Meeting between US and Ukraine Turns Sour

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington, DC on Friday to meet with American President Donald Trump and potentially sign a mineral rights deal. However, after a contentious meeting in the Oval Office in front of numerous media outlets, Zelenskyy departed the White House without signing the agreement.

The argument erupted following a long, drawn-out question-and-answer period from reporters. The US President defended his approach with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was trying to broker a deal between the two parties.

After interrupting the Ukrainian leader and speaking over him, Vice President JD Vance told Mr. Zelenskyy that it was “disrespectful” for him to plead his case in the Oval Office. He then demanded that Mr. Zelenskyy thank Mr. Trump for his leadership.

Following these comments, President Trump added, “You’re not really in a good position right now… You’re gambling with World War III.”

“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Mr. Trump continued. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

President Zelenskyy hurriedly arranged a visit to Washington on Friday, following a series of public statements from the President earlier this week. In several statements, President Trump has effectively sided with Russia, while falsely blaming Ukraine for starting the war and calling Ukraine’s President a “dictator.”

According to a draft of the deal, Ukraine would have created a US-controlled fund that would receive revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources. Ukraine would have contributed half its revenues from the future monetization of natural resources and associated infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas terminals and port infrastructure.

Mass Government Layoffs Continue

Earlier this week, I posted an article on how federal government layoffs are continuing to affect veterans, since nearly 30% of all federal employees are military veterans. Many federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, continue to terminate employees.

On Friday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced its goal to cut around 7,000 jobs to align with an executive order from President Trump to broadly slash the federal workforce.

The planned job cuts are raising concerns about staffing at the agency, which disburses monetary benefits, including retirement, disability and survivor compensation, to tens of millions of Americans.

“The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services,” the SSA said in a Friday news release. “Social Security recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees.”

The Trump administration has fired thousands of federal employees in the past few weeks, in a series of purges. The cuts have left both agencies and workers reeling, while President Trump and billionaire advisor, Elon Musk, say they are making good on their promises to slash federal spending.

Many people fired received termination letters that included language calling their performance into question - even in cases where the employees possessed a record of positive reviews or performance awards.

US Votes Alongside Russia, North Korea in UN Vote

The United States sided with Russia twice this week, during votes at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This notable voting shift highlights the Trump administration’s altered stance on the war.

First, the US opposed a European-drafted resolution, which condemned Moscow’s actions and supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Others opposed to the resolution included Russian, Belarus and North Korea.

The US then drafted and voted for a resolution which called for an end to the conflict. This resolution did not contain any criticism for Russia. Although the Security Council passes the resolution, two key US allies, the United Kingdom and France, abstained after their attempts to alter the wording were vetoed.

Former Pentagon Chiefs Call for Hearings on Military Leaders’ Firings

On Thursday, five former Secretaries of Defense called on Congress to hold immediate hearings on President Donald Trump’s recent firings of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military leaders, according to a letter obtained by the Associated Press.

The five men, who represented Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades, said the dismissals were alarming, raised “troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military” and removed legal constraints on Presidential power.

Late last week, President Trump fired Air Force General CQ Brown, who served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth then fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations, General Jim Slife, the Vice Chief of the Air Force, and the Judge Advocates General for all the military services.

Hegseth defended Brown’s firing, stating that other Presidents made changes in military personnel and that President Trump deserves to select his own team. He stated he fired the JAGs (the military’s highest ranking military lawyers) because he didn’t think they were “well-suited” to provide recommendations when lawful orders are given.

US Pressures Romania into Andrew Tate Release

On Thursday, Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, and his brother, Tristan, departed Romania on a private jet bound for the United States, their lawyer told CNN.

The Tate brothers, who are dual US and UK nationals, were banned from leaving Romania after being arrested and charged with human trafficking, sexual intercourse with a minor, money laundering and starting an organized crime group in 2022.

According to their lawyer, Ioan Gliga, Romanian prosecutors lifted a ban on the Tate brothers leaving the country. The decision comes after the United States reportedly put pressure on the Romanian government to ease restrictions on Tate, who has become a celebrity on the American right.

Earlier in February, the Financial Times reported, citing multiple sources, that the Trump administration pressured Romanian authorities to lift Tate’s travel restrictions, first with a phone call, and then with an in-person interaction at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Tate, who rose to internet fame in recent years, drew billions of views on TikTok with diatribes on male dominance, female submission, and wealth. Although he is now banned from most social media platforms, Trump’s new advisor Elon Musk reinstated his account on X (formerly Twitter).

Academy Awards Controversies

It’s been a contentious year at the movies, which certainly seems to track with everything else going on in the world. If you ask me (which you most certainly didn’t), the year 2025 is starting to look a lot like the year 2020 on steroids. Or maybe just like Barry Bonds’ head after steroids.

Conan O’Brien will face the tall task of hosting the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday. Several movies nominated in the Best Picture category, including Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist, and Conclave, faced harsh criticism over the past few weeks.

Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, which holds the record for most Oscar nominations for a non-English language film, faced mixed reactions from the start. Although many critics praised the film, including the New York Times, GLAAD called it “a step backward for trans representation.”

In late January, tweets from the film’s star, Karla Sofia Gascon, surfaced, which many deemed offensive. Additionally, some viewers questioned why the director, a French man who doesn’t speak Spanish and admitted his lack of research, served as director.

Other criticisms stem from the perceived dismissal of Mexican culture by not casting Mexican actors in lead roles and Selena Gomez’s woeful Spanish language skills.

While The Brutalist received wide acclaim upon its release, it has now come under fire for its use of artificial intelligence. The film received ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

The movie, which follows a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who struggles in the US until he discovers his talent as a visionary architect, used AI to digitally alter the Hungarian accents of actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. Neither actor speaks Hungarian natively. The director, Brady Corbet, defended the use of AI in the film, but this controversy might still stunt the film’s Oscar aspirations.

Another Best Picture nominee, The Conclave, came under fire from Catholics. The film centers around scandals and power struggles within a fictional papal conclave. Several Catholic publications claim the film serves as “anti-Catholic propaganda,” which sparked lots of online debate.

The 97th Academy Awards will air at 7 pm EST on Sunday, March 2.

This Week in Sports

College basketball season continues to march along. Believe it or not, but it’s almost time for March Madness. I watched my beloved Fighting Illini beat the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, 81-61, to end a three-game losing streak. Tomorrow, the Illini women’s team will suit up to play Michigan in their final home game of the season.

In NFL news, the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford agreed to a restructured contract. Travis Kelce, also known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, decided to return to the Kansas City Chiefs, rather than entering retirement. Additionally, the NFL combine continues in Indianapolis this weekend, ahead of April’s NFL Draft. Last, the San Francisco 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

In the NBA, Luka Doncic continues to light up the court for the Los Angeles Lakers, winners of five straight games. He scored 31 points on his 26th birthday on Friday night, as the Lakers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-102. Dallas Mavericks fans continue to reel in their perpetual state of mourning.