Tuesday, February 25th, 2025 - Musk’s gov AI; Bongino joins FBI; US votes with Russia; AP’s WH press access update; FL gov race

Today’s Headlines: Elon Musk’s AI-driven plan to evaluate federal workers hit a snag after the Trump administration’s HR office said employees didn’t actually have to respond. Meanwhile, a judge blocked federal agencies from sharing personal data with DOGE, citing privacy violations. In other news, Trump appointed right-wing commentator Dan Bongino as Deputy FBI Director, a role that doesn’t require Senate confirmation. The U.S. aligned with Russia and North Korea by voting against a UN resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine—though the measure still passed. While visiting D.C., French President Macron called for security guarantees for Ukraine, while Trump remained focused on getting a cut of Ukraine’s mineral resources. A judge declined to block the White House from restricting AP’s press access, and Trump endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds for Florida governor—perhaps won over by his now-infamous “Daddy’s back” comment.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

• NBC News: DOGE will use AI to assess the responses of federal workers who were told to justify their jobs via email
• WA Post: Trump administration tells agencies they can ignore Musk order on email reply 
• NBC News: Judge blocks Department of Education, federal personnel office from sharing data with DOGE
• Axios: What to know about Dan Bongino, new FBI deputy director
• WA Post: U.S. votes against U.N. resolution condemning Russia for Ukraine war 
• AP News: Live Trump updates: Elon Musk renews threat to fire federal workers despite pushback from various agencies
• Axios: Judge upholds Trump's right to block AP for now
• The Hill: Trump endorses Donalds in potential bid for Florida governor

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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