President Donald Trump celebrated his whirlwind first four weeks back in the Oval Office in a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday afternoon, mentioning what he called "flagrant scams" uncovered by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. 

"I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency — you probably haven't heard of it — which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job," Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation's capital. "He's doing a great job."

Musk is leading DOGE as investigators scrutinize various federal agencies in an effort to curb government overspending and stamp out fraud. DOGE's work has become a lightening rod for criticism among Democratic lawmakers and government employees, who have filed a number of lawsuits attempting to end the investigations and audits. 

"Here are some of the flagrant scams that, as an example, they've spent money on, and we've been able to recapture a large dose of it at least. Five hundred and 20 million dollars for a consultant … [on] environmental, social governance and investments in Africa," he said. 

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"Twenty-five million dollars to promote biodiversity conservation and socially responsible behavior in Colombia. This is Colombia, South America, not Columbia University. Of course, that might be worse. … Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants.

"Forty-two million for social and behavior change in Uganda. Ten million for Mozambique medical male circumcisions. Why are we going to Mozambique to do circumcisions?" Trump asked, before continuing to rattle off a handful of other pricey initiatives funded by taxpayers uncovered by DOGE. 

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CPAC is an annual conference of conservative lawmakers, leaders and voters, which kicked off on Wednesday and wraps up Saturday after Trump's speech. 

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Earlier in the day, Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform calling on Musk to "get more aggressive" with his DOGE work. 

"Will do, Mr. President!" Musk responded just a few hours ahead of Trump's CPAC speech. 

Musk later added on X, "Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

"We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we're finding them out," Trump said during his speech. "We're removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce."

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Trump said he and Musk will head to Fort Knox in Kentucky to ensure the United States Bullion Depository still houses a reported $425 billion in government gold. The Trump administration and Republican allies have called for more transparency about the vault.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the vault in 1943, which was followed by Treasury Secretary William Simon opening the vault to journalists and lawmakers in 1974 and again during the first Trump administration when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, inspected the vault.

"We are also going to Fort Knox. I'm going to go with Elon. And would anybody like to join us? Because we want to see if the gold is still there. We want to see," Trump said. 

"Wouldn't that be terrible? We open [it] up, and this Fort Knox has got nothing. It's just solid granite that's five feet thick. The front door, you need six musclemen to open it up. I don't even think they have windows. Wouldn't that be terrible if we opened it up and there was no gold there? So, we're going to open those doors, we're going to take a look. And if there's 27 tons of gold, we'll be very happy," he added. 

"I don't know how the hell we'll measure it, but that's OK."

Trump ended his first full month back in the White House this week, which has included a breakneck pace of executive orders and actions. 

He took a victory lap for his whirlwind first month, touting in his speech the administration's work to end the "weaponization" of the government under the former Biden administration, his plan to soon impose reciprocal tariffs on foreign trading partners and celebrating the deportation of illegal immigrants from communities across the nation. 

"We're liberating communities like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, that have been occupied by illegal alien criminals from all over the world," Trump said. 

"We're rescuing the Americans whose jobs have been stolen, whose wages have been robbed and whose way of life has been absolutely destroyed. And, under the Trump administration, our country will not be turned into a dumping ground." 

• Meta's Yann LeCun warned there could be an exodus of US-based scientists due to funding cuts.
• The Trump administration wants to slash NIH funding, causing concern in the scientific community.
• LeCun said Europe should be recruiting them by offering more favorable research conditions.

The United States could soon see an exodus of tech talent, according to Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun.

"The US seems set on destroying its public research funding system. Many US-based scientists are looking for a Plan B," LeCun wrote in a post on LinkedIn on Saturday.

The Trump administration has issued several executive orders to reduce funding, sparking concern among the US-based scientific community.

It announced drastic cuts to the National Institutes of Health that would effectively end billions in federal funding for biomedical research. A judge on Friday extended a temporary block on the cuts as lawsuits filed by states and universities who say the cuts are illegal make their way through the court system.

"A sane government would never do this," former Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier said of the funding cuts in a post on X.

Elon Musk's cost-cutting DOGE squad has also been deployed to federal agencies, including the NIH, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA.

The executive order that Trump signed against diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates has also caused concern that it could threaten scientific research at universities.

"At least one university is telling its researchers to refrain from terms like "biodiversity" to steer clear of detection by AI-based grant review systems, " Scientific American reported.

LeCun — who earned his bachelor's and Ph.D. in France — said the changes in the United States should be a wake-up call for European institutions and companies.

"You may have an opportunity to attract some of the best scientists in the world," he wrote.

He shared seven things he believes talented researchers want to see at any university, company, or public research agency they're joining:

1. Access to top students and junior collaborators.
2. Access to research funding with little administrative overhead.
3. Good compensation (comparable with top universities in the US, Switzerland, Canada).
4. Freedom to do research on what they think is most promising.
5. Access to research facilities (e.g. computing infrastructure, etc).
6. Ability to collaborate/consult with industry and startups.
7. Moderate teaching and administrative duties.

His message to Europe: "To attract the best scientific and technological talents, make science and technology research professions attractive."

L.J. Cryer's 28-point afternoon helped No. 5 Houston hold off No. 8 Iowa State, who was without its two leading scorers in the upset bid.

The New York Yankees still have a hole in their infield after the departure of Gleyber Torres. Have they resisted doing so because they can't afford it?

Dog found with note reading "Please help me, take me home" finds forever family as the shelter emphasizes resources for struggling owners.

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New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor spoke to Newsweek Sports in an exclusive interview on his partnership with LIGHT and staying ready to lead the team in 2025.

New numbers reported by Reuters show lower-than-expected deportation numbers, showing more federal employees fired in comparison.

“My boyfriend is on my side, but now his parents are acting like I’ve disrespected the Queen of England,” the woman explained

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The couple's two sons "sometimes just live for him more than they live for me,” the hitmaker admitted of her partner

South Korean game development studio Pixelity says it’s working on a series of XR games based on Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the first one will be released next year. In an emailed announcement, the studio said it’s planning a trilogy “based on the world and events of all 26 episodes” of the beloved anime.

We don’t have much in the way of details just yet, but Pixelity says, “Players will experience the narrative through the eyes of an original character, exploring the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion, taking on quests, and engaging in thrilling battles — all while following the timeline and key events of the anime.” The trilogy will offer “interactive and cooperative gameplay with familiar characters.” The developer hasn’t revealed what platforms the games will be available on.

Pixelity has previously made games for the Meta Quest family of headsets, as well as Pico and other platforms. It also recently launched a couple of titles for Apple Vision Pro, Shooting Break and Rolling Buddy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/an-xr-game-trilogy-based-on-neon-genesis-evangelion-is-in-the-works-222629986.html?src=rss

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Dave Grohl's got another confession to make ... he's a bit stressed -- or at least he looked it while walking around Los Angeles! The singer-songwriter was spotted Friday afternoon ... grabbing lunch at the luxurious Chateau Marmont before heading…

Kelly Stafford has become very used to dealing with social media criticism over the years — even from the friends of her 7-year-old twin daughters. 

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Kelly explained she’s currently at a tipping point when it comes to social media and her girls. Kelly and her husband, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, share four daughters: twins Sawyer and Chander, 7, Hunter, 6, and Tyler, 4. 

“When it comes to social media, I always told myself the minute they know what Instagram is, is the minute I have to figure something out. And my older ones know what it is,” Kelly said. “They have come home and been like, ‘Mom, how do people know we were sick?’”

Last month, Kelly shared multiple health updates about her daughters via Instagram, which included a trip to the emergency room after a flu ravaged the family. 

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“In the near future, there is going to be a discussion about whether or not sharing them on social media is going to be happening,” Kelly noted. “At the end of the day, we want them to be able to control what’s out there. They’re getting to an age now where their friends have Instagrams and they’re following me. That is something I really have to consider moving forward.”

Kelly said she and Matthew, who got married in April 2015, have considered giving their daughters “the phones that we had that have cell phone numbers and that’s it.”

“Our generation grew up in the weird time where we started to have [social media],” Kelly added. “But the generation before us, social media was new and their kids have it. But they don’t really know the pros and cons of it. But our generation knows what can happen and the dangers of it.”

