Kash Patel Confirmed, McConnell To Retire, CPAC Day 1, Social Security Pink Slips

Today on America in the Morning   Kash Patel Confirmed One of President Donald Trump’s most loyal followers – and one of the most controversial nominees – is now on the job. The Senate confirmed Kash Patel to be the Director of the FBI. Correspondent Rich Johnson has details of what turned into a very close vote.     McConnell To Retire He is considered one of the most consequential Republican senators of his generation and spent 18 years as the Senate’s GOP leader. Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports Mitch McConnell will end his storied Senate career after this term.    Hundreds Of Snow-Related Crashes The wintry weather that dumped a foot of snow in parts of Southern Virginia and North Carolina left police dealing with over one thousand fender-benders, shutting down roads and highways, and leading to dozens of injuries. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports the heavy snow also led to power outages.    Texas Teens Threaten School Two Texas teenagers are in serious trouble with the law, after police were alerted that the girls were preparing to attack their high school with guns and pipe bombs.     IRS Downsizing The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday began firing employees in a massive layoff ordered by the Trump administration.     Pushback On DOGE Dividends There has been some pushback from conservative Republicans over Donald Trump’s plan to create dividend checks for the American taxpayers, using money gained from DOGE government cutbacks. Correspondent Ed Donahue reports.    DC Takeover He has already threatened to take over the Panama Canal, buy Greenland, and make Canada America’s 51st state. Correspondent Ben Thomas reports President Trump says he wants the federal government to "take over" the city of Washington, DC.     CPAC Day 1 The annual Conservative Political Action Conference, better known as CPAC, kicked off yesterday with Trump supporters in attendance to hear conversations with Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and others about the next four years of the Trump administration. John Stolnis has a recap from Washington.    New Proposed Texas School Plan The Texas House has unveiled its long-anticipated plan for education savings accounts, commonly referred to as vouchers, which would allow families to use public funding for private schooling.    NY Corrections Officers Strike Unusual scenes played out in a number of prisons across New York State, as National Guard helicopters swooped in bringing in troops to help shore up security. This comes as corrections officers at New York prisons continue to strike over safety and working conditions. Correspondent Bob Brown has the latest.    Latest In The Middle East There was outrage by the Israeli government when it was determined that Shiri Bibas, the mother of two children also taken hostage by Hamas, was not returned with her young children as promised.      Mexico’s Tariff Concerns Concerns over tariffs threatened to be enacted by President Trump are having an effect South-of-the-border, as Mexico's Tequila makers are wary of the costs.  Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports.     Kohberger Denied Evidence Suppression A judge has denied Idaho college murders suspect Broan Kohberger’s motions to suppress key evidence collected during search warrants.      Finally   As Spring Training gets underway in Florida and Arizona, baseball fans are set to get a glimpse at the future of umpiring in the major leagues during the exhibition games in March. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices