News
Compiled by Michael Hernandez, 3-2-25
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: the Trump presidency, immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), taxpayer cuts, and Ukraine peace. Here are just a few:
Feb. 23: Breitbart By Elizabeth Weibel
Trump Reveals Dan Bongino Picked To Be Deputy Director Of FBI
President Donald Trump announced that Secret Service veteran Dan Bongino had been picked to serve as the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Bongino as a “highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service,” adding that he is now “one of the most successful Podcasters” in the nation. “Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice!” Trump wrote in his post. “Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next Deputy Director Of The FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel.”
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/23/trump-reveals-dan-bongino-picked-deputy-director-fbi
Feb. 23: The Western Journal By Brian Zeisloft
Bondi’s DOJ Launches Fraud Investigation Of UnitedHealth, Same Insurer Whose CEO Was Assassinated
The Justice Department, now headed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, is reportedly investigating Medicare billing practices from UnitedHealth Group, a move which comes weeks after the assassination of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of subsidiary UnitedHealthcare.
The attorneys are reportedly examining possible civil fraud linked to UnitedHealth Group’s practices for recording diagnoses that allow for extra payments to Medicare Advantage plans, according to a Friday exclusive report from The Wall Street Journal. That includes potential fraud at physician groups owned by UnitedHealth Group.
Insurers receive payments under the Medicare Advantage system to oversee benefits for enrollees, but the payments increase when certain diagnoses are discovered. That creates an incentive to diagnose more ailments and receive more payouts.
Feb. 24: Gateway Pundit By Cara Castronuova
President Trump Gives A Tremendous Thank You To Election Integrity Hero Mike Lindell At CPAC
The President gave election integrity hero Mike Lindell a massive shoutout from the stage at CPAC as Lindell sat in the front of the crowd. “Mike Lindell never changed his mind, he said the 2020 election was rigged,” said President Trump. “Even when the FBI thugs took away everything he had, it was a vicious weaponization of government…but he stood up strong, nothing was going to phase him, and I want to thank you, Mike, on behalf of everybody.”
Lindell said: “We are working for the bottom up with Cause of America, the Election Crime Bureau and the grassroots with every county in the United States to get rid of electronic voting machines and to go to hand-counted paper ballots, same day voting, signature required with voter ID. We have been giving the Trump Administration all of our information and help they need from the top down. One hundred and thirty two countries have banned electron voting machines and over one hundred countries have banned mail-in and early voting. The United States has the worst election platforms of any country in the world. We need to get rid of the machines as fast as possible, and Make Elections Great Again.”
Feb. 24: Fox News By Stepheny Price & Bill Melugin
Anti-ICE Activists Disrupt LA Operations, Post Agents Photos, Names, Phone Numbers On Spanish Posters
Flyers showing the names, pictures, and phone numbers of ICE agents have surfaced in a Southern California neighborhood. Multiple federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin that anti-ICE activists, who have been interfering with ICE operations in the Los Angeles area in recent days, have now started putting up posters featuring the personal information of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers working in the Los Angeles and Southern California area. The posters, which were written in Spanish, translate roughly to read “Careful with these Faces.”
Feb. 24: Red State By Ward Clark
CIA Agents Opposed To Trump Pondering Taking State Secrets To Foreign Powers
On Monday, we learned that there may be some Trump-hating personnel at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who are threatening to take classified intelligence information to foreign governments if their positions are threatened by the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency — the DOGE.
These people took oaths. They have — or had — security clearances, with the extensive background checks that go with those. I know — I’ve undergone a background check for a top-secret clearance myself. And, depending on which foreign government these disgruntled ex-employees might choose to go to, this act would be, arguably, treason. Treason is specifically called out in the Constitution in Article III, Section 3, Clause 1. Under 18 USC Ch. 115: Treason, Sedition, and Subversive Activities, one can be sentenced to death for treason.
Feb. 25: Gateway Pundit By Cullen Linebarger
FBI Employees Actively Destroying Evidence On Servers Following Kash Patel’s Takeover Of Agency
A long-time FBI whistleblower has come forward with a disturbing bombshell that the Deep State is actively destroying evidence government files that could link them to crimes against the American people.
Former FBI agent Garret O’Boyle on Monday told conservative activist and commentator Benny Johnson that FBI employees are working around the clock to delete evidence off of the agency servers even as reformers Kash Patel and Dan Bongino have taken over.
