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DOGE Terminates Lease At Obama Presidential Library Site

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated the lease at the Obama Presidential Library site, although it is unlikely to impact operations there since it is due to shutter later this year and move to a new location.

    The library is located in Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is separate to the sprawling 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center near Jackson Park in the southside of Chicago which is under construction and is expected to be completed next year.

    The site at Hoffman Estates is run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as are all presidential libraries, while the Obama Presidential Center is a private venture being overseen by the Obama Foundation. 

    DOGE this week updated its list of nearly 750 federal lease terminations, totaling around 9.6 million square feet in size, which included the Hoffman Estates site. The agency, which has been tasked by President Donald Trump to cut wasteful federal spending, said the terminations will save the taxpayer $468 million in lease savings.

    The DOGE website did not provide a timetable for the closures, although a NARA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the Hoffman Estates library was scheduled to close in late Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and move to College Park in Maryland. The government’s FY 2025 runs through Sept. 30, 2025.

    Currently at Hoffman Estates are also 35,000 physical artifacts, including gifts given to the Obamas. The library, a converted former furniture showroom, also houses former President Barack Obama’s silver BlackBerry, the draft of Obama’s first inaugural speech he wrote on a paper pad, a signed Pittsburgh Steelers football, a jeweled sword from Saudi Arabia and dresses worn by former first lady Michelle Obama.

    Those artifacts will also be sent to Maryland and occasionally lent to the Obama Presidential Center, the Chicago Tribune reports.

    NARA began leasing the building in 2016, paying $1.4 million each year in rent, according to the Chicago Tribune, citing the General Services Administration, which runs the government’s real estate portfolio.

    The Obama Presidential Library is expected to open some time next year and has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. It was initially expected to cost $350 million but that figure ballooned to $830 million in 2021. It is unclear what the total costs will be. 

    It will consist of a 235-foot tower museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. It will also house the nonprofit Obama Foundation, which is overseeing the center’s development.

    Trump Threatens Russia With ‘Large Scale’ Sanctions

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1
      Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

      On Friday, President Trump said he was weighing additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia in a push to bring Moscow to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine.

      Overnight, Russia launched massive airstrikes against Ukraine, even as the United States is aiming to broker a peace agreement with the two nations. 

      While the Trump administration has largely focused on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even going so far as to boot him out of the Oval Office last month, the deadly conflict began with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his Western neighbor in early 2022.

      However, on Friday, just one week after the historic and contentious Oval Office meeting, Trump threatened sanctions against Russia as retaliation for the recent air strike, writing on Truth Social:

      Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!

      Critics of Trump’s foreign policy have long claimed that he takes the most charitable view of Putin’s expansionistic behavior, and, to be fair, Trump has largely given him a pass for invading Ukraine, calling him “genius” and “savvy” while blaming U.S. foreign policy under Biden.

      Canadian Senator Challenges Don Jr. To Charity Boxing Match Over New Trump Tariffs

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      3
      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      The fight is on…

      Canadian Sen. Patrick Brazeau challenged Donald Trump Jr. to a charity boxing match over the “bogus” tariffs implemented this week by his father, President Trump. 

      “I know, I still can’t believe it myself. But I no longer smoke and have been sober for almost 5 years,” the Quebec-based senator said in a Thursday post on X. 

      “In light of these bogus tariffs from President @realDonaldTrump from the U.S. onto Canada, I challenge you to a fight to raise money for cancer research or an organization of your choosing,” the senator added. 

      Brazeau lost to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a 2012 boxing match. 

      The commander-in-chief imposed a 25-percent tariff on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, along with a 10-percent levy on Chinese goods. Trump said all three countries needed to do more to curb the amount of fentanyl coming over the border. 

      On Thursday, President Trump delayed tariffs for some Canadian goods.

      “That includes autos, and the autos were the lead in getting this done, but also Canada and Mexico have done a good job offering us ever more work to prove to us they’re going to cut the fentanyl deaths,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated.

      Lutnick said that after April 2, “we’re going to move into the reciprocal tariff, and hopefully Mexico and Canada will have done a good enough job on fentanyl that this part of the conversation will be off the table, and we’ll move just to the reciprocal tariff conversation.” 

