Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
March 13, 2025
House Democrat Smacks Down Trump's Double Standard On Protests Amid Tesla Backlash
(Huff Post) Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) ripped Donald Trump on Wednesday after the president said he’d label violence against Tesla dealerships as “domestic terrorism” as the company faces backlash over billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-cutting crusade. Trump, who praised Tesla electric vehicles alongside Musk outside the White House earlier this week, vowed that protesters who target the company with violence would be caught and “go through hell” as a result. “So, Trump thinks that if you try to kill cops to overthrow the government and change an election that’s not domestic terrorism, but somehow having a protest in front of a Tesla dealership is?” said Moulton.
Go to discussionRussia says it does not want a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine
(Financial Times) Russia does not want a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine and is pushing for a long-term peace settlement that will take into account its interests and concerns, a senior aide to Vladimir Putin has said. Yuri Ushakov, the Russian president’s foreign policy adviser, told state television on Thursday that the 30-day ceasefire proposed after talks between the US and Ukraine this week was “nothing other than a temporary breather for Ukrainian troops”.
Go to discussionTrump's FBI Moves to Criminally Charge Major Climate Groups
(New Republic) The FBI is moving to criminalize groups like Habitat for Humanity for receiving grants from the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration. Citibank revealed in a court filing Wednesday that it was told to freeze the groups’ bank accounts at the FBI’s request. The reason? The FBI alleges that the groups are involved in “possible criminal violations,” including “conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
Go to discussionTrump threatens 200% tariff on E.U. booze over tax on U.S. whiskey
(NBC News) President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to impose 200% tariffs on alcohol from the European Union in response to the region's retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., further escalating tensions between two longtime trading partners. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president claimed that the E.U. was "formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States" while calling it "one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World." Trump claimed the protectionist move "would be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S."
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Trump whines about who signed deal to allow Canada to supply energy to the US - it was him
(The Independent) President Donald Trump took to social media to whine about who negotiated a deal allowing Canada to supply energy to the U.S. — but, it turns out, he made the deal. Amidst the trade tariffs back-and-forth with Canada and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who suspended the province’s 25 percent electricity surcharge on three U.S. states Tuesday, Trump fumed on Truth Social: “Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area?” “Who made these decisions, and why?” the president demanded.
Go to discussionTrump has united the free world against a grave threat
(Public Notice) In his own twisted way, Donald Trump has become a unifying figure. He’s more politically divisive than ever, but his outright attacks on liberal democracy everywhere have managed to rally America’s traditional allies against a common threat — one he sees when he looks in the mirror.
Go to discussionEducation Department cuts agency that compiles 'Nation's Report Card' and measures student performance
(ABC News) The Department of Education's far-reaching layoffs have decimated a small statistical agency considered to be the "authoritative and trusted source" of information on the education system in the United States, four former employees familiar with the situation told ABC News. Since the 1860s, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has collected and analyzed data on education across the country, which has been used by policymakers and the public to measure academic success, teacher productivity and crime and safety in schools, among other topics.
Go to discussionStudy shows widespread H5N1 bird flu infection in cattle
(Phys.org) Scientists are sounding alarms about a genetic mutation that was recently identified in four dairy cow herds, nearly one year after H5N1 bird flu was first reported in Texas dairy cattle. The change is one that researchers have dreaded finding because it is associated with increased mammal-to-mammal transmission and disease severity.
Go to discussionWar crime sympathizer Hegseth to "relax" rules of war
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is expected in the coming weeks to start a sweeping overhaul of the judge advocate general’s corps as part of an effort to make the US military less restricted by the laws of armed conflict, according to two people familiar with the matter. The changes are poised to have implications across the military. In Trump’s first term, Hegseth privately and publicly as a host on Fox and Friends appealed to Trump to pardon US soldiers accused of committing war crimes, including Gallagher, who was accused of murdering a captive Islamic State fighter in Mosul.
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