Midweek News Rundown: Did He Mean What He Said?
White House attempts to clean up Trump's Gaza remarks. DOGE moves onto Medicaid. Trump bans transgender athletes. And some News That Doesn't Suck.
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The response to our first midweek news update was overwhelmingly positive. So we’re back. Before we get to the news, a reminder.
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Here are your headlines:
Breaking: Declaring “the war on women’s sports is over,” President Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports. He said that every school that receives money from the federal government that does not comply will lose their federal funding. Trump says it will impact K-12 schools and US colleges and universities. The President previously signed executive orders stating the US will only recognize two genders, banning transgender individuals from the military, and restricting access to gender affirming care nationwide. The White House says that they will also work with sports entities — like the Olympics Committee — to get them to adopt the same policy. The head of the NCAA says there are fewer than 10 trans athletes out of more than 500,000 student athletes who compete in the NCAA each year.
Madman Theory: On Tuesday, President Trump suggested the US “take over” Gaza, and relocate the two million Palestinians living there. Calling Gaza a “hell hole” and “demolition sight,” he said it could then be transformed into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” Trump also wouldn’t rule out sending US troops to Gaza. All of this is at odds with the America First policies he campaigned on — no foreign aid, no US troops fighting foreign wars.
What He Really Meant: Trump’s comments sparked outrage, and today administration officials are trying to, ah, reframe the president's comments. They’ve insisted that the President did not commit to sending troops to the Middle East. That the President merely wants to temporarily relocate Palestinians while Gaza is rebuilt. They also said the US wouldn’t fund this rebuild.
Not Gonna Happen: The response from the Arab world has been swift and furious. Saudi Arabia, a key Trump partner in rebuilding, firmly rejected the idea, adding that a two-state solution is necessary. Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and the UAE agree. Even Israel’s conservative Prime Minister Netanyahu seemed uncomfortable when Trump pitched the idea. He called it “out of the box” without endorsing it. Israel’s conservative media said it’s “not gonna happen” and a centrist paper slammed it as “absent morality.”
Distraction: Sen. Chris Murphy framed the proposal differently. He suggested Trump pitched such an outrageous idea to shock the public and distract “from the real story — the billionaires seizing government to steal from regular people.” (PS, would it surprise you to learn that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, may have been behind the proposal? He previously noted how “valuable” Gaza’s “waterfront property” could be.)
That’s Do(d)gey: Musk and his allies continue their assault on the federal government. Federal employees have until Thursday to decide whether to accept the buyout offer. Lawyers advise civil servants to consult an attorney before taking the offer. This non-profit is offering help. Democrats are now loudly speaking out, activists are filing lawsuits, but none of it is touching DOGE yet. Many of you are asking, “Is DOGE legal?” I put that question to an attorney; you can find our conversation here.
Unhealthy: DOGE officials are in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; they’ve accessed payment and contracting systems, according to the Wall Street Journal. They say they are looking for fraud and waste. Reportedly they have not accessed databases with enrollees’ personal health information, nor have they received permission to make changes.
Climate (Denial) Update? DOGE is also reportedly in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration HQ. The agency shares data that is used to communicate information about climate change — a key target for DOGE. Team DOGE apparently brushed by security, and may now have access to “the entire computer system,” a former official warned.
Brain Drain: The CIA has reportedly offered its entire workforce the same (possibly illegal) buyout other federal employees received last week.
Banned Aid: The Trump administration ordered almost all remaining USAID employees to stop work and those overseas to plan to return to the US in 30 days. This spells doom for life-saving projects in over 100 countries around the world.
Very Artificial: The new head of a Government Services tech division, an ally of Elon Musk, reportedly told his team of government coders that the administration will start putting AI into the systems at the agencies, including Social Security, to look for waste, fraud, and abuse. This is according to audio provided to 404, an independent tech news source.
Dems Get Louder: To push back, Senate Democrats are reportedly planning to put a hold on all Trump’s nominees. Democrats on the oversight committee called for a vote to subpoena Elon Musk, which failed by one vote — in part because not all Democrats made it there in time. Separately, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) introduced impeachment articles against Trump for his Gaza comments. This does not have much Democratic support.
Court Battles: Legal challenges to Trump’s actions are piling up. It’s a lot to track. Just Security launched a litigation tracker to help out. As of Wednesday, there are 33 cases.
Resistance is Born: A federal judge blocked Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship. That’s a step up from the 14-day pause issued by a different judge on January 23.
Infighting: Multiple groups of FBI agents sued the Justice Department to prevent it from collecting (and potentially publishing) information on agents assigned to investigations into Trump and Jan 6.
Down, Boy: Federal employee unions are suing the Trump administration over DOGE’s access to the Treasury’s sensitive payment systems. They have also filed to block the proposed buyout.
Freeze! On Monday, Judge Loren AliKhan halted Trump’s funding freeze, replacing her earlier temporary pause.
Filling the Cabinet: Despite some Democratic resistance, Trump’s nominees continue to advance. Pam Bondi was confirmed as attorney general. Former fracking CEO Chris Wright was confirmed as secretary of energy. Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr were both approved by committees and now proceed to the Republican-controlled Senate for a final vote. FBI pick Kash Patel could reach a committee vote next week.
Winter Storms: It’s raining here in LA, thank goodness. Much chillier winter weather is projected for areas across the country. Starting Wednesday regions from the Midwest to Great Lakes could see ice storms. Ice storms could also hit W Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania later in the week. My least favorite weather, “icy-mix,” is expected in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast starting Thursday. Bundle up!
Painkiller Killer: Here’s some news that doesn’t suck. The FDA has approved a non-opioid painkiller for the first time in over two decades. The medication is called Suzetrigine. Studies found it is as effective as opioids at blocking acute pain, with far fewer side effects — and, crucially, no risk of addiction. It works by targeting sodium channels in neurons that sense pain. Researchers say, it could revolutionize short-term pain management, which is a major cause of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Wonder what Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family make of this?
