Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalized over his recent remarks about the future of Gaza beyond any ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The president has been accused of using “ethnic cleansing” rhetoric. Activists responded by covering the Ayrshire property with red spray paint and digging up the prized greens.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration revealed on Friday that it’s withdrawing $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia University because of what the administration says is the school’s failure to protect Jewish students from harassment.
The announcement came after Columbia established a disciplinary panel and increased its own investigations into students who have made critical statements about Israel, to the dismay of advocates for free speech. But the school didn’t do enough according to the federal government.
Trump said Friday that he’s “strongly considering large-scale sanctions” on Russia until a peace agreement is reached with Ukraine, but stoked anger saying it is easier to deal with them as Moscow again bombs Kyiv.
Trump also sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an effort to reach a deal with Tehran to restrict its nuclear program. Iran said it would not respond to “bully” pressure.
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Key Points
- Trump’s Scottish golf resort vandalized with red paint and course dug up over his plan ‘to ethnically cleanse Gaza’
- Donald Trump threatens Iran with military action if nuclear deal can’t be reached
- Trump warns Russia could face sanctions and tariffs for ‘absolutely pounding’ Ukraine
- Trump establishes federal cryptocurrency reserve as markets for digital currency slump
- President backs down and suspends 25 percent tariff hike on Mexican and Canadian goods for one month
- Iran's Khamenei says Tehran will not negotiate under US 'bully' pressure
Trump backs funding bill, asking all Republicans to vote yes '(Please!)'
18:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has signaled his approval for congressional Republicans’ continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded.
“All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week,” the president wrote on Truth Social after returning from his Saturday golf game.
He implored: “We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 8, 2025
Report: Crypto grifter Sam Bankman-Fried lands in solitary after he praises GOP in ploy for Trump pardon
18:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Imprisoned crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly landed in solitary confinement after he praised the GOP in a jailhouse interview with Tucker Carlson in an apparent ploy to win a pardon from Donald Trump.
Bankman-Fried ended up in solitary after he failed to obtain permission for the interview from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, The New York Times reported Friday. The interview took place on a video call in a side room of the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center on Thursday, which was Bankman-Fried’s 33rd birthday.
Mary Papenfuss has the details.
House Republicans unveil continuing resolution to keep government funded
18:09
,
AP
House Republicans unveiled a spending bill Saturday that would keep federal agencies funded through September 30, pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy that is likely to provoke a significant confrontation with Democrats regarding government spending priorities.
The 99-page bill would offer a modest increase to defense programs while reducing nondefense programs below the levels set for the 2024 budget year. This stance is expected to be a non-starter for most Democrats, who have long argued that defense and nondefense spending should align.
Congress must act by midnight Friday to prevent a partial government shutdown.
Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing the bill for a vote on Tuesday, despite the absence of support from Democrats, effectively challenging them to oppose it and risk a shutdown. He is also counting on Republicans to push the legislation through the House primarily on their own.
CR funding the federal government past Friday’s midnight deadline until September 30th to avert a government shutdown has been released (99 pages). https://t.co/sFJ4EPK4Yh pic.twitter.com/kBnNfBVLID
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) March 8, 2025
Democrat House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut says: “I strongly oppose this full-year continuing resolution, which is a power grab for the White House and further allows unchecked billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump to steal from the American people.”
“By essentially closing the book on negotiations for full-year funding bills that help the middle class and protect our national security, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have handed their power to an unelected billionaire.”
“Elon Musk and President Trump are stealing from the middle class, seniors, veterans, working people, small businesses, and farms to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.”
With reporting from the Associated Press
JFK, RFK and MLK: The conspiracies behind each assassination that continue to enthrall amateur sleuths
18:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Rhian Lubin writes:
Mobsters, a mysterious man with an umbrella, Ted Cruz’s dad — and aliens.
Conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F Kennedy on that fateful day on November 22, 1963, have swirled for decades. But experts agree that the imminent release of the long-awaited JFK files, along with unreleased documents about the killings of Robert F Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, is unlikely to quell the paranoia surrounding any of their murders.
President Donald Trump’s deadline for officials to submit a plan for the release of the files is this weekend, according to the executive order he issued 43 days ago.
Read on...
Watch: Trump says he is finding it more difficult to deal with Ukraine than Russia
17:41
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump: I think we're doing very well with Russia. But right now they're bombing the hell out of Ukraine. I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine…in terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 8, 2025
POS traitorpic.twitter.com/24CJqyDfy1
It's just a 'detox' says Bessent as economy slows
17:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s new Treasury secretary blew off the apparent slowdown in the nation’s economy as nothing more than “detox” as government spending switches to the private sector.
Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged apparent signs of a slowed economy following a weeklong drop in the stock market rattled by Donald Trump’s tariffs and a lower-than-expected report of 151,000 new jobs in February (170,000 was predicted).
Mary Papenfuss reports.
In pictures: Demonstration outside U.S. Embassy in Kyiv
17:12
,
Oliver O'Connell
Here's what Trump said when he saw his raised-fist assassination photo for the first time
17:00
,
AP
President Donald Trump’s reaction to seeing the now infamous pictures of the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania has been revealed in an excerpt from a new book.
Trump, by that point in hospital shortly after the shooting, had just watched then-President Joe Biden address the nation regarding the attempted assassination via a CNN feed while on the phone of an aide. After watching the speech, Trump asked to see some pictures of the attack, Alex Isenstadt writes in an excerpt of his book Revenge published in Vanity Fair.
Gustaf Kilander reports on what he said.
Trump administration drops Biden-era lawsuit to curb cancer-causing emissions from Louisiana petrochemicals plant
16:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Department of Justice has officially dropped a landmark lawsuit claiming that cancer-causing pollution from a Louisiana petrochemical plant presents an imminent threat to nearby communities.
The lawsuit contended that the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, endangered local residents by emitting unsafe levels of the toxic chemical chloroprene.
The Environmental Protection Agency classifies chloroprene, which is used in the production of synthetic rubber neoprene, as a likely carcinogen, and the suit aimed to force the plant to curb these emissions.
Environmental and public health advocates are alarmed by the decision to abandon the suit, cautioning that the ongoing operations of the plant could jeopardize the health of thousands of residents, particularly hundreds of young children who are especially susceptible to carcinogens.
Conversely, this decision is expected to garner support from prominent Louisiana officials, including Republican Governor Jeff Landry. They argue that the facility provides substantial economic benefits to both the state and the region and that the pollution concerns have been exaggerated.
In a news release on Friday, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) stated that the dismissal of the case adhered to President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at curtailing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout the federal government.
The department further explained that such initiatives include environmental justice efforts designed to curb pollution in minority communities. LaPlace's population is predominantly Black.
Concurrently, the EPA withdrew its referral of the case to the Justice Department to align with Administrator Lee Zeldin’s pledge to end the use of “environmental justice” as a tool for advancing ideological priorities.
COMMENT: America is no longer the leader of the free world — and in Canada, we are on a war footing
16:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Stephen Marche writes:
America is no longer a member of the free world. That is the almost unbearable truth that has been revealed over the past two months. For Europe, this turn of events has been and will continue to be a painful loss, requiring a more or less complete re-evaluation of their militaries and economic orders. But for Canada, the loss of a sane America is a direct threat to our national survival, and a grotesque betrayal of one of the longest-standing peaceful relationships in world history.
For Canadians, Americans are not just friends and neighbours and allies; they are kin. Americans are our family members, often literally. We have woken up to find our cousins plotting, openly, to enslave us.
Continue reading...
JD Vance responds to mocking memes with one portraying him as Leonardo DiCaprio
16:18
,
Oliver O'Connell
... but with no context, leaving some people scratching their heads.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 8, 2025
The vice president’s post shows his face on the body of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Rick Dalton, in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
If we work out it has any particular significance, we’ll let you know, but the internet has been awash with memes placing Vance’s face (or a version of it) onto the bodies of other characters and famous memes — definitely check out the replies on X — so, presumably he’s just getting in on the fun.
Here’s a couple to get you started:
— IntellectualDorkWeb (@Intel_Dork) March 8, 2025
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) March 8, 2025
You're a meme legend pic.twitter.com/kjNqDv3vxQ
— Grokstar (@Grokstar_1) March 8, 2025
Full story: Trump’s Scottish golf resort vandalized with red paint and course dug up over his plan ‘to ethnically cleanse Gaza’
16:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalized by activists in response to his recent statements on Gaza.
The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by the president, was targeted overnight on Friday, with activists painting “Gaza Is Not 4 Sale” in almost 10-foot-high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens,
Read on...
Iran's Khamenei says Tehran will not negotiate under US 'bully' pressure
15:41
,
Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran will not negotiate under pressure by a "bullying country", a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to the country's top authority to negotiate a nuclear deal.
In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said “there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In a meeting with senior Iranian officials, Khamenei said the aim of Washington's offer for negotiations was to “impose their own expectations,” Iranian state media reported.
“The insistence of some bully governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations.”
“Talks for them is a path to have new expectations, it is not only about Iran's nuclear issue. Iran will definitely not accept their expectations.”
ICYMI: Rubio unleashes his fury on Musk in heated cabinet meeting, report says
15:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
For those who love palace intrigue...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched into a heated argument with Elon Musk during a Cabinet meeting, according to a new report.
Musk and Rubio went at it in a back-and-forth on Thursday in front of President Donald Trump and nearly two dozen others, The New York Times reported.
Rubio has been privately furious at Musk for weeks over his role in dismantling USAID, which the secretary believed should have been under his control, according to the Times.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Watch: Trump unveils new Club World Cup trophy alongside FIFA chief
15:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump names Fox News hosts to Kennedy Center board
15:44
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has named Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo to the board of the Kennedy Center.
The president posted on Truth Social on Friday night:
I am thrilled to announce that Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo will be joining our Kennedy Center Board - This completes our selection. We look forward to restoring the Center to Greatness, and ushering in America’s Golden Age. Together, we will Make the Arts Great Again!
Both hosts responded to the post saying it was an honor to join the board.
Ingraham wrote: “Thank you, Mr. President. This appointment is an honor, and I look forward to working with such a stellar group to showcase the best of the performing arts in our nation’s capital.”
The fallout from the administration’s takeover of the performing arts center continued this week with the cancelation of a run of shows of the musical Hamilton.
Other artists have also pulled performances from the venue in protest.
‘Not the end of the world if US quits Nato'
15:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Britain and other European nations must be ready to take over Nato if Donald Trump carries out US threats to withdraw from the organisation.
They must replace American military aid to Ukraine scrapped by Mr Trump and make sure Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not win the conflict.
That was the powerful message delivered on Saturday by former Conservative defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace.
Simon Walters reports.
Ivanka Trump, who vowed to stay away from politics, is making a lot of appearances at Dad’s events
14:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
Over the last couple of years, Ivanka Trump has bluntly stated she “hates” politics and expressed little interest in resuming public life near Washington, D.C.
“I love my father very much. This time around I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics,” she stated in a 2022 social media post.
Earlier this year, as her father transitioned back to the White House, the first daughter reiterated those feelings.
And yet, as Katie Hawkinson writes, we’ve seen quite a lot of her despite this resentment.
Trump's Scottish golf resort vandalized in response to comments on Gaza
14:27
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalized by activists in response to his statements on Gaza.
The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by the U.S. president, was targeted overnight, with activists painting Gaza Is Not For Sale in three-meter-high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens, including the course’s most prestigious hole, used in Open Championships.
Red paint was also sprayed across the clubhouse.
More follows...
US economic worries mount as Trump implements tariffs, cuts workforce and freezes spending
14:24
,
AP
With his flurry of tariffs, government layoffs and spending freezes, there are growing worries President Donald Trump may be doing more to harm the U.S. economy than to fix it.
The labor market remains healthy with a 4.1% unemployment rate and 151,000 jobs added in February, and Trump likes to point to investment commitments by Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to show that he's delivering results.
