Who voted for Elon? No one.

In this episode of The Friday Brief by Girl Friday, we cover the Australian government's thoughts on China's AI darling, DeepSeek; "death saint" altars at drug raid sites in Ecuador; Trump's real estate plans for Gaza; and, finally, what (unelected) Elon Musk is doing around Washington, DC. 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @DearGirlFriday and sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter on deargirlfriday.com.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome
• 0:15 Global news from Australia, Ecuador, and Gaza
• 2:41 A view from DC: what is Elon Musk doing to the U.S. government and our democracy?
• 3:50 Who is Darren Beattie and why did he attend a conference with white nationalists?
• 6:02 Until next time!

Transcript

Welcome to The Friday Brief, a news podcast by Girl Friday. I’m Phoenix Ricks, the CEO of Girl Friday and your host. This is your brief for February 05, 2025. 

The BBC reported that Australia banned China’s new Artificial Intelligence darling, DeepSeek, from all government systems and devices because of a perceived national security risk. They insist the app's country of origin is not the reason for the ban. 

In Ecuador, CBS reported that during drug raids, police are finding altars of a so-called “death saint” known as Santa Muerte. Allegedly, the drug traffickers think this saint, who is believed to be a guardian, will protect them. Around the altars in Ecuador, police have found offerings like money and alcohol. But, according to a former gang member, human sacrifices occur at these altars as well. He said, "They stole children from other towns and sacrificed them in front of her when they wanted to land a big hit." CBS says that this saint has a following with drug lords in Mexico, and last November in Mexico, three people were found dead at an altar. 

In the Middle East, Palestinians are not nearly as eager as Netanyahu is about Donald Trump’s plans to “own” Gaza. The BBC says Pete Hegseth is “prepared to look at all options” to meet that goal. The White House has not verbally committed to ruling out forcing Palestinians from Gaza. The United Nations Secretary-General said, "It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.” 

People who are for this proposal have been enthusiastically sharing their views on social media, claiming that this does not meet the definition of ethnic cleansing. They are mistaken. Ethnic cleansing is the expulsion or killing of any unwanted ethnic or religious group. And there are consequences, both legal and societal, for engaging in these kinds of mass atrocities. Marco Rubio believes people shouldn’t consider this proposal “hostile” and maintains that it is a "generous offer.” But, the Palestinian Authority says they will not resettle elsewhere. The UK has sided with Palestinians, as have Egypt and Saudi Arabia. 

Around DC, there’s one major topic of conversation. Everyone is concerned about unelected advisors for the Trump administration dismantling the federal government  - and perhaps even our democracy. 

Let’s start with Elon Musk, the South African billionaire the American people did not elect. If his actions thus far are any indication, he seems to loathe U.S. humanitarian aid. Because of his actions at USAID, NBC says that shipping containers of antibiotics and antimalarial drugs are being held at the Port of Sudan. Medicine is expiring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo because a government contractor was forced to shut off the air conditioning. Millions of pounds of American-grown soybeans headed to refugee camps are being diverted to warehouses instead.” Meanwhile, at Treasury, The New Republic says Elon has a 25-year-old engineer rewriting the code for our nation’s key Treasury Department payment systems. Under no circumstances should that be happening. 

Next up, we have Darren Beattie. CNN says that after being fired from the Trump White House during the first term for attending a conference with white nationalists, Beattie created a right-wing media outlet that promoted false conspiracies about the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. CNN says that Beattie made “racially charged comments,” but I think we need to start calling things precisely what they are. He made openly racist statements. At one point, he wrote, “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities and demoralizing competent white men.” He celebrated Dr. James Watson, a racist geneticist, as the “greatest living American scientist.” He said Black lawmakers need to “learn” their place and take “a knee to MAGA.” 

Does this sound like the kind of person who should be directing all public diplomacy bureaus at the U.S. Department of State? I proudly worked in the bureaus he will lead, and my professional opinion is no. It takes someone who is media savvy, open-minded, and ready to engage audiences worldwide. They should have a solid understanding of history, politics, and culture. They should, along with the press secretary, be able to address the press and public with poise and grace, even under considerable pressure. This role helps shape global perceptions of the U.S., all while supporting critical messaging from the Secretary of State and the White House. So, ideally, the person who fills this key role isn't someone who attends conferences with white nationalists. 

And that concludes your brief for today. Make sure you don’t miss an episode! Follow Dear Girl Friday on Instagram, where we post episode summaries and sources. You can sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter and check out our policy trackers, like “This Week in DC” on deargirlfriday.com. Until next time, I’m Phoenix Ricks signing off from Washington, D.C. Let’s work together for a world of good.