The Taliban refuses to return $7bn of US arms and Doge takes on USAID

A gang of young officials from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency targeted the US Agency for International Development. What does that tell us about his loyalty to Trump?Despite overseeing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump now demands the Taliban return 78 aircraft, 40,000 vehicles and 300,000 weapons left behind.As the US steps back  from a key NATO committee, is this the UK’s chance to get closer with Europe again? Basia Cummings is joined by Moby Media Groups’s Saad Mohseni, plus Tortoise’s Stephen Armstrong and Giles Whittell as they battle to pitch the top story.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live! We host live recordings on the last Thursday of every month. Get your ticket for February 27th hereTo read the BBC’s analysis of Hollywoodgate, the documentary Basia mentioned about US military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, click here.We always love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Send a voice note to: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Host: Basia Cummings, editor at TortoiseProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive producer: Rebecca Moore  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Every Monday and Friday three journalists battle it out to try and convince the editor that their pitch should lead the news. Discover what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. Why do some stories dominate, while others fail to make the cut?Tell us if you agree with the final running order? Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Join us live in the news room? Visit https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events Executive Producer: Rebecca MooreProducer: Casey MagloireTo find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app for a listening experience curated by our journalists.Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content.Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more.If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.