Trump ousts at least 15 independent inspectors general in late-night purge  —  The dismissals appeared to violate federal law, which requires Congress to receive 30 days' notice of any intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.

Through the blizzard of edicts, see Trump for what he is: an autocrat reaching for limitless power  —  In just 100 hours, the returned president has already revealed his goal and exposed the weakness of those who might challenge him  —  It's hard to see in a blizzard.

Trump's canceling of 50 security clearances is unprecedented and partisan, experts say  —  The move is meant to please Trump voters, punish perceived enemies and represents “the most politically saturated security action since the Oppenheimer case in the 1950s.”

Scientists at NIH can't purchase supplies for their studies after Trump administration pauses outside communications  —  Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have been told the communications pause announced by the Trump Administration earlier this week includes a pause on all purchasing …

Elon Musk appears on video at German far right campaign event  —  Elon Musk made a surprise appearance during Germany's AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, speaking publicly in support of the far right party for the second time in as many weeks.

C.I.A. Now Favors Lab Leak Theory to Explain Covid's Origins  —  A new analysis that began under the Biden administration is released by the C.I.A.'s new director, John Ratcliffe, who wants the agency to get “off the sidelines” in the debate.  —  The C.I.A. has said for years …

Hegseth's Views May Clash With Reality at the Pentagon  —  The new defense secretary's goals run counter to the military's apolitical tradition and efforts to build a force that mirrors America.  —  Pete Hegseth, the newly confirmed defense secretary, has pledged to restore “the warrior ethos” …

Let's Get to the Marrow of What Trump Just Did  —  This is an edited transcript of an episode of “The Ezra Klein Show.”  You can listen to the conversation by following or subscribing to the show on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

House Speaker Invites Trump to Address Congress on March 4  —  House Speaker Mike Johnson invited President Donald Trump to address a joint session of Congress on March 4, seeking to set the stage for his first major speech to lawmakers since he returned to the White House.

A Montgomery County official mimicked Elon Musk's controversial ‘salute,’ sparking outrage online and her resignation from the local library and a nonprofit  —  A township supervisor in Montgomery County has come under fire, and resigned from her position at the local library and a nonprofit …

‘Hit Him Back Twice as Hard’: Canada's No. 1 Populist Has a Risky Trump Strategy  —  Eight years ago, Justin Trudeau was the face of Canadian resistance to Trump.  Not anymore.  —  “I'm a street fighter in politics,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.  “If someone throws a punch at me, I'm going to hit him back twice as hard.”

More DEI fallout: Air Force scraps course that used videos of Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots  —  The Air Force has removed training courses with videos of its storied Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs — the female World War II pilots who were vital …

China tells Rubio to behave himself in veiled warning  —  China's veteran foreign minister has issued a veiled warning to America's new secretary of state: Behave yourself.  Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed the message in a phone call Friday, their first conversation since Marco Rubio's confirmation …