United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sharply warned against “ethnic cleansing” a day after Donald Trump’s shocking remarks about America taking over Gaza and ejecting Palestinians.
Guterres raised the issue in remarks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People at the UN.
We must not make the problem worse," Guterres warned Wednesday, without naming Trump. "It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing."
He added: "At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.”
The former real estate developer shocked the world Tuesday when he said the U.S. would “take over” Gaza and “own” the territory at a press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Palestinians could be resettled elsewhere, leaving the land to be developed into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Trump was busy Wednesday signing an executive order banning transgender female athletes from competing in women's or girls' sporting events. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would also make it clear to the Olympic Committee that “America categorically rejects transgender lunacy,” he said.
The order directs federal law enforcement agencies to take “immediate action” against schools and associations that defy the order.
Key Points
- UN chief warns Trump against Gaza 'ethnic cleansing'
- Trump's HHS investigating medical schools for antisemitism because students wore keffiyehs: report
- How much might Trump's tariffs cost typical U.S. households?
- Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t been elected yet but already thinks he’ll be a two-term governor
- Trump's Gaza policy caught his closest advisers off guard
White House attempts to soften Trump's 'take over' Gaza comments
04:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Andrew Feinberg writes:
[Karoline] Leavitt’s statement that any relocation of Palestinians currently in Gaza would not be a permanent displacement was a 180-degree reversal from what Trump had said during a press conference on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Read on...
Trump has done the impossible and turned Canada patriotic
03:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Holly Baxter writes:
It was a scene few had ever witnessed. As the opening words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were sung by Elizabeth Irving in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena before a Tuesday night hockey game between the Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, the crowd erupted in boos. Those boos continued throughout the song, and only abated when she began her rendition of “O Canada.”
On the same night, a similar scene played out as the NBA’s only Canadian franchise — the Toronto Raptors — hosted the New York Knicks.
Continue reading...
Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘These are lies coming from Russian media’
03:00
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Kevin E G Perry
Ben Stiller has denied social media reports that his humanitarian trip to Ukraine was funded by USAID, dismissing the claims as Russian “lies.”
Over the weekend, the US Agency for International Development was targeted for dissolution by Elon Musk, who labeled it as a criminal enterprise on his social media platform X.
The site also hosted several viral posts related to the agency, including one that included a fake E! News video and claimed that US tax dollars had been spent sending celebrities to Ukraine. The post claimed Angelina Jolie’s visit had cost taxpayers $20 million, Sean Pean’s had cost $5 million and Ben Stiller’s cost $4 million.
Former top Democrat rips Chuck Schumer for 'depressing' video of him chanting during Musk protest
02:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, was mocked by a former Democratic lawmaker after holding a rally in protest of billionaire Elon Musk’s advisory team accessing Treasury Department information.
On Tuesday afternoon, Schumer led chants of “We will win!” in front of the Treasury building to display disapproval for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency which, despite being an unofficial organization, has rapidly amassed authority.
However, some people did not find Schumer’s chant to be an effective form of action. He was mocked online for chanting about “winning” just months after losing the presidential election and control of both houses of Congress. Tim Ryan, a former Democratic representative from Ohio, took note as well calling it “depressing.”
Ariana Baio reports.
Trump's HHS investigating medical schools for antisemitism because students wore keffiyehs: report
02:00
,
Josh Marcus
The federal department of Health and Human Services is investigating four top U.S. medical schools after receiving allegations of antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies, it announced this week.
“Every student deserves access to educational opportunities free from discrimination and harassment,” Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the department, said in a statement.
The investigation will reportedly target Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal reports, each institution among America’s most prestigious medical schools.
Read more:
How much might Trump's tariffs cost typical U.S. households?
01:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
According to the latest research by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals, if fully enacted, would be the largest tax increase in at least a generation (since 1993 or before).
The incoming Trump administration has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico (except Canadian energy, which faces a 10 percent tariff) and a 10 percent increase in tariffs on goods from China. The direct cost of these actions to the typical, or median, US household would be a tax increase of more than $1,200 a year.
The tariffs against Canada and Mexico have been postponed by 30 days to allow for negotiation over what each country and say or do to mollify Trump’s concerns about fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration across the northern and southern borders of the U.S.
These announcements mark the first wave of tariffs expected from the new Trump administration. Trump has threatened the entire world with tariffs. Governments abroad will retaliate; both Canada and Mexico have already announced retaliatory measures. Future waves of US tariffs and retaliation will increase these substantial consumer costs alongside the other economic harms of tariffs: reduced economic growth, a shrinking export sector, and supply chain disruption.
While movements in exchange rates or declines in exporter prices could reduce harm to consumers, prior evidence clearly shows that the effects of exchange rates only partially dampen this harm (with any relief coming at the expense of the export sector). A careful analysis of the 2018–19 trade war with China consistently found that foreign exporters to the United States did not lower their prices when faced with U.S. tariffs; instead, U.S. buyers of imports bore the burden of the tax.
There are additional factors to consider. First, domestic producers competing with the newly tariffed imports will raise their prices in accordance with the increases in import prices. This will further burden US consumers, causing their costs to exceed those illustrated in this figure. Overall, higher prices, coupled with recessionary effects from retaliation and supply chain disruptions, will adversely affect most US households.
Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t been elected yet but already thinks he’ll be a two-term governor
01:00
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Mike Bedigan
Vivek Ramaswamy has suggested that he will seek a second term as governor of Ohio, despite not yet having been elected, or even officially announced his bid for office.
The biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate is expected to announce his campaign formally this month. Though it is currently a long road to the statehouse, he told the Wall Street Journal that if successful, he intends to be a two-term governor.
“Those eight years will go by quickly,” he told the outlet.
Read more:
Trump campaigned that Democrats 'abandoned' Catholics. His USAID crusade will decimate the Catholic relief agency
00:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration’s ongoing effort to shut down or massively cut the U.S. Agency for International Development is putting the future of a major Catholic relief agency at risk, despite the Republican portraying himself as an ally to Catholics on the campaign trail.
Catholic Relief Services, founded in 1943 by U.S. Catholic bishops, is the single largest recipient of funds from the development agency, which funds around half of the religious aid group’s $1.5 billion budget.
Leaders of the group, where layoffs have already begun, warned staff of major changes because of the political climate, according to an email obtained by the National Catholic Reporter.
Josh Marcus reports.
Fox News gushes over Trump's Gaza occupation plan
Wednesday 5 February 2025 23:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Several Fox News hosts on Wednesday heaped praise on Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and forcibly relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians to build the “Riviera of the Middle East,” saying the plan — that’s been labeled “ethnic cleansing” by many — shows the president is playing “four-dimensional chess.”
Justin Baragona has the story.
Scott Turner confirmed as Trump's HUD secretary
Wednesday 5 February 2025 23:30
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AP
Scott Turner was confirmed Wednesday as the housing secretary, a role central to President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda at a time when most Americans say the cost of living around necessities are a top concern.
The former NFL player, Texas state representative and White House senior aide was confirmed in a 55-44 vote. Only two Democrats backed Turner—Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is tasked with enforcing and coordinating federal housing law. The vast majority of HUD's budget goes toward housing assistance for lower-income families, the elderly and disabled as well as community development and homelessness programs. The department will be at the forefront of issues ranging from rising housing costs to spurring economic development in struggling cities and lowering homelessness rates, especially among veterans.
Turner will be the second professional football player to lead HUD, after former Rep. Jack Kemp served in the role under President George H. W. Bush. Turner is the only Black American member of Trump’s Cabinet; Ben Carson, who served as HUD secretary of Trump’s first term, was the only Black American member of that Cabinet.
Full story: Trump signs executive order banning trans women and girls from women’s sports
Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:32
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Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order to force schools and athletic organizations to ban transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.
The order — which falsely categorizes trans women as “men” — fulfills the president’s campaign promise to end “the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women’s sports” by directing federal law enforcement agencies to take “immediate action” against schools and associations that “deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms,” according to a White House document shared with The Independent.
In remarks from the White House on Wednesday while surrounded by young girls, Trump claimed that the “radical left” has “waged an all-out campaign to erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with a militant transgender ideology.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump has ordered federal workers back to the office — but there's a slight problem...
Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:30
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s order for all federal workers to return to the office could hit a road bump thanks to the policies of his own government.
On his first day in office, Trump ordered all agencies to end remote work and for employees to return to their in-person duty stations. A January 22 memo from the White House’s Office of Personnel Management gave agencies 30 days to comply with this order.
And with the clock ticking, federal agencies — nor the administration itself — have any idea how they will enforce this due to the lack of space available, The Washington Post reports.
Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington, D.C.
