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The White House is moving ahead with its plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce.

Also this week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the Secretary for Health and Human Services in a 52-48 vote, even after several senators raised concerns about his record of an anti-vaccine activism.

And in global news, Donald Trump spent time on the phone with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and hopes negotiations to end the war will begin immediately.

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came under strain this week as Hamas announced that it would delay the release of three hostages in Gaza on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel.

We discuss all this and more during the News Roundup.

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As of Tuesday, President Donald Trump has signed seven executive orders or proclamations related to DEI.

They include ending virtually all such programs in the federal government, calling them "illegal," and "Ending racial indoctrination in K through 12 schooling."

According to the Trump administration, that includes teaching "gender ideology and critical race theory" in the classroom.

A number of private companies and institutions are following suit. Target, Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, and PBS are just a few now changing or eliminating their DEI initiatives following Trump's orders.

We explore what DEI actually means, and what happens when we just get rid of it.

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In 2021, Trent Dalton sat down with a typewriter on a busy corner in Brisbane, Australia, and asked people to tell him their love stories.

Those tales are now collected in his first book, "Love Stories." It's over 300 pages and talks about the meaning of love, from strangers and Dalton alike.

As a nod to Valentine's Day, we revisit our conversation with Dalton about his book "Love Stories."

We discuss what it means to know love and talk and how to talk about it with strangers.

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Having trouble finding eggs in the grocery store this week? You're not alone. Bird flu is roiling egg farms across the country.

In April 2024, the first hens tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or H5N1. Since then, the avian flu has spread to turkeys, cows, and humans.

What are farmers doing to protect their flocks? And how worried should we be about catching it?

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It's not uncommon — or even always bad — to drink on a date. But most of us have a story of over-doing it and having one too many drinks.

At what point does alcohol hinder our ability to make true romantic connections, or blunt our decision-making so that we wind up with someone our sober selves wouldn't have chosen?

Dry dating is becoming more popular. According to a 2024 survey from the dating site DatingNews.com, nearly 2 in 3 Gen-Z and Millennials said they preferred alcohol-free dates.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we talk about the benefits of dating and intimacy without alcohol.

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It's been three crazy weeks. It can be hard to keep up with the new commander-in-chief.

There are at least 45 challenges in the courts against the Trump administration. These complaints are broad in scope, dealing with the role of Elon Musk's new Department of Government Efficiency to the gutting of The United States Agency for International Development.

Judges are beginning to step in and put a damper on Trump's plans. But will the judicial branch keep the executive branch in check? We answer the question on a lot of people's minds these days: Can he do that?

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Does distance really make the heart grow fonder?

A growing number of couples who are choosing to live apart together (LAT) seem to think so. These lovers are in a committed relationship but live or sleep separately.

Between 2000 and 2022, the percentage of married couples who decided to live apart grew by more than 40 percent. The trend has been driven mainly by older women.

New research from a U.K. household study found that older couples who decided to live in separate places have better mental health.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we discuss what living apart together looks like.

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President Donald Trump has dominated the news cycle in the earliest days of office, firing off rounds of executive orders, turning billionaire Elon Musk loose on the federal workforce, and blitzing the press.

But where is the opposition? Democrats lost big in 2024, ceding control of the Senate, House, and the presidency to the GOP. But as Trump continues to swing big at our governing apparatus, they've been more passive than some Americans would like.

Where does the party go from here? And what sort of plan do they have to respond to Trump's plans for the next four years?

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All USAID workers were placed on leave effective Friday, Donald Trump and his administration are now turning their attention to the Department of Education.

Millions of federal workers now have more time to make a decision after a judge suspended the Office of Personnel Management's deadline for them to accept, or reject, the agency's "deferred resignation" offer.

Meanwhile, President Trump suggested that the U.S. might take over Gaza and that Palestinians will relocate to neighboring countries.

And the trade war with China is heating up. Tariffs on goods imported from the country are causing the prices of clothes, toys, and electronics to surge.

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USAID workers worldwide were pulled off the job Tuesday as President Donald Trump's administration posted notices online and sent emails telling employees that the government's spending overseas is now considered a waste and that they have 30 days to return home.

These workers have also been placed on leave effective midnight Friday. The organization's website was recently taken offline. What happens next?

We discuss what these moves mean for the future of America's international relationships and the potential consequences for people around the world who relied on this work and funding.

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