The Bulletin

• Judge blocks Trump's immigration proposal: A judge appointed by President Donald Trump has ruled against his administration's effort to limit birthright citizenship, dealing a blow to a key immigration policy. Here's what we know.

• Russian military radar burns down: A Russian military radar and spyware facility in Moscow has been burned down, according to local reports.

• Trump interrupting Musk goes viral: The moment President Donald Trump interrupted Elon Musk during an interview with Fox News has gone viral on social media platform X. See the video.

• Did the US give $350B to Ukraine? There is no evidence that the U.S. has spent or committed $350 billion toward Ukraine. More in our fact check of Trump's statement.

• Bryan Kohberger suffers legal blow: The judge overseeing the case of Bryan Kohberger, the man charged with the killing of four University of Idaho students, has declined to throw out key DNA evidence from his upcoming trial. Know why.

• Trump dressed as a king: The White House has released photos styling President Trump as a king on social media. See the images.

• US nuclear-capable missile test: The United States on Wednesday fired an unarmed but nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile from California over the Pacific Ocean for its first test launch of this year. Learn more.

The rundown: Florida lawmakers have taken several steps recently showing they are fully prepared to follow through with President Donald Trump's agenda. Find out about these steps.

Why it matters: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a series of immigration bills aimed at helping Trump enforce his mass deportation plans following a heated standoff with state Republicans. The new laws include enforcing the death penalty for illegal immigrants convicted of a capital offense, including murder or child rape, as well as creating a new state crime for entering Florida after coming into the U.S. illegally. Sean Freeder, an assistant professor of political science at the University of North Florida, told Newsweek that "doing so means aligning with Trump's aggressive approach toward immigration, which they do in terms of the volume of spending and the nature of new legal provisions."

Read more in-depth coverage:
Florida's TRUMP Act: Experts Warn Immigration Bill 'Makes No Economic Sense'

TL/DR: DeSantis described the laws as the "strongest legislation to combat illegal immigration of any state in the entire country.”

What happens now? Freeder said Florida's plan to enforce the death penalty for illegal immigrants who commit child rape is "questionable" and may face legal challenges. He noted that the law is in "direct contradiction" to Kennedy v. Louisiana, a Supreme Court decision that ruled that imposing the death penalty for crimes other than murder violates the Eighth Amendment.

Deeper reading How Florida Is Enforcing Donald Trump's Agenda

The rundown: President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will work with Republican lawmakers in Congress to "substantially" cut taxes on domestic producers of oil and gas, in a move that could increase production and lower consumer costs. Know more.

Why it matters: As of Thursday morning, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. was $3.165, according to AAA, up from $3.160 a week ago and $3.125 a month ago. In the most expensive state in the country, California, the average price was $4.849 a gallon. Trump didn't offer any details on the tax cuts he plans to introduce for domestic oil and gas producers, but he said they will be part of the "largest tax cuts" in American history. These will include tax cuts for families and workers such as no tax on tips, a promise he made during his 2024 presidential campaign, and no tax on Social Security.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump's Executive Order on Taxes Explained

TL/DR: Gas prices have been rising in recent weeks, driven by seasonal maintenance work in U.S. refineries, climbing global oil prices, and uncertainty over the Trump administration's sanctions on big producers like Iran.

What happens now? Some of the Trump administration's policies—especially widespread tax cuts—are likely to drive up inflation, experts warned. This could erode Americans' purchasing power and lead to increased prices for goods and services, including gas.

Deeper reading Donald Trump Moves To Stop Rising Gas Prices

The rundown: Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross on Thursday. Know more about the handover.

Why it matters: Hamas presented the four bodies in black coffins during a staged ceremony in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The transfer of the bodies was the first such handover of remains by Hamas since its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the war. The bodies of Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were four years and nine months old respectively at the time of their capture, were among those returned. The fourth body was that of 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and peace activist. Hamas has claimed that the Bibas family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but this has not been independently verified. It is unclear how Lifshitz died.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Hamas Accuses Israel of Nearly 270 Ceasefire Violations in New Report

TL/DR: The event was attended by masked Hamas gunmen and there was a banner behind the coffins depicting an altered image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the hostages.

What happens now? The first phase of the ceasefire is set to conclude in early March, with an estimated 59 hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas has demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire in exchange for releasing the remaining captives. The future of the ceasefire remains uncertain, as Netanyahu has reiterated his goal of dismantling Hamas' military capabilities.

Deeper reading Hamas Displays 4 Black Coffins Ahead of Hostage Remains Handover

The rundown: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced some heat on Wednesday after directing the Department of Defense (DOD) to find $50 billion in programs to cut next year so the money can be spent on President Trump's priorities, The Associated Press reports.

Why it matters: Robert Salesses, who is performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, highlighted Hegseth's directive in a statement, singling out "woke programs" and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Salesses said in his statement that the cuts Hegseth wants to make will help fund President Trump's agenda and priorities like building an Iron Dome in the United States and helping to secure the border. The $50 billion in cuts Hegseth is seeking account for roughly eight percent of the military's budget, the AP reported.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Senate Republicans Forge Ahead with $340 Billion Budget Amid GOP Infighting

TL/DR: Hegseth's comments on Wednesday were a departure from when he suggested last week, while traveling in Europe, that he would support backing a bigger budget, CNN reported.

What happens now? Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to come up with a list of programs that can be cut so that the money can be directed elsewhere for fiscal year 2026, which starts on October 1.

Deeper reading Hegseth Faces Backlash After Proposing Pentagon Cuts To Fund Trump's Agenda

The rundown: Immigrants were claiming 54 percent less in benefits from the federal government than native-born American citizens, including Medicare and Social Security, a study released Tuesday showed. See the findings.

Why it matters: The United States government spent about $3.1 trillion on welfare and entitlement programs in 2022, the Cato Institute found, but only about $109 billion was spent on noncitizens—including, but not exclusively, illegal immigrants. The Cato Institute's study, based on 2022 data available from the federal government, broke down spending among native-born Americans, naturalized immigrants and noncitizens. The latter group includes those in the country illegally, as well as those with temporary visas and green cards. Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, and co-writer Jerome Famularo found that noncitizens were claiming $4,564 per capita, compared to $9,623 for native-born citizens and $11,135 for naturalized immigrants.

Read more in-depth coverage:
MAGA and Medicaid: Which States Have Highest Percentage of Beneficiaries?

TL/DR: "It's a very small percentage, it's much smaller than their share of the population would suggest," Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute.

What happens now? The Trump administration has ended many Biden administration policies that allowed immigrants access to work authorization and protections, meaning their eligibility to pay into the system and receive benefits could not be cut off. As the Department of Government Efficiency continues its work to root out alleged government waste, payouts again could be scrapped or adjusted to create savings.

Deeper reading Immigrants Consume Far Less Welfare Than American Citizens: Study