Attachment 2498452

President makes false claims about border crossings, regulations, the economy, inflation and many other issues.

Analysis by Glenn Kessler

President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday was vintage Trump: long, rambling and chock-full of stretched facts and dubious figures. Many of these claims have been fact-checked repeatedly, yet the president persists in using them. Here, in the order in which he made them, are 26 statements by the president that were untrue, misleading or lacked context.

As is our practice, we do not award Pinocchios in speech roundups.

“We won the popular vote by big numbers and won counties in our country 2,700 to 525.”

These are misleading metrics. Unlike in 2016, Trump won the popular vote, but only narrowly. On a percentage basis, his margin over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was 1.5 percent, the smallest since 2000 and the fourth smallest since 1960.

As for counties, most of the counties that Trump won are sparsely populated. So, while he won 2,633 counties compared to Harris’s 427, she nearly matched him in the popular vote. Moreover, most of the nation’s economic output is in counties that Harris won. The Brookings Institution calculated that while Trump won 86 percent of the nation’s total counties, those counties represent 38 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. The relatively small batch of counties that Harris won produce 62 percent of the GDP.

“Illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded .”

This is false. Customs and Border Protection recorded about 8,300 border encounters in February, the most recent month for which data is available. That suggests a yearly average of about 100,000. But in the early 1900s, before World War II and even in the 1960s, annual border encounters were below 30,000 — sometimes as low as 10,000 or 11,000.

“Hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month, and virtually all of them including murderers, drug dealers, gang members and people from mental institutions and insane asylums were released into our country.”

This is false. While under President Joe Biden, record numbers of migrants crossed the border, there is no evidence “virtually all” were violent criminals or released from mental institutions. Immigration experts know of no effort by other countries to empty their prisons and psychiatric facilities. As someone who came to prominence in the late 1970s and early ’80s, Trump appears to be channeling Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s 1980 Mariel boatlift. About 125,000 Cubans were allowed to flee to the United States in 1,700 boats — but there was a backlash when it was discovered that hundreds of the refugees had been released from jails and mental health facilities.

There is little evidence that immigrants — or even undocumented immigrants — cause more crime. Still, there is enough ambiguity in the data — or so little hard data — that it’s difficult to point to conclusive findings that would change opinions.

“I withdrew from the unfair Paris Climate accord, which was costing us trillions of dollars.”

This is false. Each country set its own commitments under the Paris accord, so Trump’s comment makes little sense. He could have unilaterally changed the commitments offered by President Barack Obama, which is technically allowed under the accord. Indeed, the agreement is nonbinding, so there was nothing in the agreement that stops the United States from building, say, coal plants, or gives permission to China or India to build coal plants. Trump’s estimates of the costs came from industry-funded studies that did not consider possible benefits from reducing climate change.

“We ended the last administration’s insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our autoworkers and companies from economic destruction.”

This is false. The Biden-Harris administration promoted incentives for electric vehicles — not the same as a mandate. The Environmental Protection Agency last year finalized new emissions standards, which the agency said could be met by 2032 if as much as 56 percent of light-duty car sales were battery-electric (up from 7.6 percent currently), an additional 13 percent were hybrid, and gas-powered cars became more efficient. By contrast, the European Union has mandated that all new cars sold will have zero emissions from 2035 — a sign that U.S. manufacturers cannot operate in a vacuum and ignore worldwide trends.

The United Auto Workers, which endorsed Harris for president, praised the EPA for adjusting the proposal to ensure a “just transition” to electric vehicles. “This rule does not require Ford, General Motors, Stellantis or any other domestic automaker to do anything beyond the commitments they’ve made to shareholders to capitalize on the growing EV market,” the union said in a statement. “We reject the fearmongering that says tackling the climate crisis must come at the cost of union jobs.”

“I have directed that for every one new regulation, 10 old regulations must be eliminated. … In that first term, we set records on ending unnecessary rules and regulations like no other president had done before.”

This appears to be false. Trump’s claim of the most or biggest regulation cuts cannot be easily verified. There is no reliable metric on which to judge this claim — or to compare him to previous presidents. Many experts say the most significant regulatory changes in U.S. history were the deregulation of the airline, rail and trucking industries during the Carter administration, which are estimated to provide consumers with $70 billion in annual benefits.

A detailed November 2020 report by the Penn Program on Regulation concluded that “without exception, each major claim we have uncovered by the President or other White House official about regulation turns out to be exaggerated, misleading, or downright untrue.” The report said the Trump administration had not reduced the overall number of pages from the regulatory code book and that it completed far more regulatory actions than deregulatory ones once the full data was examined.

“We've ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me.”

Trump refers to “weaponization,” code for Biden’s supposedly using the resources of the U.S. government to target his political opponent. There is no evidence that Biden directed the Justice Department or local prosecutors to pursue the four criminal cases against Trump.

“We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.”

This is absurd. Trump inherited an economy with relatively low unemployment, falling inflation and strong growth. The month before the November election, the Economist newspaper published a cover story declaring that the U.S. economy was “the envy of the world.”

“We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years. But perhaps even in the history of our country, they're not sure.”

This is false. The inflation peak in 2022 was the highest in 40 years. But amusingly, Trump seems to be arguing with his speechwriter here. In his rally speeches, Trump often falsely claims Biden had the worst inflation in U.S. history, so the second sentence seems to be an ad-lib.

Inflation peaked at 9 percent in June 2022, while annual inflation was 7 percent in 2021, 6.5 percent in 2022 and 3.4 percent in 2023. This was not the highest in U.S. history. In Trump’s adulthood, inflation was 9 percent in 1978, 13.3 percent in 1979, 12.5 percent in 1980 and 8.9 percent in 1981 — and also 8.7 percent in 1973 and 12.3 percent in 1974. Inflation was 18.1 percent in 1946, the year Trump was born. Other periods in U.S. history had even higher inflation rates.

Higher prices for goods and services would have happened no matter who was elected president in 2020. Inflation initially spiked because of pandemic-related shocks — increased consumer demand as the pandemic eased, and an inability to meet this demand because of supply-chain issues, as companies had reduced production when consumers hunkered down during the pandemic. Indeed, inflation rose around the world — with many peer countries doing worse than the United States — because of pandemic-related shocks that rippled across the globe.

“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control.”

Egg prices spiked in early 2023 and then at the end of 2024 because of the bird flu. Trump may discover a president has little control over that.

“The appalling waste we have already identified … We found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud.”

This is unproven. The DOGE website claims $105 billion of savings, but it provides little transparency on how the figure was created. Various news reports have documented significant errors and double-counting in the DOGE list, making the administration’s claims highly suspect. Moreover, a lot of the canceled contracts had nothing to do with “fraud” — deception or misrepresentation — but are programs that do not fit with Trump’s political agenda. Many specific claims of fraud have proven to be wrong or misleading, such as the false claim that the U.S. Agency for International Development spent $50 million to distribute condoms in Gaza. Trump in his speech read a long list of programs that he claimed were “scams,” and many of those claims were equally suspect. Following are a few of the highlights.

