In the news today: Nearly 40% of the contract cancellations by DOGE are expected to yield no savings, the administration’s own data shows; President Trump met with French President Macron; and an unknown illness has killed over 50 people in Congo. Also Pope Francis continues to battle pneumonia.
People protest during a rally outside the Treasury Department in Washington, Feb. 4. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
POLITICS
Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by DOGE are expected to produce no savings
Nearly 40% of the federal contracts that the Trump administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save the government any money, the administration’s own data shows. Read more.
What to know:
The Department of Government Efficiency run by Elon Musk last week published an initial list of 1,125 contracts that it terminated in recent weeks across the federal government. Data published on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” shows that more than one-third of the contract cancellations, 417 in all, are expected to yield no savings.
DOGE says the overall contract cancellations are expected to save more than $7 billion so far, an amount that has been questioned as inflated by independent experts.
Trump expresses hope Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he meets with France’s Macron
President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he met Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of the invasion. Read more.
Why this matters:
In broad comments on the state of the conflict, Trump said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Putin said Monday that he has not discussed resolving the conflict in Ukraine in detail with Trump and neither did Russian and American negotiating teams when they met in Saudi Arabia last week. Putin also said Russia does not rule out European countries participating in a peace settlement.
An unknown illness kills over 50 people in part of Congo with hours between symptoms and death
An unknown illness has killed over 50 people in northwestern Congo, according to doctors on the ground and the World Health Organization on Monday. The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases. Read more.
What to know:
The latest disease outbreak in Congo began on Jan. 21, and 419 cases have been recorded, including 53 deaths. According to the WHO’s Africa office, the first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a batand died within 48 hours following hemorrhagic fever symptoms.
There have long been concerns about diseases jumping from animals to humans in places where wild animals are popularly eaten. The number of such outbreaks in Africa has surged by more than 60% in the past decade, the WHO said in 2022.
A recipe for Hungarian chicken paprikash. (Milk Street via AP)
Use two types of paprika for the best Hungarian chicken paprikash Chicken paprikash is a saucy blend of chicken, onions, sour cream, and lots of paprika. In this recipe, a blend of techniques from restaurant chefs and home cooks works to achieve fullness and complexity in the iconic dish.
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