Notes and Essays -- John Brown

"After the media left the Oval Office [after the Trump-Zelensky 'meeting'] word circulated in the crowded White House press room that the rest of the day’s scheduled events with Zelensky would be called off. The food that was prepared for a planned lunch with Trump and Zelensky was instead served to White House staff, according to administration officials.' "   Image from article: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump argue during Friday’s Oval Office meeting at the White House in Washington.   Photo:  Jim LoScalzo – Pool via CNP/Zuma Press From: " How Trump’s Polite Meeting With Zelensky Descended Into Acrimony,"   The Wall Street Journal , Feb  28 .

 President of the United States of America Donald Trump on his planned meeting with  Ukrainian President Zelensky --From The New York Times ; see also President Trump sounded almost excited by the drama of his fiery confrontation with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Credit... Kenny Holston/The New York Times

From: The Editorial Board [:]  The Washington Pest  -- ( forgive the typo )   Under the Headline: In acrimonious meeting, Trump berates Zelensky  Image from article: President Donald Trump argues with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post); see also

[ “ What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer ”] "President Donald Trump’s claim that the potential 'trillion-dollar deal' he is on the cusp of signing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would offer the US easy access to a bonanza of  rare earth minerals  is at odds with the widespread assessment of current and former US officials who say there’s little actual evidence of great rare earth and other mineral wealth in Ukraine and much of what does exist will be difficult, even impossible, to exploit in the eastern war-torn part of the country." From:   Trump’s promise of ‘very big deal’ with Zelensky undercut by officials’ widespread doubts over Ukraine’s resources; By Alex Marquardt and Zachary Cohen, CNN 6 minute read Published 7:01 PM EST, Thu February 27, 2025  *** Ukraine’s Rare Earth Minerals: What Is Trump Eyeing in Ukraine?  The US president’s latest statement echoed earlier calls for Kyiv to trade its rare earth d...

Trump just dealt Russia a devastating blow A deal for Ukraine’s minerals could effectively end the war. Marc A. Thiessen ,  The Washington Post  Today [2/27]  6:30 a.m. EST; see also and also Russian President Vladimir Putin during a videoconference in St. Petersburg on Feb. 18. (AFP/Getty Images) The minerals deal negotiated between the United States and Ukraine is a devastating development for Russia. Indeed, it is in some ways more important than any peace deal President Donald Trump might negotiate to end the fighting. Once implemented, it will mean that Russia has effectively lost the war.   Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to conquer his neighbor. Instead, the United States has just gone into business with Ukraine — entering into,  as the agreement puts it , “a durable partnership”   with Kyiv to jointly develop Ukraine’s untapped minerals and other natural resources and pledging “a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable...

From The Trump administration is ending nearly all foreign assistance programs operated by the United States Agency for International Development.  This decision significantly undermines the agency, which has been  active for 60 years  and has worked to prevent the spread of disease and reduce poverty in over 120 countries. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images/AFP via Getty Images   The State Department says it has reviewed over 6,000 of USAID’s foreign assistance grants, and only 500 of them will continue , NPR’s Fatma Tanis tells  Up First . The programs being kept include food and lifesaving assistance for HIV, TB and malaria. A humanitarian official told Tanis that “this is a global health massacre.” Aid groups and advocates have raised alarms that cuts to USAID’s programs would  lead to loss of life  — like in Sudan, where over 1,000 kitchens supported by the agency have closed. 

A reader's comment, among many, from the below cited The New York Times article:     Solar Farmer Connecticut 1h ago "I learned in elementary school to take my hat off whenever I am indoors. Well, at least Musk removed his sunglasses." Elon Musk told members of President Trump’s cabinet that he had gotten Mr. Trump’s approval to order their employees to explain how they spend their days or else face termination. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times By  Shawn McCreesh Reporting from Washington The New York Times , Feb. 26, 2025: " Musk’s Cabinet Cameo: The Elephant in the Room Wore Black [:]  At the first cabinet meeting of his second term, President Trump asked Elon Musk to speak first. Th e man tasked with slashing the federal government spoke far more than anyone else, other than Mr. Trump."

"Perhaps the most successful government restructuring was launched in 1993 by Vice President Al Gore. In its five years, the National Partnership for Reinventing Government eliminated more than 100 programs and 250,000 federal jobs, and consolidated more than 800 agencies. But unlike Mr. Trump’s effort, the Gore initiative involved careful review of programs and expenditures before action was taken."  " Washington:   How Trump skirts checks and balances unlike any modern-day US president,"   The Christian Science Monitor , Feb. 25, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET | By  Linda Feldmann   Staff writer @linda_feldmann    

"Throughout both his terms, Trump has repeatedly talked about himself as the second-best president (after the 'late, great Abraham Lincoln'), and has toyed with the idea of his image being added in South Dakota granite alongside Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt."  From the sale capitaliste The Wall Street Journal , Feb 26 Trump admirers have proposed adding his visage to those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln on Mount Rushmore.  Photo:  David Zalubowski/ap Image from the same WSJ article: Illustration:  Alexandra Citrin-Safadi/WSJ; iStock, AP

The president asserted that the European Union was formed to “screw the United States.” From an article in  The Wall Street Journal (2/26), " Trump to Cabinet: You’re ‘Out’ if You’re Unhappy With Musk"  [below image from article] President Trump holding the first cabinet meeting of his new term.   Photo:  al drago/pool/Shutterstock