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Tribune News Service on Mar 21, 2025

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Elon Musk holds talks at Pentagon; Trump denies China war briefing

Elon Musk Friday held talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, but President Donald Trump denied reports the world’s richest man was there to get a briefing on top-secret U.S. plans for a potential war with China.

The SpaceX and Tesla mogul came to the Department of Defense headquarters in suburban northern Virginia for what Hegseth insisted was “an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.”

“It’s always a great meeting,” Musk said with Hegseth by his side, as he left the meeting. “If there’s anything I can do to be helpful I’d like to (assist).”

Asked what was discussed at the morning meeting, Musk declined to elaborate. “Why would I tell you?” Musk told reporters before leaving. Trump trashed as “a made-up story” the New York Times report claiming that Musk was set to get a peek at a presentation on potential American response to Chinese aggression against Taiwan or other conflict.

—New York Daily News

Minneapolis police chief defends pastor who made threatening, homophobic remarks to City Council

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara is defending a prominent north Minneapolis pastor who made threatening, homophobic statements directed at the Minneapolis City Council last month, even though he has city violence prevention contracts.

The Rev. Jerry McAfee is pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church and operates nonprofits that for years have done violence prevention work for the city, downtown improvement district and state. He’s been under fire for his actions last month during a council meeting, which he interrupted and went on a 5-minute rant that many viewed as threatening and homophobic.

Exacerbating the situation, on Monday, two of his 21 Days of Peace workers were charged with multiple felonies in connection with a March 10 shootout in north Minneapolis after a community barbecue.

Later Monday, the city’s Neighborhood Safety department withdrew its recommendation to the council that another one of McAfee’s nonprofits, Salem Inc., get a nearly $650,000 violence prevention contract.

—The Minnesota Star Tribune

FDA crackdown on poppers prompts rush on popular gay party drug

LOS ANGELES — There's a rush on Rush. Stores up and down Santa Monica Boulevard have seen a run on the iconic red and yellow vials this week, as the Food and Drug Administration cracks down on poppers, a product that has long existed in legal limbo.

The active ingredient in Rush and other poppers is alkyl nitrite, a chemical that instantly dilates blood vessels when inhaled, producing a brief but intense feeling of euphoria. It also causes a loosening of smooth muscle tissue, including the anus, an effect that has made it a staple of gay sex for generations.

Although officially banned for human consumption by the FDA, poppers have been sold openly in thumb-sized bottles marketed — with a wink and a nod — as nail polish remover, liquid incense or VHS tape cleaner.

But after the FDA raided a popular brand called Double Scorpio this month, many fear the Trump administration is ending the era of tolerance.

—Los Angeles Times

Israel’s domestic intelligence chief fired, defying protesters

Israel’s Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire the country’s domestic intelligence chief, defying thousands of protesters who rallied against his removal and those of other security and judicial officials.

The proposal to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet and with whom Netanyahu has often clashed since the start of Israel’s multi-front conflict in October 2023, was approved unanimously in a vote late on Thursday, according to the government.

Bar, a 59-year-old Harvard graduate, will step down on April 10 or earlier if a successor is appointed before then. The government resolution brought to a vote in the Cabinet said Bar, who’s been in the role since 2021, had a “misunderstanding of the subordination of the service and its head to the political echelon.”

More than 100,000 people gathered in Jerusalem over the past two days to contest what they see as an attempt by the government to dilute checks and balances on its actions. Demonstrations — the largest since the start of the war — turned violent on Thursday, with police and protesters clashing.

—Bloomberg News