Watch: Trump says Rubio will tell Olympic Committee that America rejects 'transgender lunacy'
Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:15
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump says Sec. of State Marco Rubio will demand changes in trans athletes' participation in the Olympics, which the U.S. does not control:
— The Recount (@therecount) February 5, 2025
"He's going to make it as clear as anybody can make it that America categorically rejects transgender lunacy." pic.twitter.com/6vls64rvY3
After Trump executive order, West Point disbands clubs related to gender, race and ethnicity
Wednesday 5 February 2025 21:10
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Oliver O'Connell
West Point Military Academy is getting rid of clubs identifying with gender, race and ethnicity in the wake of President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.
Michelle Del Rey has the details.
Can Trump actually carry out his bombshell plan to seize Gaza Strip?
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:50
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s bombshell plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip has sparked worldwide condemnation.
At a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening, Trump said that Palestinians could be resettled away from their homes in the war-torn enclave and said he wouldn’t rule out potentially deploying American troops. His plan to transform Gaza “from a hell hole” to the “Riviera of the Middle East” has even divided his MAGA faithful.
But, now questions swirl about whether he can actually follow through with his plans and whether he can “take over” the disputed land in the Middle East on his own.
Rhian Lubin looks at the realities of the situation.
FCC releases unredacted '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:41
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Oliver O'Connell
The Federal Communications Commission will open a public docket into its review of a complaint over CBS News' 60 Minutes broadcast of an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
CBS provided the FCC with unredacted video & a transcript of VP Harris’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview in response to the FCC’s review of a News Distortion complaint.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) February 5, 2025
CBS did not ask for confidential or non-public treatment of these materials.
Given the value of transparency & the…
Watch LIVE: Trump signs anti-trans athletes executive order
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:36
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Oliver O'Connell
Stephen A. Smith throws Hannity's DEI rant back in his face with Hegseth dig
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:30
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Oliver O'Connell
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith threw Sean Hannity’s complaints about diversity, equity and inclusion back into his face on Tuesday night by wondering how exactly Hannity’s former Fox News colleague Pete Hegseth was “qualified” to run the massive Department of Defense.
Justin Baragona watched the exchange.
UN head warns Trump against ethnic cleansing in Gaza
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:21
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Reuters
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told President Donald Trump on Wednesday to avoid ethnic cleansing in Gaza after the U.S. leader proposed Palestinians resettle elsewhere and the United States take over the war-torn enclave.
“In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing,” Guterres told a previously planned meeting of a U.N. committee.
“We must reaffirm the two-state solution,” he said.
While Guterres did not mention Trump or his Gaza proposal during his address to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters earlier that it would be a “fair assumption” to view Guterres' remarks as a response.
CIA offers 'buyouts' to every spy as it works to remake agency in Trump's vision
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:15
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Oliver O'Connell
The Central Intelligence Agency offered its entire workforce a buyout this week, as President Donald Trump seeks to overhaul the federal government in his vision.
In exchange for resigning or taking early retirement, CIA officers can obtain roughly eight months of pay and benefits, those familiar with the report said – an offer similar to the one the Office of Personnel Management sent to federal employees last week.
It is unclear how many CIA employees have accepted the buyout. The exact number of CIA employees is not public information.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Full story: White House offers few answers on Trump's shocking Gaza proposal
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:08
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Oliver O'Connell
Less than a day after President Donald Trump sent heads spinning around the world by saying that the United States could take control of the Gaza Strip and potentially use American troops to do it, the White House had little in the way of detail on how such an audacious undertaking would be carried out.
During his press conference on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.S. will “take over” Gaza, displacing the 2.1 million Palestinians living there while the territory is rebuilt as “the Riviera of the Middle East.” Pressed on those comments on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to clarify his shocking proposal by stating that there is currently no plan to put American boots on the ground there, nor would American taxpayers foot the bill for reconstructing the territory he has described as “a demolition site.”
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.
About those deferred resignation agreements...
Wednesday 5 February 2025 20:03
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Oliver O'Connell
Jeff Stein of The Washington Post reports that he was sent audio of a call between federal workers and their Human Resources team to discuss the terms of the “deferred resignation” agreements offered by DOGE.
According to the recording, an employee asks if the agreement were to be rescinded after they accept, would they would have any recourse.
In short, no, they would not.
A federal worker sent me audio of a call that HR did today with staff about "deferred resignation" agreements offered by DOGE ... I think this is pretty well understood by now but helps confirm what many suspect
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) February 5, 2025
The audio goes:
Employee: Lets say I accept the agreement tomorrow…
Guatemala to accept increased number of deportation flights US
Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:52
,
Reuters
Guatemala will accept 40 percent more deportation flights from the U.S., including both Guatemalan deportees and those of other nationalities, President Bernardo Arevalo said after a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.
