Trump signs executive orders for military, focusing on transgender service members, COVID, diversity
CBSN
President Trump signed multiple executive orders Monday night that could reshape the management and composition of the military, with provisions addressing diversity measures, transgender service members, and troops who were discharged for refusing COVID vaccinations.
He also signed an executive order to establish a process to develop what the administration is calling an American Iron Dome — a missile defense shield for the homeland.
One of the orders Mr. Trump signed would reinstate members of the military who were discharged for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. About 8,200 service members were discharged for refusing to comply with the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to data provided by the service branches. However, the mandate was rescinded in January 2023 by the Biden administration, and since then, about 110 service members have rejoined the military.
An inmate escaped over the weekend from a jail in North Carolina, fleeing through the building's ventilation system, authorities said. Law enforcement agencies across the state launched a manhunt once guards at the jail noticed the inmate's absence Sunday afternoon, according to the Craven County Sheriff's Office.
Copenhagen — The vast majority of Greenland residents do not want their island to become part of the United States, as envisaged by President Trump, according to a poll published Wednesday. Mr. Trump, who returned to the White House in late January, has signaled that he wants the Arctic island — which is believed to hold large untapped mineral and oil reserves — to become part of the United States and has suggested the possible use of force or tariffs to annex the autonomous Danish territory.
At Market Basket locations in some parts of Massachusetts, customers are being asked to limit their egg purchases to two cartons per family. Another shopper, this one in Las Vegas and also on the hunt for eggs, reported finding empty shelves at a local grocery store. On social media, a consumer accustomed to paying around $2 for a dozen eggs expressed shock over now having to pay more than double that amount.
Trump asks SpaceX to bring "abandoned" Starliner crew home, blames Biden administration for inaction
President Trump blamed the Biden administration Tuesday for "abandoning" two astronauts who have been stuck aboard the International Space Station in the wake of problems last summer with their Boeing Starliner capsule.
Dozens of senior staff inside the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, have been placed on administrative leave until further notice, and hundreds of contractors have had their employment furloughed or terminated, multiple sources told CBS News. This followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's order last Friday that placed an immediate halt on virtually all U.S.-funded foreign aid assistance globally.