Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas. It’s the end of another month; we have some pressing stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s happening both here at home and around the world.
President Donald Trump makes a surprising announcement regarding tariffs on our North American neighbors as well as China. He also meets with the leader of our closest European ally to discuss a number of critical issues including the war in Ukraine. And one government agency makes a startling prediction about bird flu and the price of a very popular breakfast staple.
Also, Elon Musk responds to the surprising resignation of a number of DOGE employees, and we’ll share what we know about the mysterious death of a legendary Hollywood actor and his wife.
Trump Says Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China to Begin Next Week
Trump says that 25 percent tariffs on both Canada and Mexico will go into effect beginning in just four days because illicit drugs are still pouring into our country at what he calls “very high and unacceptable levels.”He says that the United States cannot allow those harmful actions to continue. He went on to say the tariffs will go into effect as scheduled and remain in place until the flow of illegal drugs is stopped—or at least seriously limited.
He says those levies are necessary because the United States is being mistreated in regard to global trade. He went on to imply that the European Union was actually formed to take advantage of the United States, and he says that so far, they’ve “done a good job of it” because they don’t accept our cars and farm products while we accept everything from them.
For their part, an EU official tells The Epoch Times that their organization will “react firmly and immediately” against any unjustified barriers to free and fair trade.
Trump Meets UK Prime Minister at White House
Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer just held crucial talks in the Oval Office. Among other topics, the two leaders discussed achievable steps to bring about a cease-fire that would end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.Trump says they are taking a “common sense” approach toward reaching what he calls a “long-lasting peace.” However, he also says if an agreement to end the war doesn’t happen quickly, it may not happen at all.
Additionally, the president indicated that he continues to support the NATO alliance’s mutual defense obligations. He also praised the “special relationship” between the United States and the UK and called Starmer a “very tough negotiator.”
For his part, Starmer is urging Trump to continue America’s support of Ukraine, saying that there can’t be a peace deal that rewards the aggressor.
Meanwhile, later today, Trump is scheduled to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. He says that an expected mineral rights deal, which the two countries are soon expected to sign, will contribute to the security of both Ukraine and Europe.
USDA Warns Egg Prices Could Rise Dramatically
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that this year, egg prices are projected to spike by more than 40 percent and could rise by as much as 75 percent as bird flu outbreaks and the mass culling of layer hens continue across the country.In case you’re not aware, those prices recently hit an all-time high nationwide, in part because almost 170 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus. Most of those birds were egg-laying hens, and this year, more than 30 million of them have already been culled.
Additionally, the USDA says that in January of this year, more egg-laying hens were impacted by the bird flu than in any other month since the outbreak in 2022.
By the way, according to one estimate, prices for eggs have more than doubled since before the outbreak began, costing consumers roughly an extra $1.5 billion last year and prompting a number of restaurants to add surcharges to their egg dishes.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says her department is planning to spend $1 billion to help American farmers and consumers deal with both the bird flu crisis and soaring egg prices.
For their part, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that while the virus is widespread in wild birds around the world, the current public health risk to people remains low, and to date, there has been no known person-to-person spread of avian influenza.
Musk, White House Respond to Reports of DOGE Employees Resigning
Elon Musk and the White House are both criticizing recent media reports concerning 21 civil service employees who say they’re resigning from DOGE.In a joint resignation letter reported on by the Associated Press, those staffers said they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” They also said they took an oath to the U.S. Constitution and swore to serve the American people across presidential administrations but that they can no longer honor those commitments.
Musk, who is leading DOGE’s efforts, now says those employees were Democratic political holdovers who refused to return to the office. He also says that had they not resigned, they would have been fired anyway.
Meanwhile, the White House says that neither protests, lawsuits, nor lawfare will deter President Donald Trump from delivering on his promises to make our federal government more efficient and accountable to hardworking American taxpayers.
One White House official tells The Epoch Times that any “leftover career bureaucrats” who don’t align with either the president or DOGE are not welcome to be a part of what he calls a “never-before-seen mission” to make our government more efficient.
Oscar-Winning Actor Gene Hackman, Wife Found Dead in Santa Fe Home
Investigators say that Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs had been dead for a period of time before a maintenance worker discovered their bodies inside their Santa Fe home earlier this week.The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office says the bodies of the 95-year-old Hackman and his 63-year-old wife were both found in the house and that Arakawa’s body was in a bathroom near a space heater. They also say that an opened bottle of prescription pills was found scattered on a countertop near Arakawa.
A search warrant issued by the sheriff’s office says that the deaths are “suspicious enough in nature” to require a thorough investigation. It also notes that when the worker showed up to do his job, he found the front door of the home open and unsecured.
They also noted that the space heater had been moved, that Hackman was found in a different room in the house, and that there were no apparent signs of a gas leak. Meanwhile, after the bodies were discovered, the New Mexico Gas Company tested gas lines in and around the home and said it did not find any problems, and the fire department reported finding no evidence of either a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.
Additionally, officials say that there were no indications of “blunt force trauma” and that, at this time, the manner and cause of death for both Arakawa and Hackman remain unknown. However, one deputy observed that Hackman appeared to have fallen.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Friday 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 Roberta Flack who said:
“Remember: Always walk in the light. And if you feel like you’re not walking in it, go find it. Love the light.”
Flack was an American singer and pianist known for her fabulous ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, folk, and pop, and truly, an incredible musician. Roberta Flack died earlier this week in New York, and she was 88 years old.
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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Enjoy the remainder of your day, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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.
