Trump’s rating slips as Americans worry about the economy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has ticked slightly lower in recent days as more Americans worried about the direction of the U.S. economy as the new leader threatens a host of countries with tariffs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The six-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, showed 44% of respondents approved of the job Trump is doing as president, down from 45% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted January 24-26. Trump’s approval rating stood at 47% in a January 20-21 poll conducted in the hours after the Republican’s return to the White House. The share of Americans who disapprove of his presidency has risen more substantially, to 51% in the latest poll, compared with 41% right after he took office.
Trump enjoys a relatively high rate of approval on his immigration policy, with 47% of respondents backing his approach that has included promises to ramp up deportations of migrants in the country illegally. The share was little changed from January.
But the share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the January 24-26 poll. Public approval of Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll.
IRS will lay off
6,700 employees on Thursday
(Reuters) — The U.S. Internal Revenue Service will lay off about 6,700 employees on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said, a restructuring that could strain the tax-collecting agency’s resources during the critical tax-filing season.
The workers being cut are probationary employees who have typically been at the agency for less than one to two years, and enjoy fewer protections than longer-term workers. The IRS has a total of roughly 100,000 employees.
The reductions at the IRS come amid a broader slashing of personnel across the federal government at the directive of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who is spearheading an unprecedented effort to shrink the bureaucracy.
Like other agencies, the IRS was ordered last week by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees federal hiring, to dismiss all probationary employees.
But the IRS has taken a more careful approach than most other agencies due to concerns about squeezing resources with the April 15 tax filing deadline just two months away. The IRS remains busy for weeks after the deadline, processing returns and refunds for taxpayers.
Roughly 6,600 probationary IRS employees will be kept on to work through the tax filing season, according to the person familiar with the matter, with staff engaged in customer service and taxpayer advocacy spared for now from the cuts.
Senior US military leader visits Panama to discuss security
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) — A senior U.S. military commander who oversees operations over much of Latin America will visit Panama this week to discuss security cooperation as well as the Panama Canal and migration, the U.S. embassy in the Central American nation said on Wednesday.
Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of the U.S. military’s Southern Command, is scheduled to meet on Wednesday and Thursday with Panamanian officials as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has argued that China holds undue influence over the country’s namesake canal, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade passages.
Pentagon to
redirect $50 billion toward Trump’s defense priorities
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Pentagon said on Wednesday it was directing the military to draw up a list of potential cuts totaling about $50 billion from the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2026 to be redirected into President Donald Trump’s priorities for national defense.
“The Department will develop a list of potential offsets that could be used to fund these priorities, as well as to refocus the Department on its core mission of deterring and winning wars,” according to a statement from Robert Salesses, who is performing the duties of the deputy defense secretary.
“The offsets are targeted at 8% of the Biden Administration’s FY26 budget, totaling around $50 billion, which will then be spent on programs aligned with President Trump’s priorities.”
Two small planes collide midair in Arizona, killing 2
(NYT) — Two people were killed when two small planes collided in midair near a regional airport in southern Arizona on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The planes, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II, each had two people on board when they collided just before 8:30 a.m. near Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Afterward, the Lancair crashed near a runway, then caught fire, while the Cessna landed “uneventfully,” the NTSB said in an emailed statement.
The two people aboard the Lancair were killed, while the two in the Cessna were unharmed, officials said.
The names of the people who were killed have not been released, but Vic Hathaway, the town’s communications manager, said they were from out of town.