“There are FBI servers which are sort of standalone…People inside the FBI have been working night and day to destroy files on these servers,” he explained to Johnson. “I was told that the way these files are destroyed, not even Elon Musk can restore them. That’s happening right now as we speak.”
Feb. 25: Breitbart By Jeff Poor
Noem: ‘I Have Found Some Leakers — They Will Be Fired’
Monday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed she had discovered some of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials who were tipping off criminal illegal aliens about the agency’s deportation efforts. Noem said those “leakers” have been fired.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/25/noem-i-have-found-some-leakers-they-will-be-fired
Feb. 25: Gateway Pundit By John Mills
Beijing Underground Command Center Signals Preparation for Conflict
The media recently reported that the Chinese regime’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is building the world’s biggest military base underground in possible preparation for conflict with the United States. Large enough to fit 10 Pentagons, the new super large facility should not be a surprise—it is the logical next step of the Chinese regime’s long program of underground facilities. The command center is on the western outskirts of the capital city of Beijing.
Feb. 25: Breitbart By AFP
US House Passes Budget Blueprint Geared To Deliver Trump’s Agenda
The US House of Representatives passed on Tuesday a budget blueprint designed to deliver President Donald Trump’s hardline agenda on immigration, tax reform and deep government spending cuts. It was the first real test of Trump’s agenda in Congress, and after a nail-biting session, the Republicans’ resolution passed by 217 to 215, with a lone ruling party holdout joining all of the chamber’s Democrats in voting against.
The resolution sets the blueprint for the 2025 federal government budget, with House committees now tasked with finding more than $1.5 trillion in spending reductions and $4.5 trillion in extended tax cuts over a decade.
https://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-agenda-faces-reality-check-in-congress-vote
Feb. 26: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Breaking Down The GOP-Passed Fiscal Year 2025 Spending Bill: Where The Money Goes – Education, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
House Republicans passed their Fiscal Year 2025 budget resolution, H. Con. Res. 14, setting forth a comprehensive framework for federal spending, revenue projections, and deficit expectations through 2034. The proposed budget authorizes $5.515 trillion in new budget authority for fiscal year 2025, with an estimated $5.49 trillion in outlays. Despite the significant spending plan, the budget forecasts a $2.08 trillion deficit.
Over the next decade, budget outlays are projected to rise to $7.53 trillion by 2034, with federal revenues expected to increase from $3.4 trillion in 2025 to $5.41 trillion in 2034. However, the deficit remains persistent, averaging nearly $2 trillion per year over the period. The budget, spearheaded by House Budget Committee Chairman Jody Arrington (R-TX), seeks to reverse the “reckless spending spree” of the Biden administration, which has driven inflation, increased debt, and weakened national security.
Feb. 26: Gateway Pundit By Cristina Laila
Supreme Court Stops Biden Judge’s Midnight Deadline, Halts Order Forcing Admin To Pay $2 Billion In Foreign Contracts
Chief Justice Roberts temporarily stopped Judge Amir Ali’s midnight deadline and halted his order forcing the Trump Admin to pay $2 billion in foreign contracts. Biden-appointed Judge Amir Ali on Tuesday blasted DOJ lawyers over USAID disbursement and ordered the Trump Administration to pay the foreign contracts by 11:59 pm on Wednesday evening.
The Supreme Court immediately responded to Trump’s emergency request to vacate Judge Amir Ali’s order. “It Is Ordered that the February 25, 2025 orders of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, case Nos. 1:25-cv-00400 and 1:25-cv-00402, are hereby stayed pending further order of the undersigned or of the Court. It is further ordered that any response to the application be filed on or before Friday, February 28, 2025, by 12 p.m. (EST)” Chief Justice Roberts wrote.
Feb. 27: Breitbart By Oliver JJ Lane
Kyiv Allegedly Leaks ‘Free, Sovereign, And Secure Ukraine’ Rare Earth Mineral Deal
A Ukrainian news publisher claims to have released the full text of the alleged Ukraine rare earths mineral deal ahead of expectations that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign it on Friday, revealing language stopping short of the security guarantees Kyiv demanded but nevertheless establishing a clear future interest for the United States in the country’s wellbeing.
The United States and Ukraine agreed on the text of an initial framework for a mineral rights deal on Tuesday, and may be signed by President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in person as soon as tomorrow. But now a Ukrainian newspaper claims to have published the full text of that deal, seeming to reveal the concessions made to both sides to get the agreement over the line.
While Ukraine had initially demanded full security guarantees in return for access to its vast, and mostly untapped, mineral wealth the Kyiv negotiation team did not succeed in that ambition. Nevertheless, the document seems to use perhaps the strongest language in support of Ukraine’s future from the Trump White House yet.
The document, as published by the Kyiv Independent, proclaims the desire of the American people to “invest alongside Ukraine in a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine”, and furthermore that: “The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”
Feb. 27: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Draining The Swamp: Pres. Trump Formally Instructs All Federal Agencies To Prepare For Large-Scale Bureaucracy Cuts By March 13
The bloated, inefficient, and corrupt federal bureaucracy is finally facing a long-overdue reckoning. President Donald Trump has ordered all federal agencies to prepare for significant reductions in workforce and structural reorganization.
According to a newly released memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), agencies must submit their initial plans for large-scale reductions in force (RIFs) by March 13, 2025.
This directive is part of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative, an executive order signed on February 11, 2025, which aims to eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity in Washington’s deep state. “The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt. At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public. Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens,” according to the memo signed by OMB Director Russell T. Vought and Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell.
Phase 2, due April 14, goes further, reimagining agencies with streamlined org charts, fewer managers, and a laser focus on efficiency. By September 30, the transformation should be complete, with monthly progress reports keeping agencies on a short leash. Notably, the OMB-OPM memo exempts key national security functions.
(Editor’s Note: See released memo: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/opm-omb-memo-guidance-on-agency-rif-and-reorganization-plans-requested-by-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-workforce-optimization-initiative-2-26-2025.pdf.)
Feb. 27: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Alina Habba: Fully Expects Criminal Charges As Epstein Files Are Set To Drop Following Meeting with Kash Patel and Pam Bondi
The long-awaited release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is set to ignite a political firestorm today, and Trump attorney Alina Habba is pulling no punches. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Habba confirmed she met with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel at the White House just hours ago, hinting that the bombshell documents—packed with flight logs, names, and damning evidence—are mere moments from hitting the public square.
For years, the Epstein scandal has been shrouded in secrecy, with high-profile elites mysteriously dodging accountability while only one individual—Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell—was sentenced to prison. Despite the well-documented abuse of hundreds of young victims, no powerful men have been held responsible. That, Habba suggests, is about to change.
Feb. 27: Breitbart By Matthew Boyle
‘World Has Been Dying For’ Trump’s ‘Kind Of Leadership’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Breitbart News that his conversations with leaders across the Middle East suggest a “strong desire” in the region to see expansion of the historic Abraham Accords, and that worldwide the planet is thrilled President Donald Trump is back in the White House, as the “world has been dying for” Trump’s “kind of leadership” again in Washington.
Feb. 28: Gateway Pundit By Cassandra MacDonald
FBI Director Kash Patel Releases Statement Requesting Full Jeffrey Epstein Documents
President Donald Trump’s FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly responded to a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting the full documents on Jeffrey Epstein. Responding to the letter in a post on X, Patel wrote, “The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice. There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued.”
Patel continued, “If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.”
March 1: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
White House Announces No More Blank Checks To Ukraine Without Peace Deal
President Donald J. Trump sent a clear message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week: America First is back, and the days of endless handouts with no gratitude are over. What was supposed to be a historic signing of a minerals deal—an economic framework that would have bolstered Ukraine’s war-torn economy while recouping billions of American taxpayer dollars—turned into a diplomatic disaster, thanks to Zelenskyy’s combative attitude and refusal to recognize the new reality in Washington.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was in the room when the confrontation took place, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that Zelenskyy’s attitude was nothing short of disrespectful.
Unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden, whose administration funneled over $175 billion to Ukraine with little oversight, President Trump has taken a firm stance that peace, not perpetual war, should be the goal. His administration had worked on an economic deal that would have helped Ukraine while ensuring American taxpayers saw some return on their forced “investment” in the war effort. Trump’s response? End the meeting, cancel the scheduled luncheon, and send Zelenskyy packing.
“The President enjoyed the lunch—he figuratively and literally ate President Zelenskyy’s lunch today,” Leavitt quipped. “But it was his decision. He felt as though President Zelenskyy was not in a place to negotiate peace at this point in time.” As Leavitt put it succinctly, “Again, this is not the previous administration. Joe Biden is no longer in that Oval Office. We are no longer going to just write blank checks to a war very far away without real lasting peace. That’s what the President wants.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/white-house-announces-no-more-blank-checks-ukraine/
March 1: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Bipartisan Group Of RINOs And Democrat Senators Met With Zelenskyy Before He Met With Trump
On Friday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan group of US Senators and warmongers before his meeting with President Trump. The meeting was held at the Hay Adams Hotel across from the White House and took place before Zelenskyy went to the White House. After Zelenskyy met with these US Senators, he then went to the White House, where he:
- disrespected the US President and his cabinet
- spoke over both President Trump and VP J.D. Vance
- called J.D. by his first name and not the title
- Argued with Trump and Vance
- Disrespected the American audience
- And then, he was escorted from the White House.
