DAILY NEWS Stream – February 15, 2025

US President Trump welcomes Jordan’s King Abdullah II and His son Crown Prince Hussein to the White House and reiterates His plan for the US to own Gaza and develop it into a “diamond” in the Middle East, while Palestinians in the region are relocated to surrounding Arab countries where they will finally be safe. In response, King Abdullah has agreed to accept 2,000 sick Gazan children (Sky News Australia)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports US President Trump’s call to end ceasefire on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 12 pm and warns of soldiers’ return to Gaza if hostages are not returned by then (Sky News Australia)

Parents of American hostage Edan Alexander “100% support” President Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas that “all hell is going to break out” if the remaining hostages are not returned: “We trust Him, because He has taken ownership and leadership on this issue, and we don’t doubt His sincerity” (New York Post)

US President Trump and Russia’s Putin set to meet in Saudi Arabia to begin Ukraine peace talks “in the not-too-distant future,” President Trump says (France 24)

Analysis: Ukraine SUCCEEDED Again: Russia’s embarrassing retreat from Kursk is closer than ever (Oracle Eyes)

Analysis: Putin has LOST – prepare for Kremlin’s COLLAPSE as failures in Ukraine, economic turmoil, and rising opposition – especially from Russia’s younger generation – may soon lead to Putin’s downfall (The Military Show)

Putin backs down, reducing his demands “significantly” since its invasion began as Russia loses momentum in Ukraine, says Norwegian Professor Michael Gentile (Times Radio)

Siberian separatist groups join Ukraine to DEFEAT Russia, as Turkic-speaking groups like the Atesh join forces to disrupt or even infiltrate the Russian army, seeking to topple Putin after more than a decade of oppression (Business Basics; The EurAsian Times)

Chinese spy balloon shot down in 2023 was equipped with tech from at least 5 US firms, new report reveals (Fox News)

US Congressman Buddy Carter [Republican] moves to help President Trump acquire Greenland – a critical national security priority – and rename it “Red, White and Blueland” with new bill (Fox News)

“Deregulatory flavor”: US Vice President Vance lays out vision for the future of AI [artificial intelligence] under US President Trump at the AI Action Summit in Paris [France], stating: a) AI systems in the US must be free from “ideological bias.” b) The US will not use AI as a tool for censorship. c) He supports a “deregulatory flavor” to encourage pro-growth AI policies. d) He warned against “excessive regulation” that could harm the industry. e) The US will protect its AI and chip technology from theft and misuse. f) He cautioned against cooperating with hostile foreign adversaries using AI for censorship and surveillance. g) He opposed foreign governments restricting US tech companies with international reach. h) The US wants international collaboration but will not compromise with authoritarian regimes. Vice President Vance’s remarks align with President Trump’s US$500 billion AI infrastructure project called Stargate, aimed at building large data centers in the US (Fox News)

“Promises made, promises kept”: President Trump praised for returning American hostage Marc Fogel from Russia, where he was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years for possession of drugs his family say were medically prescribed. Mr. Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, thanked the President, remembering He promised her three times while campaigning, “If I get in, I’ll get him out” (Sky News Australia)

President Trump reveals He doesn’t view Vice President Vance as His successor in 2028: “No, but he’s very capable… So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.” The President might have said this to keep the option of a third term open by changing the Constitution to allow more than two terms (New York Post)

“We’re not going to stop”: President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan vows to take on sanctuary cities harboring illegal immigrants by sending “double the manpower” to carry out the President’s battle against migrant crime (Fox News)

US President Trump nominates Virginia state official Terry Cole to lead the DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] as He vows to “save lives” in His new administration (Fox News)

President Trump signs order instructing DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] to massively cut size of federal workforce and limit hiring new employees to one new for every four that leave (Fox News)

“Get what they voted for”: Elon Musk defends DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]’s major government reform, saying the President “spoke about that at every rally” before winning the popular vote along with both houses of Congress, signaling a clear public mandate (Sky News Australia)

“Good riddance”: USAID [United States Agency for International Development] Inspector General fired by President Trump administration after his office published a report criticizing the President’s efforts to dismantle the agency (Sky News Australia)

American podcaster Joe Rogan blasts criticism of Elon Musk and defends DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]’s aggressive tackling of government corruption (Sky News Australia)

“Our actions are maximally transparent”: World’s richest man Elon Musk responds to DOGE [Department of 'Government Efficiency] conflict of interest concerns, saying his team’s work is all published online, making any benefit to Mr. Musk’s companies obvious, while President Trump clarifies He wouldn’t let Mr. Musk examine any government areas with serious conflicts of interest (Sky News Australia)

US: Senate Republicans introduce bill to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, following President Trump’s day-one executive order (Fox News)

US news agency Associated Press says it was barred from President Trump’s Oval Office over its use of “Gulf of Mexico” instead of its new name “Gulf of America” set by executive order (Fox News)

US: Hollywood insiders say President Trump’s return has a chilling effect on the film industry, impeding liberal projects (Fox News)

“Woke Disney” dials back diversity programs amid President Trump’s battle against DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] (Sky News Australia)

“Serious consequences”: US Senator Ted Cruz [Republican-Texas] warns illegal immigrants fleeing Border Patrol, reintroducing a bill for two years in prison for non-cooperation and up to a life sentence if a border agent is killed during pursuit (Fox News)

Australia: New strain of bird flu H7N8 detected at egg-raising operation in northern Victoria State (Country News)

US: New bird flu strain H5N9 discovered in California duck-raising operation, sparking concerns about mutations that could spread more easily among humans (Patch)

Severe norovirus outbreak across England [UK], with 961 patients hospitalized daily last week [February 3-9, 2025] - marking a dramatic 69% increase from the same period last year (GB)

Endometriosis, a uterus disorder, affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age worldwide and can lead to infertility, debilitating pain, and financial hardship, but can take years to diagnose. Experts call for more research into the disorder and encourage women to be aware and seek specialized help if they experience overly painful periods regularly (PBS)

Sicily: Mount Etna erupts spectacularly, illuminating night sky with lava flow demonstrating nature’s power, with no damage reported (Sky News Australia)

Cocos [Keeling] islanders criticize Australia’s proposal to relocate hundreds of Home Islanders over the next 10 to 50 years in response to rising seas, citing cultural and human rights violations, though Australian policymakers say it is the “most-viable option to protect lives” in the face of climate change (ABC Australia)

Canada: Montreal SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] calls for ban on sale of exotic animals in local pet stores, renewing its campaign after recent video depicts abuse at a large ferret breeding facility in Manitoba (The Gazette)

US: Animal activists plan to gather at Frankfort [Kentucky] state capitol building on Kentucky Animal Action Day [February 18, 2024] to advocate for animal protection laws directly to lawmakers (WLKY)

Cheshire [Connecticut, US] to make improvements to animal control facility after complaints about treatment of seized dogs (Stamford Advocate)

Motivational quote of the day: “Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences; all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross