In today’s newsletter: Experts say Donald Trump’s spending cuts will likely not cover the cost of his plans to slash taxes. And rapper A$ASP Rocky was found not guilty of felony gun assault charges after a three-week trial.
Here’s what to know today.
Despite DOGE, Trump’s agenda calls for adding trillions of dollars to U.S. debt
President Donald Trump has waged a campaign to slash government waste with the help of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, but experts say his budget plans will substantially add to the country’s debt.
Trump is slashing the U.S. Agency for International Development and government diversity, equity and inclusion policies as he moves to implement steep tax cuts in his agenda, but experts note nearly half of government spending is taken up by Social Security, Medicare and defense.
“USAID, DEI grants and education administration are more culture war targets,” says Jessica Riedl, a budget expert and senior fellow at the center-right Manhattan Institute. The president has said he will tackle “theft and bad management of entitlements” within Social Security and Medicare, but he’s yet to show evidence of any large-scale fraud that would drastically impact their cost.
Without reductions in these major areas, half of all remaining government spending would have to be eliminated to pay for the planned tax cuts, a plan experts say Congress would not approve.
While Trump and Musk continue tackling other smaller government agencies to slash spending, Republican leaders have plans to ramp up the $825 billion military budget and request at least $150 billion for border security and immigration enforcement.
More politics news:
- President Trump’s labor secretary nominee, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is facing GOP skepticism ahead of her hearing over previous union-aligned positions.
- Data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows arrests and deportations of migrants without a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges have increased.
- A federal judge denied an effort on behalf of 14 states to block Elon Musk and his advisory Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data systems or making personnel decisions at seven federal agencies
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it accidentally fired “several” agency employees working on the government’s response to bird flu and is trying to rehire them.
Zelenskyy says Trump is trapped in a Russian ‘disinformation bubble’ after public criticism
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hit back at Donald Trump’s accusation overnight that Ukraine started its war with Russia, saying that the American president is trapped in a “disinformation bubble” and adding that his country was not for sale.
The pugnacious response followed Trump’s surprising comments Tuesday that Ukraine was responsible for Russia’s invasion of the country three years ago. Trump also argued that Kyiv could have made a deal to avoid the conflict.
Referring to U.S. support given to Ukraine so far — $67 billion in weapons and $31.5 billion in budgetary support — Zelenskyy said that American demands that Ukraine should hand over $500 billion in minerals was “not a serious conversation” and added that he cannot sell his country.
Read the full story here.
Jury finds A$AP Rocky not guilty in gun assault trial
A$AP Rocky was found not guilty on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, ending a three-week trial where he was accused of shooting his friend and bandmate in 2021. A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, could have faced up to 24 years in prison, though prosecutors sought only eight years, painting Mayers as an aggressive attacker who shot his childhood friend over a disagreement. The defense argued that Terell Ephron, a fellow rapper, was envious of the hip-hop star and assaulted him twice previously on the night of the shooting.
The pair were meeting to settle a dispute in Los Angeles when prosecutors alleged Mayers pulled a semiautomatic pistol from his waistband and pointed it toward Ephron, saying “I’m going to kill you.” Ephron told police he believed one of the bullets grazed his hands. Mayers’ attorney stated he often carried a prop gun when he did not have security and fired to stop Ephron from attacking one of their friends. Mayers pleaded not guilty and did not take the stand at his trial.
Read the full story here.
Read All About It
- 11 women filed civil lawsuits accusing the Alexander real estate brothers of sexual assault, months after they were indicted on sex trafficking charges.
- Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains hospitalized in Rome, the Vatican says.
- A woman in Georgia is suing an IVF fertility clinic for implanting the wrong embryo after she birthed another couple’s baby.
- The death toll in the brutal Kentucky storms has risen to 14 as the state braces for another round of winter weather.
- Coca-Cola is launching a prebiotic soda brand called Simply Pop, taking on industry newcomers Olipop and Poppi.
- Olympian Noah Lyles is committed to maintaining the title of “fastest man alive” in his challenge to race Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Staff Pick: How crazy popcorn buckets became a big business for movie theaters
Popcorn has always been synonymous with the movies, but in recent years the popcorn bucket itself has become its own attraction. What started as a way for AMC Theatres to drum up excitement in advance of the 2023 “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” movie has expanded to other theater chains using these collectible buckets to drive concession purchases and create a more memorable movie-going experience — one that was seeing a downturn after the pandemic. Like your favorite carnival game stuffed animal or giant theme park maps, popcorn buckets are helping to revive a night out at the movies. — Kaylah Jackson, platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
NBC Select’s editors also tried popular meal delivery services, and also talked to nutritionists and chefs, to find the best ones. Plus, experts helped us round up the best wide-toe box shoes to help with a more comfortable fit.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kaylah Jackson.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send us an email at: MorningRundown@nbcuni.com
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