TODAY’S BIG STORY…

President Trump issued an order to end a pricey toll fee in New York, sparking a legal war with Governor Kathy Hochul. In short, Trump revoked approval for NYC’s unpopular congestion pricing plan, which nails commuters with a $9 toll. Trump humorously posting on Truth Social, wrote: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

The Trump administration argues the $9 toll hurts those who travel to and from the Big Apple on a regular basis. “New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “The toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It’s backwards and unfair.”

Hochul slammed the order, claiming the $9 fee will save New Yorkers money. Backing her claim, the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an attempt to keep the program alive.

AND HERE’S ANOTHER GREAT STORY…

Trump warned Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that the U.S.’s war funds for the country are soon coming to an end. The remarks come at a time when Trump officials are working directly with Russia to find a way to end the war.

In a long post published online, Trump accused Zelenskyy of embodying the qualities of a dictator, considering he canceled Ukraine’s presidential election. In part, he wrote, "He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden like a fiddle. A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left."

MY OPINION…

Zelenskyy, much like Hochul, is the sort of person only a far-left Democrat can love. Seriously, has a single friend or family member — who doesn’t paint their hair pink — ever told you how much they admire Hochul or Zelenskyy?

In the rare event you said, YES…. Ask that person how dishing out $9 for a toll saves someone money? Then ask how $350 billion sent to Ukraine has helped even one American, let alone our entire country. Trump deserves his head on Mount Rushmore simply for cancelling the idiotic toll fee and turning on Zelenskyy. If I was Trump, I would send both of them parting gifts. To Hochul, I’d send a broom stick with an engraving: “To the Wicked Witch of the East, I thought this would help you avoid the tolls.” And to Zelenskyy, I’d send an X-small sports jacket from the young boys department with a note: “This is your last gift; clean up your act. Start by ending the wanna-be GI Joe look.” 

THE ADMINISTRATION…

• Trump delivered a keynote speech at the Future Investment Initiative Priority Summit in Miami Beach last night. The three-day event aims to address the current complexities that the world is facing, such as rising costs of living, systemic challenges in healthcare, security, and education.

• Trump signed an order mandating all federal agencies to identify and discontinue any programs providing taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens.

• Trump revealed he will meet with unnamed Democrats next week for lunch, stating: “I’m going to be having lunch with some of the Democrats next week, and it would be wonderful if we could work together. I think working together would be great. But they have to change.”

• Trump made an big announcement on X Wednesday night: "I, DONALD J.TRUMP, President of the United States of America... proclaim February 19, 2025, as the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.  I encourage all Americans to remember the selfless patriots of the Greatest Generation."

• Trump is supporting the idea of the federal government taking control of Washington, D.C., thus, possibly repealing the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973. Trump criticized the current governance of D.C., citing issues like crime, graffiti, and homelessness, suggesting that federal intervention could restore order and improve the city's management.

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that Trump's goal is to abolish the IRS and replace it with a system where external entities contribute to U.S. revenue, potentially simplifying tax processes for Americans.

• About 6,000 IRS employees will be laid off this week under the Trump administration’s orders.

• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox that deportations of illegals remain steady, stating, "We're picking up people that have been raping children, have been trafficking children, proliferating the use of drugs ... and we're getting them out of the country. Every day, we're SAVING LIVES."

• Border Patrol reported a 85% decrease in apprehensions at the border, and a 93% decrease in encounters since Trump took office in January.

• Kash Patel is poised for a final Senate vote today. He is expected to be confirmed as FBI Director early as this afternoon.

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Trump administration had adopted a set of official government “sex-based definitions” to give the public and federal agencies precise terms with which to describe categories including “male,” “female,” “woman” and “man.”

• The Pentagon confirmed plans for 8% annual budget cuts over the next five years to help fund Trump’s priorities like an “Iron Dome for America” and border security. The cuts will end spending on climate programs and DEI initiatives.

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering the dismissal of several generals and senior officers from the military this week. This includes those previously associated with former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, those involved in DEI initiatives, and those whose political views are liberal.

• Negotiations between Trump and Russia reportedly include the potential withdrawal of U.S. troops from NATO countries that joined the alliance after 1990. While these talks suggest concessions to Russian demands, there has been no official confirmation from either government regarding the outcome of the discussions. (Note: DML predicted this Tuesday on his podcast.)

• The FBI thwarted a “mass casualty attack” being planned at a school by two Houston area teenagers. Both teens were arrested.

• The Trump administration issued a stop-work order to the Acacia Center for Justice, pausing its legal services for unaccompanied alien children.

• Elon Musk continues to push for a taxpayer “dividend,” suggesting each American household would get $5,000 if DOGE cuts $2 trillion in government spending. The rest of the money will go towards reducing the national debt.

• DOGE revealed that American schools had spent nearly $200 billion on COVID-19 relief funds with little oversight on where the funds were going.

• DOGE has uncovered $2 billion in taxpayer funds allocated to Power Forward Communities, a new nonprofit with ties to Stacey Abrams. Despite its recent establishment with only $100 in initial funding, critics want a probe into how the organization received this substantial grant.

• In support of Trump’s agenda to protect female athletes, Minnesota’s legislative proposal known as HF12, which seeks to restrict men participating in women's sports, has been approved by the House Education Policy Committee and is now poised for further legislative action.

• The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association revised its policy to exclude transgenders from participating in girls' sports, following Trump's order to protect female athletes.

• The U.S. State Department formally designated several drug cartels and gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists on Wednesday. The terror groups include:

  1. Tren de Aragua

  2. MS-13

  3. Sinaloa Cartel

  4. Jalisco New Generation Cartel

  5. United Cartels

  6. Gulf Cartel

  7. Northeast Cartel

  8. The Michoacán Family

VICE PRESIDENT…

JD Vance told Senate Republicans that Trump prefers the House’s one-bill approach for the budget but didn’t oppose the Senate’s two-bill plan.

Considering the House budget resolution is aimed at achieving significant federal spending reductions, Vance’s statement triggered Democrats and three House Republicans from New York, California, and Nebraska to suggest Trump is not keeping true to his assurances that he would not alter Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security.

CONGRESS…

President Zelenskyy thanked Senator Lindsey Graham for his support in funding Ukraine in the upcoming spending bill. Zelenskyy wrote on X, “We greatly appreciate the bicameral and bipartisan support of the US Congress to the Ukrainian people in our fight against the Russian aggression. As always, Senator Graham is constructive and doing a lot to help bring peace closer. It’s all-important that security guarantees remain on the table—and that they work for Ukraine, for real and lasting peace.”

Senate Minority Leader Democrat Chuck Schumer has been repeatedly photographed this month with Chinese Consul General Chen Li, spending time at events like the Chinese parade in NY. Thus, concerned Republicans are questioning the Schumer-China connection.

Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn has publicly criticized Trump's actions concerning the constitutionality of his executive authority. This has led to discussions and calls for Cornyn to be challenged in the upcoming Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Although six months late, Senator Rand Paul has publicly endorsed Donald Trump. Paul wrote, “A few people may have noticed that I resisted an enthusiastic endorsement of Donald Trump during the election. But now, I’m amazed by the Trump cabinet (many of whom I would have picked). I love his message to the Ukrainian warmongers, and along with his DOGE initiative shows I was wrong to withhold my endorsement. So today, admittedly a little tardy, I give Donald Trump my enthusiastic endorsement!”

THE CRAZY LEFT…

YOUR OPINIONS…

RJ Macolt: “Absolutely love your reporting. Reminds me of the old TV show, sorry, I can’t remember the name, but the one law enforcement officer would always say, “Just the facts; we want just the facts.” Thank you!”

Andy L: I am so happy you are doing this newsletter, you are picking up where the Drudge Report left off.

DML REPLY: You are referring to “Dragnet,” and as far as the Drudge Report goes, Matt Drudge turned on Trump in 2018, and apparently sold the website to a liberal who now posts all lefty BS. More importantly, please help share this newsletter. Yesterday we hit another milestone with a 98% 5 Star rating.

DML PODCASTS…

CLIP FROM YESTERDAY’S SHOW: With Fox News potentially turning blue now that a Nevada court rejected owner Rupert Murdoch’s (93) wishes and thus, will potentially turn Fox over to his liberal son upon his death, DML tells the story of how Megyn Kelly and Fox took him off the air shortly after he compared illegal alien children sitting on the ground at a Border Patrol stations to waiting on line for Disney’s Space Mountain.

BEFORE YOU GO…

Download the DML News App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to stay ahead of breaking news, reports, videos, and more.

47 Report is written by Denny Lynch, Ryan Lynch, and DML, with artwork by Ashley Lynch and input from Mary Lynch. Please provide feedback below:

Have a blessed day,
The Lynch Family