Good morning and happy birthday to president numero uno, George Washington. In honor of President’s Day George Washington’s Birthday, the federal employees who haven’t been fired yet are taking the day off. Best of luck to the rest of you trying to work while subtly finding that perfect deal on a mattress.

A kayaker in Chile is okay after being briefly swallowed by a whale and spit back out. It’s probably safe to assume that he’ll be a good boy and go straight to Nineveh next time.

CABINET

⛑️ Kennedy takes over as health chief in final break with family’s Democratic history

Well, his own 2024 campaign went nowhere. But becoming the first Kennedy to endorse a Republican presidential campaign paid off. Heir Force Supreme Allied Commander Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was sworn in as the 26th secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday in the Oval Office. Kennedy is the first member of his family to serve in the Cabinet since his father was attorney general from 1961 to 1964.

• None of his eight siblings showed up (they’re not fans) and only one of his eleventy hundred cousins swung by. RFK’s wife and a few of his kids came, too, though Taylor’s ex Conor wasn’t among them.

He spent most of his career as an environmental attorney working to clean up New York’s Hudson River before shifting his focus to healthcare. Long lambasted for his opposition to many vaccines, his fan base has slowly shifted from people who shop at Natural Grocers to MAGA Republicans.

• To win the Senate's approval, RFK reportedly promised not to mess with his department's vaccine regulations. Despite his pro-choice views, he also swore to implement Trump’s policies on abortion.

Kennedy spoke after his swearing-in. "For 20 years I've gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country. On August 23rd of last year, God sent me President Trump."

As HHS secretary, RFK manages a bigger chunk of the federal budget than anyone but the president. His ~$1.6 trillion department oversees everything from food safety and drug approvals to the Medicare and Head Start programs. On top of that, he'll lead the president's new Make America Healthy Again Commission to investigate the national struggle with chronic disease.

• Not that a Kennedy needs it, but the job comes with a plum $250,600 salary, which should fund plenty of bear carcass pranks.

Elsewhere in the Cabinet: Ex-think tank president Brooke Rollins took over at the Department of Agriculture. That brings the Senate's Cabinet confirmations up to 16 so far (which is faster than both 2017 and 2021). They've got five top dogs left before moving on to hundreds of lower-level appointees.

GOVERNMENT

☢️ The Trump administration’s move to slash the size of the federal workforce continued over the weekend. New layoffs hit the IRS, the FDA, the NIH, Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. That last batch was a lil bit controversial. Initial reports indicated that 325 workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration (they help manage the U.S. nuclear arsenal) got the axe. But the Department of Energy says the final number was less than 50. A federal appeals court on Saturday stepped in on behalf of one employee, a government ethics watchdog, and let him keep his job.

⚖️ The Department of Justice (DOJ) kicked off a wave of resignations by federal prosecutors (some of whom are quite conservative) after it dropped corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case amounted to "weaponization" of the DOJ. But opponents note that Adams just committed to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. They say the DOJ move amounts to a quid pro quo, which the White House calls "ridiculous."

WORLD

🌍️ It’s Trump vs. the world as administration takes on Ukraine, Israel, Iran, and more

It’s a busy world out there. Between hanging his own mug shot in the White House, holding near-daily press conferences in the Oval Office, and swinging by the Daytona 500, President Donald Trump is also juggling foreign policy crises the world over.

Europeans are ticked at Vice President JD Vance. Vance blasted European governments to their faces at the Munich Security Conference for retreating from their “fundamental values.” He said he worries about “the threat from within” and slammed the Europeans for overturning elections and stifling free speech and freedom of religion.

• European leaders were less than thrilled. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked Vance's attacks as "not appropriate." He also wasn't happy with the VP for meeting with a far-right German politician days ahead of Germany's elections.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his fears of being frozen out of peace talks and said he could “never” accept a deal Ukraine wasn’t involved in negotiating. Trump confirmed on Sunday that Ukrainians “will be involved” but didn’t explain what that meant. Meanwhile, a Russian drone struck the containment shell protecting the radioactive site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster (in Ukraine).

• Ukraine declined to sign over 50% of its critical minerals to the U.S. last week. But a deal could still be on the table in exchange for U.S. security guarantees.

• Another key point of contention? Potential Ukrainian membership in the NATO defense alliance. U.S. and European officials disagree on whether that’s a real possibility.

Over in the Middle East, Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran can “never” be allowed to build nuclear weapons. Iran’s neighbors are big fans of that goal, too, with Saudi Arabia (again) hoping to mediate talks on the matter.

• Netanyahu is pushing full-steam ahead with Trump's plan for U.S. control of Gaza. He calls it "the only viable plan" on the table. Arab countries will meet next week in Egypt to develop a plan of their own.

TRIVIA

It's no secret the the Kennedy family is one of the most successful political dynasties in American history. Its members have held high office almost continuously since the 1930s, serving as everything from from congressmen to Maritime commissioners to U.S. ambassadors. But they — rather, the people they’ve married — have also hit it big in Hollywood. Which four Kennedy family spouses or ex-spouses have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Hint: Two come from the same immediate family and one was part of Sinatra’s Rat Pack.

BRIEFS

● Competition is coming for the soon-to-launch Texas Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange plans to move its Chicago branch, NYSE Chicago, to the Lone Star State and rename it NYSE Texas.

● The Department of Government Efficiency's new website claimed its spending database excluded intelligence agencies. But it seems to have accidentally included classified budget and headcount data from the National Reconnaissance Office.

● House Republicans are eyeing changes to Medicaid to help plug the federal budget's $1.8 trillion annual hole. At issue? The rate at which the feds pay hospitals to see low-income patients and how much of the bill states pick up.

● Two NASA astronauts on the ISS disagree with Trump's suggestion that they're stuck there, saying they "don't feel stuck." SpaceX is set to bring them home in March — nine months after their June flight went awry due to faulty Boeing test equipment.

● The Commerce Secretary has until April 1 to give President Trump a report on how reciprocal tariffs might work. Trump wants to raise import taxes to match those set by other countries on U.S. goods. As he said on Sunday, “If they’re at 10, we’re at 10.”

● The Associated Press has been uninvited from a number of White House press events for refusing to say “Gulf of America.” The AP calls this a First Amendment violation, but the White House says it’s a matter of limited space and combating “misinformation.”

QUOTE

ANSWER

First up is ex-presidential brother-in-law Peter Lawford. He was married to JFK's sister Patricia from 1954 to 1966. A generation later, Arnold Schwarzenegger married JFK's niece, Maria Shriver. Eight years after they split up in 2011, a new star joined the family when "Bride Wars" star Chris Pratt married the governator’s daughter, Katherine. Finally, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Cheryl Hines is married to HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.