Musk Questioned By Trump’s Cabinet & GOP Lawmakers Over Cuts
Plus: CA Gov. Newsom on trans athletes & "Spring forward" ⏰ Sunday
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TGIF!
Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend from our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:
What We’re Watching:
Mosh: With Love, Meghan ~ Netflix (To see what all the commotion is about)
Jill: A Real Pain ~ Hulu
Lauren: Severance Season II (so far, a masterpiece) - Apple TV
Sari: Batsheva Dance Company’s “MOMO” ~ BAM Theater
What We’re Reading:
Mosh: A New Generation Is Here. Its Name Is Already an Insult. - WSJ’s Ann-Marie Alcántara
Jill: The five years we can’t remember: In coronavirus, we have discovered a memory-resistant strain of pandemics. - Washington Post’s Kate Cohen
Sari: Will Harvard Bend or Break? ~ The New Yorker’s Nathan Heller
What We’re Eating:
Mosh: Virtu Honest Craft - Scottsdale, AZ
Jill: Mango Mango Dessert
Sari: Ceres Pizza (our selection for an annual Pi Day Pizza Pie contest!)
The Mo News Team
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🚨 ONE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Daylight Saving Time: Trump Says Not to Expect Any Major Changes…For Now
Round and round in circles we go. After vowing in December to end the “inconvenient” and “costly” daylight saving time, Trump is now saying he won’t pursue it. Trump told reporters Thursday, “It’s a 50/50 issue, and if something is a 50/50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it.”
For years, lawmakers have introduced bills to make daylight saving (currently March – November) permanent, but have struggled to pass them. Critics of permanent daylight saving time argue the sun would rise later, forcing kids to wait for school buses in the dark during some months. The US tried permanent daylight saving time nationally in the 1970s, and ended the experiment after a year.
Some health experts say permanent standard time (currently November – March) is better for our circadian rhythms and overall sleep health.
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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Elon Musk Vs. Everyone? Billionaire Answers To Trump’s Cabinet & GOP Lawmakers
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been making headlines for its sweeping cuts and "break then fix it" mentality. Now it seems things have finally reached a boiling point, as Congressional Republicans and some inside President Donald Trump’s inner circle are pushing back.
WAR OF WORDS
Trump told his Cabinet secretaries in a Thursday meeting that they — not Musk — are in charge of making cuts. The president called the meeting to address department leaders’ concerns with DOGE’s actions, including mass firings and the "what did you do last week" emails. There, Trump made his first statement suggesting he may be tightening the reins on Musk, who was also at the meeting.
Things reportedly got heated when Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed over the closure of USAID, which is under the State Departments’ purview. Musk returned fire, accusing Rubio of firing “nobody.”
A separate exchange between Musk and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy centered on reports that DOGE attempted to fire air traffic controllers. Musk called that a “lie” and challenged Duffy to list names, to which Duffy responded that there are no names because he had blocked the firings. (See chart below for several firings that have had to be reversed.)
As mediator, Trump attempted to clarify DOGE’s role as an adviser to the agencies.
The question is: Is this issue now resolved, or will things keep escalating between Musk and other cabinet secretaries? Reports suggest that other secretaries inside the meeting were deterred from speaking after Musk sparred with Rubio and Duffy.
Tracking how many agencies were fired, then rehired. Via: NY Times.
DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIP
Bottom line, the Trump/Musk bromance is still alive. Trump continues to praise DOGE’s work as an “incredible success",” and Musk remains one of his closest advisers.
OVER TO CONGRESS
Some GOP lawmakers have said they want Musk to get their approval for his budget-slashing initiatives. Musk responded by giving lawmakers his personal cell phone number so that they could contact him directly if they have concerns.
Musk acknowledged that things will go wrong. In the past few weeks, essential workers – in charge of maintaining nuclear weapons, stopping bird flu, protecting the food supply, and reviewing medical devices – were fired and later asked to return to work.
In private meetings on Capitol Hill Wednesday, lawmakers discussed a "rescission" package with Musk, which would allow the White House to send Congress proposed cuts, letting lawmakers codify them with a simple majority vote in the Senate. Put simply, it’s a way to get around the need for a 60-vote majority to cut spending.
This approach could also help address legal challenges related to the executive branch possibly overstepping congressional authority.
DOGE’S POPULARITY
Outside of Washington, the American public is split on DOGE. A recent CBS/YouGov poll found that 54% of U.S. adults believe that Musk and DOGE should have at least some influence over government spending and operations, with Republicans roughly 3x more supportive of DOGE’s influence.
🚨 ONE THING THAT NEEDS MORE CONTEXT
CA Gov. Newsom: Trans Athletes Competing In Women's Sports Is “Deeply Unfair”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) spoke openly against transgender women competing in female sports in his debut podcast episode of "This Is Gavin Newsom." In conversation with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Newsom said that such participation is "deeply unfair,” while acknowledging how the issue affects transgender individuals who face challenges like higher rates of suicide and depression.
Kirk brought up the topic in response to Newsom asking for advice on how the Democratic party could come back from recent electoral losses. Kirk noted that nearly 80% of Americans opposed allowing trans women to compete in women’s sports, a New York Times/Ipsos poll from January found.
In response, Newsom, who participated in college-level sports, admitted he sees their point of view, “I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair.” Notably, Newsom did not say his state will take any actions on the issue, nor did he condemn a champion trans athlete in California – as Kirk urged him to do.
REALPOLITIK
While the majority of Democratic voters are against trans participation in women’s sports, many progressive lawmakers have said it undermines transgender rights and have condemned Newsom’s comments.
Newsom's stance reflects a broader debate within the Democratic Party about balancing cultural and economic issues. He is expected to run for the Democratic nomination for the 2028 presidential election, which he joked about on the podcast.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump administration must pay debts to USAID partners by Monday, judge rules (NBC)
📌 $400 million in federal grants and contracts pulled from Columbia over allegations of antisemitism (AXIOS)
📌 New day, new tariff threat: Trump’s proposed 250% tax on Canadian dairy, lumber (CNN)
📌 Trump sends letter to Iran's leader proposing nuclear deal (MO NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 China’s foreign minister blasts the US over tariffs at his annual meeting with journalists (AP)
📌 Unexploded WWII bomb in Paris halts Eurostar travel to London and trains to northern France (ABC)
📌 Court orders South Korean President Yoon released from jail for his criminal trial over martial law (NBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft explodes midflight for a second time, disrupting Florida air traffic (CNN)
📌 US employers add a solid 151,000 jobs last month though unemployment up to 4.1% (AP)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 $10M reward offered for arrest of former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug lord (ABC)
📌 Sam Bankman-Fried calls Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'kind' in jailhouse interview with Tucker Carlson (MO NEWS)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Monopoly is switching to online banking. Hasbro’s Monopoly App Banking replaces the classic games’ cash and banker with a mobile app. Fans are not happy, as many used the classic as a math-learning tool and screen-free activity, but Hasbro says this will help speed up the famously slowww game.
The game will be $24.99 and is set to launch in August.