Plus, is the daytime soap opera back? On Today’s Episode:Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash, by Robert JimisonSome Trump Officials Push Back Against Musk’s Ultimatum to Workers, by Chris Cameron and Maggie HabermanDOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes, by Aatish Bhatia, Emily Badger, David A. Fahrenthold, Josh Katz, Margot Sanger-Katz and Ethan Singer5 Takeaways From Germany’s Election, by Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim TankersleyPope Francis Suffering From Kidney Failure in Addition to Pneumonia, by Elisabetta PovoledoHuman Therapists Prepare for Battle Against A.I. Pretenders, by Ellen BarryA New Soap Opera Looks to Rekindle the Past While Breaking New Ground, by Jonathan AbramsTune in every weekday morning. To get our full audio journalism and storytelling experience, download the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.Tell us what you think at: [email protected].
Chapter 1: What is today's focus in The Headlines?
From The New York Times, it's The Headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Monday, February 24th. Here's what we're covering.
We're not hearing a good story coming across the TV or out of the papers.
Already our president is ignoring court's orders.
Chapter 2: Why are Republicans facing backlash at town halls?
Across the country, frustrated and angry voters have been confronting Republican lawmakers as they held town halls back in their home districts.
The president says you want to eliminate the Department of Education.
Let me see if I can go back.
Chapter 3: What concerns do voters have about Trump's policies?
It was Congress's first recess since President Trump took office, and constituents were waiting for the lawmakers with questions about executive orders, government layoffs, and the work of Elon Musk.
I understand what your DOGE is trying to do. It's a good idea, but I think you need a better spokesman than the one you got up there.
In Trinity, Texas this weekend, Representative Pete Sessions was pushed for answers about how Trump and Musk are trying to slash spending.
My question to you is if the two people that are making, seems to be making most of the decisions right now, decide to cut Social Security.
Sessions appeared unfazed by the questions and by the people shouting over him at some points. He said he could not promise anyone would be insulated from budget cuts. Nationwide, many of the most vocal complaints at the town halls came from people who identified themselves as Democrats.
I'll see you next time.
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Chapter 4: How are federal workers responding to Musk's email ultimatum?
Musk warned that anyone who didn't respond to it with a summary of their work would lose their job. The email reached workers across multiple agencies, from the FBI to the FDA. It even went to sitting federal judges who were not part of the executive branch. The demand triggered a standoff.
Several agency officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, urged workers not to reply. Some reiterated that they were in charge of their staff, not Musk. The pushback reflects a growing unease behind the scenes of the Trump administration about Musk's power. President Trump, however, said Saturday he wants Musk to be more aggressive.
Chapter 5: What errors were found in DOGE's budget claims?
Musk's latest controversial order comes as his team, the Department of Government Efficiency, is claiming that it's cut $55 billion of federal spending so far. It's posted a so-called wall of receipts on its website, but The Times has found that it's marred by accounting errors, outdated data, and other mistakes. Some contracts they said they canceled were double or triple counted.
One line item initially claimed a contract was worth $8 billion when it was $8 million. The full analysis of Doge's budget claims is at NYTimes.com.
The highest share of German voters in decades flocked to the polls on Sunday for an election with massive consequences, not just for their country, but for all of Europe. The vote came amid deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the country's economy, with immigration in Germany, and with huge questions surrounding Germany's relationship with the United States.
Chapter 6: What are the implications of Germany's recent election?
Jim Tankersley is the Times bureau chief in Berlin.
One of the big questions heading into this vote was how well the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AFD, party would do. This is a party that's categorized as extremist by German intelligence, that has members who have been fined for using banned Nazi slogans, even members who have been accused of trying to overthrow the government.
And while they doubled their vote share from four years ago and have proven themselves to be a real force to be reckoned with in German politics, they will not be included in the new government.
The party that did win was the Christian Democrats, a center-right party led by Friedrich Merz, a businessman who has never run a government ministry or even a small city, but who promised to crack down on immigration into Germany and to roll back regulations and cut taxes in order to restart Germany's economic engine.
Merz also appears headed for what increasingly looks like a confrontation with the United States over foreign policy.
Mertz's victory came right on the third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, and he has promised to lead a robust defense for the Ukrainians in Europe and Germany, supplying them with more weapons and basically taking on President Trump as he attempts to negotiate a peace with Russia that cuts out Ukraine and the Europeans.
Officials at the Vatican say that Pope Francis is in the early stages of kidney failure. They say he's alert, but that his condition continues to be critical, 10 days after he was hospitalized in Rome for respiratory issues. Yesterday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City said that he's, quote, in very, very fragile health and probably close to death.
Catholic leaders have been urging people to pray for the 88-year-old pope. Mental health professionals are sounding the alarm about unregulated AI chatbots claiming to be therapists. Professionally programmed therapy chatbots do exist. They're set up with scripts and guardrails, and there's been a hope that they can help make up for a shortage of mental health providers.
But this month, the head of the American Psychological Association said that vulnerable people have been turning to sites filled with user-generated bots that anyone can talk to. Some are labeled psychologist or therapist, and they can even claim to have a degree from Stanford or specialize in specific techniques.
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