. support, has ordered the facilities to close by Friday, according to an unnamed local official and sources at refugee camps. This comes after President Trump’s freeze on U.S. foreign aid.
Syria's transitional government held "frank" discussions with a visiting Russian delegation on Wednesday, according to the Kremlin. A Syrian source revealed that Syria requested the handover of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow. A readout from Syria's side also stressed the need for Russian “compensation” and “reconstruction” efforts in Syria, although it did not mention military bases Moscow aims to retain.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged $1 billion for electrification projects in Africa, aimed at connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030. The funding will be managed through a French state bank as part of a World Bank-backed initiative.
In Ukraine, the country’s anti-corruption bureau opened an investigation into Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday, following his dismissal of the head of the weapons procurement agency for "unsatisfactory" performance. The Group of Seven countries urged Kyiv to resolve the dispute, warning it could undermine confidence and disrupt supplies.
A months long inquiry into foreign influence in Canadian politics revealed that China, India, and other countries attempted to sway political activities through both traditional and social media. However, the inquiry found that efforts to directly influence lawmakers were "marginal and largely ineffective." The report also noted that the Canadian government had mishandled its communication on the matter. Both China and India have denied meddling in Canada’s internal affairs.
Panamanian and U.S. diplomats held talks on Wednesday in preparation for Secretary Rubio’s stop in Panama on Saturday. Panama expressed its willingness to collaborate with the U.S. on concerns about Chinese involvement in the country, emphasizing a preference for U.S. investment, according to an unnamed Panamanian official.

PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY

A cover of the German newspaper.

Translated headline reads:

"American Psycho, Part II

The horror continues: Donald Trump is back and wants to completely turn around the USA with its rich allies. What he can and cannot do - and who has to suffer from him first."

VIDEO QUICK NEWS

RFK Jr’s confirmation hearing was a session of turbulence and exposure of incompetence. Here’s a snippet worth your time.

Trump: “We identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas. And you know what's happened to them? They've used them as a method of making bombs.”

Trump: "Today I'm also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay. Most people don't even know about it."

Priest at the pro-life rally "salutes" the cheering audience

President Trump Signs Executive Order Expanding Educational "Freedom" for Families

The order focuses on improving K-12 education by "giving parents more choice", including options for private and faith-based schools, to foster competition and enhance student outcomes.

Key provisions include:

The Secretary of Education will guide states on using federal funds for educational choice.
The Secretaries of Education and Labor will prioritize education freedom in grant programs.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services will explore how block grants can support low-income families' educational choices.
The Secretary of Defense will review options for military families to use Defense funds for school choice.
The Secretary of the Interior will evaluate educational options for children eligible for Bureau of Indian Education schools.

Lutnick Urges Country-by-Country Tariffs for Trade Fairness in Senate Hearing

Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Commerce, advocated for a country-by-country approach to imposing tariffs as a means to restore fairness and reciprocity in global trade. Speaking at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Lutnick emphasized his belief that the United States is being treated unfairly in the international trade arena.

"My way of thinking, and I discussed this with the President, is country by country, macro," Lutnick told the Senate committee when asked about his strategy for tariffs. His proposal is a reflection of his broader view that trade policies should be tailored to each country, in order to address what he described as an "unequal global trade environment".

Lutnick argued that the U.S. is being unfairly targeted by other nations' trade practices, noting the prevalence of higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers, and subsidies that disproportionately benefit foreign markets. "We are treated horribly by the global trading environment, they all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies," he said. "They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better."

The nominee made it clear that tariffs could serve as a "tool to restore balance". “We can use tariffs to create reciprocity, fairness and respect," he added.

Lutnick’s comments align with the Trump administration’s ongoing focus on re-evaluating trade deals and pushing back against perceived unfair practices in global trade. His stance signals a continued commitment to the "America First" economic policy, which centers on “putting U.S. interests at the forefront of foreign trade relations”.

One could (and should) argue whether imposing tariffs on our allies will actually serve U.S. interests and ultimately lower the price of groceries, a key issue that Trump highlighted during his campaign.

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