But Friday's employment report also found that the number of people stuck working part-time because of economic circumstances jumped by 460,000 last month. In the leisure and hospitality sectors that reflect consumers having extra money to spend, 16,000 jobs were lost. And the federal government reduced its payrolls by 10,000 in a potential harbinger of the alarm being sounded by the stock market, consumer confidence and other measures of where the economy is headed.
Will Trump change daylight saving time? He says it’s a ‘50/50’ issue
14:00
,
Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump is still pondering what to do — if anything — about daylight saving time.
Most of the US is about to "spring forward" on March 9, when clocks will be set one hour ahead to adjust from the extra hour of sunlight heading into the warmer months of the year.
That is, unless Trump changes things.
Read more:
Oklahoma schools chief seeks donations to put Bibles in classrooms
13:00
,
Sean Murphy
Oklahoma's top education official said he's teaming with country music singer Lee Greenwood in seeking donations to get $59.99 leather-bound “God Bless the USA” Bibles into classrooms throughout the state, after a legislative panel rejected his $3 million request to fund the effort.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said this week that he's partnering with Greenwood to help ensure the Bibles, which have been endorsed by President Donald Trump, get to Oklahoma schools.
“The Bible is indispensable in understanding the development of Western civilization and American exceptionalism, history, and all similar subjects,” Walters said in a statement. “The ongoing attempts to remove it from our classrooms is an attack on the foundation of our country.”
Read more:
Out of the lab and into the streets, researchers and doctors rally for science against Trump cuts
12:00
,
Seth Borenstein
Researchers, doctors, their patients and supporters ventured out of labs, hospitals and offices Friday to stand up to what they call a blitz on life-saving science by the Trump administration.
In the nation's capital, a couple thousand gathered at the Stand Up for Science rally. Organizers said similar rallies were planned in more than 30 U.S. cities.
Politicians, scientists, musicians, doctors and their patients were expected to make the case that firings, budget and grant cuts in health, climate, science and other research government agencies in the Trump administration's first 47 days in office are endangering not just the future but the present.
Read more:
Trump administration throws hundreds of affordable housing projects into limbo after contract cuts
11:00
,
Jesse Bedayn
The Trump administration has stalled at least $60 million in funding intended largely for affordable housing developments nationwide, throwing hundreds of projects into a precarious limbo, according to information and documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The move is part of a flurry of funding freezes, staffing cuts and contract cancellations by the Trump administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, changes that have instilled widespread uncertainty in the affordable housing industry.
The some $60 million is intended to go to small community development nonprofits in small grants. The money is often used as seed funding for affordable housing projects, turning a concept into a viable development and consequently drawing in more public and private investment.
Read more:
Trump is bulldozing some Republicans’ priorities. They should be nervous
10:00
,
Eric Garcia
During his address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump attacked a piece of legislation meant to boost the manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States.
“Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” he said. “We give hundreds of billions of dollars and it doesn’t mean a thing. They take our money and they don’t spend it.”
A Republican, Sen. Todd Young from Indiana, helped shepherd the bill’s passage in 2022. Despite Trump’s attacks, he still believes the president understands the need for the program.
Read more:
Maria Bartiromo says a ‘recession’ is coming — but ‘it would be Biden’s recession’
09:00
,
Justin Baragona
Fresh off of her interview with President Donald Trump, MAGA-boosting Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo warned her viewers that there are warning signs that the American economy could be heading for a “recession,” but that it would not be the president’s fault.
“It would be Biden’s recession,” she declared, pointing the finger directly at Trump’s predecessor.
During her interview with Trump, which was aired throughout her morning Fox Business program on Friday, Bartiromo informed the president that his constant flip-flopping on tariffs was doing little to silence concerns from business leaders looking for less volatility in the market.
Read more:
Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
08:00
,
AP
A growing number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020.
The changes have come in response to a campaign by conservative activists to target workplace programs in the courts and social media, and more recently, President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at upending DEI policies in both the federal government and private sector.
Read more:
