• Canada and Portugal have expressed willingness to explore alternatives to the F-35 stealth fighter as President Donald Trump has sown doubt about the US commitment to the NATO alliance. That comes as Trump presses ahead with his trade war and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st US state.

America’s F-35 stealth fighter is seen by some allies as a potential vulnerability rather than a cutting-edge weapon that can boost warfighting capabilities.

In recent days, Canada and Portugal have expressed willingness to explore alternatives to the Lockheed Martin plane as President Donald Trump has sown doubt about the US commitment to the NATO alliance.

On Friday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said the country is actively looking at other fighter jets amid growing political momentum to scrap a $13 billion deal for 88 F-35s that was signed in 2023.

Canada has committed money for its first 16 planes, which are scheduled for delivery early next year. Blair indicated that after accepting that batch of F-35s, Canada could turn to European aircraft to replace its aging fleet of fighters.

“The prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., alluding to a Swedish proposal for Saab’s Gripen fighter.

A defense ministry spokesperson also told Bloomberg that the deal hasn’t been canceled, but Canada needs to “make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces.”

The review of the F-35 deal comes has Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada and vowed to make the country the 51 state of the US, sparking outrage and boycotts of American products.

Meanwhile, Trump has long been skeptical of NATO and complained that member countries aren’t spending enough on defense. Despite allies boosting their outlays in recent years, he has signaled it’s not enough and threatened to not come to their aid.

“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them,” he told reporters in the Oval Office last week.

In addition, Trump has threatened a trade war with Europe and alarmed allies there by warming up to Russia and halting US military aid to Ukraine, prompting the EU to embark on a massive military buildup in preparation for a world without a reliable US security shield.

The seismic developments rocking the trans-Atlantic alliance, which were underscored by Trump’s recent shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, are top of mind as another NATO ally weighs a separate purchase of fighter jets.

While Portugal’s air force has recommended buying F-35s, outgoing Defense Minister Nuno Melo told Público that the country can’t ignore the current geopolitical environment.

“The recent US stance in the context of NATO and the international geostrategic dimension, makes us think what are the best options, because the predictability of our allies is a factor to be reckoned with,” he said.

He added that “this ally of ours” could limit use as well as maintenance support and access to components that are needed to ensure the aircraft are operational “in all types of scenarios.”

“There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production,” Melo said, with the defense ministry later adding that Portugal isn’t ruling out the F-35.

Reluctance among foreign militaries to buy the F-35 comes on top of concerns that the Trump administration is looking to slash US defense spending. As the Pentagon’s most expensive acquisition program, the F-35 has been a perennial punching bag and has previously drawn Elon Musk’s scorn as being inferior to drones.

The White House and the Defense Department’s joint program office for the F-35 didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin said the company values its partnership and history with the Portuguese Air Force and looks forward to continuing that partnership in the future.

“The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, enabling 21st Century Security and allied deterrence,” Lockheed said in a statement to Fortune. “Questions about foreign military sales of the F-35 are best addressed by the US government.”

In a separate statement to the CBC, the company sought to dispel online misinformation that claims the F-35 has a “kill switch” that allows the US government to cripple the aircraft, saying “we deliver all system infrastructure and data required for all F-35 customers to sustain the aircraft.”

Still, an American promise is looking more doubtful as the US upends traditional geopolitics, according to Quantum Strategy’s David Roche, who told CNBC earlier this month that “NATO is dead” as Trump distances the US from long-time allies.

That makes Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping the big winners, as they see confirmation of their views that democratic powers are on the decline, Roche explained.

“The big loser is actually the US, because nobody will trust a US treaty again,” he added, noting that a lot of so-called Global South countries will fall into China’s orbit as a result.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

The Democratic Party was fracturing Friday as a torrent of frustration and anger was unleashed at Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, who faced what they saw as an awful choice: shut the government down or consent to a Republican funding bill that allows President Donald Trump to continue slashing the federal government.

After Schumer announced that he would reluctantly support the bill, he bore the brunt of that anger, including a protest at his office, calls from progressives that he be primaried in 2028 and suggestions that the Democratic Party would soon be looking for new leaders.

Nine other members of the Democratic Caucus — a contingent of mostly swing-state and retiring senators — eventually joined Schumer in voting to advance the Republican funding proposal, providing crucial support to bring it to a final vote. It passed late Friday with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Angus King of Maine voting with Republicans in favor.

Since their election losses, Democrats have been hunkered against a barrage of Trump’s early actions in office, locked out of legislative power and left searching for a plan to regain political momentum. But as Schumer let pass one of the rare moments when the party might regain leverage in Washington, the Democratic Party erupted in a moment of anger that had been building for months.

Many in the party felt the New York Democrat was not showing sufficient fight, arguing that a government shutdown would have forced Trump and Republicans to the negotiating table. Yet for Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since Trump took office in 2016, the choice ultimately came down to preventing a shutdown that he believed would only hand Trump more power and leave his party with the blame for disruptions to government services.

“A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer warned on the Senate floor Friday, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency effort led by Elon Musk.

Schumer voted no on the final vote for the funding bill, which only needed a simple majority to pass. Nonetheless, House Democrats released a stream of angry statements and social media posts aimed at Schumer.

Democratic Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana shared a photo of Trump and Schumer engaged in conversation with the caption, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”

Even in the Senate, hardly any Democrats were speaking up in support of Schumer’s strategy Friday. It was a remarkable turn for the longtime Democratic leader, leaving him standing practically alone.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, his longtime ally and partner in funding fights of the past, said in a statement, “Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.”

Pelosi added that the senators should listen to the women who lead appropriations for Democrats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. They had proposed a 30-day stopgap plan instead of the Republican proposal that provides funding until September. The Republican bill will trim $13 billion in non-defense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by $6 billion.

As House Democrats, who almost all voted against the bill earlier this week, concluded a retreat in northern Virginia Friday, they also called for their Senate colleagues to show more fight. House Democratic leadership rushed back to the Capitol to hold a news conference and urge senators to reject the bill.

“We do not want to shutdown the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,” Jeffries said.

He also repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether he had confidence in Schumer.

Other Democrats, such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028 and also visited the Democratic retreat, called for a broader movement. He mentioned the recent 60th anniversary of peaceful civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, and argued that Democrats need to find “collective courage.”

“When those individuals marched, there wasn’t one voice,” Beshear said. “There was a collective courage of that group that changed the world. That day opened up the eyes of the country to what was really going on.”

Some were ready to start marching.

“We’re ready to get out of this building and head back to the Capitol at any moment and prevent the government from shutting down,” said Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“Now is the moment for Democrats to draw a line in the stand and say that we stand very firmly on the side of working class people and against the ultra-rich that are trying to corrupt our government for themselves,” he added.

Meanwhile, some of the nation’s most influential progressive groups warned of serious political consequences for Senate Democrats and predicted a fierce backlash when members of Congress return home next week.

Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, which has organized hundreds of protests across the nation, said that nearly 8 in 10 of the group’s activists support primary challenges against “Senate Dems who cave on the GOP bill.”

He wrote on social media that the vast majority of those Democratic activists plan to express their anger at town halls or other public events next week. MoveOn, another progressive group that claims nearly 10 million members nationwide, predicted that its activists would also demand answers from Democratic officials in the coming days

“Clearing the way for Donald Trump and Elon Musk to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is unacceptable. It’s past time for Democrats to fight and stop acting like it’s business as usual,” said Joel Payne, a spokesperson for MoveOn.

Senate Democrats were also mostly unwilling to speak up to defend Schumer’s move. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, even suggested that the party should be looking for new leaders in the coming years.

“I think come ’26, ’28, we’ll get some new leadership,” he said. His office later said Warnock was answering the question broadly.

Mostly, though, senators just lamented that they had been jammed by a Republican Party that has found a new sense of unity under Trump. For years, House Republicans have not been able to muster votes for government funding on their own, forcing them into bipartisan negotiations. This time, they passed the bill on party lines and left Washington.

