Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some riveting stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
News out of Russia; an alarming warning to the United States regarding our nation’s relationship with Ukraine; budget cuts made by the new federal agency responsible for government efficiency are adding up to billions of dollars saved, and a federal judge issues a crucial ruling concerning government-funded medical research in more than 20 states.
Also, the leaders of the European Union respond to the recent metal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, and a court in Illinois weighs in on a significant case dealing with the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms.
Kremlin Warns US–Russia Ties on Brink of Collapse
One top Russian diplomat says the situation is now “very critical.” He blames the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Russia on the Biden administration’s “hybrid warfare” policies, as well as their efforts to impose a strategic defeat on Russia with regard to their ongoing war with Ukraine.The Kremlin also says that they are not willing to compromise in any way, and that all of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conditions must be met unconditionally before any peace negotiations on Ukraine can even begin.
Putin has previously spelled out those terms; they include Ukrainian troop withdrawals from disputed areas, Ukraine’s demilitarization, and the removal of all Western sanctions. For his part, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected these conditions.
By the way, a number of these so-called deposits, such as titanium and uranium, play a key role in powering a great deal of our modern technology, including everything from motors for electric vehicles to missile guidance systems. Securing supply chains for these vital elements has been a priority for the president as he looks to strengthen our nation’s manufacturing base.
DOGE Cuts Top $3 Billion
The White House says that their new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has already saved nearly $3.5 billion, including more than $1 billion by canceling over 100 contracts relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the federal government, particularly the Department of Education.Additionally, they’ve just called it quits on a more than $780 million contract for a new embassy in South Sudan, which is located in northeast Africa. Their savings also include a number of lease cancellations, along with $59 million that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently sent to house illegal immigrants in New York City hotels, which the White House hopes to recover.
DOGE is also eliminating more than $25 million in frivolous contracts related to both “executive coaching” and “strategic communication.” Close to another $10 million in contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are set to be eliminated as well.
This all stems from President Donald Trump issuing an executive order to establish DOGE on the first day of his new administration to eliminate waste and fraud in the federal government. It’s overseen by billionaire Elon Musk, and it mandates DOGE teams of at least four personnel in every federal agency.
So far, the agency’s actions have sparked a number of protests attended by Democrats from both the House and Senate concerned about cuts to government services, as well as a number of ongoing lawsuits. One federal judge has already allowed DOGE to access some Department of Labor information, while another has issued a temporary restraining order to prevent it from looking further into the Treasury Department database.
Looking ahead, DOGE is turning their focus now to any improper payments by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Judge Blocks Federal Government From Cutting Funds for Medical Research
A federal judge in Massachusetts has just issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the federal government from cutting those funds. She also ordered the government’s lawyers to confirm within 24 hours that those funds were once again being disbursed, and to continue to do so twice a week until further notice.The judge also said that the order will remain in place until the court decides otherwise.
The legal challenge was filed by 22 states, and it targets a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) directive which imposes a significantly lower cap on what are called indirect research costs for institutions that receive government funding.
Those expenses include utilities, facility, personnel, and service contracts. Last year, they added up to nearly a quarter of NIH’s $35 billion research funds.
For their part, the NIH says that the United States should have the best medical research in the world, and that it’s important to make sure that as many funds as possible are going toward scientific research rather than administrative overhead.
However, the attorneys general representing the states say that if the change is allowed to go through, it would lead to “catastrophic financial consequences” for a number of institutions. They argue that it could result in worker layoffs, research program closures, financial defaults, and disruptions to clinical trials which could potentially jeopardize the health and lives of a large number of people.
By the way, three of the states involved in the case, California, New York, and Massachusetts, receive the most annual funding from the NIH.
EU Leaders Warn They’ll Retaliate After Trump Issues Metal Tariffs
A top EU official says that in order to safeguard their economic interests, the 27-nation bloc will retaliate and implement tariffs of their own following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on the import of all steel and aluminum into the United States.She also says that those tariffs will be “bad for business” and even “worse for consumers.”
The EU’s trade commissioner says that the new tariffs are “economically counterproductive” and that they will increase inflation. He went on to say he’s going to try to find an agreement that will benefit both the European Union and the United States.
Leaders in a number of other countries are also critical of the tariffs. They include Mexico’s economy minister, who says that the tariff decision was both unjustified and unfair, as well as Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the tariffs “unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Trump says that his decision will simplify tariffs on the millions of tons of these metal imports “so that everyone can understand exactly what it means,” He pointed out that from now on, it’s 25 percent for everyone—without any exceptions.
He says that if anyone imposes duties on U.S. goods in the coming days, he will reciprocate, and that he’s also considering additional tariffs on cars, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.
Judge Rules That Illinois Gun Requirement Is Unconstitutional
A federal judge in Illinois has just decided that a statewide mandate that gun owners have what’s called a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card in order to keep firearms or ammunition in their homes is a violation of their constitutional right to bear arms.The case involves a state resident who was charged by prosecutors with possessing a rifle despite not having the required FOID card as mandated by state law. In return, she filed a motion to find that law unconstitutional.
In the past, the U.S. Supreme Court has determined that the Constitution protects both the right to bear arms and the right to self-defense. They recently said that when restricting gun ownership, officials must show that any regulation in question is consistent with our nation’s “historic tradition” regarding the regulation of firearms.
In this case, the judge pointed out that there are no historical analogs for the Illinois act, which mandates the ID card and thus seeks to “disarm otherwise law-abiding citizens” within the confines of their own homes.
By the way, a state appeals court previously found the act that created the ID mandate constitutional because it also includes background checks, which are permissible; however, this latest judge says that if he followed the lead of that previous decision, it would add up to “judicial incompetence.”
Prosecutors in the state are expected to appeal this latest decision to the Illinois Supreme Court, which has twice previously declined to hear the case.
It’s just about time to wrap things up but before we go, a couple more stories we’re following closely here in the News Brief newsroom:
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote and this one comes to us from Walter Winchell who said:
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
Winchell was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
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For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