Rubio, speaking at a press conference alongside Arevalo following their meeting in Guatemala City, pledged U.S. support for the Central American country's efforts to return people not from Guatemala to their homeland.
Washington's top diplomat, who is touring Central America to discuss migration in his first trip abroad as secretary of State, said Arevalo's offer to increase the number of flights Guatemala accepts was “very important for us in terms of the migratory situation that we're facing.”
“His willingness to accept not just nationals but those from other nationalities as they seek to ultimately return to their own homelands is also important, and we've pledged our support with those efforts,” Rubio said.
The details of the increase in flights will be discussed in working groups to be established, Arevalo said.
LONGER READ: Is Trump nuts? Or is he deploying the ‘madman theory’?
Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:25
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Oliver O'Connell
Is it really wise to simulate a wild persona with crazy ideas to get what you want? Guy Walters looks at what history tells us...
Watch: Trump mocks Biden for signing with Hollywood talent agency
Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:10
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Oliver O'Connell
Nancy Mace repeatedly shouts anti-trans slur in House hearing
Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:08
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Oliver O'Connell
A House hearing descended into chaos when MAGA firebrand Nancy Mace, a lawmaker from South Carolina, repeatedly shouted an anti-trans slur.
During a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mace listed off a slew of government expenditures, when Ranking Member Gerald Connolly took issue with her use of the word “t*****.’
Mace’s position on the LGBTQ+ community has radically shifted in recent years.
Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report from Washington, D.C.
Trump revokes Esper's security detail, report says
Wednesday 5 February 2025 19:04
,
Reuters
President Donald Trump has revoked federal security protection for former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
Esper, who served during Trump's first term in office, joins his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, his former national security adviser John Bolton and former Iran envoy Brian Hook in having his security detail withdrawn since Trump took office on January 20.
Mitch McConnell, 82, fell twice in Senate Chamber, report says
Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:58
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Oliver O'Connell
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell suffered two falls while near the Senate chamber on Wednesday, according to reports.
According to Punchbowl News, the Kentucky Republican, 82, fell down a small set of stairs on as he was exiting the chamber after a confirmation vote for Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Scott Turner.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Report: Bondi gets to work with 'Weaponization Working Group' and ending freeze on federal executions
Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:55
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Oliver O'Connell
According to reporting by CBS News, newly sworn-in attorney general Pam Bondi will get straight to work today signing memoranda directing the Department of Justice to start a “Weaponization Working Group” that will review the prosecutions of Donald Trump in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and state attorney general Letitia James, as well as special counsel Jack Smith in Florida and Washington, D.C.
Bondi will also end the moratorium on federal executions.
NEW: @CBSNews has learned AG Pam Bondi will sign memos directing the DOJ to start a "Weaponization Working Group" that will review the Trump prosecutions in NY by Alvin Bragg and Letitia James, and Jack Smith in FL and DC. Bondi will also end the moratorium on federal executions.
— jake rosen (@JakeMRosen) February 5, 2025
Full story: Trump dealt another blow after judge blocks birthright citizenship executive order
Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Another federal judge has temporarily struck down Donald Trump’s executive order that seeks to unilaterally redefine the 14th Amendment’s clause on birthright citizenship.
Maryland District Judge Deborah L. Boardman granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday after a group of 16 pregnant women sued the Trump administration in the hours after the president signed an order that seeks to deny citizenship to certain American-born children of immigrants.
Alex Woodward reports.
Amnesty International calls Trump statement on Gaza 'inflammatory, outrageous and shameful'
Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:43
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Oliver O'Connell
Rights advocacy group Amnesty International said U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to move Palestinians from Gaza was “inflammatory, outrageous and shameful” and amounted to a “flagrant violation of international law.”
“Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime,” Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard told Reuters.
Less than a quarter of Americans are happy with public education as Trump's plans to overhaul system loom
Wednesday 5 February 2025 18:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Almost three-quarters of U.S. citizens say they are dissatisfied with the state of public education, according to a new poll.
Just 24 percent of respondents to Gallup’s latest Mood of the Nation survey expressed satisfaction with the nation’s schooling while 73 percent said they were dissatisfied, the lowest score since the research was first conducted in 2001.
Joe Sommerlad breaks down the numbers.
