February
Washington Post in row for rejecting ‘fire Elon Musk’ ads
The Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper told an advocacy group it was pulling the ads, which would have covered the front and back pages of some editions.
US judge clears way for thousands of workers to take Trump buyout
About 75,000 workers have signed up for the buyout, equal to 3 per cent of the civilian workforce, in an unprecedented downsize.
Mission from God: Meet the man behind Musk’s Washington rampage
Budget director Russell Vought believes “trauma” needs to be inflicted on the civil service as he slashes the size of government.
Trump’s tariff plan attacked in Congress as ‘insult to Australians’
At least one US legislator has lambasted the president’s intention to slug Australian steel and aluminum imports into America.
Musk calls courts corrupt as Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback
The billionaire and Vice President J.D. Vance are openly questioning the judiciary’s authority as the president’s sweeping reforms face resistance.
Trump administration headed for legal showdown after States fight back
If the new administration fails to comply with the emergency order, the situation could pose a fundamental test of America’s rule of law.
From 10,000 workers to 290. Trump guts entire agency
The Trump administration plans to keep just a handful of staff at USAID which has long delivered humanitarian assistance globally.
Over 40,000 federal workers quit as Trump’s deadline looms
Elon Musk stepped up pressure on federal employees to agree to his offer to resign and get paid through the end of September, as the clock ticked down.
Trump’s hardliners seize control in 72 hours of trade chaos
The US president’s brinkmanship with Canada and Mexico shows he and his new economics team are willing to take risks to get his way on the economy.
Trump hints at curbing Musk: ‘He does nothing without my approval’
The president said the billionaire could not dismantle government spending without his permission, as legislators accuse him of breaking the US Constitution.
January
Judge blocks Trump’s spending freeze in day of chaos
The judge halted the president’s plan to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to federal programs just minutes before it was set to take effect.
Why nothing can stop Trump now
Very little stands in the way of the president’s goal of remaking America as he ploughs ahead with signing executive orders.
Trump pardons jailed Silk Road crypto boss
Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in jail for running an underground online market where drug dealers conducted $US200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.
Trump and the contest between two visions of democracy
If supporters of liberal democracy want to win the battle, outrage and resistance will not be enough. They will have to defeat the arguments of the strongman leaders.
Trump’s revolution takes shape and extraordinary becomes the norm
The formal traditions of an American presidential inauguration couldn’t obscure the extent of the Trump revolution immediately under way.
Trump sings, dances and pledges swift day one action
Supporters filled nearly all the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington for a “Make America Great” victory celebration.
Trump mulls executive order to ‘save TikTok’ from ban or sale
The president-elect has shown interest in rescuing a platform on which he’s been widely admired, leading aides and business allies to scramble for options.
LA firefighters hold the line despite extreme conditions
Some 8500 firefighters from at least seven states and two foreign countries prevented the blazes from growing for the second day running.
Wall St bankers ‘feels liberated’ in MAGA land
Tech billionaires, financiers and the leaders of some of the best-known US consumer groups are rushing to adjust to a more conservative zeitgeist.
Report says Trump would have been convicted in election case
A report says there was sufficient evidence to convict the president-elect in a trial if his 2024 election success had not made it impossible for the case to proceed.