“We’re stuck with two bad choices presented by a unified Republican front,” said Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat.

He voted against the bill, yet said of Schumer’s decision: “These are tough, tough calls.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Trump administration workforce cuts at federal agencies overseeing U.S. dams are threatening their ability to provide reliable electricity, supply farmers with water and protect communities from floods, employees and industry experts warn.

The Bureau of Reclamation provides water and hydropower to the public in 17 western states. Nearly 400 agency workers have been cut through the Trump reduction plan, an administration official said.

“Reductions-in-force” memos have also been sent to current workers, and more layoffs are expected. The cuts included workers at the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower generator in North America, according to two fired staffers interviewed by The Associated Press.

“Without these dam operators, engineers, hydrologists, geologists, researchers, emergency managers and other experts, there is a serious potential for heightened risk to public safety and economic or environmental damage,” Lori Spragens, executive director of the Kentucky-based Association of Dam Safety Officials, told the AP.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said federal workforce reductions will ensure disaster responses are not bogged down by bureaucracy and bloat.

”A more efficient workforce means more timely access to resources for all Americans,” she said by email.

But a bureau hydrologist said they need people on the job to ensure the dams are working properly.

“These are complex systems,” said the worker in the Midwest, who is still employed but spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of possible retaliation.

Workers keep dams safe by monitoring data, identifying weaknesses and doing site exams to check for cracks and seepage.

“As we scramble to get these screenings, as we lose institutional knowledge from people leaving or early retirement, we limit our ability to ensure public safety,” the worker added. “Having people available to respond to operational emergencies is critical. Cuts in staff threaten our ability to do this effectively.”

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the administration to rehire fired probationary workers, but a Trump spokesperson said they would fight back, leaving unclear whether any would return.

The heads of 14 California water and power agencies sent a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Interior last month warning that eliminating workers with “specialized knowledge” in operating and maintaining aging infrastructure “could negatively impact our water delivery system and threaten public health and safety.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also operates dams nationwide. Matt Rabe, a spokesman, declined to say how many workers left through early buyouts, but said the agency hasn’t been told to reduce its workforce.

But Neil Maunu, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, said it learned more than 150 Army Corps workers in Portland, Oregon, were told they would be terminated and they expect to lose about 600 more in the Pacific Northwest.

The firings include “district chiefs down to operators on vessels” and people critical to safe river navigation, he said.

Their last day is not known. The Corps was told to provide a plan to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management by March 14, Maunu said.

Several other federal agencies that help ensure dams run safely also have faced layoffs and closures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is laying off 10% of its workforce and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Dam Safety Review Board was disbanded in January.

The cuts come at a time when the nation’s dams need expert attention.

An AP review of Army Corps data last year showed at least 4,000 dams are in poor or unsatisfactory condition and could kill people or harm the environment if they failed. They require inspections, maintenance and emergency repairs to avoid catastrophes, the AP found.

Heavy rain damaged the spillway at California’s Oroville Dam in 2017, forcing nearly 190,000 residents to evacuate, and Michigan’s Edenville Dam breached in storms in 2020, the AP found.

Stephanie Duclos, a Bureau of Reclamation probationary worker fired at the Grand Coulee Dam, said she was among a dozen workers initially terminated. The dam across the Columbia River in central Washington state generates electricity for millions of homes and supplies water to a 27-mile-long (43-kilometer) reservoir that irrigates the Columbia Basin Project.

“This is a big infrastructure,” she said. “It’s going to take a lot of people to run it.”

Some fired employees had worked there for decades but were in a probation status due to a position switch. Duclos was an assistant for program managers who organized training and was a liaison with human resources. The only person doing that job, she fears how others will cover the work.

“You’re going to get employee burnout” in the workers left behind, she said.

Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who pushed a bipartisan effort to ensure the National Dam Safety Program was authorized through 2028, said, “the safety and efficacy of our dams is a national security priority.

“Americans deserve better, and I will work to make sure this administration is held accountable for their reckless actions,” Padilla said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com