The Bulletin
WORLD IN BRIEF
- Musk's Social Security warning: Billionaire Elon Musk has said there is widespread fraud taking place in the payment of "federal entitlements" like Social Security. More on his warning.
- Ceasefire violations? Hamas has accused Israel of violating their three-week ceasefire agreement 269 times as the Palestinian group faces renewed pressure from President Trump to move forward with the release of hostages. Get more details.
- JFK assassination files: On Tuesday, the FBI announced it had uncovered around 2,400 recently inventoried and digitized documents that are related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Deep dive into the discovery.
- US' F-35 and Russia's Su-57 together: For the first time ever, the United States' F-35 and Russia's Su-57 advanced stealth fighter aircraft were seen together during an air show in India this week. See the photos.
- California faces population shift: California is facing an "unprecedented" population shift, with a dramatic increase in the older adult population expected by 2040, according to a new report.
- Trump fires USAID watchdog: The White House dismissed Paul Martin, the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), on Tuesday, according to multiple U.S. officials. Here's why.
- Michigan healthcare enrollment drops: Healthcare enrollment has fallen by over 700,000 in Michigan, after policies designed to protect public insurance coverage through the COVID-19 health emergency came to an end. Learn more.
Trump Takes on Xi and Putin at Their Own Great Power Game
The rundown: President Trump's second term focuses on reshaping U.S. foreign policy by reducing global military involvement, prioritizing the Western Hemisphere and negotiating directly with China and Russia to assert U.S. interests. Learn more.
Why it matters: President Trump's second inaugural address emphasized a shift in U.S. foreign policy, advocating for a reduction in overseas involvement and focusing more on the Western Hemisphere. Trump aims to renegotiate relationships with Canada, Mexico and claim strategic territories like Greenland and the Panama Canal. His "peace through strength" doctrine focuses on negotiating from a position of power with adversaries like China and Russia. Critics argue this marks a return to isolationist policies, abandoning global leadership.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump Faces New Battleground in Latin America With China and Russia
TL/DR: As with much of Trump's iconoclastic tendencies, his radical restructuring of U.S. foreign policy has proved divisive.
What happens now? Trump’s approach garners support from those seeking a more nationalistic and hemispherically focused policy. It may lead to shifts in global alliances and power dynamics, particularly in relation to China, Russia and regional neighbors.
Deeper reading Trump Takes on Xi and Putin at Their Own Great Power Game
What Cuts Have Been Made at Department of Education? Nearly $1B Slashed
The rundown: Almost $1 billion in cuts have been made to the Department of Education by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Know more about the cuts.
Why it matters: At least 169 contracts within the department's Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks the progress of the nation's students, were terminated on Monday, according to the American Educational Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics. Major cuts included long-term studies monitoring students from kindergarten to high school, a study evaluating strategies for teaching elementary school reading and research on the effectiveness of support for young people with disabilities, The Associated Press reported, citing a list of the cuts it obtained.
Read more in-depth coverage:
List of What DOGE Aims to Cut From U.S. Government So Far
TL/DR: Trump has pledged to shut down the Department of Education, saying the agency's power should be transferred to states and schools.
What happens now? The Trump administration is likely to continue moving to slash the department's spending, but it's not clear how far it can go, since much of it is ordered by Congress. An executive order directing the dismantling of the agency could come as early as this month, according to a report.
Deeper reading What Cuts Have Been Made at Department of Education? Nearly $1B Slashed
What Did Trump Give Russia in Exchange for Marc Fogel?
The rundown: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States did not give "much" to Russia in exchange for American teacher Marc Fogel, who was held for more than three years on a drug smuggling conviction, but he did not elaborate. Find out more.
Why it matters: Fogel was arrested in Moscow in 2021 for carrying cannabis, which his lawyer said was prescribed to him in the United States to treat chronic pain. He was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison in June 2022. His release was described by Michael Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, as an "exchange," but no details were given, and it is not known what the U.S. gave Russia in return. Since Trump's inauguration, Waltz wrote on X, "he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States."
Read more in-depth coverage:
Full List of Americans Freed by Trump After Being Detained Abroad
TL/DR: Fogel landed in the U.S. around 10 p.m. ET and immediately headed to the White House to meet Trump. Fogel was seen draped in an American flag.
What happens now? Trump on Tuesday posted to Truth Social that he also plans to send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump said the war between Russia and Ukraine "must" end soon.
Deeper reading What Did Trump Give Russia in Exchange for Marc Fogel? What We Know
China Sets Up 'Planetary Defense' Unit Over 2032 Asteroid Threat
The rundown: China has established a "planetary defense" team to counter the threat of an asteroid that could hit Earth in 2032. More on its preparation.
Why it matters: On Friday, the European Space Agency said the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 was 2.2 percent, placing it at the top of the agency's risk list. NASA has said the asteroid is the most dangerous space object near Earth. Though the chances of the asteroid making impact are small, space agencies around the world are preparing for its potential arrival. China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has begun assembling a space defense team by posting recruitment listings for three available roles.
Read more in-depth coverage:
China Changes Rules on Military Secrets
TL/DR: China's method of planetary defense would reportedly include crashing a DART-style spacecraft into the asteroid, bearing similarities to the U.S.'s DART mission, The Economist reported.
What happens now? The European Space Agency is providing regular updates on the asteroid's movements. Meanwhile, the asteroid is being monitored by multiple space agencies globally, and various methods of averting a collision have been proposed.
Deeper reading China Sets Up 'Planetary Defense' Unit Over 2032 Asteroid Threat
Married Women Could Be Stopped From Voting Under SAVE Act
The rundown: The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act could prevent many married women from being able to register to vote. Here's more about the act.
Why it matters: The act, reintroduced by Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy, is intended to amend the National Voter Registration Act to ensure that all people registering to vote are U.S. citizens. However, the act could impact many married women whose names no longer match their birth certificates due to marriage. Around 69 million women have changed their legal names after marriage, complicating their voter registration. The SAVE Act doesn't allow marriage certificates or proof of name change as valid documentation, making it harder for women to vote. It could also reduce voting opportunities in certain states with fewer passport holders.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Map Shows States With Voter ID Laws as Trump Makes Demand of California
TL/DR: The United States is a democracy, meaning all citizens, with the exception of children and some felons, have the right to vote.
What happens now? The bill was introduced in July 2024 but failed to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate. Now, with Republicans in charge of both congressional chambers and the White House, the SAVE Act will likely make its way into law. If the bill passes it is likely to have little effect on noncitizens voting, as there are so few cases of noncitizens trying to vote, but it will make it significantly harder for Americans to be able to register to vote.
Deeper reading Married Women Could Be Stopped From Voting Under SAVE Act
What Does 'Made in America' Mean? For Cars, It's Hard to Define
Global automakers and their suppliers have invested billions of dollars over the last few decades in building vehicles and their various components in America. Battery, parts and vehicle assembly plants in South Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Indiana and Tennessee, among others, blur the line between the designation of what is made in America and assembled in America, of globally sourced parts.
Add to that the already fuzzy designations of designed and engineered in America when most companies have design studios around the globe and engineering efforts take prototype vehicles to extreme locations far outside the confines of the U.S.