Despite that knowledge, Kelly admitted she still struggles with negativity that gets thrown her way from strangers online. 

“Social media can obviously be used as a tool, right? In the work that I’m doing, unfortunately I need it,” Kelly, who hosts “The Morning After” podcast, told Us. “But I am human. Comments that are mean hurt my feelings. I have feelings and I’m not going to sit here and act like I don’t.”

Where Kelly Stafford Draws the Line on Her Daughters’ Birthday Invites

She added, “I have tried to develop some kind of thick skin to understand what my values are and sticking to those regardless of what people can say about me. The ones that are close to me, I care about their opinions. I just try to remind myself of that.”

Ultimately, Kelly said she can’t help but “fear for my kids with social media.”

“That is a whole different ballgame,” she explained. “I pray that something happens to social media before they get to that point, even though I know it probably won’t.”

Kelly continued, “Honestly, it’s really scary. Even as an adult, my self-confidence is intertwined with people who are commenting that don’t even know me. I can only imagine a teenage girl trying to figure out that and still remaining confident. I worry about my daughters.”

Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus’ secret to a long, lasting marriage may just be as simple as a three-letter word.

“Keep it fun,” Broadus, 53, exclusively shared with Us Weekly at the Choc Factory Cosmetics launch event on Saturday, February 15. “Keep it fun to where, you know, he’s going on the road a lot, so we do have time to miss each other, but just keep it fun and business.”

The couple met as teenagers when they both attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. They went to prom together in 1989 and tied the knot eight years later.

During their marriage, Snoop, 53, and Broadus welcomed three kids together: sons Cordé, 30, and Cordell, 27, and daughter Cori, 25. The Voice coach also has a son named Julian, 26, with Laurie Helmond.

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Even after more than 27 years of marriage, Broadus said the pair are still pulling off romantic gestures. Recently, Snoop gifted his wife a brand-new watch while Broadus got some presents from Louis Vuitton just in time for Valentine’s Day.

If there’s one thing Broadus hopes her kids take away from her love story, it’s to persevere during the highs and the lows.

“Just hold each other down,” she told Us at Lucid Studios in Beverly Hills. “That’s what it’s all about. Just stick it out and be there together. You may have ups and downs, but we gotta stick it through. We family, you know?”

Cori has been admiring her parents’ relationship for many years. As she prepares to finalize a wedding and welcome her first baby with fiancé Wayne Deuce, the businesswoman says she’s remembering some key advice from her mom.

Snoop Dogg's Daughter Cori and Fiance Wayne’s Relationship Timeline

“No matter what happens, stick together, have each other’s back,” Cori told Us. “It’s not gonna always be ice cream and cake. There’s gonna be problems. There’s going to be bumps in the road, but as long as you guys can get through it, that’s all that matters.”

Currently, Cori and Deuce are working together to launch their new self-care line named Choc Factory Cosmetics. From lip glosses to lip masks, the items help women of all backgrounds embrace their natural beauty.

“I think this brand, to make it short and sweet, is really just a brand where we make people feel comfortable and feel like they have a space to fit in,” Cori told Us at her launch event featuring ilios lighting. “I feel like with society and their beauty standards, it’s very high and I feel like it’s very unrealistic. We’re giving them a realistic space to be [their] natural self.”

Rihanna has “finally cracked” her highly anticipated next album — and will release it at precisely the right time.

“There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited. Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour,” Rihanna, 37, told Harper’s Bazaar in a profile published Saturday, February 22. “After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter.”

She added, “I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more.”

Rihanna’s fans have been clamoring for an update on R9 — their nickname for the singer’s next album — for years. According to the pop star, she needed all the pieces of the LP to fall into place before proceeding.

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“This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this,” Rihanna stressed. “This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there. This is becoming my new freedom because when I’m in the studio, I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years.”

Rihanna, who shares sons RZA and Riot with partner ASAP Rocky, further confirmed that she’s “been in the studio the whole eight years” trying to brainstorm the album’s direction.

“It didn’t hit me. I was searching for it. I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ‘This kind of album, not that album.’ I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects,” she recalled. “And it’s not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!”

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While Rihanna promises that R9 will eventually be released, her top priority is her family.