“…$45 million for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma …”

This is false. The spending funded the Lincoln Scholarships, which help students in civil-war-torn Myanmar obtain master’s degrees at a U.S. university, as well education for Myanmar students across Asia. The program called for students “from diverse backgrounds” — in a country with 135 ethnic groups. Presumably the DOGE filters mistakenly identified it as a DEI program.

“…$10 million for male circumcision in Mozambique …”

This was not a scam. Male circumcision is recognized as a tool to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, and the U.S. spending database shows a contract with Associacao Elos, a nonprofit, to fund voluntary medical circumcision.

“..$20 million for the Arab Sesame Street in the Middle East. It's a program. $20 million for a program …”

This is false. The Sesame Street program known as Ahlan Simsim that’s broadcast across the Middle East and North Africa, including Iraq, is funded by a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation and additional funding by the LEGO Foundation. Trump is citing a grant for a different entity known as Ahlan Simsim Iraq that supports the creation of local content and materials, which include localized media content to reach children at scale, according to a Sesame Workshop representative.

“Funded over 6 years, the program also provides teaching and learning materials like storybooks, activity books, classroom materials, and training and facilitators’ guides for teachers for use in early childhood development centers to improve children’s learning by training teachers, parents, caregivers, and youth leaders,” the representative said.

The White House defended Trump’s claim by citing the grant language —"leveraging the popularity of the Arabic Sesame Workshop show, Ahlan Simsim Iraq produces culturally tailored and age-appropriate original educational media content for young children” — without acknowledging that this funding was not used to produce the Sesame Street TV show. As we noted, that program relies on philanthropic funding.

“..$59 million for illegal alien hotel rooms in New York City …”

New York City was awarded a grant for housing migrants under the Shelter and Services program created by Congress. Trump often falsely claims these were luxury hotel rooms, though he did not do so in this speech. New York City paid a daily rate of $156 in fiscal year 2024, a mid-tier rate, according to the city controller’s office. Luxury hotels have a rate about three times higher, according to a PricewaterhouseCoope rs estimate.

“We're also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors, and that our seniors and people that we love rely on. Believe it or not, government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old. It lists 3.6 million people from ages 110 to 119. I don't know any of them. I know some people that are rather elderly, but not quite. 3.47 million people from ages 120 to 129, 3.9 million people from ages 130 to 139, 3.5 million people from ages 140 to 149. …”

This is false. Trump’s riff continued until he got to the end —“one person between the age of 240 and 249 and one person listed at 360 years of age.” His numbers roughly mirrored figures posted on social media by billionaire Elon Musk, who is slashing government programs with a shock team of assistants that has been dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency.

As The Washington Post has reported, this is largely a coding issue. The Social Security Administration maintains its databases using COBOL, a nearly 70-year-old computer programming language that doesn’t have a standardized way to store and work with dates. Often a default date is chosen, most commonly May 20, 1875, if no birth date is known.

As is often the case with Trump’s claims, there is an existing government report that would have cleared up matters.

A 2023 report from the Social Security Administration’s inspector general found that virtually every beneficiary who lacked a birth date had died. Of the 18.9 million people with Social Security numbers born in 1920 or earlier with no record of their deaths, the report said “approximately 18.4 million (98 percent) number holders are not currently receiving SSA payments and have not had earnings reported to SSA in the past 50 years.”

“We have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been showing up to work.”

This is false. Trump appears to equate teleworking with not showing up for work. But he often uses inflated numbers for how many federal workers work from home. The White House budget office reported in August that 54 percent of federal employees “worked fully on-site, as their jobs require them to be physically present during all working hours,” while just 10 percent worked only from their homes. Meanwhile the Congressional Budget Office reported in April that 22 percent of federal employees usually teleworked — compared to 25 percent of private sector employees.

“It was one of the main reasons why our tax cuts were so successful in our first term, giving us the most successful economy in the history of our country.”

This is false. Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered businesses and sent unemployment soaring, the president could certainly brag about the state of the economy in his first three years. But he ran into trouble when he said it was the best economy in U.S. history. By just about any important measure, the economy under Trump did not do as well as it did under Presidents Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson or Bill Clinton.

The gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in 2019, slipping from 2.9 percent in 2018 and 2.4 percent in 2017. But in 1997, 1998 and 1999, GDP grew 4.5 percent, 4.5 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. Yet even that period paled in comparison with the 1950s and ’60s. Growth between 1962 and 1966 ranged from 4.4 percent to 6.6 percent. In 1950 and 1951, it was 8.7 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate reached a low of 3.5 percent under Trump, but it dipped as low as 2.5 percent in 1953.

“Over the last three months about Mexico and Canada, but we have very large deficits with both of them. But even more important, they've allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens and many very young, beautiful people destroying families. Nobody's ever seen anything like it.”

This is false. The president in his statements points the finger equally at Mexico and Canada, but Canada is a minor player. Just 43 pounds of fentanyl were confiscated at the northern border in the 2024 fiscal year — 0.2 percent of the volume at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics. In the first three months of the 2025 fiscal year, 10 pounds have been seized at the Canadian border, compared with 4,400 pounds on the Mexican border. Canadian authorities announced in November that they had dismantled the nation’s largest drug laboratory, discovered in rural British Columbia.

Moreover, most of the smuggling of fentanyl is done by U.S. citizens. Government statistics assembled by David J. Bier of the Cato Institute show that between 2019 and 2024, U.S. citizens were 80 percent of people caught with fentanyl during border crossings at ports of entry. Moreover, between 2015 and 2024, 92 percent of fentanyl seizures occurred at legal crossing points or interior vehicle checkpoints, not on illegal migration routes, Bier concluded.

“We pay subsidies to Canada and to Mexico of hundreds of billions of dollars.”

This is misleading. The trade in goods deficit with Canada has consistently hovered between $50 billion and $70 billion per year, according to the Census Bureau, while the Mexico goods deficit was $172 billion in 2024. The deficits often are reduced by trade in services, where the United States has an advantage. But trade deficits are not “subsidies,” so Trump’s obsession with trade deficits is misplaced.

A trade deficit simply means that people in one country are buying more goods from another country than people in the second country are buying from the first country. Americans want to buy these products from overseas, either because of quality or price.

The trade-deficit numbers are also shaped by underlying factors, such as an imbalance between a country’s savings and investment rates. A bigger federal budget deficit — caused by, say, a large tax cut or more government spending — can boost the trade deficit because the country saves less and borrows more from abroad. A booming economy can also be at fault — the more money people have, the more they can spend on goods from overseas. And a strong currency means those foreign goods are cheaper for a particular country and its goods are more expensive for foreign consumers.

“We have had $1.7 trillion of new investment in America in just the past few weeks.”

This is a dubious figure, and Trump often takes false credit. Most of this claim comes from statements by Apple ($500 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($600 billion). But Apple tends to make these announcements after a new president is elected. In 2018, Apple said it would contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy over five years; it made a similar commitment in 2021 during the Biden administration. The most recent announcement mostly overlaps with the 2021 announcement.

As for Saudi Arabia, this is a vague commitment, made in a phone call between Trump and the Saudi leader. In 2017, Trump claimed Saudi Arabia had struck $350 billion in deals, but upon inspection the list involved double-counting, wishful thinking and fuzzy figures. Many of the investments ended up in Saudi Arabia, not the United States.

Trump also touted a $100 billion investment in AI data centers, but OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman had been discussing the plans at least 10 months before Trump was inaugurated. A $100 billion investment announced this week by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. stems from an effort launched by Biden, including funds from the Chips and Science Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that passed in 2022.

“Not long ago. And you can’t even believe these numbers. 1 in 10,000 children had autism. 1 in 10,000. and now it’s 1 in 36. There’s something wrong.”

This is misleading. The rate has gotten worse since 2000, when the rate was 1 in 150, but there is no medical consensus as to whether autism is on the rise. It's unclear how much of that is due to greater awareness, early detection, and the expansion of disorders included on the autism spectrum.

The criteria for diagnosing autism have changed with revisions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). In 1983, the criteria for “autistic disorder” were more restrictive. More disorders were added since then, broadening the range of disorders that now meet the definition of the Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the Autism Science Foundation, a nonprofit that supports autism research and raising awareness of the disorder.

“But it was built at tremendous cost of American blood and treasure. 38,000 workers died building the Panama Canal. They died of malaria. They died of snakebites and mosquitoes.”

Trump’s estimate of 38,000 dead is exaggerated. The accepted estimate is fewer than 6,000, mainly from injury and disease. Many were not Americans. Black workers, including many West Indians, by some estimates were nearly four times more likely to die than White workers. An earlier French effort to build a canal (when Panama was still a province of Colombia) led to the death of 22,000, many from malaria and yellow fever.

“Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine — by far!”

This is false. Trump is referring to a study that found the European Union in 2024 spent more on Russian fossil fuels than financial aid for Ukraine — but that estimate did not include military or humanitarian contributions. Overall, European spending on Ukraine greatly exceeded spending on Russian gas and oil.

“We’ve spent perhaps $350 billion [on Ukraine], like taking candy from a baby. That’s what happened. And they’ve [the E.U.] spent $100 billion.”

Trump’s numbers are wrong. The United States has appropriated $183 billion, according to the inspector general for Ukraine aid. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks support for Ukraine, says the United States and the European Union have provided roughly the same amount of military aid, while the Europeans have provided far more nonmilitary aid than the United States — $73 billion vs. $52 billion.

“Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent by billion and billions of dollars.”

This is apples and oranges. The E.U. has both authorized more money and spent more money on Ukraine than the United States, but not all of the money authorized has been spent yet. The United States has appropriated $183 billion and disbursed or obligated $140.5 billion. Meanwhile, the E.U. has committed $198 billion and spent $145 billion.

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Mar 5, 2025
President Trump made claims during his address to Congress about apparent fraud in the Social Security system. Mr. Trump also touted the work by the Department of Government Efficiency, which is connected to Elon Musk's role advising the president. CBS News Confirmed's Rhona Tarrant fact checks the claims.

CBS News 24/7 is the premier anchored streaming news service from CBS News and Stations that is available free to everyone with access to the internet and is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations' top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. It is available on more than 30 platforms across mobile, desktop and connected TVs for free, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount+ and live in 91 countries.

CTV News' Chief political correspondent Mike Le Couteur says Trudeau and Trump just wrapped up a call to discuss tariffs with JD Vance and Howard Lutnick.

Trudeau and Trump held a phone call over the trade war | Here’s what we know

Mar 5, 2025 #CNN #News
A divided Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid approved by Congress frozen. However, the court did not immediately say when the money must be released, allowing the White House to continue to dispute the issue in lower courts. The ruling was 5-4.

Attachment 2497328

As rank-and-file members of Congress, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., each receive a salary of $174,000. As the Senate minority leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., receives a higher wage of $193,400.

The X post overstated the net worths of McConnell, Schumer and Warren by tens of millions of dollars each, according to 2023 public financial disclosures.

Lawmakers are allowed to disclose their assets in ranges, rather than in precise figures. Pelosi’s disclosures show the X post’s $202 million net worth figure is possible given the range of what she has reported, but much of that disclosed wealth is held solely by her husband.

By Sara Swann

A viral X post called out prominent Democratic and Republican members of Congress for their significant wealth, pointing to their six-figure salaries and multimillion dollar net worths. But almost all the figures listed in the post were wrong.

By the Feb. 11 X post’s account, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has an annual salary of $223,000 and a net worth of $202 million; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has an annual salary of $200,000 and a net worth of $95 million; Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has an annual salary of $210,000 and a net worth of $75 million; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has an annual salary of $285,000 and a net worth of $67 million.

The post was viewed more than 55 million times as of Feb. 17, and it tagged billionaire X owner Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory committee Musk leads for President Donald Trump.

"It’s not like these politicians started companies or were NBA All-Stars, so where did they get all the money?" Musk, the world’s richest person, wrote on X. "Does anyone know?"

Members of Congress are required to file annual financial disclosure reports detailing their assets and liabilities. Annual salaries for lawmakers are also publicly reported. But the lawmakers’ net worths aren’t driven by their government salaries; instead, their wealth mostly comes from investments, such as stocks and real estate.

PolitiFact analyzed these four congressional members’ 2023 financial disclosure reports — the most recent ones available — and found that this post exaggerates the lawmakers’ wealth.

How much are members of Congress paid?

Most congressional members receive an annual salary of $174,000, the Congressional Research Service said. For those in leadership positions, including House speaker, Senate president pro tempore and the House and Senate majority and minority leaders, the pay is higher.

When Pelosi was House speaker, she received a $223,500 salary. The X post claims this is still how much Pelosi makes, but that’s inaccurate. Pelosi left this leadership position in 2023, so her current salary is $174,000.

Similarly, McConnell, the longest serving Senate leader in history, left his position as Republican Senate leader in November 2024. In that leadership role, McConnell earned $193,400. His salary this year is $174,000. Even at his highest pay, McConnell earned less than what the post claimed.

Schumer, as the Democratic Senate minority leader, receives a $193,400 salary, about $17,000 less than what the post said.

Warren does not serve in any leadership positions, so her salary is $174,000 — $111,000 less than the post claimed.

These congressional salary levels have remained unchanged since 2009, the Congressional Research Service said.

How wealthy are these members of Congress?

Net worth is the value of a person’s assets, such as cash, real estate or stocks, minus any debts owed. In their annual financial disclosures, lawmakers are not required to report the exact value of their assets and liabilities. Instead, they must list a range of values for each item.

Additionally, not all of the assets and liabilities reported are held solely by the Congress member. Lawmakers must also report assets and liabilities held solely by or jointly with their spouses.

To estimate the Congress members’ net worths, PolitiFact added the minimum possible values for each asset and the maximum possible values for each asset. We did the same for the lawmakers’ liabilities.

We then subtracted the lawmakers’ maximum debt amount from their minimum asset amount, and their minimum debt amount from their maximum asset amount. The resulting range shows how much each lawmaker could be worth. We included in our calculations assets and liabilities held by lawmakers’ spouses.

Pelosi

The minimum possible value of Pelosi’s household assets in 2023 totaled more than $92 million. The maximum possible value of the assets totaled about $371 million. Pelosi’s household debts in 2023 ranged from $36 million to $102 million. Most of these assets and liabilities were held solely by Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, a businessperson who founded a real estate and venture capital investment firm.

Subtracting the Pelosi household’s maximum debt amount — $102 million — from their minimum asset amount — $92 million — results in a minimum possible net worth of about negative $10 million, meaning she would be millions of dollars in debt.

On the other hand, Pelosi and her husband could be worth as much as about $335 million when subtracting their minimum debt of $36 million from their maximum asset amount of $371 million.

So, it’s possible that Pelosi has a net worth of $202 million, as the X post claimed, but that’s a guess — and the post lacks context about the holdings mostly belonging to Pelosi’s husband and the range of wealth they could have.

McConnell

McConnell reported that the value of his assets in 2023 ranged from about $17.7 million to almost $70 million. Less than half this wealth came from assets owned solely by McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao. McConnell reported no liabilities. (Lawmakers are required to report only debts of more than $10,000.) The X post overstated McConnell’s highest possible net worth by about $25 million.

Schumer

Schumer’s 2023 financial disclosure report shows his household net worth ranged from about $687,000 to about $2.3 million. Almost all of the assets reported were held by Schumer’s wife, Iris Weinshall, and the one reported liability was a jointly held mortgage. The post inflated Schumer’s household net worth by more than $70 million.

Warren

Warren reported that the value of her assets in 2023 ranged from about $4 million to more than $9 million. Two assets held by Warren’s husband, Bruce Mann, had a value of at least $1 million with no maximum value disclosed, so Warren’s household net worth could be higher. Warren reported no liabilities. The X post exaggerated her net worth by about $58 million.

Warren’s spokesperson said the $67 million number is inaccurate and referred PolitiFact to Warren’s public financial disclosure reports.

An X post claimed that Pelosi has a $223,000 salary and a $202 million net worth; McConnell has a $200,000 salary and a $95 million net worth; Schumer has a $210,000 salary and a $75 million net worth; and Warren has a $285,000 salary and a $67 million net worth.

Almost all of these figures are wrong. All the salaries listed in the post are higher than what these lawmakers currently earn. It’s possible Pelosi’s net worth could be in the $202 million range, but that’s a guess, and the claim lacks context about how much of Pelosi’s reported wealth is held solely by her husband.

We rate this claim Mostly False.

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Attachment 2497320

There were more than 4.5 million removals, returns and expulsions from February 2021, President Joe Biden’s first month in office, to November 2024.

It takes several years for immigrants to become citizens, a requirement to vote in federal elections.

By By Maria Ramirez Uribe & Amy Sherman

When he wasn’t waving a bureaucracy chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Elon Musk revived false campaign rhetoric about former President Joe Biden trying to import voters illegally.

In a Feb. 20 interview, Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked, "You think they were creating a new voter class? You think that was the goal when they opened up the borders for four years?"

Musk said Biden had a political incentive to "maximize" people in the country illegally.

"That is why the Biden administration was pushing to get in as many illegals as possible and spend every dollar possible to get as many, because every one of them is a customer," Musk said. "Everyone's a voter. The whole thing was a giant voter importation scam."

Musk, now involved with President Donald Trump’s commission to cut government spending, repeated falsehoods he spread early in the 2024 election year that Biden had an election strategy to import voters through illegal immigration. We emailed the White House press office asking for evidence and did not hear back.

Biden stepped up immigration enforcement during the election year

There were historically high levels of illegal immigration during the Biden administration, but there is no evidence that Biden "imported" those people to become voters. Factors such as natural disasters and economic or political turmoil in a persons’ home country lead people to migrate.

Additionally, Musk’s statement ignored that the Biden administration removed and deported immigrants in the U.S. illegally, and it stepped up efforts in 2024 as he ran for reelection. (He dropped out in July.)

The Biden administration removed, returned or expelled more than 4.5 million people from February 2021, Biden’s first full month in office, to November 2024, the latest month with available data.

Illegal immigration has generally dropped since March 2024, and it dropped significantly after June, when Biden implemented a policy limiting people’s ability to apply for asylum at the southwest border. For example, there were more than 137,000 southwest border encounters in March 2024 and 47,000 in December.

"Biden was trying to deport as many border crossers as he could, so I don’t see any evidence he wanted these people in the United States," said David Bier, an immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute. "He campaigned as being anti-illegal immigration. He never courted their votes, and he could not court their votes because they cannot vote and do not vote. Saying ‘every one of them was a voter’ is as divorced from reality as anything you could possibly say."

It takes several years for immigrants to become citizens

Federal law requires U.S. citizenship to vote in national elections, and would-be voters sign a form that attests under penalty of perjury that they are citizens when they register to vote.

The citizenship process takes several years.

"It takes on average five years in green card status before a person can become a U.S. citizen, so no one would instantly gain the right to vote," Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, previously told PolitiFact.

Musk acknowledged at CPAC that it might take years for immigrants to gain citizenship, but it would be "an investment that is guaranteed to pay off."

Immigrants who arrive illegally have higher hurdles to clear before becoming citizens and voting. The Biden administration failed in its efforts to pass a law with a pathway to citizenship, and no such legislation is expected during the Trump administration.

Which party would have the ‘immigrant’ advantage?

There is no guarantee that immigrants who become citizens will vote, or vote for Democrats. Although the southwest border gets the most attention, immigrants who come illegally are not from Latin America only.

Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist in California and author of the book "The Latino Century," said Republicans won the largest national Hispanic vote share in 2024 than in presidential elections in recent cycles.

Immigrants, including Hispanics, view the Republican Party as focused on economic issues and the Democratic Party as focused on cultural issues, Madrid said.

The New York Times documented a conservative shift among immigrants after the 2020 election. Its analysis of voting in 28,000 precincts in more than 20 cities found that immigrant-dense neighborhoods with large populations of Latinos and residents of Asian descent had a surge in turnout and shifted to the right.

"There is zero evidence that immigration has harmed Republican Party prospects," Bier previously told us.

Eligible naturalized citizens comprise about 10% of voters, Pew Research Center found in 2024.

Voting by noncitizens is rare

There are incidents of noncitizens voting in elections, but they are sporadic among millions of votes cast in federal elections. Immigrants who cross the border illegally are typically looking for jobs and many are escaping poverty or crime — most don’t want to risk drawing government authorities’ attention by casting a ballot.

Voting by noncitizens carries high risks that include deportation if they are here illegally or incarceration. Fraudulent voter registration or voting by noncitizens often results from misunderstandings or errors. For example, some noncitizens accidentally register to vote when applying for a driver’s license.

Musk said Biden’s immigration policy was "a giant voter importation scam."

There is no evidence that the Biden administration was bringing in people illegally to cast votes. Government data shows more than 4.5 million removals, returns and expulsions during Biden’s tenure. Biden stepped up these actions during the election year.

It takes several years for immigrants to become citizens and therefore eligible to vote. Immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally cannot vote and would have to overcome hurdles to become citizens.

We rate this statement Pants on Fire.


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Attachment 2497304

The $520 million contract to a Bethesda, Maryland, development company was part of the president’s Prosper Africa initiative launched in 2019.

Analysis by Glenn Kessler

“Here are some of the flagrant scams that, as an example, they’ve spent money on … $520 million for a consultant … you know, when I hired consultants, and they just take advantage of you, it’s a horrible thing to watch. I give them $25,000. I feel I’m overpaying. These guys got $520 million [for] environmental, social governance and investments in Africa.”

— President Donald Trump, in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Feb. 22

“$520 million was given for a consultant to do ESG. That’s environmental, social and governance investments in Africa, $520 million.”

— Trump, remarks to governors at the White House, Feb. 21

“Here are just some of the things that we’ve paid, and we’ve stopped, and we’ve gotten the money back: $520 million for a consultant to do ESG, that’s environmental, social and governance investments in Africa.”

— Trump, remarks at a dinner for Republican governors, Feb. 20

“$520 million for a consultant — I want to know who is that consultant — [Laughter] — to do ESG — that’s environmental, social and governance — investments in Africa.”

— Trump, remarks at Future Investment Initiative Priority Conference, Miami Beach, Feb. 19

“$520 million for a consultant on the environment. It’s called environmental, social and governance investments in Africa and mobilize private sector resources, $520 million. Somebody got $520 million for an environmental — sounds like an environmental study. I’ve always been one that paid a lot of money for my environmental studies, but I’d pay like $50,000, not $520 million. $520 million for ESG.”

— Trump, remarks while signing executive orders at Mar-a-Lago, Feb. 18

Almost daily lately, President Donald Trump complains about what he claims is an egregious contract that the U.S. Agency for International Development gave to “a consultant” for work in Africa — $520 million for what he calls “environmental, social and governance.” Sometimes he might mention investments, but not always. And sometimes he riffs about the outrageous fee this consultant received, compared with the $25,000 or $50,000 in fees he would dole out to consultants when he was in business. Once, he described it as “an environmental study.”

We’ve debunked many claims the White House has made about USAID funding, from condoms for Gaza (not true) to a transgender opera in Colombia (also not true). But this is an especially glaring error — the money was directed toward supporting a program launched in the first Trump presidency.

The Facts

First of all, while Trump suggests that the $520 million contract has been terminated and “we’ve gotten the money back,” not even the website for the U.S. DOGE Service — the organization overseen by billionaire Elon Musk to carry out government firings and spending cuts — makes this claim. While the DOGE website lists a $520 million contract with DAI Global, it pegs the value recovered as about $159 million. Meanwhile, the USA Spending website says DAI Global has received $128 million in outlays and $361 million has been obligated.

In other words, much of the contract has already been awarded, so Trump can’t brag about getting back $520 million.

The contract is with DAI Global, a global development company founded in 1970 with 350 people at its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, plus staff at a dozen offices around the world. According to its website, DAI implements “programs funded by international donors, national governments, private corporations, or major philanthropies.” (DAI declined to comment.)

A White House official defended the president’s use of the phrase “a consultant” because DAI, among its many services, provides social sector and nonprofit consulting. But that’s just a small part of its business.

As for the $520 million contract, it established something called the Prosper Africa Trade and Investment Activity. “The purpose of this Activity is to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and sub-Saharan Africa,” the contract language said. “It will strengthen Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the U.S. and Africa.”

Prosper Africa, ironically, was launched in 2019, during Trump’s first term.

“Prosper Africa is a Trump Administration initiative intended to foster U.S.-African trade and commercial ties,” according to the Congressional Research Service. “The initiative seeks to double U.S.-Africa trade, spur U.S. and African economic growth, and — as U.S. officials have stated — ‘demonstrate the superior value proposition of transparent markets and private enterprise for driving growth.’” The idea was to harmonize the existing programs of 16 U.S. agencies and departments in a cohesive, coordinated manner to promote sales and investment by American companies — as a way to counter China’s growing influence in Africa.

“The President is criticizing the contract, not necessarily Prosper Africa,” the White House official said.

So how does a program designed to bolster a first-term Trump initiative get twisted into something negative (ESG!) and worthy of termination? Through some creative cherry-picking.

The White House official noted that DAI, on its website, uses words such as “social” and “governance.” For instance, “We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. … We are committed to shaping a more livable world.”

None of that, of course, is part of the contract, which is focused on investment.

The official also pointed to a DAI blog post that mentioned that “inadequate access to reliable electricity remains a critical constraint to the social and economic growth prospects of 580 million people in Africa,” providing an investment opportunity for U.S. businesses, particularly exports of U.S. clean technologies. The project would “increase U.S. clean energy exports to Africa and close at least $350 million worth of cleantech energy deals by 2026,” the blog post said.

As far as we could tell, clean energy is only a piece of the Prosper Africa Trade and Investment Activity — and, in any case, the goal was to boost American business.

We should note that earlier this month, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Florida) described the contract as “$520 million to pay consultants to teach people in Africa about climate change” — which is also wrong. His staff did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The Pinocchio Test

Trump’s claim is based on a series of misunderstandings.

$520 million is not being saved.
The contract is not with a consultant, but a company that, among its many services, offers some consulting.
The contract was to promote investment and American business, under a program started by Trump.
Social and governance activities are not in the contract, though (horror!) it would promote sales of U.S. clean energy exports.

Trump earns Four Pinocchios.

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Attachment 2497183

By Tom Norton

Trump on Tuesday said, without citing a source, that Zelensky's approval rating was at 4 percent in Ukraine. Zelensky alleged Trump had succumbed to "disinformation" from Russia in the comments. In comments made following Zelensky's remarks, Trump took to social media to say that the Ukrainian president had "talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion," a claim that is not backed by evidence.

Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to post: "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and 'TRUMP,' will never be able to settle."



There is no evidence that the U.S. has spent or committed $350 billion toward Ukraine.

The Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR), which handles U.S. oversight of this spending, states Congress has appropriated or otherwise made available nearly $183 billion toward Ukraine and OAR, of which $130.1 billion has been obligated and $86.7 disbursed, between fiscal years 2022 and 2024.

This funding also includes security assistance for NATO allies in partner nations, so not all of it is allocated for use specifically in Ukraine.

Trump has floated the $350 billion figure before, mentioning it in a December 2024 interview on "Meet The Press." In September 2022, the World Bank said it could cost $350 billion to rebuild Ukraine, according to a Reuters report, although this is not a sum bill for the U.S. and is unrelated to Trump's claim. Experts say that the transfer of Russian assets could be used to pay for the rebuild once peace is reached.

Furthermore, analysis has shown that some of the spending on Ukraine ends up back in the U.S. According to a report by The Washington Post, funding to arm Ukraine has gone to the domestic replacement or creation of new weaponry for U.S. stockpiles that have been sent to Ukraine, using U.S. manufacturers.
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Attachment 2497174

Did U.S. President Donald Trump call his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy "a dictator"? Yes, that's true

By: Uliana Malashenko

Trump used the word "dictator" to describe Zelenskyy in a February 19, 2025, post on Truth Social. Despite that fact, Trump later attempted to cast doubt on his earlier description.

During a joint press appearance featuring Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office on February 27, 2025, a reporter asked Trump:

Mr. President, do still think that Mr. Zelenskyy is a dictator?

After a brief pause, Trump replied (at the 24:42 mark):

Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.






Trump's response to the reporter appeared to cast doubt on the contents of his previous statements.

However, Trump did indeed use the word "dictator" to describe the Ukrainian president in a post published on Truth Social on February 19, 2025. In part, the entry read:

A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.
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Attachment 2497170

By newsfactsnetwork

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has once again posted inaccurate savings claims, despite previously revising inflated figures on its “wall of receipts.”

An NPR review found that DOGE’s latest update inflated savings totals, claiming $65 billion saved—up from $55 billion—even though verified federal contract cancellations only account for about $2.3 billion. The White House has repeatedly refused to explain the discrepancies or how savings are calculated.

During a Cabinet meeting, Musk defended DOGE’s numbers, saying, “We won’t be perfect, but when we make mistakes, we’ll fix it very quickly.” However, NPR found that errors remained on the site as of Friday, including contracts that were never actually canceled and incorrectly linked data.

Among the major errors:

A $655 million USAID project was counted three times before being corrected to $18 million.
A $232 million Social Security contract that was never canceled is now listed as $560,000 for ending the “Gender X” marker initiative.
A $1.9 billion IRS cybersecurity project was included despite still being active.

Experts say DOGE’s pattern of misleading data undermines its credibility, with one former contracting officer calling it “a failure of due diligence.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. will use 1.6 billion pounds, which is equal to $2 billion, to supply air defense missiles for Ukraine. Starmer said he spoke with President Donald Trump last night.

Watch here:

Two Russian divers were found dead—one in the jaws of a shark—after a strong underwater current separated them from their group at a popular Philippine scuba diving spot, a Coast Guard official said Friday.

Diving Tragedy in Batangas
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon near the Batangas resort area, on the main island of Luzon. Four Russians—57-year-old Eduart Perigudin, his two sons Timofy (18) and Ilya (29), and another man—were diving with their dive master when they were pulled apart by a strong current, according to district coast guard chief Airland Lapitan.

Gruesome Shark Encounter
According to a Coast Guard statement, the body of Ilya Perigudin was discovered floating near the shoreline with both arms missing, apparently due to a shark attack.

"His remains were found floating near the shoreline... with both arms missing due to an apparent shark attack. Multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery," the statement said.

Lapitan had earlier stated that rescuers saw a shark pulling the 29-year-old's body when they located him around 4:00-5:30 p.m.. However, it remains unclear whether he was killed by the shark or already dead when attacked. The bodies were turned over to family members without an autopsy.

Second Victim Also Confirmed Dead
The second victim, identified as M. Melekhov in a statement from the Russian embassy, was found about an hour earlier and was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Eduart Perigudin, his younger son Timofy, and their dive master managed to surface safely and return to the boat, Lapitan said.

Shark Attacks in the Philippines Are Rare
Despite the terrifying nature of the incident, shark attacks in the Philippines are extremely rare. According to a global database, no recorded shark attacks have occurred in at least a year in the country’s waters.

A 24-year-old Vietnamese student has secured a full PhD scholarship in the U.S. for his breakthrough AI research, following remarkable contributions in global competitions and high-profile industry roles.

Academic Excellence and AI Passion
Le Thanh Long, a former student of Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), has been awarded a full PhD scholarship at Johns Hopkins University due to his outstanding achievements in artificial intelligence (AI).

Coming from a business-oriented family in central Vietnam, Long developed a passion for technology early on. He began studying AI in his first year at university, recognizing its pivotal role in daily life and future career opportunities.

AI Research and International Recognition
During his time at HUST, Long secured an internship at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. There, he worked on major AI projects, including research with Professor Sh Annabel on analyzing and predicting Parkinson’s disease progression.

His work provided valuable insights for the medical field and played a key role in earning him the prestigious PhD scholarship at Johns Hopkins, where he will continue AI research in neuroscience.

Before securing this opportunity, Long faced setbacks when applying to multiple master’s and PhD programs. However, he identified areas for improvement and focused on AI competitions, research, and essay writing.

"My professors, especially Professor Sh Annabel, provided immense support during my application process. Without their guidance, I would not have achieved this result," Long shared.

Big Tech and Professional Experience
Determined to apply AI knowledge in real-world settings, Long aimed to join a Big Tech company. Through perseverance and structured study, he successfully landed a role at Amazon U.K. as a Machine Learning Operations Engineer.

His recruitment process included four rounds:

HR interview
Online assessment
Technical interview
Culture-fit interview
"Early exposure to corporate environments helped me gain confidence in algorithms and system design, which was crucial during the Amazon interview process," he reflected.

From his second year at university, Long actively pursued professional opportunities, working remotely for European companies on innovative AI products like virtual fitting rooms and recommendation systems.

This international experience strengthened his technical expertise, communication, project management, and teamwork skills, paving the way for future roles in leading tech firms and further academic research.

Competing and Innovating in AI
In addition to academics and professional roles, Long participated in international scientific conferences, presenting innovative AI research and solutions.

He also achieved top prizes in AI competitions in Vietnam, including:

Runner-up at a Cyber Security Hackathon
Best Presentation Award at the Modern Machine Learning (MML) summer school
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Long stated:
"Soon after graduation, I plan to return to Vietnam to contribute to medical AI research and support the country’s development in the era of digital technology and artificial intelligence."

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged Japan to accelerate key cooperative projects with Vietnam, including the launch of Vietnam’s first home-built radar satellite into orbit in 2025.

The satellite project, expected to significantly enhance weather forecasting capabilities, is one of many flagship initiatives symbolizing the strong partnership between the two nations. Chinh made this statement during a meeting with Japanese corporate representatives on Saturday.

The LOTUSat-1 Project
The satellite, known as LOTUSat-1, is part of a project initiated in 2012 with Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), aimed at disaster prevention and climate change mitigation.

Weighing 600 kilograms, LOTUSat-1 is equipped with advanced radar technology, capable of detecting objects as small as 1 meter on the ground. It can also observe day and night, making it a valuable tool for various applications.

Once operational, the satellite will provide critical data for:

Disaster response and mitigation
Climate change adaptation
Natural resource management
Environmental monitoring
Unlike optical satellites, radar satellites like LOTUSat-1 can capture images in all weather conditions, including cloudy, foggy, and low-light environments. This capability is particularly beneficial for Vietnam, a country frequently affected by cloud cover and extreme weather.

Strengthening Vietnam-Japan Space Cooperation
In 2023, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) signed an agreement to study feasibility for further scientific cooperation in space technology.

This partnership involves:

Sharing expertise in operating and utilizing LOTUSat-1
Managing the Vietnam Space Center
Exploring collaboration on satellite imagery data
Vietnam and Japan have cooperated in space technology since 2006, resulting in the successful development and launch of three Vietnamese microsatellites:

PicoDragon
NanoDragon
MicroDragon
With LOTUSat-1, Vietnam continues to strengthen its position in space technology, furthering its commitment to scientific research and disaster management with Japan’s support.

An 87-year-old woman in South Korea is proving that it’s never too late to pursue education. After graduating high school this week, Kim Gap-nyeo is now preparing to enroll in university, marking another milestone in her lifelong learning journey.

Kim graduated from Ilsung Women’s High School, an institution for adult learners in Seoul, on February 25. Later this month, she will begin studying Social Welfare at Sookmyung Women's University.

Despite her remarkable achievement, Kim remains humble. "A goal? I don't have one. I just enjoy learning and being with people," she said in an interview with the Korea Times.

A Life Full of Challenges
Born in 1938 in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, Kim started elementary school in 1945 but was forced to drop out to help her parents with farming and care for her younger siblings.

At 17, after her father’s passing and financial struggles, she moved to Busan to work as a housemaid in a shoe store. A year later, she relocated to Seoul, got married, and had five children. To support her family, she worked tirelessly in markets, snack factories, and kimchi production facilities.

Her hardships continued when her husband passed away in 1985 after 15 years of illness. Determined to provide for her children’s education, she worked as a back scrubber at public bathhouses for 23 years.

A Return to Education at 80
At the age of 80, Kim decided to return to school. Encouraged by a friend, she enrolled at Yangwon Elementary School, an institution for elderly learners. Initially, she only planned to learn reading and writing, but her passion for education grew, leading her to high school and now university.

Her homeroom teacher at Ilsung Women’s High School, Kang Rae-kyung, described Kim as an exemplary student who was rarely absent and always completed her homework.

During her graduation ceremony, Kim was honored with both the "Perseverance Award" and the "Grace Award", celebrating her dedication and unwavering spirit.

An Inspiration to Many
Kim's story gained national attention after she appeared on the popular TV show "You Quiz on the Block" last October. She shared how her life took on new meaning when she returned to school.

Her daughters, now grown, take immense pride in their mother’s achievements.

As she prepares to embark on her university journey, Kim continues to inspire people of all ages, proving that learning has no age limit.

TikTok has announced plans to invest $8.8 billion in Thailand over the next five years, focusing on digital infrastructure, workforce development, and online safety. This move makes TikTok the latest tech giant to pour money into Thailand, following major investment commitments from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

Helena Lersch, TikTok’s vice president of public policy, met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok to discuss the expansion. At the meeting, Lersch publicly confirmed the investment, which the Thai government sees as a huge opportunity for advancing the country's digital infrastructure and AI sector.

The investment package includes several key initiatives. TikTok plans to launch training programs for businesses and content creators to help them maximize their presence on the platform. Additionally, the company will implement anti-fraud initiatives to improve online safety and protect users. Another major component of the investment is the development of a new data hosting service, which will enhance Thailand’s cloud computing capabilities and digital ecosystem.

It remains unclear whether this new commitment includes the $3.8 billion investment previously approved by Thailand’s Board of Investment in January. However, the scale of TikTok’s expansion suggests that the company is making a long-term bet on Thailand as a key player in the region's digital economy.

A Strategic Move Amid Global Challenges
TikTok’s decision to expand in Thailand comes as the platform faces a potential ban in the United States over security concerns related to user data. In January, TikTok temporarily disappeared from U.S. app stores, sparking outrage among its millions of users.

With uncertainty looming in the U.S. and growing regulatory scrutiny in Europe, TikTok appears to be diversifying its global operations and strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia. Thailand, in particular, has been actively attracting foreign tech investment to boost its digital transformation efforts.

Positioning Thailand as a Digital Hub
Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, has historically lagged behind Singapore and Indonesia in the tech sector. The government has been aggressively courting U.S. tech giants to close the gap with regional competitors.

Vietnam, for example, has been working to move up the value chain, transitioning from a hub for manufacturing shoes, furniture, and clothing to becoming a more advanced technology and innovation center. Thailand is now trying to take a similar path by encouraging major investments in cloud services, AI, and e-commerce platforms.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn highlighted the $8.8 billion data hosting project as a crucial step in transforming Thailand into a global digital industry hub. With over 50 million users in Thailand and three million businesses selling on TikTok Shop, the platform already has a strong presence in the country.

The new investment is expected to further solidify Thailand’s role in the region’s digital economy, helping it compete with neighboring countries and attract more tech-driven businesses in the coming years.

Microsoft has officially announced that it will retire Skype on May 5, marking the end of a platform that revolutionized internet-based communication for over two decades. The decision is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to consolidate its communication services and shift focus entirely to Teams, its enterprise collaboration tool.

Launched in 2003, Skype was a pioneer in internet calling, disrupting traditional landline services and becoming a widely recognized name worldwide. At its peak, the platform boasted hundreds of millions of users and was instrumental in shaping modern digital communication. However, it struggled to adapt to the smartphone era and faced stiff competition from newer, more streamlined platforms such as Zoom and Slack.

One of Skype’s major shortcomings was its technological foundation, which was not well-suited for mobile-first communication. This became increasingly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when businesses and individuals turned to online video conferencing solutions. Instead of investing further in Skype, Microsoft chose to aggressively promote Teams, integrating it with its Office suite and targeting corporate users—many of whom had previously relied on Skype.

To ensure a smooth transition, Microsoft announced that existing Skype users would be able to log into Teams for free using their current credentials. Chats and contact lists will be migrated automatically, making it easier for users to switch platforms without disruption.

Skype's shutdown adds it to the list of Microsoft’s once-dominant but now-defunct products, such as Internet Explorer and the Windows Phone. Microsoft is not alone in facing challenges with communication tools—Google has also struggled over the years, experimenting with multiple messaging apps like Hangouts and Duo, only to discontinue them later.

Microsoft did not disclose how many users Skype still has today but confirmed that Teams currently boasts around 320 million monthly active users. The company assured that there would be no job cuts as a result of this transition.

Skype’s decline has been gradual. When Microsoft acquired the platform in 2011 for $8.5 billion, it had approximately 150 million monthly users. However, by 2020, that number had dwindled to around 23 million, despite a temporary resurgence in demand during the pandemic.

In its farewell message, Microsoft acknowledged Skype’s impact on global communication. "Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications. We are honored to have been part of the journey," the company stated.

Vietnam’s exclusion from Tripadvisor’s 2025 list of top food destinations has sparked discussions among industry experts and travelers alike, with many pointing to rising global competition, shifting travel trends, and evolving tourist preferences as possible reasons for the change.

Despite this, seasoned travelers like 39-year-old Gary Johnson, who has visited nearly 90 countries, argue that Vietnamese cuisine remains one of the country’s strongest attractions. "Whenever my friends visit Vietnam, the first thing they rave about is the food, followed by the scenery, affordability, and the warmth of the people," he said. Similarly, British tourist Susan Halliwell, 71, who recently visited Vietnam, expressed her love for dishes like bánh xèo (crispy pancakes) and trứng vịt lộn (boiled duck egg embryos), despite initial hesitation about street food. Both were surprised that Vietnam was absent from this year’s rankings, given the country’s reputation for exceptional cuisine.

Vietnam’s culinary standing has fluctuated in Tripadvisor’s rankings. Hanoi previously held the top spot in 2024 and ranked third in 2023, but failed to make the 2025 list. Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards recognize less than 1% of destinations worldwide based on traveler reviews, making the rankings highly competitive.

Experts believe that other destinations may have overtaken Vietnam by innovating and refining their food experiences. Ho Dac Thieu Anh, a well-known culinary expert, suggested that as global food trends evolve, new destinations may be gaining recognition. Martin Koener, Commercial Director at Anam Group, echoed this view, noting that competition is intensifying as cities worldwide enhance their culinary offerings to attract international attention.

Another factor could be the shifting demographics of Tripadvisor users, whose reviews significantly influence rankings. Koener pointed out that Vietnam must continuously evolve to maintain its reputation. Remi Van Peteghem, Executive Chef at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, emphasized that international visitors may not have full access to the breadth of Vietnamese cuisine, which could have impacted Hanoi’s ranking.

However, Hanoi’s exclusion is not unique. Other previously top-ranked food destinations also disappeared from the 2025 list, including Crete, which placed third in 2024 and second in 2023, and Florence. This suggests that rankings are fluid and subject to frequent changes.

Some travelers, like 72-year-old British visitor Nigel Halliwell, argue that rankings do not always reflect reality. "Taste is subjective. Neither Michelin stars nor Tripadvisor rankings can capture every traveler’s preferences," he said. Thieu Anh agreed, stating that Hanoi’s food continues to be celebrated for its rich heritage and traditional flavors.

Despite the ranking shift, experts still regard Vietnam as an exciting culinary destination. To regain global recognition, they suggest fostering collaborations with international chefs, participating in global food festivals, and expanding Vietnam’s presence in Michelin Guide listings. Enhancing food tours, street food experiences, and cooking classes could also boost Vietnam’s appeal to culinary travelers.

Maintaining food quality and sustainability is another crucial factor. Experts stress that improving food hygiene, ensuring sustainable ingredient sourcing, and tackling tourist scams will enhance Vietnam’s reputation. Van Peteghem noted that Vietnam’s street food is just as diverse and high-quality as Bangkok’s, yet it lacks strong branding on the global stage. He called for a more aggressive promotional strategy to highlight the country’s culinary strengths.

Additionally, Vietnam must address issues like overpricing and scams targeting foreign tourists. Nguyen Ba Thien An, 24, recounted witnessing a street vendor charging a tourist VND200,000 ($7.80) for a small bag of apples, warning that such incidents could harm Vietnam’s culinary reputation.

Despite the exclusion from the rankings, Vietnam’s tourism industry remains strong. International arrivals in early 2025 nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, with a record 2.1 million foreign visitors in January alone. Many industry leaders argue that rankings, while useful for marketing, are ultimately less important than actual tourist numbers and spending. "What truly matters is how many visitors we attract and how much they invest in our economy, not just whether we appear on a list," said Nguyen Van My, Chairman of Lua Viet Tours.

A recent meeting in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took a dramatic turn when discussions became tense and confrontational. Initially, the leaders had gathered to finalize an agreement granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals and other critical natural resources. However, the conversation soon shifted to Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, leading to a heated exchange between the two leaders.

During the meeting, Trump criticized Zelenskyy, accusing him of not showing enough gratitude for U.S. military aid and failing to approach negotiations with Russia in a way that would lead to a peace deal. He insisted that Ukraine would have to make "compromises" in order to end the conflict and suggested that a truce was within reach. Zelenskyy, on the other hand, pushed back, arguing that there could be no compromises with Russia, which he accused of war crimes and atrocities against Ukrainian civilians. He pointed to Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children and other alleged violations of international law as reasons why Ukraine could not simply agree to a negotiated settlement.

Trump, visibly frustrated, told Zelenskyy that he was "gambling with the lives of millions of people" and risking a broader global conflict. He accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful" and suggested that Ukraine was in no position to dictate terms to the United States. Vice President JD Vance, who was present at the meeting, echoed Trump’s sentiment, also criticizing Zelenskyy’s attitude.

The breakdown in the conversation marked a significant shift in U.S.-Ukraine relations, raising concerns among Western allies about the future of American support for Kyiv. European leaders quickly reaffirmed their backing for Ukraine in response to the tense meeting, while Russian officials welcomed the apparent rift between the U.S. and Ukraine. The meeting also confirmed Trump’s evolving stance on the war, as he has increasingly distanced himself from the strong pro-Ukraine position that had been the official U.S. policy under his predecessor.

Despite the tension, Zelenskyy extended an invitation for Trump to visit Ukraine in person to witness the realities of the war firsthand. However, Trump did not immediately respond to the proposal. The meeting’s outcome left many questioning whether the U.S. would maintain its role as a key supporter of Ukraine or whether the new administration would push for a peace deal on terms more favorable to Russia.

Japan is grappling with its largest wildfire in three decades, which continues to rage uncontrolled in the northern city of Ofunato, forcing the evacuation of thousands and leaving at least one person dead.

Mass Evacuations as Fire Spreads
Local officials report that around 2,000 residents have fled to stay with friends or relatives, while over 1,200 have sought refuge in emergency shelters.

A disaster management agency spokesperson confirmed that this is Japan’s worst wildfire since 1992, when a massive blaze swept through Kushiro, Hokkaido. Some estimates suggest the fire has already scorched more than 1,800 hectares of land.

Firefighting Efforts Underway
Aerial footage broadcast by NHK shows thick white smoke billowing as military helicopters attempt to contain the inferno. Over 1,700 firefighters from across Japan have been mobilized, battling the flames for four consecutive days. So far, more than 80 buildings have been damaged.

Japan’s Wildfire Trends
Although the number of wildfires in Japan has declined since the 1970s, government data shows that in 2023 alone, there were approximately 1,300 wildfires nationwide. These incidents are most common between February and April, when dry air and strong winds create ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as efforts to control the devastating blaze remain ongoing.