      Brazeau said on Thursday that Washington and Ottawa “don’t need to be at war but we can fight to raise money.” 

      He also argued that tariffs “have nothing to do” with the influx of fentanyl in the U.S.

      “It has to do with our oil, freshwater, minerals, resources and our Arctic, just but to name a few,” the senator wrote. 

      Don Jr. has yet to respond to the challenge.

      Senior Diplomat Fired Over Trump Remarks

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        3
        Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        New Zealand’s most senior diplomat to the U.K. was fired after seeming to question President Donald Trump’s understanding of history and his handling of Russia. 

        Phil Goff, who was serving as New Zealand’s high commissioner to the U.K., apparently tried to draw a contrast between Winston Churchill’s handling of Nazi Germany and Trump’s approach to Russia. 

        The New Zealand official said he was re-reading a famous Churchill speech from 1938 in which the British leader blasts then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision to sign the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler. 

        “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?,” Goff asked Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, referencing the bust seen during President Trump’s heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

        Valtonen seemed uncomfortable with the question, saying she would “limit” herself in her response. Rather than saying anything about Trump, the Finnish official said many of Churchill’s remarks were “timeless.”

        When speaking with media, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who fired Goff, called the diplomat’s question “deeply disappointing.” He also said that it made “his position as high commissioner to London untenable.”

        Peters called Goff’s firing “one of the most difficult” things he has had to do in his career. He also said that had the former high commissioner made the statement about any other nation, he would have been “forced to act,” implying that the firing was not because Goff specifically insulted Trump. 

        “When you’re in that position, you represent the views of the government and the policies of the day – you’re not able to free-think, you are the face of New Zealand,” Peters told the press on Thursday.

        US And Ukrainian Officials To Convene In Saudi Arabia For Peace Discussions

        By
        Patrick Houck
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        By President Of Ukraine - https://www.flickr.com/photos/165930373@N06/54169325552/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156221279

        Senior officials from the United States and Ukraine are scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia next Wednesday to discuss efforts to end the ongoing war with Russia. This meeting marks the first significant dialogue between the two nations following a public dispute between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office last week.

        The scheduling of the meeting was finalized during a phone call between White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. President Zelensky mentioned in Brussels that both nations have resumed talks and anticipates a productive meeting.

        Ukrainian officials remain open to signing the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that was put on hold last week.

        The Hill reports:

        The meeting signals a thawing of relations between the U.S. and Ukraine that ruptured abruptly following an explosive Oval Office confrontation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

        “We are now in discussion to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians in Riyadh or even potentially Jeddah,” Witkoff told reporters outside the White House.

        “So the city is moving around a little bit, but it will be Saudi Arabia. And I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well.”

        The meeting comes on the heels of a previous similar U.S.-Russia meeting in Riyadh.

        Zelensky has sought to repair relations with Trump following the Oval Office debacle, the fallout including Trump halting military assistance to Ukraine and cutting off intelligence sharing with the Ukrainians, harming Kyiv’s ability to hit high-value Russian targets.

        The international community will be closely monitoring these discussions, hoping they lead to a sustainable resolution to the conflict.

        Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

        VP Vance Says Trump Aims To Complete Border Wall By 2029

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

        The Trump Administration is working hard to secure the border.

        During a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, a reporter asked Vice President Vance how he and the President would define “success” when it comes to the initiative and how much of the border needs to be “walled off” before the end of Trump’s administration.

        “I think the president’s hope is that by the end of the term we build the entire border wall,” the vice president replied.

        “And of course that’s the physical structure — the border wall itself — but we even heard today, there are so many good technological tools, so many great artificial intelligence-enabled technologies that allow us” to guard the southern border, he added.

        The Hill reported that Vance also suggested the administration would employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid with efforts to combat illegal immigration — a top priority for Trump, who promised while on the campaign trail to conduct the largest deportation operation in history. The vice president pointed to AI-enabled cameras that can spot migrants up to 2 miles away from the border, before they cross over.

        “We’re using artificial intelligence to make us better at the job of border enforcement, but we’ve got to make sure that technology is deployed across the entire American southern border,” Vance said.

        “We’re going to do it as much as we can, as broadly as we can, because that’s how we’re going to protect the American people’s security,” he added.

