Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some pressing stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s happening around the country.
President Donald Trump calls for the immediate revival of a crucial project that could bring much-needed energy into the United States; the Social Security Administration makes a significant change to its daily operations; and in a surprising move, the secretary of defense says he’s replacing a number of key military officials.
Also, FBI director Kash Patel assumes a second high-level position in the U.S. government, and the Department of Justice charges more than a dozen people with crimes related to illegal immigration at our southern border.
Trump Says He Wants Keystone XL Pipeline Built Now
Trump says that he wants the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport crude oil from Canada to the United States, to resume construction as soon as possible.He says the company that was building the pipeline was forced to stop by the previous administration, and he’s inviting them to return right away to continue building the project. He points out that his administration is “very different” than the last one, and he promised “easy approvals,” which would allow construction to begin almost immediately.
To refresh your memory, construction of the 1,200 mile-long pipeline began in 2010, and it was expected to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil each day from Alberta, Canada, to a place called Steele City, Nebraska.
However, the project was continuously delayed due to opposition from a number of U.S. landowners, Native American tribes, and environmentalists. Ultimately, in 2021, the pipeline was blocked by the Biden administration, which said it would undermine our nation’s “climate leadership” around the world, and the resulting shutdown led to the loss of thousands of jobs. It also meant the United States would remain reliant on OPEC members for some of its crude oil supply.
During his first term, Trump attempted to revive the project so construction could continue but at that time, his efforts were thwarted by a number of lawsuits. Since then, the company that was building the pipeline has spun off its related business, and they say they’re no longer interested in pursuing the Keystone pipeline project.
By the way, the president’s recent comments come just weeks after he said that the United States does not need oil or gas from Canada, while seeking to impose tariffs on some of their products. Meanwhile, Canada is the top supplier of crude oil to the United States, accounting for about 60 percent of total U.S. oil imports.
Social Security Eliminates Entire Department
The Social Security Administration (SSA) says they’re now eliminating what they refer to as a “wasteful department” in their agency called the Office of Transformation, which was responsible for providing, among other things, “strategic guidance and oversight” to a number of customer service-related policies and systems.Acting Social Security Commissioner Lee Dudek says that President Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to reduce inefficiency, and he points to that office as a “prime example.” He says that “this redundant office” was created by the Biden administration and that by getting rid of it, they are simply correcting the error.
Additionally, the agency says that they recently saved millions of dollars by cutting a number of wasteful agreements, including some made with research centers that focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Social Security retirement and disability policies.
He went on to say that his office will continue to “root out waste and abuse” in an effort to earn back America’s trust and instill confidence in the agency.
In case you missed it, Dudek took over as acting SSA commissioner last week after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found that more than 12 million people over 120 years old were marked as eligible to receive Social Security benefits in the SSA database.
Defense Secretary Says He’s Replacing Top Military Lawyers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he’s replacing all of the military’s top lawyers over his concerns they would not present him with adequate advice.Hegseth says he wants the “best possible lawyers in each service to provide the best possible recommendations, no matter what,” regarding any lawful orders that they are given. And he does not believe that the existing judge advocate generals (JAGs) for the military branches were “well-suited” to that task.
He says that ultimately, the Pentagon is looking for lawyers who “give sound constitutional advice” and who “don’t exist to be roadblocks” to either “an agenda” or “orders that are given” by a commander-in-chief.
He went on to say that JAGs have traditionally been chosen by a small group of “insulated officers who perpetuate the status quo,” and that it hasn’t worked out very well for the Pentagon and it’s time for a change.
Among their other duties, JAGs are responsible for giving legal advice to our nation’s top military officials, and their positions require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
FBI Director Patel Sworn In as Acting ATF Chief
Newly-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel has just been sworn in as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as well.The bureau says that Patel recently made his first visit to ATF headquarters in Washington, and that they’re excited to work with the FBI’s top man to make a safer America. For his part, Patel says he’s aiming to restore the FBI’s credibility and transform it into an agency that the American people can trust.
Meanwhile, a number of gun rights advocacy groups are hoping that his leadership will bring about reforms within the ATF as well.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) calls Patel’s appointment “a great first step” by the Trump administration toward overhauling a “deeply troubled” agency. They say that for far too long, the ATF has focused on restricting the rights of law-abiding Americans, and that they look forward to working with Patel to protect and expand Second Amendment freedoms.
Another Second Amendment group believes Patel’s appointment will return the ATF to its proper role as a law enforcement agency that focuses on combating violent crime, fighting illegal arms trafficking, and acting as a nonpartisan regulator of the firearms industry.
By the way, the ATF’s responsibilities include enforcing laws concerning firearms, explosives, arson, and acts of terrorism, as well as licensing federal firearms dealers and tracing guns used in crimes. Under the previous administration, the bureau introduced a number of regulatory measures that were opposed by many Second Amendment activists.
14 Charged With Smuggling Illegal Immigrants Into US
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has just charged 14 members of a “prolific alien smuggling organization” for allegedly facilitating the illegal entry of hundreds of people from Central and South America across our nation’s southern border with Mexico.The DOJ says that the indictment was issued by a grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They say that in addition to smuggling illegal immigrants across the border, the defendants were also allegedly responsible for transporting them within the United States and hiding them at a number of so-called “stash houses” throughout their journey.
According to the DOJ, during some of the smuggling events, the defendants allegedly evaded law enforcement by traveling at extremely high rates of speed in their vehicles. The smugglers also allegedly told their clients how to evade Border Patrol agents and how to avoid critical checkpoints.
Additionally, the DOJ says that one of the illegal immigrants involved with the smuggling ring died from heat exposure, and their body was abandoned in the desert.
The DOJ says they worked closely with both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security to investigate and dismantle the alleged smuggling operation.
All 14 defendants are charged with conspiracy to “bring to, transport, and harbor” illegal immigrants in the United States, and if they’re convicted, they each face a maximum 10-year prison term.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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Finally, as we do each day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote and this one comes to us from Betty White who said:
“It’s your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don’t take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes, it can be a lifesaver.”
White was an American actress and comedian. Her career spanned nearly seven decades with roles in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows, and you may recall that she was Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
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For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
