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DOGE defense, Russia release and a winning schnauzer

 
Today's NATIONAL story

Elon Musk defends DOGE effort from Oval Office

What happened
Elon Musk yesterday answered questions for the first time since his "Department of Government Efficiency" burrowed into more than a dozen federal agencies, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he viewed his team of government-cutting operatives as "maximally transparent." President Donald Trump, who mostly watched as Musk defended his operation for about 30 minutes, signed an executive order giving DOGE even more power to shape the federal workforce, including approval over almost all new hires.

Who said what
Musk called his team's work "not draconian or radical" and said he checked in with Trump almost every day and before making big changes. He criticized the federal workforce as an "unelected, fourth, unconstitutional branch of government" that was thwarting the "will of the people," and he insisted DOGE was transparent because he and his team post on X — though he acknowledged that "some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected."

DOGE has "provided no information on whom it employs, where it is operating or what actions it is taking inside government agencies," Reuters said. "It posts few actual results from its work, providing only dollar figures for purported cuts in specific agencies and little specific detail." Musk's team is "operating in deep secrecy," The New York Times said, and Musk, a "special government employee" not required to disclose financial interests, "serves as an unelected appointee with vast reach across the government." Federal judges have paused many DOGE initiatives, saying they likely violated the law or the Constitution.

What next?
Trump's new executive order directed federal agencies to prepare for "large-scale" job cuts and hire one person for every four who leave, with exceptions for personnel "related to public safety, immigration enforcement or law enforcement." The "bulk of the federal workforce" is tied to "security-related agencies," Reuters said, though "hundreds of thousands" work across the country "overseeing veterans' healthcare, inspecting agriculture and paying the government's bills, among other jobs." Successfully "eliminating 25% of federal employees would cut the overall budget by about 1%," The Washington Post said. 

 
 
Today's INTERNATIONAL story

Russia frees US teacher in murky 'exchange'

What happened
Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Moscow in 2021 for carrying 17 grams of medically prescribed marijuana, arrived in the U.S. yesterday on the private jet of President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump's national security adviser, Michael Waltz, said the U.S. and Russia had "negotiated an exchange" but declined to say who or what Russia got in return.

Who said what
"I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now," Fogel said last night as Trump greeted him at the White House. Trump said the exchange deal was "very fair," and Russia got "not much" in return. He described Fogel's return as a goodwill gesture by Russian President Vladimir Putin and a step toward negotiating an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Fogel, 63, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was serving a 14-year sentence. The Biden administration declared him "unjustly detained" but not until October 2024, too late for him to be included in a large August 2024 prisoner exchange that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, among others. Fogel's family had criticized President Joe Biden for not pushing for his release, and petitioned Trump for help.

What next?
Trump said somebody else "very special" is "being released" today, though he declined to say who or from where. Russia is still holding "roughly two dozen Americans and dual U.S.-Russian citizens," The Wall Street Journal said.

 
 
Today's CULTURE Story

Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show

What happened
A giant schnauzer named Monty was named best in show last night at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York's Madison Square Garden. Monty, 5, was a three-time winner of Westminster's working group, for large breeds that work on farms or in service jobs, and the odds-on favorite, arriving at the prestigious dog show as the nation's highest-ranked dog. Bourbon, a 9 1/2-year-old whippet, was named reserve best in show, or runner up, for the third time.

Who said what
Monty, a "regal giant schnauzer with a dramatic beard and a winning way about him," defeated a "tough crowd of canine competitors," The New York Times said. Though he is a working group dog, Monty "looks like a white-collar worker."

Best in show is chosen from the seven winners of each grouping of breeds. Monty was the "first working group dog to win best in show since 2004, ending the longest drought of any particular group," said USA Today. The judge is supposed to pick the dog that best matches the ideal of its specific breed.

What next?
Best in show winners "get a trophy, ribbons and bragging rights, but no cash prize," The Associated Press said. Monty "will likely celebrate his win by chewing on a soccer ball, or several of them," the Times said. "He destroys them," said handler and co-owner Katie Bernardin, "but that is his favorite thing."

 
 

It's not all bad

Professional jump roper David Fisher recently used his skills to rescue a 19-year-old who had fallen into an icy pond in Westfield, Indiana. Fisher grabbed two ropes used for double Dutch, carefully stepped onto the ice and, once close enough, threw a rope to the teen treading water. After a failed first attempt, the young man successfully lifted himself out of the water. For their heroics, Fisher and his son Felix received the Lifesaving Citizen Award from Westfield officials.

 
 
Under the radar

Diamonds, once the ultimate symbol of opulence, may be on their way out. With the prevalence of lab-grown alternatives and an overall decrease in demand, natural diamond companies are being forced to drop their prices. In the first half of 2024, De Beers, one of the biggest players in the diamond market, recorded sales 20% lower than during the same time the previous year. Now it has "cut production from its mines by about 20% from [2023] levels and reduced prices," said the Financial Times.

Much of this can be attributed to the rise of lab-grown diamonds, which are cheaper and can be made more quickly than — and without the ethical and environmental concerns of — mined diamonds. They also have the same chemical makeup. In 2023, "lab-grown diamonds accounted for an estimated 14.3% of total diamond supply," said Forbes. 

But lab diamonds' prices have also gone down. The "parallel decline" hints at a "more general, waning interest," said Newsweek. "This trend could signify a broader shift in consumer preferences toward alternative gemstones and the wider struggles experienced by the luxury sector over the past few years of inflation-fueled frugality."

The fall of the diamond began during the pandemic. The "knock-on effects of Covid-19" are "still reverberating," as marriages "only returned to pre-pandemic levels" in 2024, said Fortune. In addition, China, one of the largest diamond markets, has been experiencing a "slumping economy," which is a "major drag on the luxury sector."

 
 
On this day

February 12, 1909

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by a group of civil rights activists. Over the years, the NAACP has fought for equal rights and been led by prominent Black Americans like Thurgood Marshall. Notable members of the organization have included Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers.

 
 
TODAY'S newspaperS

"Flu virus gets second wind, bringing more misery" and raising concerns it "could help bird flu mutate," The Boston Globe says on Wednesday's front page. "Bad flu season getting worse" in California, with a "surge in hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths among children," the Los Angeles Times says. "Jordan's king dodges Trump on Gaza plans," The Wall Street Journal says, as Trump's "policies sow uncertainty in U.S. economy." The "tariffs on China leave small businesses in a bind," The Washington Post says. And Ford's CEO "fires on Trump on tariffs," saying they will "blow a hole" in the auto industry, the Detroit Free Press says.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Playing doctor

A 13-year-old was arrested for impersonating a doctor after entering a hospital in Plymouth, England, wearing scrubs and carrying a fake ID. The teen was apprehended by law enforcement after a security guard raised concerns. He received "words of advice and intervention/education work from the Child Centered Policing Team," the Daily Mail said, and no further action is expected. It is unclear if the boy accessed medical records or spoke with patients.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images; Al Drago / Getty Images; Sarah Stier / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images