“Every decision I make revolves around them, but everything that I do that I love robs me from them,” the Fenty founder told Harper’s Bazaar of her young sons. “I have a weird resentment with the things that I love. You almost feel like something is always suffering for you to show up somewhere. And even when you show up there, it’s not 100 percent because there’s something else on the wheel. It’s actually given me a lot more self-guilt.”

She concluded, “I don’t like letting people down, but I also know that most of that is me letting myself down, which means something has to change, but everything is on the wheel at all times. I have to keep reminding myself that I asked for this, I love this. I try to figure out a balance so that I can feel fulfilled when I show up to something, so I can feel I don’t have any guilt.”

Author Ashley St. Clair is reportedly suing billionaire Elon Musk for sole custody of their alleged child.

St. Claire, best known for her children’s book Elephants Are Not Birds, filed a petition with the New York Supreme Court for custody of the child on Friday, February 21, according to SCOOP, who first reported the filing. In the court filings, reviewed by the publication, the author alleges that Elon Musk is the father of her child — though he “has only met him three times.”

“[Musk] has met him only three (3) times and has no involvement in his care and upbringing,” the petition reportedly states. The petition also claims the boy, who goes by R.S.C., was born in September 2024.

In addition to filing for sole custody, St. Claire also reportedly filed a paternity petition.

Ashley St. Clair Claims Elon Musk Told Her to Keep Their Alleged Baby a Secret

In court filings, St. Claire reportedly claims that she and Musk engaged in a “romantic relationship in or about May 2023.” Additionally, she claims they had intercourse and their alleged son was conceived in January 2024.

Musk has allegedly “acknowledged parentage of the child in various written correspondences,” St. Claire claims, according to the reported filing. The author also alleged that she exchanged text messages with Musk about their child after he was born, and that she sent a photograph of the child to Musk.

“I look forward to seeing you and him this weekend,” she claims Musk responded, per the reported docs. According to People, a screenshot of the alleged text message exchange was included in the petition.

St. Claire also claims that Musk acknowledged that the child was his when discussing safety concerns. “If I make a mistake on security, [R.S.C.] will never know his father,” she claims Musk said — something she describes in the court filing as ‘another acknowledgment of parentage.’

On February 14, St. Claire claimed via X that she had welcomed Musk’s 13th child five months prior.

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“Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father,” she wrote at the time. “I have not previously disclosed this to protect our child’s privacy and safety, but in recent days it has become clear that tabloid media intends to do so, regardless of the harm it will cause.”

She added, “I intend to allow our child to grow in a normal and safe environment. For that reason, I ask that the media honor our child’s privacy, and refrain from invasive reporting.” Alongside the post, St. Clair wrote “Alea Iacta Est,” which translates to “The die is cast.”

Musk has not publicly acknowledged or responded to St. Claire’s claims. Us Weekly has reached out to Musk for comment.

Days later, on February 15, St. Claire claimed via a representative that her and Musk were working towards an amicable parenting agreement.

“Ashley & Elon have been privately working towards the creation of an agreement about raising their child for some time,” Brian Glicklich, a representative for St. Clair, said in a statement shared via X. “It is disappointing that a tabloid reporter, who repeatedly ambushed Ashley and her family, made it impossible to complete that process confidentially. We are waiting for Elon to publicly acknowledge his parental role with Ashley, to end unwarranted speculation, and Ashley trusts that Elon intends to finish their agreement quickly, in the best interests of the wellbeing and security of the child they share.”

Musk is already a father to 12 other children. Most recently, Bloomberg reported in June 2024 that Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis reportedly welcomed their third baby together.

The pair previously welcomed twins Strider and Azure in November 2021.

Musk also has six children with ex-wife Justine Wilson. Musk and Wilson, 51, who were married between 2000 and 2008, share twins Vivian and Griffin, both 20, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian, all 18. The exes also shared son Nevada, who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old. Musk also shares three children with the singer Grimes.

New details from Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears’ conservatorship settlement have been revealed.

In court documents recently obtained by People, Britney, 43, reportedly agreed to cover Jamie’s outstanding legal bills totaling $2.12 million. The outlet also claimed that the pop star paid her dad’s fees in full within 60 days, as stipulated in the agreement.

According to the settlement filing, Britney and Jamie, 72, agreed that the payments resolved any lingering disputes regarding the status of the since-terminated conservatorship.

Britney has not publicly addressed the settlement, while Jamie’s attorneys noted in a statement that the patriarch “is thrilled that the case was settled.”

Britney Spears’ Ups and Downs With Jamie Spears

“He has only ever wanted what is best for Britney, whom he loves very much,” his attorney claimed in a statement to People. “Jamie’s work as conservator has ultimately been vindicated and the world knows how hard he worked to protect her.”

Britney was placed under a guardianship run by Jamie in 2008 after a series of personal struggles. For many years, Jamie had control over the singer’s estate and person until Jodi Montgomery took over the role in 2019. The 13-year conservatorship was eventually terminated in November 2021. Britney and Jamie officially settled their dispute in April 2024.

“It has been our honor and privilege to represent, protect, and defend Britney Spears, Ms. Spears is and always will be an icon and a brilliant and brave artist of historic and epic proportion,” Britney’s attorney Mathew Rosengart said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “Although the conservatorship was terminated in November 2021, her wish for freedom is now truly complete.”

Britney Spears’ Mental Health, Conservatorship Battle Explained

The statement continued, “Britney Spears won when the court suspended her father, and Britney Spears won when her fundamental rights and civil liberties were restored.”

Britney has since been estranged from Jamie, but recently reconciled with her mom, Lynne Spears. (Exes Jamie and Lynne, 69, share children Bryan, Britney and Jamie Lynn.)

“Britney understands that her mom would have loved for her to visit for Christmas but she just felt like it was too soon,” a source exclusively told Us in December 2023. “Britney is open to repairing her relationship with Lynne but she wants things to unfold organically and not force anything.”

According to the insider, the Crossroads star is “in a really good place” and “would love to continue maintaining her relationship with her mom.”

Britney had claimed in her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, that she realized she “never wanted to see” her parents again after learning they disposed of her Madam Alexander doll collection without warning. Lynne has since denied donating the toys, even asking Britney via Instagram if she wants the collection returned. Britney denied the request.

Jay Ellis and Toby Sandeman had their athletic backgrounds to thank while preparing for their roles in Running Point.

“It’s crazy that I got to bring this much of my personal life to a role every single day. It was kind of wild,” Ellis, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly at the recent Running Point premiere held at Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. “It definitely took me back to that time, which was a lot of fun obviously. It was great.”

Before transitioning to acting, Ellis played basketball at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, and was a public relations intern for the Portland Trail Blazers. While filming Netflix’s Running Point, Ellis had his teammates on his mind.

“I thought about injuries, like guys who had gotten hurt. I thought about my own selfishness or my ambition of wanting to be the best player on my team,” Ellis told Us. “I thought of all of those things and how that relates now that I’m a coach in a show, having to talk to these younger players. And I’m only also a year or two removed from playing myself [in the show]. It was an interesting experience.”

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Running Point follows Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) who unexpectedly becomes in charge of her family’s professional basketball team. Ellis portrays Jay Brown, head coach of the fictional team the Los Angeles Waves, on the Netflix series, which premieres on February 27. Alongside Ellis and Hudson, the 10-episode comedy series also stars Scott Evans, Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Toby Sandeman, Chet Hanks and Max Greenfield.

Sandeman, 36 — who stars as basketball player Marcus Winfield in Running Point — was also an athlete himself, winning two gold medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships.

“I think some of the insights that I had being an athlete [helped] — certainly knowing the business side of being an athlete and how much that can actually take away from the love,” Sandeman told Us. “I think Marcus Winfield is going through that in this season, but also being a competitor and that’s just in me. So even when we were on the court, even though it wasn’t real, sometimes it felt real.”

Without giving away any spoilers, Sandeman teased his character’s athletic feat in the series. “I certainly dunked and pulled down the entire ring,” he told Us. “[The] Shaq attack came back.”

Running Point premieres on Netflix February 27.

Reporting by Mariel Turner

The model wore a pair of blue bikini bottoms and a cropped white T-shirt for the beach day in the Bahamas.