WTF Just Happened Today? Day 1476

This is a newsletter I subscribe to and I share parts of it here.
I think it's a good summary of the day that is fairly well sourced.
One can subscribe here: http://wtfjht.com

Welcome to Day 1476.

Today in one sentence: Trump signed executive orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, but agreed to “immediately pause” tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month; Elon Musk said Trump agreed to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, calling it “beyond repair” and a “criminal organization. Time for it to die"; USAID closed its Washington headquarters, with yellow police tape and officers blocking the entrances; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he’s taken over as the acting administrator of USAID; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency "full access" to the federal payment system; Trump appointed Bessent as "acting director" of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after firing Rohit Chopra; Trump is considering an executive order to dismantle the Education Department by shutting down non-legally mandated functions and shifting some responsibilities to other agencies; the Trump administration warned over 1,100 EPA employees that they could be fired "immediately" for their work on climate initiatives, air pollution, or environmental law enforcement; and Trump ordered the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund that could be used to potentially buy TikTok.

Editor's note: Apologies for whatever typos you encounter in today's edition! A lot happened – and then some more things happened – and then some new and different things happened. I tried. Anyway, let me know if I missed something and I'll include it in tomorrow's edition...

-Matt, current mood: ???

https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-classified-information-usaid-security-35101dee28a766e0d9705e0d47958611

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-says-trump-are-shutting-usaid-rcna190388

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/elon-musk-trump-usaid-agency.html

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/03/usaid-musk-trump-agreed-shut-down

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/elon-musk-says-he-and-trump-are-shutting-down-usaid.html

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/02/politics/usaid-officials-leave-musk-doge/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/02/usaid-trump-musk/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/musk-says-administration-is-on-verge-of-shutting-usaid/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/usaid-security-leaders-removed-refusing-elon-musks-doge-employees-acce-rcna190357

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/turmoil-inside-usaid-doge-reps-offices-senior-officials/story?id=118368900

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/03/trump-cfpb-bessent-halt/

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/trump-names-scott-bessent-acting-cfpb-head.html

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/03/bessent-consumer-bureau-chief-00202076

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/bessent-takes-helm-of-consumer-finance-watchdog-orders-halt-to-work-0a9cfc3d

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/education-department-trump-executive-order-eeaf1cb6

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/02/03/trump-education-department-dismantling-executive-order-draft/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/union-official-education-department-employees-leave-dei-training-rcna190337

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/some-department-education-staff-put-on-leave-after-trump-dei-order/story?id=118398190

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-advisers-weigh-plan-dismantle-department-education-wsj-reports-2025-02-03/

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-education/2025/02/03/trump-admin-zeros-in-on-school-choice-dismantling-dei-00201990

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-considers-executive-action-education-department/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/climate/trump-epa-workers-zeldin.html

https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/climate-change-to-wipe-away-1-5-trillion-in-u-s-home-values-study-says-60c6970b

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/31/usda-climate-change-websites-00201826

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/03/climate-change-insurance-costs-real-estate

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/nyregion/ny-attorney-general-transgender-care.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/us/politics/trump-venezuela-temporary-protected-status.html

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/03/us-withdraw-un-human-rights-council-trump-00202100

One can read the expanded version of each topic and its sources here: http://wtfjht.com