        Building the wall was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. During his first term, his administration reinforced more than 400 miles of the already existing wall and added about 80 miles of barrier to the border.

        Trump administration officials recently told GOP senators that they’re running out of money to secure the border and need Congress to immediately pass $175 billion to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall and hire more law-enforcement agents.

        Report: Trump To Sign Order To Shutter Dept. Of Education

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        3
        President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

        An administration official told NewsNation White House correspondent Libbey Dean that Trump will sign an executive order Thursday afternoon that directs McMahon to begin dissolving the Education Department

        The executive order, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, has been in the works since before Trump was sworn into office in January.

        The draft of the order recognizes that the president does not have the authority to abolish the department and that it would likely take 60 votes in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats, The Washington Post reported.

        But it directs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” according to the Journal.

        “The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” the draft order reportedly reads.

        The official White House schedule was updated Thursday morning with Trump signing unspecified executive orders at 2 p.m. EST.

        The Post also noted that the draft was labeled “pre-decisional,” citing a personal familiar with the matter who cautioned that its details could change before it is final.

        McMahon was confirmed Monday to lead the Education Department. That evening, she foreshadowed the executive order in a letter in which she described her goal of making education a matter for the states.

        “My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” she wrote. “As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children.”

        This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

        Trump Announces One Month Delay on Mexico, Canada Tariffs

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        0
        By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

        Just in…

        President Trump on Wednesday announced a one-month exemption on tariffs against Canada and Mexico for cars following a meeting with the three major U.S. automakers.

        Trump spoke with the leaders of the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — on the heels of imposing 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada on Tuesday.

        Following those discussions, Trump said in a statement read by press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the administration is giving a one-month exemption for automakers associated with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed during his first term. 

        The exemption would apply to Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, as well as companies with production facilities in the three North American countries.

        Asked if there would be any other carveouts to come, Leavitt said Trump is “open to hearing about additional exemptions.”

        Trump on Tuesday imposed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. He cited frustration over the flow of fentanyl into the United States, though experts have noted relatively little fentanyl enters the country through the northern border.

        This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

        Republican Campaign Chair Warns Lawmakers Against In-Person Townhalls

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        1

        Republicans are on high alert…

        National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson warned congressional lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls and predicted that protests are only going to get worse.

        The remarks came after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to accuse “paid troublemakers” and Democrats of manufacturing the scenes of discontent at GOP events across the country. In a post on Truth Social,

        Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!

        According to Wall Street Journal Congress reporter Olivia Beavers, Hudson called for the full attention of all present at the closed GOP House meeting on Tuesday before warning that protests would be getting worse and that no one should be doing in-person town halls for the time being.

        Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) reportedly stood up and shared that protestors had been picketing outside of her house and were harassing her children.

        Hudson went on to claim that Democratic activists were “hijacking” the town hall events and “drowning out” local constituents, another source told Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. He added that Democrats would be attending the events just to get a “viral clip” of Republican lawmakers being challenged.

        Hudson reportedly recommended that Republicans do virtual town halls or tele-town halls instead, rationalizing that this was a more efficient way of reaching constituents.

        Social Media Erupts Over Dem Responses To Child Cancer Survivor

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
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          7
          Photo via Pixabay images

          Democrats have some thinking to do…

          Social media erupted after many Democrat lawmakers notably stayed seated as a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor was asked to be made an honorary Secret Service agent

          “A terminally ill child with brain cancer is given an honorary Secret Service award and the Democrats refuse to stand or clap for the child,” Trump administration official Ric Grennell tweeted regarding the interaction between the 13-year-old and the president. 

          “Democrats refused to stand for the brain cancer surviving kid! How awful can one party be?” Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted.

          “Democrats didn’t even stand for the boy who survived brain cancer,” Republican activist Scott Pressler posted on X.

          “Democrats refused to stand or clap for a little boy fighting cancer,” Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Truly sick people.”

          However, others highlighted the overall importance of the moment. 

          “This is the first time I can remember crying during a state of the union. Thank you President Trump,” Meghan McCain posted. “This is so beautiful. Anyone who has been impacted by brain cancer knows how special this is.” 

          McCain’s father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died of brain cancer in 2018. 

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