The list of identified US Senators that met with Zelenskyy included:
- Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
- Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
- Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- Charles Grassley (R-IA)
- Chris Murphy (D-CT)
- Peter Welch (D-VT)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
- Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
March 1: Red State By Becca Lower
Hegseth Ordering 3K Troops, Stryker Combat Vehicles to US-Mexico Border
The Washington Post broke the story, reporting on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approval of the deployment in the coming weeks of up to 3,000 troops–and some unique machinery along with them. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered about 3,000 active-duty troops to the southern U.S. border, including soldiers from a motorized brigade equipped with 20-ton armored Stryker combat vehicles, defense officials familiar with the effort said.
The defense secretary approved the orders Friday, said two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal Defense Department planning. The soldiers are primarily from the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, and will be joined by soldiers specializing in engineering, intelligence and public affairs, the officials said….About 2,400 soldiers will deploy with the Stryker brigade and an additional 550 will go will [sic] with the aviation unit, said another defense official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. A handful of others will join them.
March 2: Breitbart By Kurt Zindulka
UK And France To Craft A ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ Ukraine Peace Plan To Present To Trump, Says PM Starmer
UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer said ahead of a Lancaster House summit on Sunday that Britain and France will work to craft a Ukraine ceasefire deal that would be presented to the United States. Echoing the language of former U.S. President George W. Bush, the Labour Party leader said that London and Paris will seek to build a “coalition of the willing” to enforce a peace in Ukraine. The British leader said that he would work with French President Emmanuel Macron to craft a “plan” for peace in Ukraine that they would present to the United States.
Former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, General Sir John McColl, said: “There is absolutely no way that the European nations without American support can provide any form of security guarantee for Ukraine.”
Perhaps in recognition of this reality, European leaders, including both Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron, have urged Zelensky to mend ties with President Trump after the Ukrainian leader was ejected from the White House on Friday after being accused of acting disrespectfully to the American leader and the people of the United States. Macron said Saturday that he urged Zelensky to “re-engage” in dialogue with Washington, particularly on the mineral rights deal, which he left the country without signing following the dustup with Trump in the Oval Office.
Polish President Andrzej Duda also joined the chorus in Europe calling for Zelensky to mend ties with Trump, saying Saturday: “You have to go back to the talk table, sit down to negotiate… If anyone is able to achieve an end to the war, then the United States has that potential, no one else.”
March 2: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Norwegian Defense Minister Forced To Intervene After Fuel Supplier Threatens To Cut Off U.S. Military Vessels
Haltbakk Bunkers, one of Norway’s major fuel providers, announced it would no longer supply fuel to American military vessels in Norwegian ports. The reason? A temper tantrum over President Donald Trump’s unapologetic America First foreign policy. This stunt came after a heated exchange between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Enraged by Trump’s unwavering stance, Haltbakk Bunkers released an unhinged statement on social media, declaring, “No Fuel to Americans!” and urging other European companies to follow suit. The company’s owner, Gunnar Gran, made it clear that his decision was purely political in an interview with a Norwegian business outlet stating he would not sell “a single liter” of fuel to American forces “until Trump is finished.”
Gran’s self-righteous post quickly spread across social media, where leftist activists and anti-Trump Europeans cheered on what they saw as a heroic act of “resistance.” But the celebration didn’t last long. After immediate backlash and embarrassment, Haltbakk Bunkers quietly deleted their statement.
The Norwegian government had no choice but to intervene. Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik issued an official statement reaffirming that the Norwegian government does not support Haltbakk Bunkers’ reckless decision and that the U.S. military will continue to receive all necessary support in Norway.
The statement reads: “We have seen reports raising concerns about support for US Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government’s policy. I can confirm that all requested support has been provided. The U.S. and Norway maintain a close and strong defense cooperation. American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway.”
Michael Hernandez, is co-founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor and is editor of the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and “Election 2026 Countdown.” Mr. Hernandez mentors citizens journalists and can be contacted at [email protected]
