It's Been Reported

Pentagon Announces $580 Million In Cuts To Grants, Contracts Deemed 'Wasteful Spending' (Just the News) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced that the Pentagon will be shaving $580 million from its budget by canceling contracts and grants deemed "wasteful spending." The move comes as the Trump administration, with the help of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), looks to cut waste and fraud from the federal budget. Some of the grants impacted fund research efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and other social programs that do not align with the Department of Defense's (DoD) objectives. “Today, I’m signing a memo directing the termination of over $580 million in DOD contracts and grants that do not match the priorities of this president or this department," Hegseth said in a video posted to the social platform X. See full story	Faith Leaders Gather Around Trump To Pray In Oval Office: 'Incredible Day' (Fox News) — Faith leaders from across the country visited President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday, where they prayed with the commander-in-chief. The White House posted an image of the leaders gathered in prayer around Trump as he sat at his desk. William Wolfe, the executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, posted the same image. See full story
American Heart Association Retracts Opposition To Barring Soda, Candy From Food Stamps (Daily Wire) — A lobbyist for the American Heart Association turned heads last week when he asked Texas Republicans not to exclude soda, ultra-processed deserts, and candy from the list of items that can be bought with food stamps, despite the fact that the medical group has for years warned that such foods cause heart disease. The testimony seemingly prioritized a left-wing opposition to welfare reform over the group’s mission and expertise – similar to scientists who said during COVID that mass gatherings were dangerous unless they were Black Lives Matter rallies, contributing to a dramatic loss of trust in medical experts. The testimony by Alec Puente, director of government relations for AHA, was so surprising that state Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst (R), chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services, repeatedly wondered if AHA could truly be taking the position. “I often say I can never be surprised in this building, but for the American Heart Association to be against this bill, that might be the surprise of the session so far,” Sen. Kolkhorst said. “I would encourage you to look at what it restricts. I don’t know if y’all’s board voted on that.” But now, AHA has retracted the testimony, with spokesman Steve Weiss telling The Daily Wire that “The Association’s position on Texas Senate Bill 379 was miscommunicated during the TX Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing last week. See full story	ABC News Retracts Claim That Israeli ‘Occupation Forces’ Dropped ‘Harrowing’ Leaflet in Gaza (WFB) — ABC News retracted its claim that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dropped leaflets containing "harrowing messages" in Gaza. An editor’s note said the outlet couldn’t confirm the leaflets’ authenticity – but didn’t disclose that it also scrubbed language referring to the IDF as "occupation forces." The original article, published Thursday morning, initially focused on the leaflets and listed four reporters on the byline. Only one, Jordana Miller, regularly covers Israel’s war with Hamas. She has also repeatedly and openly pushed a bias against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Miller and another journalist were stripped from the byline after ABC News updated the story. "[T]he world map will not change if all the people of Gaza vanish," the pamphlets purportedly read, according to ABC News. They pushed Gazans to vacate "before the implementation of Trump’s forced plan – which will impose your forced displacement whether you like it or not." "No one will feel for you, and no one will ask about you. You are left alone to face your inevitable fate," the leaflets purportedly added. "Neither U.S. nor Europe cares about Gaza. The game is almost over, and only a little remains. Whoever wants to save themselves before it’s too late, we are here to stay until Judgment Day." See full story
Canada Outraged After Four Citizens Executed By China Over Drug Charges: 'Inconsistent With Basic Human Dignity' (NY Post) — China executed four Canadian nationals over drug charges earlier this year, prompting strong rebukes from the Western country amidst an already rocky relationship. It is unclear exactly when this year the executions took place, but Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Wednesday she and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to stop them – and are seeking leniency “for other Canadians that are facing a similar situation,” the Wall Street Journal reported. The victims were described as “Canadian nationals” who held dual citizenship with China, though China does not recognize dual citizenship. China treats drug charges with a notoriously heavy hand, issuing lifetime prison sentences for smuggling and sometimes even meting out executions – though they are rarely carried out against Westerners. See full story	Trump Rescinds Order Targeting Paul, Weiss Law Firm After Securing Commitments (Just the News) — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he has rescinded an executive order that targeted the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, after it agreed to certain commitments. The law firm was just one of several legal firms that Trump has targeted in recent weeks because of its alleged ties to his political rivals. Other firms Trump has targeted include Perkins Coie, and Covington & Burling, which is providing pro bono services to former special counsel Jack Smith. The president said he agreed to rescind the order for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, known more simply as Paul, Weiss, because the firm promised not to deny representation to clients based on political views. It also promised not to use any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, and that it would dedicate the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services to support the Trump administration’s initiatives, The Hill reported. See full story
EU Delays U.S. Tariffs (Newsweek) — The EU is delaying by two weeks its first set of planned tariffs on a range of U.S. goods to give more time for talks as Brussels tries to talk Washington down from a trade war. The tariffs will now take effect in mid-April. European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told a European Parliament hearing on Thursday that the change in timing was under consideration. The change was later confirmed by the European Commission. U.S. President Donald Trump reignited the trade war he started in his first term, and the EU is one of his biggest targets. He believes the EU treats the U.S. unfairly on trade and wants better access to its single market for American firms. But Trump's tariffs war, which extends far beyond the EU, is spooking markets and hurting confidence in the economy, threatening to push the global economy into recession. See full story	Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady, Still Sees Two Cuts Coming This Year (CNBC) — The Federal Reserve in a closely watched decision Wednesday held the line on benchmark interest rates though still indicated that reductions are likely later in the year. Faced with pressing concerns over the impact tariffs will have on a slowing economy, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee kept its key borrowing rate targeted in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December. Markets had been pricing in virtually zero chance of a move at this week’s two-day policy meeting. Along with the decision, officials updated their rate and economic projections for this year and through 2027 and altered the pace at which they are reducing bond holdings. Despite the uncertain impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs as well as an ambitious fiscal policy of tax breaks and deregulation, officials said they still see another half percentage point of rate cuts through 2025. See full story
Man Who Had Prison Sentence Commuted By Biden Now Facing Drug, Firearms-Related Charges (Fox News) — A convicted criminal whose prison sentence was commuted by former president Joe Biden is back behind bars. Willie Frank Peterson, 52, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2023, and was sentenced to six years and three months in jail. His sentence began on Sept. 13, 2023, according to court records obtained by Fox News Digital. Per a Jan. 17 executive grant of clemency, Biden commuted Peterson's sentence to 20 months, allowing him to leave custody shortly after. But on Monday, Peterson was booked for multiple drug-related offensives in Dothan, Alabama. The Dothan Police Department charged Peterson with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of marijuana. See full story	Elon Musk's X Regains $44 Billion Valuation In Major Comeback (NY Post) — Elon Musk’s X has reportedly regained a $44 billion valuation – the same price the world’s richest person paid to buy the social media site in 2022. The company formerly known as Twitter was valued at $44 billion in a recent secondary financing round in which investors exchanged existing shares in X, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. A separate report by Bloomberg said X raised nearly $1 billion in new equity from investors – with Musk himself participating in the financing round. The deal reportedly valued X at approximately $32 billion, alongside roughly $12.5 billion in debt. X representatives did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment. See full story